Bolt Burdon Kemp LLP

boltburdonkemp.co.uk

Ahmed is Head of the Military Claims Team and a Partner and Solicitor-Advocate. SAhmed manages high value personal injury and clinical negligence claims, often involving serious accidents suffered by service personnel during training or through failures to treat and rehabilitate. He ensures that all his clients are seen at an early stage by the right medical experts, so that their injuries can be fully investigated, an assessment made of their future needs and a strategy agreed for the successful progression of their claims. As an experienced Solicitor-Advocate, Ahmed often appears in the High Court to represent his clients. He has led our work defending the rights of service personnel in the workplace against poor conditions, bullying, discrimination and harassment. He has an in depth understanding of service complaint procedures and will advise clients all the way through to appeal stages and beyond. He is passionate about protecting the rights of women and minorities in the armed forces. A keen negotiator, Ahmed achieves the best possible outcome for his clients, whether that means a valuable pre-action settlement or a fight for compensation at court. He has provided training to experts and solicitors about the nature of military claims, case management, strategy and negotiation. Ahmed has led ground-breaking litigation in his field, including: Having conduct of the first ever settlement in England and Wales relating to injuries caused by the wrongful prescription of Lariam (mefloquine), the anti-malarial drug. Billett v MoD– a case involving Non-Freezing Cold Injury (NFCI), which explored the principles of how to assess damages for disabled Claimants and which continues to be a leading case. Broni, Woof and Barbour v MoD – a case which successfully argued that service personnel should not be treated in law as ‘employees’ for the purposes of assessing legal costs. Ahmed is an active member of Forces Law, a national network of lawyers who specialise in advising service personnel about their legal rights. He has authored “A Practical Guide to Military Claims”, the first legal guide for practitioners which deals exclusively with this specialist field. As a legal and subject matter expert, Ahmed has been invited to give evidence before Parliament and provides regular contributions to stories in the national press on the welfare of service personnel. He supports a number of military charities to help raise awareness about these issues. In March 2021, Ahmed gave evidence to the Defence Select Committee which looked at the experiences faced by women in the military and female veterans.

Alex Dabek

Alex is a Senior Associate in the Spinal Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp. She started her career at Bolt Burdon Kemp in 2007. Alex specialises in complex claims involving spinal cord injuries sustained as a result of clinical negligence. She also acts for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of accidents. Alex has represented many vulnerable clients, including those who lack mental capacity and children. Alex works very closely with Horatio’s Garden, a national charity creating and nurturing beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres to support everyone affected by spinal injury. Alex also supports and works closely with the Spinal Injuries Association, whose services and support are invaluable to people who have sustained spinal injuries. Alex is a trustee of Diverse City, a charity whose ambition is to break barriers, to transform artistic performance and to place diverse groups at the centre of the industry.

Caroline Klage

Caroline is a specialist in cases involving child brain injury and heads up the firm’s child brain injury department. She has been instrumental in successfully concluding a number of high value complex cases. Caroline relishes a challenge and has won a number of cases rejected by other firms on the grounds that they had poor prospects of success. Caroline champions a pro-active and practical approach. This ensures that cases are progressed swiftly and without delay with clients receiving the maximum amount of compensation possible and where appropriate, interim payments of compensation to help to fund their complex care, treatment, therapy and equipment needs as well as to alleviate financial hardship. Caroline is an IPSEA qualified SEN (Special Educational Needs) advisor.Caroline frequently comments in the national press and in social media on healthcare issues. She is also a contributor to the Journal of Personal Injury Law.

Cheryl Abrahams

Cheryl is a partner in the child brain injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp. Having spent many years representing claimants with a range of life-changing injuries, Cheryl now acts exclusively for children who have suffered brain injuries in accidents. Cheryl is widely recognised as a specialist in personal injury law. Cheryl writes articles and gives training about personal injury law. She is committed to ensuring that her clients are supported and receive the best possible service. Cheryl fights for early and regular interim payments and rehabilitation. Cheryl is extremely passionate about her work on behalf of children with acquired brain injury. The Child Brain Injury Trust invited her to be a Special Ambassador to the charity in 2017 in recognition of her commitment and support.

Claudia Hillemand

Claudia is a Partner in the Child Brain Injury team. She acts exclusively for children who have sustained a brain injury as a result of medical errors or accidents. She has experience of severe and complex claims involving children with cerebral palsy who have sustained brain injuries at birth, as well as children who have suffered from conditions including stroke, meningitis, encephalitis and cerebral abscesses. Claudia is passionate about securing compensation for children who have suffered injury as a result of negligence. She has a particular interest in cases relating to birth injury.In addition to her expertise in cases involving negligence, Claudia is an IPSEA-qualified special educational needs advisor and represents children and young people with Special Educational Needs arising from or connected to brain injuries.

David McClenaghan

David joined Bolt Burdon Kemp in 2010. He became partner in 2015 and is head of the firm's Abuse team. He specialises in bringing compensation claims on behlaf of survivors of sexual abuse. He has successfully brought claims on behlf of clients who have suffered abuse at the hands of Scout leaders, Boys’ Brigade Captains, clergymen (Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, Church in Wales, Evangelical Church), youth club leaders, teachers, sports coaches, foster carers, care home staff and family members. David is a solicitor advocate and regularly appears in the High Court and CICA Tribunal on behalf of his clients. He frequently appears in the national broadcast and print media providing expert commentary on child abuse law and issues. Reported cases include: GLB v TH [2012] ALL ER D 329, as advocate, David secured his client one of the highest-ever awards of general damaged in a child abuse compensation claim; CXX v DXX [2012] ALL ER (D) 22, clarified the law in respect of whether or not a defendant who has been convicted of an offence is permitted to deny that offence in a subsequent civil claim; FZO v Haringey [2019] EWHC 1286 (QB) representing a child abuse survivor who was awarded a record-breaking £1.1 million in damages.

Joanna Chapman

Jo is a partner in the child brain injury team, and acts exclusively for children who have suffered serious brain injuries as a result of negligence, including clinical negligence. Jo’s specialist expertise in child brain injuries has developed over the last 20 years. She is highly experienced in dealing with severe and complex claims involving birth related brain injuries, cerebral palsyand stroke, including children who are in a minimally conscious state or whose level of cognition is uncertain. Jo is an IPSEA-qualified special educational needs advisor having completed training with Independent Parental Special Educational Needs Advice (IPSEA). Since qualifying in 1990 she has acted solely for claimants and gained wide expertise and experience in life changing injury and complex clinical negligence claims.

Jonathan Wheeler

Jonathan was formerly head of both the injury and abuse teams at Bolt Burdon Kemp and has been a partner with the firm since 2003. In 2006 Jonathan was named one of the ‘Hot 100’ lawyers of the year by The Lawyer magazine, recognising his campaigning work for survivors of child abuse, work which continues today. Jonathan went on to represent two claimants in the landmark House of Lords case A v Hoare & others (2008) changing the law to extend the time limits for anyone wishing to bring a child abuse claim. He now has an over-arching role developing and approving the strategy for all personal injury cases handled by the firm. In addition to his work at BBK, Jonathan is a Fellow and former President (2015-16) of the influential lobbying organisation, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He was awarded honorary life membership when he stepped down from the national executive in 2017. He trains other lawyers, both in-house and externally, and is regularly asked to provide comment on topical issues for the trade press and national media. In 2014/15 he accepted a consultancy role with the BBC, advising on story-lines for a well-known TV soap.

Joshua Hughes

Josh is a Partner and Head of the Complex Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp. Since qualification in 2012, Josh has specialised in representing people with serious injuries. Working on behalf of both adults and children, he has developed considerable expertise in complex and/or high value personal injury and medical negligence claims. Josh has a particular interest in acting for clients who have sustained life-changing orthopaedic injuries including amputations as well as claims involving fatalities. In addition, Josh is experienced in conducting matters involving missed and delayed medical diagnoses, negligent surgery and lack of informed consent. Josh is an accredited Senior Litigator with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He is regularly asked to appear on national radio and television covering stories relevant to his role.

Luke Nicholls

Luke is the Finance Partner in the Financial Operations team at Bolt Burdon Kemp. He joined Bolt Burdon Kemp in July 1999 as a costs draftsman. By 2003 he was managing the firm's Costs team, dedicated to maximising costs recovery for BBK clients. In April 2009 Luke was extremely proud to become the first Non-Lawyer Partner of the firm, later qualifying as a Costs Lawyer in January 2011.Whilst Luke continues to be very passionate about costs law and maximising financial performance across BBK, his role has evolved to encompass all financial aspects of the firm.

Lynne Burdon

After education at a Quaker school in North Yorkshire and a Maths degree at University College London, Lynne qualified as a solicitor in 1980. She specialised in commercial property work for more than 20 years, and is one of the founding partners of Bolt Burdon Kemp. She takes her management training seriously and in 1998 obtained an MBA in Legal Practice from Nottingham Trent University with distinction. Lynne is a Master Practitioner of NLP and a qualified financial advisor. Lynne says she is very proud of Bolt Burdon Kemp’s reputation amongst our peers and competitors for being an innovative and well run firm. She believes that a happy workplace is essential in order to provide the highest levels of client service. Lynne is particularly proud of the very flexible working policy she designed to attract and retain the very best staff. Lynne is very active in the local community, being a past president of the Islington Chamber of Commerce and a board member of Angel AIM our local BID. Lynne has a firm belief that we should all do our bit for charity, and under her leadership, Bolt Burdon Kemp raises funds for the NSPCC. Helping young people is important to Lynne – so much flows from being ready for the world of work; she is a director of Chance UK a local charity providing mentoring to disadvantaged primary school children. In 2005 Lynne was awarded the Mayor of Islington’s Civic Award in recognition of her contribution to the community.

Rhicha Kapila

Rhicha is the Chief Operations Officer and a partner at Bolt Burdon Kemp. Prior to this, she was head of the military claims team. In her role as Chief Operations Officer of the firm, Rhicha is responsible for: designing and implementing the firm’s infrastructure and business operations, establishing policies that promote BBKs values and overseeing the firm’s operations whilst co-ordinating the practice management team.

Sam Hayman

Sam is a Partner and Head of Costs at Bolt Burdon Kemp, having previously held senior legal and management positions in the largest Costs Solicitor practices in the UK. He has attained expert experience of all aspects of post-CPR issues from the outset of proceedings to recovery of legal costs. By virtue of his varied legal training Samuel is able to approach the fundamentals of costs from a different perspective to traditional Costs Lawyers. Samuel has vast knowledge in a wide range of legal costs issues, including international arbitration costs, multi-jurisdictional litigation and more routine England and Wales based costs claims. He has experience of all number of complex litigation and non-contentious costs issues both from paying and receiving party perspective in addition to solicitor and own client. His experience includes Commercial and Personal Injury litigation costs within the following contexts; banking, defamation, fraud, intellectual property, anti-competition, disaster litigation and international contract, abuse, clinical negligence, professional negligence and serious personal injury litigation. Samuel regularly appears as an advocate in the RCJ High Court, SCCO and County Courts. He is well versed on the technical side of costs and contract law to include advices and drafting on retainers, costs issues, creative funding and strategy.

Suzanne Trask

Suzanne is head of the Adult Brain Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, where she has been a partner since 2013. She advises on a wide range of complex claims involving serious brain injuries, whether caused by trauma or medical negligence, and represents many adult claimants who lack mental capacity. She is passionate about resolving claims swiftly and without delay. She is recognised as a specialist head injury lawyer by Headway. She has close ties with The Silverlinings charity, of which she is a trustee. Both of these charities provide invaluable services and support to adults who have suffered from brain injury. She also works closely with The Encephalitis Society, a specialist brain infection charity who provide support to those who have been affected by encephalitis and their families. Suzanne is a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She is frequently invited to provide comment to the national media on issues relating to serious injury and safety. She is a regular contributor to legal publications such as JPIL (the Journal of Personal Injury Law), The Times Legal Brief and the Solicitors’ Journal.

Tom Jenkinson

Tom is a Senior Associate and Solicitor Advocate, specialising in costs disputes since 2012. Tom regularly prepares skeleton arguments and advocates in the High Court of Justice and Senior Courts Costs Office. He has a substantial amount of experience in appeals and other reported decisions, developing the law on several key issues such as costs management, switches in litigation funding, the provisional assessment procedure, offers of settlement, fixed costs, qualified one way costs shifting (also referred to commonly as QOCS), payments on account of costs, non-party costs orders against solicitors and contracts between solicitors and clients.

Victoria Oliver

Victoria is a Partner and Head of the Spinal Injury Team. Victoria specialises in acting for adults and children who have suffered spinal injuries either as a result of personal injury (including road traffic accidents, accidents at work, occupier’s liability claims and fatal accidents) or medical negligence involving both NHS and private clinicians. Victoria has experience in representing clients who have sustained paraplegic injuries and also represented clients who have higher level tetraplegic injuries. Victoria is mindful of the secondary complications suffered by those who are spinally injured such as neuropathic pain, pressure ulcers and bowel and bladder complications. Victoria also has an interest in SCI women’s health. Victoria is passionate about ensuring that her clients receive compensation that properly compensates them for their losses and enjoys the challenge of calculating and proving unusual losses. Wherever possible Victoria aims to obtain early interim payments and rehabilitation for her clients and is experienced in assisting clients with identifying suitable properties for adaption to their individual needs, liaising with case managers and setting up care regimes and therapeutic support. Victoria’s cases of note include: Acting on behalf of a Claimant who sustained a spinal cord injury following a road traffic accident. Victoria was able to work collaboratively with the insurers and obtain significant interim payments in excess of £500,000. Overall settlement was agreed at £10 million to include provision for future loss of earnings, future care and accommodation and future private medical therapy costs. Acting on behalf of a Claimant who sustained a spinal cord injury following a road traffic accident where liability was denied and arguments of contributory negligence raised including failure to wear a seatbelt and prior knowledge that the driver had been drinking. Settlement was achieved at £3 million. Acting on behalf of a Claimant who sustained a spinal cord injury and below the knee amputation following a fall at work. Settlement was achieved at £4.5 million. Achieving a lump sum settlement in excess of £3 million for a below the knee amputation as a result of a motorcycle accident. Liability was disputed. The settlement, which was achieved at a JSM, included provision for loss of earnings (including a significant loss of chance claim), prosthetics and future care and accommodation. Acting on behalf of a Claimant in a liability disputed claim involving a fall from height. The Claimant sustained a brain injury in addition to multiple orthopaedic (including spinal) injuries. Following a settlement meeting the case settled for a six figure sum. Acting on behalf of a Claimant injured in a road traffic accident where liability was heavily disputed and subsequently settled at trial [Bennett –v- Southwell [2013] EWHC 2382 (QB)]. Victoria is an avid supporter of several spinal injury charities; she has run the London marathon in support of the Spinal Injuries Association and volunteers with Horatio’s Garden, regularly attending the garden at the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Victoria is also a fan of wheelchair rugby and supports the Stoke Mandeville Maulers.

Legal 500

Our Team

FAQs

Marketing Resources

Newsletters

Contact us