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.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Phil Barnes
Shoosmiths LLP
Phil is the National Head of the 50 strong Shoosmiths Medical Negligence team. He has specialised in representing claimants in clinical negligence claims for 19 years. As an experienced litigator he has dealt with a wide range of complex and high value claims throughout his career, including neurological injury, child birth trauma, amputations, group actions involving intraocular lens implants, surgical errors, misdiagnosis and fatal claims. He has a specialist interest in infection and sepsis cases. Phil regularly appears as an advocate before Coroners and has been involved in a number of high profile inquests.    
Emma  Broomfield
Lanyon Bowdler
Clinical Negligence partner at Lanyon Bowdler with 20 years specialist experience acting on behalf of claimants. She acts on behalf of individuals with cerebral palsy,  catastrophic brain injury, spinal injury, cancer and amputees as well as on a wide range of cases involving misdiagnosis, inadequate treatment and surgical error.
Beth Heath
Lanyon Bowdler
Partner and head of the Clinical/Medical Negligence Team. Beth combines a uniqueness of professionalism with compassion and empathy. She specialises in high value, complex cases – mainly maternity claims. She acts for a high number of children who have suffered brain damage at or around the time or their birth. She is determined and passionate about obtaining life-changing results for her clients. She is praised for her wealth of experience in drafting multi-million pound Schedules of Loss and her knowledge of the figures.  
Lucy Small
Lanyon Bowdler
Lucy has over 20 years experience in both clinical negligence and personal injury litigation acting solely for the victim. Lucy has a wide range of experience of medical negligence work including ophthalmic, orthopaedic, obstetrics and gynaecology, oncology, cosmetic surgery and GP care and has significant experience in complex fatal clinical negligence claims.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Leading associates
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Richard Bannister
Shoosmiths LLP
Richard has acted successfully in a variety of clinical negligence claims, drawing on his wealth of experience. Since 1992, he has undertaken claimant clinical negligence claims exclusively. He is highly admired for being “very focused and experienced”, “practical and pragmatic” and “a very reliable and effective practitioner”, in addition to establishing “good practical solutions to difficult problems”. His standing in the field is well-known and respected, especially in complex issues which include obstetrics, oncology, orthopaedics, brain injury, general surgery, fatal accidents and representation at inquests. Richard has been accredited to the Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) Specialist Solicitor’s Referral Panel since 1997. He is routinely top ranked in the Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession as a leading Clinical Negligence Lawyer who is a “people person” and “popular with clients”, “highly regarded” and “very pragmatic, direct and sensible”. In 2019, the Chambers Guide recognised him as an Eminent Practitioner in this field.  
Natasha Read
Shoosmiths LLP
Natasha is a Principal Associate Solicitor in the Medical Negligence department at Shoosmiths. She qualified as a solicitor in 2009 after already working in clinical negligence for one year during her training contract. Natasha has been ranked in the Legal 500 as rising star and described in the same directory as 'exceptionally well prepared, very bright and focussed. Natasha never misses a point and always gets the very best for clients. Natasha has a very caring way with clients and gives them sensible practical advice.' Similarly, Natasha is ranked in Chambers and Partners, and described as 'phenomenally bright, extremely hard working and very determined', and as 'an exceptionally able solicitor who never gives the opposition an inch. Tireless, tenacious and fierce.' Natasha has a varied caseload of serious injury claims against NHS trusts, private hospitals/practitioners and General Practitioners. She has particular experience in cases relating to spinal injury, often caused by cauda equina syndrome, abscess/discitis, myelopathy and haematoma. Natasha also specialises in brain injury, and in particular stroke, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and birth/hypoxic injury. She also has experience in a wide range of cases such as surgical error, gynaecological injury, sepsis/infection, and ophthalmic injuries. She represents adults and children and acts on behalf of claimants only. She also has experience of assisting clients during the inquest process and representing families in the Coroners' Courts throughout the country. Natasha has a reputation for achieving positive outcomes where cases are particularly difficult, novel or have complex loss of earnings arguments. Work highlights include: • acting on behalf of an aspiring barrister who was required to change her career plans due to the severe and permanent long term effects of a delay in diagnosis of appendicitis; • acting on behalf of a successful international racehorse vet who was unable to return to her previous employment or follow her intended career path due to alleged negligent anterior cruciate ligament (knee) surgery; • acting on behalf of a widow during a four day long inquest at Birmingham Coroners court. This was a very tragic case where a vulnerable man was allowed to escape from a psychiatric ward and died from his injuries after falling from the hospital roof. A jury found that the hospital's neglect had contributed to his death. Following this, Natasha brought a civil claim on behalf of the widow who received a substantial sum in compensation; • assisting in bringing a claim in clinical negligence on behalf of a 28 year old former professional photographer and mother of three. The Claimant suffered a cauda equina (spinal) injury resulting in significant disability and inability to return to her professional photography work. The Claimant was awarded a seven figure sum in compensation at trial. • Natasha assisted in bringing a claim in clinical negligence on behalf of a 35 year old lower limb amputee which ultimately settled for a seven figure sum.  
Laura Weir
Lanyon Bowdler
Partner, based in the Shrewsbury office. Represents clients who have suffered life-changing injuries, with a particular expertise in brain, spine and birth injury claims