Bevan Brittan LLP offers broad expertise across the defence of clinical negligence and personal injury claims. In the personal injury space, practice head Paul Taverner is highly experienced in litigating complex head and spine injury claims, with claims related to vehicle crashes, injuries caused by pets and industrial diseases also covered by the team. Taverner is supported by well-regarded associates Adrian Neale, who is particularly focused on asbestos cases, and public liability specialist Claire Jones. Dual-qualified solicitor and barrister Joanna Lloyd leads the firm’s clinical negligence practice and has expertise in representing both individuals and cohorts in claims, with a focus on brain injuries. She is also increasingly recognised for her work in secondary victim claims, where she handles high-profile litigation before the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Other key figures in the team include mental health specialist Simon Lindsay and Alison Garrett, who is experienced in birth injury and spinal injury claims.
Personal injury and clinical negligence; defendant in South West
Bevan Brittan LLP
Practice head(s):
Joanna Lloyd; Paul Taverner
Other key lawyers:
Adrian Neale; Claire Jones; Simon Lindsay; Alison Garrett; Ceri Catton
Testimonials
‘A fantastic high-calibre team of solicitors lead by Paul Taverner, a specialist for insurers with a nationwide reputation. They have gone from strength to strength this year with the progression of key personnel such as Claire Jones and Adrian Neale. Their clients are devoted and loyal.’
‘Bevan Brittan excel in client services, particularly in providing training material and providing ad-hoc advices. Their knowledge is of the highest possible standard and service is impossible to fault.’
‘The Bristol office of Bevan Brittan have many highly experienced lawyers in the clinical negligence field. They have a thorough understanding of high value and complex clinical negligence claims, which is put to good use in seeking to achieve the most favourable outcomes possible in challenging cases.’
‘This is a highly experienced, mature and capable team. Sensible, easy to communicate with and responsive.’
‘I have worked with Alison Garrett over a number of years in complex high value claims. These claims involve complex evidential and expert issues, as well as real sensitivities around the facts of the cases, which Alison is fantastic in navigating with clinicians and experts.’
‘In Bristol the star is undoubtedly Joanna Lloyd – personality combined with experience and intellect ensure that for her clients she is the first port of call. Ceri Catton is a very able solicitor and one to watch.’
‘Paul Taverner deals with the highest value and most complex of our cases. Paul is extremely approachable and has a great breadth of knowledge. Paul handles our most difficult customers with a patience and understanding that is second to none.’
‘Paul Taverner has exceptional knowledge of our sector and gives well directed, well considered and relevant advices. Claire Jones handles an incredible caseload with exceptional levels of knoweldge, expertise and client relations.’
Key clients
NHS Resolution
MedPro
Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust,
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG
Yeovil District NHS Foundation Trust
Covea Insurance
Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty
Nottinghamshire County Council
CNA Europe
Nottingham City Council
Allied World Assurance
Canal & River Trust
Environment Agency
NHS Resolution
Historic England
Work highlights
Browne Jacobson LLP
Browne Jacobson LLP‘s personal injury practice is led by Joanne Pruden and handles a range of claims in this area, including employers’ and public liability claims. The practice particularly stands out for its work handling incidents involving the NHS, such as workplace injuries and incidents involving patients. Director Angela Williams leads on this work, while Pruden also regularly receives instructions from local authorities. The team offers additional expertise in clinical negligence, where Michael Chambers collaborates with the firm’s teams in Birmingham and Nottingham to handle complex claims. Chambers’ recent work includes handling a number of novel claims brought by secondary victims. Other names to note in the ‘consistently impressive’ practice include Mark Barnett, who specialises in claims involving mental health providers, and senior associate Becky Wyld. Wyld offers clients ‘very good tactical insight’ and acts for trusts in court proceedings as well as at inquests.
Practice head(s):
Michael Chambers; Joanne Pruden; Mark Barnett
Other key lawyers:
Becky Wyld
Testimonials
‘The support is always there on even the most minor of issues. They take ownership from the word go. Educational and training opportunities have continued throughout the Pandemic.’
‘Browne Jacobson’s clinical negligence defence team is consistently impressive. The claims are well managed and papers to counsel are always well prepared. My experience of the file handlers is that they are experienced and on top of their cases, so that the claims are in good hands from start to finish. The online document management system introduced during Covid has in my experience been effective and secure, without access difficulties. All in all a really strong NHS panel firm.’
‘I have worked with Becky Wyld for many years. She is always on top of her cases and, with prior experience on the claimant side, has very good tactical insight.’
‘Very good.’
‘Browne Jacobson’s Exeter and Birmingham branches have a wide range of expertise with a good understanding of our service needs.’
‘Excellent partnership working, with ease and understanding the needs of our services, providing an exceptional and responsive service. In particular, we have worked with Angela Williams for a number of years who goes above and beyond to provide the best legal advice in the most efficient manner. Always a pleasure working with Angela.’
Key clients
Municipal Mutual Insurance Limited
Zurich
Gallagher Bassett
Ageas
Aspire Academy Trust
Work highlights
- Acting for Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in a secondary victim claim.
- Representing NHS Resolution in an occupiers’ liability claim for a patient who absconded from hospital.
- Advising MMI/Gallagher Bassett on a social care claim.
Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co recently took over BLM, acquiring a Bristol team which acts for a host of major insurers in high-value personal injury claims, with a particular focus on handling claims relating to injuries arising from road traffic accidents. Key names to note include Andrew Lawson, who offers ‘clear sensible advice’ to clients in this area, and Rebecca Shafto, an ‘excellent strategic thinker’. Shafto handles both fatal accidents and catastrophic injuries and has expertise in road traffic accidents, employer’s liability and public liability, while Lawson is noted for his work in cases involving brain injuries, amputations and paralysis. Associate Emma Palmer is also adept at handling catastrophic injury claims for child and adult claimants, with a workload that includes acting for clients with long-term complex care needs. The overall department is led by Joe Wakeford who works between the Bristol and Southampton offices.
Practice head(s):
Joe Wakeford
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Lawson; Rebecca Shafto; Emma Palmer; Vanessa Brooks
Testimonials
‘Rebecca Shafto is an excellent strategic thinker with a very good eye for detail and the ability to deliver solid results for her clients. Andrew Lawson has good technical understanding in product liability/fire claims. He gets to grips with a case and provides clear sensible advice for his clients.’
‘I had the pleasure of working with Rebecca Shafto. She was so impressive. Nothing was ever too much and her attention to the finest detail paid dividends. We achieved an excellent result for our insurers. For me she ranks as one of the very best Cat D solicitors in E and W, deserving of the very highest ranking.’
‘There is a high level of relevant technical knowledge in even relatively junior fee earners and very good and effective partner supervision.’
Key clients
DLG
LV=
QBE
Hastings
Gallagher Bassett
North Somerset Council
First Port
Herefordshire Council
New Line
Work highlights
- Acted for LV= on the appeal of a case where the court of appeal looked at the circumstances in which visitors will be held to have voluntarily run an obvious risk.
- Acted for DLG in complex claim with significant brain injury, complex dependency and foreign earnings.
- Acted for LV= on claim with multiple life threatening severe injuries, including lack of capacity.
DAC Beachcroft LLP
At DAC Beachcroft LLP, the clinical negligence team sits on the NHS Resolution panel and provides a 'first-class service' on complex, high-value cases involving injuries to children, mental health issues and large group claims. The practice is also engaged by insurers and private healthcare providers to act in their defence. Nigel Montgomery has more than 25 years’ experience in this space; elsewhere, Rachel Roberts-Jenkins and Hannah Volpe lead on cases for the NHS with expertise in handling complex claims involving hospital-acquired infections and birth, brain and spinal injuries. Simon Perkins handles claims on behalf of major insurers and is valued by clients for his commercial advice. In the personal injury space, Sally Yuill is the key name to note.
Practice head(s):
Nigel Montgomery; Rachel Roberts-Jenkins; Sally Yuill
Other key lawyers:
Simon Perkins
Testimonials
‘An excellent firm providing a first class service for defendants.’
‘Rachel Roberts-Jenkins has an in-depth knowledge of the sector. She has first-class judgment and shows good attention to detail. They also have excellent associates whom it is a pleasure to work with, including Justin Whitmore and Stuart Wallace.’
‘DAC Beachcroft is one of the best in this field. A team with fantastic depth, they consistently produce good results at competitive rates. They’re excellent at keeping us appraised of key legal decisions and produce helpful articles summarising the potential long term effects those decisions have on the medical world. Simon Perkins, leading from the front, is superb at putting webinars on for our members on a diverse range of interesting topics.’
Key clients
NHS Resolution
The Medical Defence Union
University Hospitals Bristol and Western NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
North Bristol NHS Trust
Zurich Global Corporate
RSA
WR Berkley
Bupa Dental
CFC Underwriting
Optegra UK
Priory
QBE
Beazley
NHS England and Improvement
Renaissance Re
Bermuda Hospital Board
Newline
Corvelia
Panel Appointments:
NHS Resolution
MDU
CFC Underwriting
Work highlights
- Instructed by NHS Resolution to act on behalf of all NHS Trusts in England in respect of claims arising from the use of rectal mesh.
- Instructed by NHS England and Improvement to act for them in the forthcoming UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
- Acting for NHS Resolution in a wide variety of novel and complex cases.
DWF
DWF has a varied personal injury practice which handles claims involving catastrophic injuries such as amputations and brain damage. The practice acts for insurers in defending against motor and employer liability claims. Practice head Claire Gribben is a solicitor-advocate with deep experience of representing clients in personal injury claims in trials and arbitrations. Senior associate Adrian Southwood has practiced in this area for more than 20 years and primarily focuses on employers’ and public liability; he is praised as ‘tenacious’ and ‘extremely reliable’.
Practice head(s):
Claire Gribben
Other key lawyers:
Adrian Southwood
Testimonials
‘We have a dedicated individual rather than a team who works with us – Adrian Southwood. He is tenacious and is driven by a desire to get to the bottom of each case on which he works. That combined with his commercial nous and understanding of defendant insurance is highly prized. For a Defendant, spending £100k to save £10k, regardless of how novel or clever the approach, will rarely find favour; Adrian gets that and will provide a clear range of options and likely outcomes, together with costings.’
‘I am very particular about the people I use and when it comes to Casualty and in particular Occupiers Liability I will always turn to Adrian Southwood. He is extremely reliable and very knowledgeable.’
Key clients
NFU Mutual Insurance
Tokio Marine Kiln
Halfords
Babcock
Axis Capital
The Hartford
Direct Line Group
Covea
Allianz Insurance
Halfords
Beaufort Underwriting
Pritchards
Work highlights
Kennedys
The key names at Kennedys' Taunton office include Mark Skinner, who focuses on the defence of insurers in relation to third party claims.
Testimonials
‘Very helpful and genuinely interested in the cases (not just the billing)’
‘Friendly and knowledgeable’
‘A strong team which successfully straddles the divide between employer’s liability and public liability claims. They are always alive to the bigger picture favoured by insurers and take up robust but well reasoned positions on their cases.’
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP
Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has a varied personal injury practice, advising clients on defending against claims involving workplace injuries, public liability and asbestos-related illnesses. The team stands out for the direct instructions it receives from corporates in addition to its work for insurers. Public transport is a key area of focus for the practice, such as handling claims involving falls on buses. David Brown leads the team and is praised as ‘extremely professional’.
Practice head(s):
David Brown
Testimonials
‘This firm has a diverse range of professional individuals all highly skilled in a wide range of practices. They are extremely helpful, informative and knowledgeable in their individual roles.’
‘David Brown has been exemplary in his assistance to me in fighting a personal injury claim against the business I work for. His attention to detail has been exceptional. He is extremely professional and leaves no stone unturned.’
Key clients
RATP Group (including London United Busways, London Sovereign, Quality Line, Selwyns, and The Original London Sightseeing Tour)
Historic England (The English Heritage Trust)
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company (Europe) Ltd
LV=
SPX Corporation
Synthite Limited
Vertellus Specialities UK Ltd
C&J Clark
Work highlights
- Advising RATP Group (London United Busways Ltd) on a claim by a mechanic in a bus depot who is alleged to have suffered a back injury during the course of his employment – claimant failed to better the Part 36 offer which had been made 2 years previously. An order for payment of the defendant’s costs from the date of expiry of the offer was made against the claimant.
- Advising RATP Dev UK (London Sovereign Ltd) in relation to a claim by an Italian national who suffered a fractured leg when falling down the stairwell of a double decker bus.
- Advising RATP Group (London United Busways Ltd) on a claim. The claimant pleaded impecuniosity but, when put to proof, failed to adduce any credible evidence in support.