Hempsons

Anne Ball

Medical negligence claims – Anne is a partner who is a specialist in defending medical negligence claims on behalf of NHS Trusts and individual doctors. Anne is an NHSLA nominated partner. Regulatory work – Anne provides advice and representation to doctors facing investigations by the General Medical Council. She is head of Hempson's crime team and undertakes the defence of serious criminal allegations, including gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and fraud. Inquests – Anne regularly provides advice and representation to NHS organisations and individual doctors at inquests.

Chris Alderson

Chris specialises in healthcare law.  He undertakes defendant clinical negligence litigation, including claims of utmost severity on behalf of NHS clients and represents such clients at inquests, including Article 2 and jury inquests.  Chris is also an expert in the field of information governance, and regularly advises NHS and other healthcare providers, third sector entities and tech startups in the field. He also provides advice on transactional work involving a change in usage of personal data. Recent work in this area has included advising an NHS body in relation to the IG issues in a major NHS Test Bed project, and preparing clients for GDPR implementation. Chris’s advice has covered matters relating to patient information and confidentiality, including data security breaches and the associated monetary penalties, and commercially sensitive information, in particular in relation to contentious procurement issues. Chris also advises on public interest disclosures of information and has advised recently on disclosures of information with a national high profile, including those concerning safeguarding children. Chris also lectures and publishes articles on wider issues of information governance with a particular emphasis on the health sector.

Helen Claridge

  Helen joined Hempsons in 2010 and worked first in the London office before moving home to Manchester in 2016. Much of Helen’s caseload involves mental health and mental capacity issues. She advised in relation to the Mental Health (Approval Functions) Bill and regularly acts on behalf of healthcare providers in complex applications to the Court of Protection concerning deprivation of liberty and best interests. Helen acted for the successful NHS Trust and CCG in an NHS Trust v Y [2018] UKSC 46 in which the Supreme Court considered whether an application to the Court of Protection is mandatory in every case of withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration from a patient in a prolonged disorder of consciousness. Helen works across a wide range of health and social care issues in different jurisdictions including the Coroner’s Court, the Family Division and the First Tier Tribunal (health and social care). Helen regularly advises organisations in relation to CQC registration and challenge, clinical governance and funding disputes. Helen has an interest in judicial review and was part of the team which successfully challenged the public consultation in relation to paediatric cardiac surgery nationwide. Before joining Hempsons, Helen worked in the legal department of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust. Helen has continued her interest in child law and regularly advises on issues such as wardship, consent, withdrawal of care and child protection.

Jane Donnison

Jane heads up our northern real estate team. She principally advises health and social care and third sector (public and private) clients on all aspects of property law. The depth of her knowledge and experience of these sectors shows in the commercial and pragmatic approach to her advice for which she is highly regarded by clients and other professionals.

Jennie Chapman

John Sharples

John joined Hempsons in 1998 after spending six years as a barrister in private practice, managing a general common law practice with an emphasis on commercial contract disputes. He offers a specialist advocacy service and advice in connection with a wide range of healthcare related issues. John has extensive experience representing clients at inquests, including deaths in custody, deaths in circumstances of detention under the Mental Health Act, hospital deaths involving complex medical issues, particularly the deaths of infants, and deaths giving rise to the possibility of prosecution under health and safety legislation. He also has wide experience of inquests involving multiple parties and fully inquiry under Art 2 HRA. John’s clinical negligence experience includes advising on liability and quantum and representing hospital trusts at interlocutory hearings, at JSM, at formal mediation, and at trial. He has defended doctors at GMC fitness to practice hearings and undertaken prosecutions for NMC and GSCC. John represents NHS England in appeals involving the removal of practitioners from the Performers’ List, and he represented a medical consultant as an intervenor in High Court proceedings. John’s regulatory experience includes representation of hospital trusts in relation to threatened and effective prosecutions under health and safety legislation, fire regulations and prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency. He also acts as an advocate in effective prosecutions under Care Standards legislation. John advises and represents hospital trusts and private sector clients in commercial contract disputes.

Katherine Sheldrick

Katherine specialises in advising clients in relation to regulation and clinical negligence, and is Head of our Crime Department. She advises and represent clients in the public, private and third sectors. Katherine currently act for clients in the criminal and civil courts, before various healthcare regulatory bodies and on appeal to the Administrative Court and Court of Appeal.

Kirsten Blohm

Partner

Margaret Taylor

Margaret qualified in 1990 having joined Hempsons in 1988 as a trainee. She became a partner in 1996. Margaret specialises in clinical negligence and the law relating to healthcare.

Oliver Crich

Oliver is a partner in Hempsons’ corporate commercial team, a role that involves advising public and private sector clients on a variety of health and social care matters. He advises on high value and complex commercial contracts, transactions and projects. He is an expert in public procurement law, including in relation to procurement disputes. Oliver is known for his friendly, approachable demeanour and for providing clear, pragmatic, commercial advice. He cares about his clients’ interests and objectives and puts them first, delivering results in a straightforward and effective manner.

Patricia Roe

Patricia has more than 15 years experience in the field of healthcare law predominantly in relation to clinical negligence claims. She represents both NHS and private clients in clinical negligence claims instructed by the NHS Resolution, individual trusts and medical defence organisations. Patricia has a broad range of experience of cases in most fields of medicine including obstetric, orthopaedic and surgical matters. Patricia joined Hempsons in June 2008 with a background in claimant clinical negligence claims and with that experience she has the skills to identify what claimants are seeking to achieve in litigation in order to encourage early resolution of claims. Patricia has undertaken a long term secondment at a client trust assisting the legal department dealing with claims being made against the trust as well as inquests and providing general healthcare law advice.

Paul Spencer

Paul provides support and assistance to his clients; he aims to be part of their HR team. As head of the Manchester employment team he ensures that this is the approach taken by all. With 20 years’ experience of working for NHS clients, Paul can provide practical and pragmatic advice with a full understanding of context and objectives. Paul delivers clear, straightforward advice. This is the case whether it is an employment tribunal claim, a reorganisation, addressing misconduct, bullying or harassment, or simply a client phoning to double check facts.

Simeon Bower

Simeon specialises in clinical negligence claims for NHS Resolution as well as private individuals and their defence organisations. He has been acting on behalf of NHS organisations for more than 19 years and maintains a focus on complex brain and spinal injury claims. He became a partner in 2013 and heads a small team of healthcare litigators.

Taiyba Waheed

Taiyaba specialises in the health sector, focusing on clinical negligence and claims involving serious injury, particularly those involving brain damage, spinal injury and birth injury. She advises on NHS regulatory matters and performance issues. Taiyaba has extensive experience of inquests and provides advice to trusts in connection with these proceedings. She acts for clients in the public and private sector. Taiyaba’s work covers NHS and private claims, advice and disciplinary matters. She has previously advised in relation IVF treatment and she holds an interest in ethics. Taiyaba has a voluntary interest in advising parents of children with special educational needs.