Travel

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.
Demetrius Danas
Hall of fameIrwin Mitchell
I have a wealth of experience in acting on behalf of people who sustain serious injuries abroad, and foreign nationals who are injured in England. I have pursued cases on behalf of clients in over 40 jurisdictions worldwide and have particular expertise in dealing with complex jurisdictional and foreign law issues. I also specialise in accidents taking place on board ships and aircraft. I have represented clients all the way up to the Court of Appeal, the UK Supreme Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union and have achieved record breaking results on behalf those most seriously injured. I am an expert in Brexit-related issues as they apply to seriously injured clients, navigating their cases through to a successful conclusion in a post-Brexit world.
James Healy-Pratt
Hall of fameKeystone Law
James is an international aviation lawyer, with 30 years’ experience of resolving high-profile aviation accidents worldwide. He is a triple-qualified lawyer in England & Wales, Ireland and New York and is a licensed helicopter pilot. James has unrivalled experience and understanding of the aviation insurance market based on his 15 years of working at its heart in London. He has represented families and pilots/crew, as well as aviation insurers in aviation accidents on six continents (including even Antarctica and Hawaii). Airline, helicopter and business jet accidents are his particular expertise, as are catastrophic / burns-related and high-net-worth injuries. He has a track record of achieving swift settlements at record levels. James sits part-time as HM Coroner in Sussex, hearing a wide range of Inquests, often of a complex nature and with juries. He is also an accredited mediator and arbitrator with the Royal Aeronautical Society and JAMS (US Judicial and Arbitration Mediation Services). In addition, James has extensive first-hand knowledge of the following: Helicopters – Agusta 109, Airbus 120, 125, 130, MD 500/600/900 (Notar), Bell 206, Leonardo AW 139, Robinson R22/44; Fixed Wing – Airbus A310, A320 & A330, Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767 & 777, Cessna 172, 205, 208, Hawker Hunter T7 (Jet Fighter), Extra 300 (Aerobatic), Tiger Moth.
Daniel Scognamiglio
Hall of fameBlake Morgan LLP
Daniel leads our travel team based in Southampton. He is a specialist in multi-jurisdictional disputes, travel insurance litigation and tour operator liability and is qualified as a solicitor in England and Attorney at Law (non practising) New York. He has a particular specialism in handling travel insurance and foreign personal injury matters, advising insurers and the public as a result of accidents that have happened abroad; dealing with general insurance litigation and commercial disputes with an international or multi-jurisdictional element. Daniel also advises travel agents and tour operators as to the Package Travel Regulations, ATOL and CAA.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Clare Campbell
Leigh Day
Road traffic accidents abroad, aviation accidents, cruise accidents, workplace accidents abroad, group illness litigation, accidents in America, claims arising out of the Package Travel Regulations, fatal accidents, Inquests, consumer group actions.
Mark Lee
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP
Mark heads the firm’s nationally recognised travel team and its insurance and reinsurance group. He is a catastrophic injuries lawyer with particular experience of cases involving severely brain injured claimants, who are involved in accidents abroad. He is very well connected in the travel insurance industry and advises insurers and policyholders regarding travel related disputes, both in a claimant and a defendant capacity. Notable case successes include Evans v R&V Allgemeine Verischerung AG, ABC v AXA France, Vann v Profeta de Sa, Julie Bygrave v Thomas Cook Tour Operations Ltd, and Susan Pimbblet v Kevin Clelland and Ethniki.
Scott Rigby
Stewarts Law LLP
Partner in the International Injury department. Scott specialises in acting for clients who have suffered catastrophic injuries abroad. He has secured over £40m in damages for his clients. He represented the claimant in the landmark case of Wall v Mutuelle de Poitiers Assurances [2014] EWCA Civ 138. Scott represents clients who have suffered spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, brachial plexus injuries and fatal injuries. These claims typically involve jurisdictional, applicable law and service disputes or are brought under the Package Travel Regulations. Scott has secured numerous multimillion pound settlements for clients injured in Europe and jurisdictions around the world. He also acted in Wall v Mutuelle de Poitiers Assurances in which the Court of Appeal provided guidance on the assessment of damages in personal injury claims in circumstances where the English Court is bound to apply the law of another jurisdiction.
Sarah Stewart
Stewarts Law LLP
Partner in the Aviation department. Sarah specialises in aviation related disputes resulting in death or injury claims in the UK and abroad. The claims she handles often involve jurisdictional arguments, issues of foreign law and the application of international conventions. Since 2006 Sarah has specialised in aviation related disputes resulting in death or injury worldwide. The claims she handles often involve jurisdictional arguments, issues of foreign law and the application of international conventions. She has acted in major air disasters and fatal helicopter and light aircraft accidents in the UK, Europe and worldwide. She supports families through official accident investigations and coroner’s inquests. Sarah was instructed in the landmark case of Rogers v Hoyle [2014] EWCA Civ 257 [2014] 3 WLR 148, [2014] 3 All ER 550, in which the Court of Appeal held that air accident investigation reports produced by the Department of Transport are admissible in civil proceedings. She also acted in Dusek v StormHarbour [2016] EWCA CIV 604, which established liability on the part of a UK employer for failing to adequately risk assess travel arrangements for its employee travelling abroad for his work. Sarah is currently acting for families of victims of the Shoreham Airshow disaster in the ongoing inquest proceedings. Sarah joined Stewarts in 2002, and became partner in 2007. She qualified with Gregory Abrams in Liverpool in 1997 before moving to personal injury at Bolt Burdon in Islington.
Matthew Ford
Clyde & Co
Matthew is Head of BLM's London Casualty team and deals with large loss, complex and sensitive injury claims for insurers and corporate clients.He leads the Travel and Tour Operator Liability team and is head of the Travel Practice Group.
John Caddies
Hill Dickinson LLP
Head of our Marine PI and Regulatory, John worked with the previous head of department, Maria Pittordis, for 28 years and has taken over the role as a result of her sad passing. Specialising in high-value, complex personal injury and industrial disease claims, John joined the firm in 1988 and has dealt with complex and high-value employers' liability and public liability personal injury claims for over 25 years, varying from athletes to divers. A marine and transport claims' specialist, he regularly visits ports and attends onboard vessels to carry out immediate post-accident investigations, liaising with the HSE, MAIB, MCA and the police, and advising in relation to both the consequent criminal prosecutions as well as the civil claims. John has significant expertise in dealing with fatal claims, psychiatric injuries and multi-party litigation in the “BOWBELLE”/“MARCHIONESS” and “COSTA CONCORDIA” litigation, and leads a team with extensive experience in GI, legionella, norovirus and sexual assault claims. John also has specific expertise in dealing with industrial disease claims, particularly asbestos, asthma, vibration white finger and stress at work and argued the only successful date of knowledge defence for ship owners in the reported case of G Smith (deceased) -v- P&O Bulk Shipping Limited. He regularly lectures and provides training to clients both in the UK and Europe on both personal injury and industrial disease claims.
Bronwen Courtenay-Stamp
Trowers & Hamlins LLP
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Christopher Deacon
Stewarts Law LLP
Partner Chris is a specialist international injury lawyer who throughout his career has acted almost exclusively for the victims of accidents abroad and in disputes with tour operators, hotels, travel providers and insurers. He is ranked as a leading travel lawyer in both Chambers and The Legal 500. Chambers 2018 commented "a rising star and all-round class act; he puts the extra 10% on top of the 100%." Chris represents clients following serious international accidents, usually UK residents injured overseas but also foreign nationals who sustain life-changing injuries in the UK. He often acts in high profile and challenging cases and in claims arising from a wide range of catastrophic and fatal incidents, from road traffic accidents to sporting and leisure activities. Chris has a specialist interest and expertise in motorsports accidents, having represented the family of F1 driver Jules Bianchi following his fatal accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and F2 driver Juan Manuel Correa following the serious accident at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix. Fluent in French, his background in international law means he is well placed to advise in relation to claims arising from incidents across the globe. Chris’ experience notably extends to the USA where he has pursued claims in a number of US states. He has written, presented and advised on the implications of Brexit for international injury claims. Chris is involved in lobbying for the rights of serious injury victims in an international context, regularly engaging with government and public consultations on law reform. Chris is currently representing a number of seriously injured clients and their families following accidents overseas, including a UK national who suffered serious burns in a dune buggy fire in Dubai and in a claim against Airbnb and others in Florida for a client who suffered an amputation following an incident at a holiday rental.
Lucy England
Fox Williams LLP
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Joseph Dawson
Leigh Day
Joseph is an Associate Solicitor in the International Travel Personal Injury team at Leigh Day, specialising in accidents occurring outside of England and Wales resulting in serious injuries. Joseph acts for claimants only, working with them to ensure access to rehabilitation in the assistance in recovery from life-changing injuries as well as funding for future medical treatments. Joseph has experience in all types of cross border litigation including complex issues of jurisdiction & applicable law in road traffic accidents and workplace accidents abroad as well as Montreal/Athens/Berne Convention matters. Joseph also has years of experience in claims under the Package Travel Regulations and the litigation of accidents in the Federal & State jurisdictions of the USA.   .
Stephen Goodman
Slater and Gordon
Stephen is an associate and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives in the travel litigation team at Slater and Gordon in Manchester. He specialises in claims involving clients who have been injured or become unwell abroad. Stephen was previously employed by one the UK’s largest tour operators as a defendant lawyer. He now specialises in claimant work making full use of the knowledge and experience he has gained, to achieve the best settlements he can for his clients. Stephen is a key member of his department and in addition to pursuing claims on behalf of his clients, manages a team of Fee Earners whom he provides with assistance, training and career development on a daily basis.
Rebecca Huxford
Stewarts Law LLP
AssociateRebecca specialises in international injury claims, with a particular specialism in cases involving severe brain injury. She is highly regarded for her client care and forensic approach to complex expert evidence. Rebecca represents clients following serious international accidents, including UK residents injured overseas and foreign nationals who sustain serious injuries in the UK. Rebecca has extensive experience in running serious injury claims, with a particular focus on ensuring her clients have quick access to rehabilitation and interim payments, where possible.Rebecca has represented clients in a range of serious personal injury cases involving amputation, brain injury and spinal cord injury. She has secured millions of pounds of compensation for clients during her career. In more recent years, most of her cases have involved brain injury ranging from subtle to severe, including the onset of additional conditions such as epilepsy, endocrine disorders, visual and hearing difficulties. She has also recently run a complex case to trial in the High Court involving technical arguments on expert liability and causation evidence that was worth millions of pounds.
Colin Murphy
Leigh Day
Colin is a solicitor specialising in International Travel Litigation. He acts exclusively for Claimants and he has assisted many individuals who have sustained life-changing injuries following accidents abroad. Colin represents clients in a range of international personal injury cases including claims arising from accidents at work, accidents whilst on holiday and road traffic accidents. He has extensive experience dealing with complex jurisdiction and applicable law disputes. :

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