Drawing upon ‘solid tactical acumen allied with shrewd financial awareness’, Dolmans is consistently engaged in the highest-profile mandates across the spectrum of personal injury work and richly deserves its reputation as ‘the go-to defendant firm in Wales for insurers and local authorities alike’. In addition to his multi-track work for a number of local authorities, ‘outstanding litigator’ Justin Harris heads up the firm’s road traffic department, which through its panel appointment with Ageas Insurance Company receives a raft of high-profile and complex catastrophic defence work. The ‘outstanding’ Peter Bennett regularly takes the lead on challenging matters, including group litigation for public authorities and insurers in the defence of claims relating to industrial accidents and industrial disease. Leveraging his ‘excellent legal knowledge’, Simon Evans ‘is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for his clients’ across a wide range of defence work, spanning employers’ and public liability, as well as road traffic and property-related defence work. Nicola Edwards has a ‘great understanding of the challenges of the public sector’ and regularly handles a range of work for both local authorities and police forces. Melanie Standley ‘delivers confident advice on complex matters’, including in the defence of claims against social services for alleged failure to protect children from abuse and neglect, work which Edwards and Clare Hoskins also specialise in. Adrian Oliver heads up the team and has vast experience representing police forces across many claims; he continues to represent West Midlands Police in the long-running litigation arising out of the Hillsborough disaster.
Personal injury: defendant in Wales
Dolmans
Practice head(s):
Adrian Oliver
Other key lawyers:
Justin Harris; Peter Bennett; Simon Evans; Clare Hoskins; Melanie Standley; Nicola Edwards; Amanda Evans
Testimonials
‘The firm has a dynamic ability to move with the times and consistently justifies its position as the go-to defendant firm in Wales for insurers and local authorities alike. It has been quick to adapt post-lockdown and delivers first- class advice and case management to its loyal clients.’
‘They are client focused, hardworking and what I would describe as a safe pair of hands. They are extremely professional and consistently provide prompt, confident and expert advice.’
‘Dolmans are highly professional, efficient and reliable. They always go above and beyond to achieve successful outcomes for their clients.’
Key clients
Ageas Insurance Company Limited
Travelers Insurance Company Limited
AXA XL Insurance
Aspen Insurance Ltd
Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Europe Limited
Sompo Canopius
HCC Insurance Ltd
Specialist Liability Services
Kudos Loss Adjusters Ltd
Gallagher Bassett International Ltd
BMW UK Limited
Tesco Underwriting
Cardiff Council
Newport City Council
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Pembrokeshire County Council
Swansea Council
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
Caerphilly County Borough Council
Bridgend County Borough Council
Vale of Glamorgan County Council
Rhonda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
Powys County Council
Torfaen County Borough Council
Monmouthshire County Council
Dorset County Council
Somerset County Council
Central Bedfordshire Council
Southampton City Council
Derbyshire County Council
West Midlands Police
South Wales Police
Dyfed-Powys Police
Mid and West Wales Fire Service
Work highlights
- Representing the interests of Ageas insurance Limited, in the defence of multiple claims arising from the Hinckley Point bus crash in January 2023.
- Representing the interests of Travelers in connection with the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (early onset dementia) Group Litigation Claim brought by circa 170 former professional players against WRU, RFU and World Rugby.
- Advised a Welsh local authority regarding multiple civil claims relating to failure to remove and breach of complainant’s human rights whilst children classed as ‘looked after children’ by the local authority.
Clyde & Co
Clyde & Co‘s merger in the summer of 2022 with BLM afforded the firm its first office in Wales, however, while the merger had a number of synergies, as well as access to a greater pool of offices, a number of the previous highly recommended individuals have since left the firm. Nevertheless, Craig Hevicon and Kerris Dale remain, and spearhead a ‘strong offering’ that is on the panel of many high-profile insurers, acting across a broad array of matters, ranging from relatively commoditised low-value claims through to catastrophic injury defence. Dale is particularly adept at defending motor claims, while Chartered Legal Executive Hevicon has a core focus on cases concerning occupational disease. Simon Cradick rounds out the team at a senior level and has vast experience across a variety of occupational diseases and high-value employers’ liability, public liability, and road traffic claims.
Practice head(s):
Craig Hevicon; Kerris Dale
Other key lawyers:
Simon Cradick
Key clients
PwC Business Services Ltd
Signature Aviation Ltd
QBE
Pro Global
Corin Underwriting
Signature Aviation Ltd
Work highlights
Geldards LLP
The ‘knowledgeable, friendly and professional’ team at Geldards LLP excels in handling employer and public liability defence work for clients that operate insurance captives or self-insure. ‘Technically very able’ team head Donna Makin delivers ‘well thought out and sound advice’, including in the context of industrial disease claims, as well as in relation to the management of large corporate liability portfolios.
Practice head(s):
Donna Makin
Other key lawyers:
Amy-Beth Probert
Testimonials
‘The lawyers are knowledgeable, friendly and professional.’
‘The team is highly geared, efficient, client-focused and responsive.’
‘The advice is always clear, balanced and pragmatic.’
‘Donna Makin is an extremely bright and experienced senior lawyer.’
‘Donna Makin is a formidable presence to have on your team.’
‘Donna Makin is technically very able, prepares thoroughly and delivers well thought out and sound advice.’
‘Amy-Beth Probert is a delight to work with, being very competent and enthusiastic and always responding quickly to queries.’
Key clients
Hampden PLC
National Museum/Amgueddfa Cymru
National Library of Wales
CADW
The Welsh Government
Maxfort Insurance Ltd
Natural Resources Wales
Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance PLC
Hugh James
The ‘efficient and user-friendly’ team at Hugh James regularly represents insurers, corporates and public sector entities across a wide range of personal injury matters, from low-value commoditised mandates, through to matters of the utmost severity, including industrial disease. Team head Alun Tobias has broad expertise within the insurance market, including on coverage issues and subrogated recoveries, while his personal injury defence work often flows from his broader professional negligence expertise. ‘Personable and strategic’ senior associate Leon Lloyd ‘has a great deal of knowledge and experience’ in the defence of higher value employers’ and public liability claims for both public sector clients as well as private individuals.
Practice head(s):
Alun Tobias
Other key lawyers:
Stephanie Eedy; Leon Lloyd
Testimonials
‘Superb people who are efficient and user-friendly.’
‘Highly competent, excellent communicators, willing to tailor their approach to needs of clients.’
‘Leon Lloyd is an excellent lawyer. He is thorough, personable and a good strategic thinker.’
‘Leon Lloyd always goes the extra mile for the client.’
‘Leon Lloyd is professional, friendly and has a great deal of knowledge and experience.’