The Manchester-based offering at Hugh James is well-regarded by clients for its ‘vast experience in catastrophic clinical negligence work’. The team is overseen by the ’fantastic’ Gill Edwards who has experience in acting for claimants across the range of catastrophic injury matters up to Supreme Court level, including high-value birth, brain, and spinal injuries, as well as amputation-related cases. Alongside Edwards at the helm is Lesley Herbertson, whose workload also incorporates cerebral palsy and cauda equina syndrome matters. Helen Budge is a name to note for her experience in representing children with cerebral palsy. ‘First-class’ practitioner Anna Higham also stands out for her capabilities in representing adults who lack the capacity to litigate and children in an array of multi-million-pound claims. Team changes in 2024 include the retirement of former team lead Helen Dolan and the departure of Nina Roland.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Accolades

Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Lesley Herbertson has treated us with honesty and compassion. Her team are always fully briefed also. Her attention-to-detail is exceptional.’

  • ‘Gill Edwards is fantastic. She clearly knows the industry inside and out and approaches all issues with professionalism and empathy.’

Lawyers

Leading partners

The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Next generation Partners

Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Anna Higham
Anna Higham
Practice head

Lesley Herbertson; Gill Edwards

Other key lawyers

Helen Budge; Sophie Birch; Kelly Charlton; Anna Higham