Clinical negligence: defendant
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Hall of fameCapsticks LLP
Experience Philip has been a Partner at Capsticks since 2002, a Nominated Partner for NHS Resolution for over 10 years and he leads the firm’s national inquest service. Philip works with clients in the health and social care, insurance and emergency services sectors to resolve and learn from claims, inquests and serious incidents. Philip also has judicial experience, having worked for five years as an Assistant Coroner. Expertise Philip specialises in handling inquests, inquires and clinical negligence claims on behalf of defendants. He is trusted to deliver the best possible outcomes in the most sensitive and complex cases. A client described how “Philip’s advice and support for me and my executive team has proved invaluable on many occasions. With Philip you have a proactive and personal service, always available and willing to go the extra mile.”Notable projectsLead Solicitor to the NHS on the Jimmy Savile investigations and handled all claims arising from the abuse. Representing the LAS in the Inquests following the Terror Attacks at Westminster Bridge/Palace of Westminster and London Bridge/Borough Market.External legal advisor to the DHSC project delivery group for the Independent Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse.Defendant clinical negligence representative in the High Court User group and met with Lord Justice Jackson during his review into the costs of civil litigation.Trial wins in numerous claims ranging from small value to injuries of maximum severity worth several million pounds. Philip has also represented clients in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Hall of fameHempsons
John’s team specialises in providing advice on patient-related issues to a range of healthcare providers. Many problems he deals with relate to mental health, and this can range from helping trusts with issues about detention, across to inquests and related clinical claims. Often advice is needed quickly, and the strength of John’s team is that they understand client’s needs to know their position straight away when problems come to light. They also have the back up of a national advisory team, and that is key when they are so often dealing with changing legislation. The DOLs procedures and the recent Rabone Supreme Court decision are good examples where the team has been at the forefront of providing seminars and other learning opportunities. Inquests and related clinical governance issues are also important, and other areas like information governance are also a major part of what John does. In terms of well-known cases John was involved in the Bournewood and Clunis cases, and in a number of group actions such as Ledward and RAGE. Over recent years a lot of time has been spent working on homicide inquiries and other investigations for trusts with a number of these cases being reported extensively in the media. John also provides clients and others with training, and for a number of years he chaired the Butterworths/ Lexis Nexis national healthcare law conference, and have spoken at their Adult Safeguarding Conference on mental health issues.
Rising stars
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Weightmans LLP
Since first qualifying as a solicitor in 1994, Isobel has acted for the NHS Trusts, as well as representing NHS Resolution (previously known as NHSLA) since its inception. Isobel also has extensive experience of defending individual healthcare practitioners and dentists acting for their MDOs and private insurers. Her caseload is very wide ranging defending and resolving all types of clinical negligence cases, including claims of the utmost severity (including birth and adult brain injury claims, spinal claims and other catastrophic high value injuries) involving complex causation issues. As well as dealing with the highest value cases, Isobel also deals with a large number of mental health and Human Rights Act public liability claims and works with insurers defending private practitioners including GPs, dentists and surgeons. Many of her cases involve novel or sensitive issues and can also involve dealing with the media. She has group action experience, as well as both extensive trial and mediation experience. Her advice is pragmatic, robust and commercial, achieving early evaluation and resolution as soon as possible. Isobel has particular interests in patient safety and learning and in cases that relate to informed consent. She speaks at sector specific events on these topics, as well as on the investigation and clinical negligence process and preparing for inquests. Her training aims to understand and identify risk profiles and trends, whilst minimising claims and complaints. In addition, Isobel has experience of judicial review of healthcare provision, particularly in the mental health sector. She has advised on best interest assessments and withdrawal of treatment cases and has represented NHS Trusts at inquests. Isobel is one of the key contacts for Remedy, our bespoke healthcare complaints handling solution. Isobel studied medicine at UCLH before converting to law. Her background makes her ideally suited to forging strong relationships to ensure delivery of a high quality service to all healthcare clients. As a result "Isobel is an extremely experienced case handler with a strong depth of knowledge and experience." Legal 500 2019. Rising star & Key lawyer Legal 500 2020 and 2021. High profile cases: RAGE (Breast radiotherapy group action) Janet Birch v UCLH Foundation NHS Trust 2008 EWHC 2237 (QB) R v Camden & Islington Health Authority ex-parte K 2001 EWCA CIV 240 (CA) Bostridge v Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (2015) EWCA CIV 79.
Hempsons
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Clyde & Co
Hempsons
Gautam is a partner who specialises in healthcare litigation and, in particular, clinical negligence claims. He trained and qualified at a leading clinical negligence firm and has been dealing exclusively with clinical negligence claims since 2006. Gautam has acted in a wide variety of cases including dental, gynaecological, infection, neurosurgical, obstetric, ophthalmic, oncological, orthopaedic and spinal injury claims. At Hempsons Gautam has the benefit of working closely with colleagues who are recognised as leaders in the field of healthcare litigation, some of whom have medical as well legal backgrounds.
Leading individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Capsticks LLP
Experience Catherine has over 12 years’ experience of handling complex, sensitive and high value claims for Defendants. She is a Nominated Partner for NHS Resolution and manages a team of lawyers undertaking a broad range of case work of differing value and complexity. She also manages Capsticks’ Claims Handling Service which provides an innovative, outsourced service for the management of healthcare organisations’ claims. Expertise Catherine is a recognised expert in defending the most challenging claims, including those concerning alleged breaches of human rights. Although very experienced in traditional court based litigation, Catherine has used mediation successfully on behalf of defendants on numerous occasions. Catherine is well known for leading the Capsticks’ claims handling service. She has developed an innovative in-house administrative service for Trusts. Training is one of Catherine’s passions and she has lectured extensively on medico-legal topics and trends in litigation at board level.
Capsticks LLP
Experience Majid leads the firm’s medical malpractice insurance team with considerable experience advising the NHS, Lloyds underwriters, and a leading medical defence organisation on claims and associated proceedings. Expertise Majid is best known for his considerable expertise advising doctors, hospitals and indemnifiers in clinical negligence. He also handles clinical trials and product liability claims for insurers. He advises hospitals and professional sports bodies and medical teams on clinical risk management and governance matters. His clients include medical malpractice underwriters, the MDDUS, British Athletics, Football Association of Wales and Liverpool Football Club.
Browne Jacobson LLP
Matthew joined the firm to start Browne Jacobson’s London clinical negligence team in November 2017, focusing on ‘private’ med-mal insurance and independent healthcare.He has a wealth of experience of acting for Insurers, leading healthcare providers and individuals, NHS Resolution, NHS Trusts and medical defence organisations , with a particular track-record on high value or complex claims, especially those involving neurosurgical (spinal or skull base), genetics, screening and pathology issues or obstetrics. He has a reputation as being a robust fighter on unmeritorious claims with a strong success rate at trial, combined with a commercial approach to cases which must be settled. Since arriving at the firm, Matthew has won places on a significant number of insurance panels, is regularly referred cases as a result of conflicts or where the insured have had their indemnity withdrawn. He advised on the mass litigation concerning the Irish national screening programme for cytology. Matthew was previously ranked prior to leaving Bevan Brittan but joined after our submissions. He represents defendant groups on the High Court User’s Group in London and on the Civil Justice Council working party on fixed costs. The bespoke scheme for running claims up to £25,000 under fixed costs devised by Matthew and the small, invitation-only working group of experts will be one of the major changes to clinical litigation for all firms in this sector.
Clyde & Co
Kennedys
Kennedys
Hempsons
Mary is a partner in the healthcare litigation team. Mary qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and initially worked in house at the NHS Resolution (previously the NHS Litigation Authority). She is an extremely experienced litigator and has been involved in many of the leading cases in clinical negligence at the highest level. She also managed a large team of clinical negligence lawyers in East Anglia for many years.Recent cases involve neurosurgery, rare genetic syndromes and fetal anomalies. She also has a special interest in obstetric cases and has delivered seminars for both the Royal College of Obstetricians and Royal College of Midwives.