Irwin Mitchell

Special damages unit.

Associate director of special damages unit.

Karen leads the special damages unit, a resource which is unique to Irwin Mitchell. They are a team of dedicated personnel who deal with the quantification of financial losses. The special damages unit has been developed in-house since 1990 and boasts 20 members with a broad array of accountancy qualifications and work experience. It has prepared schedules of loss for a number of high-profile and boundary-breaking cases, including the claimants Warren and Annable in Heil v Rankin, the Hancock case, the Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease litigation, the Hatfield and Selby cases, the Ladbroke Grove Rail Disaster and the Cadbury’s cases.

The unit produces schedules of loss, which are prepared on the basis of in-house procedures accounting for the latest case law and statistics. The team is continually updating its procedures and schedule templates to ensure that any changes in case law and statistics are reflected in all the schedules produced. In addition to this, Karen’s team provides quantum advice to case handlers and in case conferences, and also delivers firm-wide training to ensure full understanding in relation to quantum and to maximise recovery of damages for clients to enhance their quality of life. Karen is also heavily involved in the firms charity and CSR work and works closely with Business in the Community to co-ordinate a number of initiatives between the firm and a local secondary school. Activities which have been delivered include maths workshops (with members of Karen’s team), a reading partners initiative, careers aspiration presentations and CV/interview workshops, as well as assisting in the delivery of a Dragon’s Den style review of business ideas in a national competition.

Common law department at British Coal; legal clerk (developing the special damages unit) Irwin Mitchell 1990-2000; associate 2000-2008; associate director 2008 to present.

APIL; founded Sheffield Smashes Boccia club with Activity Sheffield in 2011; founded RideforEric event as a result of the death of her husband Eric, and event was so successful that it was made into a trust to fund a bereavement service and promote safe cycling; trustee at Cavendish Cancer Care for over six years, providing support to people living with a cancer diagnosis; heads Sheffield Children’s Group; community role in Social Responsibility Group in Sheffield; has also coordinated initiatives for staff well-being and health with Activity Sheffield, including free health checks and pilates sessions.

Karen’s time out of work is spent with her two daughters, swimming and visiting interesting places.