Clyde & Co

Litigation. Police

Orla is a partner and head of BLM's national police team. She has over 25 years' experience in defending public and employers' liability claims on behalf of police forces nationally. She is instructed to deal with claims involving assault, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, negligence, misfeasance, public order demonstrations and deaths in custody. She has extensive experience in representing police forces in claims involving national security and public interest immunity issues.

Her particular strength is in advising on technical and complex claims arising out of alleged breaches of the Human Rights Act and associated Article 2 inquests. Orla was instructed in the reported case of AAA v Chief Constable of Kent (2017) in which the Article 5 deprivation of liberty claim, was struck out in the High Court. Orla is acting for a layer insurer in a group action brought by hundreds of claimants seeking damages from South Yorkshire and West Midlands Police for misfeasance in public office over conduct of officers on the day of, and after, the Hillsborough disaster.

Trained Wedlake Saint, London; qualified 1994; practised in a north-west firm for six years, specialising in defending public liability and employers’ liability claims on behalf of north-west police forces; joined BLM’s professional indemnity department as a senior solicitor in 2000, becoming part of the specialist police team. Orla has during her career represented Kent Police, the City of London Police, Metropolitian Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, Northampshire Police,  Dorset Police, Bedfordshire Police and NCA; partner 2003. Orla is head of BLM’s national police unit.

Police Defence Lawyers’ Forum (secretary and treasurer).

Sacred Heart Grammar School; Liverpool University (1991 LLB Hons 2(1)); College of Law, Chester (1992).

Reading, theatre.