Yogi Amin > Irwin Mitchell > Sheffield, England > Lawyer Profile

Acting for children, young people and their families, Irwin Mitchell‘s education department covers all aspects of education law including special educational needs, disability discrimination and judicial reviews. Based in Sheffield, Yogi Amin is head of the public law and human rights department and leads the firm’s national education practice. Angela Jackman KC (Hon) in London handles issues at the intersection of education, mental capacity and human rights, and Oliver Studdert is adept in children’s rights, community care and court of protection work. Rachael Smurthwaite has particular experience in dealing with SEND cases involving individuals with autistic spectrum disorder, and on education judicial review challenges. Associate Esther Salter who joined the firm from Simpson Millar LLP in March 2023 further strengthens the teams’ SEND work.

Lucy Nicol and Yogi Amin co-head the team at Irwin Mitchell, which ‘has a strong range of experience within Court of Protection matters ensuring that vulnerable clients and their families are afforded excellent legal representation’. The large and established team supports in excess of 1,500 clients nationwide, and has over 1,250 deputyships. Its expertise includes advising on the full array of complex welfare disputes, deprivation of liberty safeguarding cases, and serious medical treatment cases. The group also acts as professional deputy or trustee on many high-value cases, and manages in excess of £1.5bn of protected parties’ assets. Angela Jackman KC is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor and statutory advocates to represent vulnerable patients. Damian Hodkinson works closely with the firm’s personal injury and medical negligence teams to help with managing interim payments for clients. Oliver Studdert is recommended for his health and welfare Court of Protection work. Louisa Chadwick was promoted to the partnership in March 2023.

Offering ‘an excellent range of public law and human rights solicitors’, Irwin Mitchell regularly acts for clients in judicial reviews, human rights cases, and public inquests. Leading the team in Sheffield, Yogi Amin has broad capabilities which extend to procurement disputes, human rights law, and challenges relating to the police. Further to this, Amin is also skilled with judicial reviews relating to social care and the NHS. Located in the London office, Oliver Carter frequently advises charities, campaign groups, and individuals regarding policy challenges.

Harnessing the strengths of its ‘clever, organised, and astute human rights lawyers’, Irwin Mitchell marries public law, health and social care, and civil liberties expertise to provide assistance with actions against the police, prison, and immigration authorities, as well as claims against healthcare, social services, and education providers. Individuals, charities, and NGOs alike rely on the team for in-depth knowledge of human rights and administrative law. Yogi Amin stands at the head of the practice, and deploys decades of experience in the breadth of public law and civil liberties work, with an emphasis on Court of Protection matters. Angela Jackman specialises in mental capacity, education, and human rights, while Fiona McGhie is proficient in actions against the police and local authorities. The ‘extremely experienced and knowledgeable’ Andrew Arthur excels in claimant police mandates, and the ‘highly personable’ Juliet Spender enjoys a strong reputation in both traditional civil liberties and cases against welfare authorities.

Irwin Mitchell stands out for its distinctive focus on cases against NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups, typically involving ECHR and Human Rights Act 1998 principles. Yogi Amin acts as the firm’s national head of public law, and is known for handling end-of-life cases, challenges to government budget cuts, and judicial reviews concerning NHS and social care. Mathieu Culverhouse is an expert in community care, patient rights, and mental capacity law, primarily representing clients in applications for judicial review of healthcare decisions relating to fertility and lifesaving treatment. Mental capacity, education, and human rights specialist Angela Jackman routinely acts in deprivation of liberty cases, while Oliver Studdert is known for representing vulnerable clients in Court of Protection proceedings, utilising his extensive knowledge of children’s rights and community care.