Russell-Cooke LLP

Personal injury and clinical negligence team.

Bernadette is a consultant in the personal injury and clinical negligence team and heads the brain injury team.

Bernadette has a varied caseload of wholly clinical negligence cases but her main area of expertise is in brain injuries including CP cases, meningitis and encephalitis as well as maternal injury in pregnancy. Bernadette's nursing background greatly informs her legal practice and helps her to see both sides of any dispute. She is also committed to improving maternity safety working alongside charities such as Baby Lifeline.

As part of Bernadette's everyday practice she is used to dealing with both lay clients and professionals such as clinicians and lawyers at all levels. Bernadette takes a collaborative approach to her work when dealing with opponents which leads to a more constructive working relationship and mutual respect.

Before joining Russell-Cooke in October 2020 Bernadette previously was an Executive Director in the clinical negligence team of Enable Law (part of the Foot Anstey group) which she joined in May 2017 following transfer of the clinical negligence team from Michelmores where she had been a partner since 2010.

AvMA clinical negligence specialist panel member Member of Baby Lifeline's multi-professional advisory panel, MPAP Governor of Mary Hare school for the deaf and former trustee of the Meningitis Trust (Meningitis Now) CEDR accredited mediator 2020

BA Hons History & Anthropology – Oxford Brookes University PG Diploma in Law – Oxford Brookes University PG Diploma in Legal Practice – Oxford Institute of Legal Practice Qualified general and paediatric nurse