Weightmans LLP

Weightmans LLP

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Simon Adam

Simon Adam

Simon is the Team Manager of Litigation London, consisting of almost 30 very capable lawyers and support staff, including 10 partners. He is an experienced insurance litigation solicitor, specialising in defending claims against a wide range of professionals, including engineers, architects, surveyors, valuers, letting agents, financial advisers and insurance brokers. He has acted for clients in professional regulatory matters and advises on policy coverage. He has considerable experience in successfully resolving claims at the Pre-Action stage, in litigation and by way of Alternative Dispute Resolution. In particular, Simon has attended and led numerous mediations, securing favourable outcomes. Simon trained and qualified at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert before spending 13 years at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain.
Kulraj Arri

Kulraj Arri

Kulraj has over 20 years' PQE all gained in leading City of London law firms. He specialises in construction and complex property damage, professional liability, product liability and commercial litigation. He regularly acts on behalf of insurers and companies in both defending and pursuing claims. In addition to court disputes, Kulraj has extensive experience in dealing with arbitrations, mediations and adjudications. Notable cases \tThe Buncefield litigation – Acting on behalf of French oil company with regard to the largest explosion in peace time Europe.
Luiza Balan

Luiza Balan

Luiza trained at Weightmans and qualified into the London litigation team, where she gained experience in a wide range of commercial litigation disputes and contentious insolvency. More recently, Luiza has taken an interest in and has been advising on construction and engineering disputes, including claims for extension of time, prolongation and LADS, and defective design by both engineers and contractors. Luiza is a diversity & inclusion champion and organises regular events promoting awareness of D&I issues. She is also a regular mentor for the University of Leicester of which she is an alumna.
Simon Ball

Simon Ball

Simon is a leading practitioner in the field of European and cross-border insurance and personal injury law, with particular expertise in French accident law. He is responsible for the management of defendant insurance litigation in the UK on behalf of 30+ European insurers in France, Spain, Belgium, Greece and Bulgaria. He has acted for insurers in many of the leading cases on applicable law and the Rome II Regulation including before the European Court in the case which decided the date of application of the Regulation: Homawoo v GMF. Simon is highly regarded for his sensible and commercial approach to defending claims, while always striving to ensure that claims are settled for a reasonable amount when conceded but equally prepared to fight cases on liability where there is a good defence. With excellent communication skills (in English and French with a working knowledge of German and Spanish also) and having a detailed understanding of his client’s own systems of law, Simon can explain how a matter will be handled by a UK court by reference to the insurance company’s expectations of the litigation process. Simon has worked in the field since 1992 when he joined Pierre Thomas Law, and he became a partner in 2000, and has carried out the roles of Practice Director and Managing Partner from 2015 until he joined Weightmans as a Partner in 2023. Simon is a member of Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) including the European Sector Focus Team Institute of European Travel Law (IETL) where he is a board member and is active in the organisation of the IETL’s annual conference Sample cases \tAchieved a settlement by agreement at £14.5 million, on a claim pleaded in excess of £20 million, for the French insurers of a lorry driver, after he collided with Claimant’s vehicle on a French autoroute. Damages fell to be assessed according to French law. \tSuccessfully defended a ski instructor in a claim brought by a victim with catastrophic injuries; this is the leading case on QOWCS in relation to third party claims decided by the Court of Appeal (Wagenaar v Weekend Travel Ltd Serradj) \tActed for the French insurers of a driver in a claim where a victim who suffered brain damage received damages of £9.885 million
Ricardo Bassani

Ricardo Bassani

Ricardo is a Partner in the Healthcare team and heads the firm’s medical defence organisation (MDO) claims department. He specialises in the defence of clinical negligence claims in general, hospital and dental practice. Ricardo’s casework often involves serious injuries, and he is particularly interested in and technically skilled at advising on head, neurological and sports-related clinical negligence actions. He is also experienced in handling clinical negligence actions in foreign jurisdictions. Ricardo is a highly proficient litigator, representing clinicians at professional conduct hearings and inquests including proceedings in the High Court, Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. He has represented practitioners against charges involving running a slimming clinic, causing death by rapid opiate detoxification, and the use of research funds to subsidise private practice. He regularly lectures and delivers training to clinicians and experts on medico-legal issues.
Stephen Blair

Stephen Blair

Stephen is a Partner and Solicitor and head of both the Corporate Department and the Corporate Restructuring and Recovery Department. With a wide ranging corporate and commercial practice, Stephen acts for wide variety of clients in many sectors including private equity and venture capital funds, sports manufacturers and retailers, property companies, marketing and management consultants, IT companies and businesses in the leisure and entertainment sectors with many clients having an entrepreneurial bias.Stephen’s work ranges from start-ups to long established companies, management buyouts and joint ventures, to advice on constitutional documents and contractual terms and conditions.  Stephen has more than 20 years’ restructuring experience, advising on both solvent and insolvent restructuring. Work areas include corporate rescue and turnaround in addition to solvent restructuring, corporate finance.
Elaine Chapman

Elaine Chapman

Elaine joined Weightmans in 1989, qualified in 1994, and was made a partner in 2001. She specialises in large loss and technical claims. She has been involved in severe brain injury cases, paraplegia and tetraplegia cases, amputations and other severe limb injury cases. Elaine has vast experience of dealing with all the issues that may arise in these cases, including care, statutory funding, rehabilitation and accommodation. She is Weightmans' nominated rehabilitation champion. She has spoken at a number of conferences on the subject of rehabilitation and had several articles published. She has vast experience of dealing with both the medical and vocational aspects of rehabilitation. Elaine has also been recognised for her contribution to the law after judges at the Law Society 'Highly Commended' her efforts in the AWS Legal Business Woman of the Year category. She has previously been crowned Best Woman Solicitor Managing a Medium-Sized Practice by the Association of Women Solicitors.
William Childs

William Childs

Will is a Partner in the Healthcare department, specialising in advising medical and dental defence organisations, healthcare professionals and other professionals in regulatory, disciplinary and criminal matters. Will is a skilled advocate, frequently appearing before statutory regulators, disciplinary panels and coroners with challenging cases involving complex clinical and legal issues. He has particularly strong experience in cases of alleged sexual misconduct and impropriety.Some of his notable cases include Kulkarni v Milton Keynes Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which established the contractual right for medical staff to be legally represented in disciplinary proceedings, Chauhan v General Medical Council guiding professional and disciplinary panels that they must restrict themselves to the ambit of the charges faced by the practitioner, and Abdullah v General Medical Council regarding the nature and duration of interim restrictions placed upon a practitioner by a regulatory body.
Peter Coats

Peter Coats

Peter is a Partner and Head of M&A. He advises on corporate and corporate finance transactions of all different types and sizes. He acts for clients from a wide variety of market sectors. Peter’s clear commercial advice has won him the trust and loyalty of his clients. Peter provides specialist advice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and shareholders’ agreements, venture capital, corporate finance and fundraising, lending arrangements, company formation, partnerships and commercial contracts. Peter acts for clients from various industry sectors including property, hotels and leisure, healthcare, marketing, IT, education and manufacturing. Some of his recent matters include advising on the $120m exit from an offshore family trust, advising on the £60m purchase of a Championship football club and acting on the $40m buyback of shares in a manufacturing company.
Matthew Collings

Matthew Collings

Matthew is a Principal Associate based in Weightmans’ London office, having previously qualified as a barrister. Matthew deals with all aspects of planning law, having advised both public and private sector clients on policy support, planning applications including the preparation of environmental statements, section 106 agreements and judicial review. Matthew has particular expertise in compulsory purchase and compensation matters and, in 2016, was elected to the national committee of the Compulsory Purchase Association. He regularly lectures on a wide variety of planning and compulsory purchase subjects and is a former Committee Member of the Professional Advisory Board of the University of Salford's School of the Built Environment. He is recognised as an 'Associate to Watch' in Chambers and Partners 2017 with his "knowledge and awareness" being described as "first class". According to clients he is "really strong on compulsory purchase," with one client stating: "He'll sit and listen to debates and arguments on where we want to get to, detail and provide a number of options and point out our risks with each of those options, and then provide advice." He is ranked in Chambers and Partners 2019 and was recognised in Legal 500 2019 as “regularly handling high profile compulsory purchase mandates”.
Andrew Cromby

Andrew Cromby

Andrew has over 30 years' experience in commercial litigation and dispute resolution including High Court proceedings, injunctions, domestic and international arbitrations and mediation. He acts for UK and international clients on a broad range of commercial and contractual matters including shareholder and joint venture disputes, breaches of contract and warranty claims, the enforcement of contractual obligations, maintaining confidentiality and terminating commercial relationships. Andrew is an accredited Mediator and has been described in leading independent directory Chambers UK as someone with the “ability to steer a clear, sensible course through very troubled waters.” He has a particular expertise in partnership disputes and acts for Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and professional partnerships (solicitors, accountants, financial services businesses, doctors and dentists) as well as for outgoing partners on individual and team moves. He also specialises in enforcing and resisting restrictive covenants and advising partnership management on constitutional and management issues and procedures. Andrew has been ranked for more than two decades as a leader in the field of partnership law in independent directories Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500
Chris Doran

Chris Doran

Chris specialises in all forms of construction and engineering disputes, both international and domestic, and risk management advice, including final account disputes, claims for extensions of time, prolongation and LADs, defective design by both engineers and contractors, defective workmanship and negligent procurement and management of projects. Chris also has considerable experience in advising insurers in connection with the management of Building Guarantee claims, advising on policy response and advising and pursuing recoveries, and has frequently writes and speaks on developments on Building Safety. Notable cases -Acting on behalf of a acting on behalf of an Kuwaiti contractor in a US$80 million ICC Arbitration arising out of the construction of an airport and associated enforcement proceedings in Bulgaria; -Acting on behalf of a design and build contractor in connection with a £200 million claim arising out of the design and construction of a major industrial production and warehouse facility; -Acting against a contractor in connection with the defective design and commissioning of a power plant in Pakistan; -Defending a project manager and QS against a £30 million claim arising of an office development project; acting on behalf of a housing association in connection with numerous disputes against contractors for defective design and construction of housing projects; -Acting on behalf of a contractor in adjudication proceedings in connection with a rail project; defending an employer in connection with a claim for £30 million arising out of rail tunnelling works; -Defending an M&E engineer in an €8 million claim arising out of the design of a major internationals sports stadium; -Acting on behalf of NHS Trusts in connection with disputes arising out of hospital projects; and -Assisting Building Guarantee insurers investigate, and advising upon policy coverage, in connection with several large high rise residential developments where issues have involved, fire safety defects (both external cladding, insulation and cavity barriers, internal compartmentation and protection of structural steelwork), water ingress, structural defects and foundations. -Clients include contractors, construction professionals, developers, national health service trusts, housing associations and insurers of construction risks. Chris has been ranked as a leading lawyer by Chambers (London, Construction – Suppliers) and previously named by Legal 500 in relation to construction disputes. He was also named in the Thomson Reuters “Stand-out Lawyer 2024” list.
Stewart Duffy

Stewart Duffy

Stewart is a Partner in the Healthcare department, advising doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals on regulatory and disciplinary matters. Stewart is experienced in disciplinary hearings before statutory regulators, including Medical Practitioners Tribunals, GDC committees and Performers List hearings, statutory appeals and judicial review proceedings, as well as advising clients in respect of a variety of regulatory regimes relevant to the healthcare sector. He regularly receives instructions from medical defence organisations (MDOs) and individual health professionals.
Jane Emberton

Jane Emberton

Jane is a Partner in the Property team, specialising in all forms of commercial and residential landlord and tenant property disputes, including insolvency. She acts for a wide variety of major institutional and landowning clients, property developers and charities as well as private individuals and smaller corporate entities. Jane has a broad range of expertise, encompassing breaches of covenant in commercial and residential leases, including unreasonably withholding consent, unauthorised alterations, disrepair, and contested dilapidations claims arising at the end of a tenancy. She advises on rent arrears and service charge disputes, including advice on the statutory control and management of residential service charges, and in particular, the implementation of major works programmes (and subsequent recovery), and where appropriate, forfeiture proceedings and the preparation and service of s.146 notices, and notices under s.17 of the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act, to include the subsequent grant of overriding leases. Jane deals with the recovery of commercial and residential property and all proceedings under the Rent Acts and Housing Acts including claims against trespasser/licensees/service occupancies. She also advises on rights of ownership to land and adverse possession, party wall, minor construction and boundary disputes, nuisance claims and injunctions for trespass.
Sian Evans

Sian Evans

Sian qualified as a solicitor in 1990 and joined Weightmans as a partner in 2007. Sian is sector lead for housing and she is also a partner in the property litigation team. She specialises in all aspects of property litigation, both commercial and residential, in the High Court, the County Court, the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and Upper Tribunal. Sian also acts for a wide range of housing associations, stock transfer organisations and fully mutual housing co-operatives. Sian has specialist knowledge of housing management issues including possession cases based on convictions, breach of tenancy terms and anti-social behaviour, anti-social behaviour injunctions (with and without notice), general estate management issues including exchange, abandoned properties, squatters and disrepair. Sian appears regularly as an advocate in the county court. Sian also has a wealth of experience in commercial property litigation. She is also skilled in all forms of alternative dispute resolution and has had noted success in mediations. Sian is recommended in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as a leader in her field. She is also a contributor to the Which Guide to Renting and Letting and was a  member of the Law Society’s Housing Committee between 2008-2024 , having been the Chair between 2011-2014. She is an accomplished external speaker on housing and landlord and tenant issues
Mark Fitzgerald

Mark Fitzgerald

Mark joined Weightmans as an Associate in October 2018. He has over 10 years’ experience handling complex, high value policy coverage and related disputes on behalf of insurers in respect of property damage losses, product liability/recall claims, public liability claims and claims under contractors’ all risks matters. In addition, Mark specialises in reinsurance matters with particular focus on coverage disputes and advice. Mark also deals with the review and drafting/revision of insurance and reinsurance policies and documentation. Mark also sits on the London Foil SFT (Sector Focus Team).
Nick Fothergill

Nick Fothergill

Nick is a corporate lawyer specialising in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations, commercial contracts, private equity, energy and infrastructure transactions and general company law matters. Nick's practice focuses on transactional and advisory work, and he has particular experience and expertise in the energy (both renewable and conventional power) and infrastructure sectors. He also has experience across a range of other industries and sectors, including financial services and transportation.
Quentin Fox

Quentin Fox

Quentin specialises in professional negligence and construction claims, almost always acting on behalf of insurers. With over 30 years’ practice in this field, he has particularly extensive experience in the following areas: \tclaims against clients in the construction industry, architects, engineers, M&E consultants, quantity surveyors, project managers, asbestos consultants and design & build contractors (he is a qualified Adjudicator); \tcomplaints or claims against financial advisers and IFA networks; and \tinsurance policy coverage disputes. He also regularly handles claims against other professions, such as estate agents, insurance brokers, solicitors, surveyors and accountants. He frequently deals with complaints made to the Financial Ombudsman Service against insurance brokers, insurers, IFAs and the like. Quentin is a Partner the professional risks team in the London office. He specialises in professional negligence and construction claims, almost always acting on behalf of insurers. With over 30 years’ practice in this field, he has particularly extensive experience in the following areas: claims against clients in the construction industry, architects, engineers, M&E consultants, quantity surveyors, project managers, asbestos consultants and design & build contractors (he is a qualified Adjudicator); complaints or claims against financial advisers and IFA networks; and insurance policy coverage disputes. He also regularly handles claims against other professions, such as estate agents, insurance brokers, solicitors, surveyors and accountants. He frequently deals with complaints made to the Financial Ombudsman Service against insurance brokers, insurers, IFAs and the like. He acts for a broad range of Lloyds’ syndicates and company market insurers, including AmTrust, Argenta, Argo, AXA Insurance, Casper, Collegiate, Compre, IGI, Markel International, MMI (part of Zurich), R&Q, Sompo International, Tokio Marine HCC and Vibe. He has been involved in a number of high-profile and complex cases, including McLaughlin & Harvey v The Hospitals for Sick Children (for the Hospital), Target v Redferns (for the solicitors' excess layer insurers), The Corporation of Lloyds v DEGW &Others (for the architects), Dodson v Dodson (for the insurance brokers) and Panatown v Alfred McAlpine Construction Ltd (for the quantity surveyors). He has also acted for one of the defending parties in a very substantial dispute arising from the collapse of a tunnel at Gerrards Cross. Recently, he acted for Liberty Mutual in the successful defence at trial of a very substantial and complex claim arising from the collapse of the Honister IFA network. He advises frequently on cladding disputes and is currently representing one of the parties involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment project. Quentin is recognised by the principal legal directories. Recent comments include: "Quentin Fox has the rare combination of being technically good whilst at the same time being commercially and strategically sound"; "Quentin Fox 'quickly spots the practical difficulties in disputes and takes a robust line with opponents"; "Quentin has a healthy reputation in the professional indemnity sphere and primarily acts for large insurers. He is admired by the market for his experience and strategic and practical approach to cases.
Dominic Green

Dominic Green

Dominic is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation team and undertakes a broad range of commercial litigation work. He is particularly renowned for his expertise in contentious media and entertainment law, including media related litigation and commercial disputes such as intellectual property (copyright, trademarks and patents), contractual disputes, including sponsorship and merchandising, breach of confidence and defamation. Dominic represents a variety of clients in the media and entertainment industry, including music and publishing companies, actors, performers, musicians and artists. Dominic frequently acts for the healthcare sector in media related disputes and for a wide range of companies in general commercial litigation matters.
Emma Jeffries

Emma Jeffries

Emma Jeffries is a Principal Associate Solicitor and Costs Lawyer who leads the Commercial Litigation Costs arm of the business. Emma has a wealth of experience in dealing with high value costs claims ranging from catastrophic injury costs, through all facets of commercial litigation and claims proceeding in the Competition Appeals Tribunal. Working with Insurers and Private Clients, Emma provides a true cradle to grave approach on cases, being involved from the outset with the implementation of retainers and reserves/costs estimates, through any costs management process which is required and thereafter dealing with any costs claims at the conclusion. Emma has been instrumental in the building of technology aimed at assisting Clients with the introduction of the new Fixed Recoverable Costs Regime, working closely with the Innovation Department to map all aspects regarding Fixed Recoverable Costs and build a user friendly product to streamline the costs calculations required. Notable cases include: 1. Russian Aircraft Operator Claims/Ukrainian Aircraft Operator Claims – multi billion pound aviation litigation. 2. London & Quadrant Housing Trust & Anor v WPHV Limited (in administration) & Ors (June 2024) –2 day costs management hearing to deal with costs budgets of 6 parties amounting to £21million. 3. Pacific Estate v Akhtar (March 2024) – recovered 89% of costs.. 4. Robinson v Havant Borough Council (February 2024) – recovered over 86% of costs through negotiated agreement. 5. Bocking v Taylor-Perecod (October 2023) – notwithstanding the Claimant’s application to amend the claim form to a value exceeding £10million to escape the costs management regime, the parties engaged on the issue of costs budgets to ensure the same were in place to assist with Client reserving and the forthcoming JSM. 6. Associated Newspapers Ltd v Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd (Cost Budgeting) [2022] EWHC 2767 (TCC) Costs management case whereby the Claimant Solicitors hourly rates were scrutinized and used as a tool by which the Court considered the overall costs budget to be disproportionate. 7. Sultan & Ali v Luton Borough Council (November 2022) – successfully recovered defence costs from Claimants Solicitor when ATE cover withdrawn.
Catherine Kearney

Catherine Kearney

Catherine joined the Large Loss team in London in March 2019. She was admitted as a solicitor in Northern Ireland in 1999, Ireland in 2002 and England and Wales in 2005 and has practised in all three jurisdictions. Catherine is named as a key lawyer in the 2021 edition of the Legal 500 UK, for defendant personal injury work in London. She has over 20 years' experience in personal injury litigation and over 15 years' experience in defending motor, public and employers' liability claims for insurer clients and self-insured organisations. She specialises in defending large loss claims involving brain, spinal, amputation, complex and fatal injuries. Catherine has advised clients in relation to: catastrophic spinal injuries sustained by a motorcyclist who collided with a car at speed, securing a substantial reduction for contributory negligence following a High Court trial of liability where the defendant’s CCTV and accident-reconstruction evidence was preferred to that of the claimant (Hernandez v Acar & EUI Ltd [2019] EWHC 72); jurisdiction to determine a claim for personal injuries brought by a UK-domiciled claimant injured in a French adventure park who had sued the park’s French-domiciled insurers (Thwaites v Aviva Assurances [2010] Lloyd’s Rep. IR 667); the successful defence of a police misfeasance and assault claim following a seven-day jury trial and the successful section 33 Limitation Act application for strikeout of a related claim due to prejudice to the defendant; settlement of the claim of an equity partner in a national law firm who was cognitively impaired following a road traffic collision, involving the need to forecast likely loss of drawings; settlement of a claim involving brain injury in a young man where surveillance footage indicated that he was more independent than had been claimed; settlement on a PPO basis of the claim of a young man spinally injured in a road traffic accident; settlement on a PPO basis of the claim of a young man severely brain injured in a road traffic accident; a claim arising from the death of the claimant’s partner, proving that she had been untruthful as to the length of their cohabitation and thus her status as a dependant, resulting in the claim being discontinued and substantial costs recovered; the successful defence, after a five-day trial, of a lorry driver prosecuted for driving without due care and attention following the death of a cyclist, followed by settlement of the resulting civil claim on favourable terms numerous cases involving pain disorders.
Christopher Keough

Christopher Keough

Christopher is a Partner in our Property team and specialises in high value residential property work including sales, purchases, letting arrangements and secured lending, investment and development by on-shore or off shore clients. Christopher advises on a wide range of residential property matters including the sale and purchase of substantial residential properties (freehold and leasehold) with a transaction value of £3 million to £10 million for high net worth individuals, and the disposal of freehold buildings by private sale or at auction, for landlords, including the service of Landlord and Tenant Notices on residential tenants. He has also successfully assisted on the completion of mortgages over residential securities for on-shore and off-shore clients of banks and other mortgage lenders. Christopher has considerable experience of landlord and tenant matters, including lease extensions, leasehold reform, enfranchisement of freehold houses, assignment of claims, and collective enfranchisement. He has acted on many mixed use residential schemes for major residential developers. Drafting the lease, advising on the management structure and setting out schemes for the disposal of residential units. Christopher also provides effective estate management advice. Recently, advising on the first registration of two substantial rural estates and acting in connection with the purchase of woodlands and the freehold acquisition of a substantial agricultural property worth £5.8 million.
Seray Kitchingman

Seray Kitchingman

Seray is a Principal Associate in the firm’s corporate department, based in the London office. Seray specialises in advising on corporate transactions including share and asset acquisitions and disposals, equity investment, group reorganisations, shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures, articles of association and general company law advice. Seray also acts for a number of commercial lenders providing advice on all aspects of secured lending, including real estate finance, development finance and acquisition finance matters.
Rachel Kneale

Rachel Kneale

Rachel leads Weightmans' clinical claims team in London and nationally with Richard Jolly and Deborah Bannister. She is Weightmans' client liaison partner for NHS Resolution and has worked for NHSR (previously NHSLA) since 1997. Rachel is recognised as a leading figure in clinical negligence, ranked by Chambers and Partners. She specialises in the highest value clinical negligence claims, including obstetric, neurological and other catastrophic injuries. She has particular expertise on quantum issues and has settled a large number of cases involving periodical payments. Rachel also deals group claims in relation to breast screening, Covid and surgical claims. Rachel acts for a number of NHS trusts and organisations across the country, advising and defending on claims against them and as client partner co-ordinates and leads the team of lawyers acting across related areas of the law. Rachel is committed to patient safety and sharing learning from claims through data analysis and insights, as well as training.
Mark Landon

Mark Landon

Mark is a partner in the employment, pensions and immigration team in London who now focuses on leading and developing Weightmans' national client training service and overseeing its risk management services. Mark has a broad range of experience in both non-contentious and contentious employment work. He provides policy and operational advice to public and private sector clients on a range of issues, including all aspects of equality law, handling disciplinary and grievance cases, short and long-term sick absence management, dealing with poor performance and capability issues, and diverse contractual issues. Mark is an experienced provider of staff training from Board level to the front line. He also lectures regularly to a variety of organisations, including the Royal Society of Public Health's Occupational Medicine course. In addition, Mark is an Honorary Fellow and member of the ethics committee of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was previously a trustee of the 'Changing Faces' national disability charity.
Alex Leslie

Alex Leslie

Alex is a Partner in the Healthcare team. He has more than 30 years’ experience in health related law acting for NHS and private healthcare providers. Alex’s principal area of work is advising professionals working in the NHS on regulatory, disciplinary, employment and ethical issues. Alex has advised participants in major public inquiries and acted in many high profile cases, including: R(Squier) v General Medical Council (GMC), Chhabra v West London MH NHS Trust, Lewis v Secretary of State for Health, R(Bonhoeffer) v General Medical Council (GMC), and Re C. Alex publishes articles and gives seminars.
Hei Leung

Hei Leung

Hei is a Partner in our Property team, specialising in residential and commercial property. Hei’s clients include high net worth individuals, investors, trust companies, with the majority based in offshore jurisdictions, the Far East and the Middle East. Hei understands and appreciates the demands and expectations of clients from different cultural backgrounds and he is trusted to provide an efficient and quality service and have the ability to explain complex legal concepts in English and Chinese.Hei's areas of expertise include: Conveyancing Property finance Lease extensions and collective enfranchisement New build developments and bulk purchases Assignment of contracts Leasing of office blocks, industrial units and high street shops Auction pack preparation and review Right to buy, shared ownership and staircasing
Edward Lewis

Edward Lewis

Edward has a deserved reputation as a “marquee name” in cyber and is the preferred choice advisor to many corporations, public bodies, the emergency services and insurers when it comes to matters of strategic, reputational, or political importance involving IT infrastructure, data, technology, media & privacy. He is also one of only a handful of lawyers whose cyber expertise extends to an intimate knowledge of insurance law and the interpretation of cover for cyber-related losses. Under his leadership, the CyXcel team at Weightmans has evolved to become one of the most specialised and experienced cyber risk advisory, crisis and litigation practices in the UK, assisting organisations at all stages and with all aspects of digital transformation. The CyXcel team’s proven track record includes the legal architecture design for some of the largest and most complex data processing and commercialisation projects ever undertaken in the UK. When it comes to cyber incidents, the team has also successfully led the response to some of the most challenging security and data breaches across a range of sectors worldwide — from privacy violations resulting from phone tapping and covert surveillance, to D-DOS and ransomware attacks by organised crime syndicates and drug cartels, statecraft and espionage, as well as destructive network intrusions by hostile actors. Edward writes regularly for mainstream media, is at the forefront of thought-leadership on incident response strategy and directly involved in UK-led efforts to regulate cyber security, solve the challenges posed by systemic risk, and create a cyber cat loss market within insurance. The team recently received national acclaim for their efforts in tackling ransomware gangs after making new law in XXX v Persons Unknown. Legal 500 describes Edward as “Brilliant, an excellent negotiator; bright, commercial, serious and tough”.
Stuart Lindley

Stuart Lindley

Stuart is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation team. Since qualifying in 2002, he has specialised exclusively in insolvency litigation and is renowned for his work in both personal and corporate insolvency. He has experience of advising and representing solicitors and other professionals facing insolvency issues.Stuart's areas of expertise include:  Advising officeholders, directors and other individuals in all aspects of contentious insolvency A particular expertise in personal insolvency, with a number of reported cases Training a number of organisations on insolvency issues, including R3
Jon Lord

Jon Lord

As a part of the niche costs team, Jon advises the firm and its clients on all legal costs matters in high value and complex civil cases. He regularly attends CCMCs and detailed assessments. Cases of note include:Hosking v Smallshaw [2009] EWHC 90137 (Costs)Gandy v King [2010] EWHC 90177 (Costs)Cuthbert v Gair [2008] EWHC 90114 (Costs)Kris Motor Spares v Fox Williams [2010] EWHC 1008Currey v Currey [2006] EWCA Civ 1338Global Energy Horizons Corp v Gray [2012] EWHC 3703 (Ch) Jon is an Accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator. Jon is a costs lawyer and member of the Association of Costs Lawyers and as a former Council Member was head of the Education Sub-Committee. He is also an accredited trainer and delivers both internal and external training. He writes regularly for various legal publications and is a Lexis Nexis costs expert.
Philip Maddock

Philip Maddock

Philip is a Partner in our Corporate team. He acts for clients in various sectors, including information technology and e-commerce, the NHS and the care home sector, charities, chemical manufacturing and serviced office accommodation. Philip advises on commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, IT (including software, hardware and other IT-related matters), healthcare law, data protection, e-commerce, private equity, management buy-outs and buy-ins, charity law, corporate structured property transactions and business start-ups. He has lectured on contracting, charity shared services, data protection, corporate mergers and acquisitions and management buy-outs.
Patrick Malone

Patrick Malone

Formerly of RadcliffesLeBrasseur, Patrick advises on the full spectrum of private client issues including tax, succession planning, estate administration and probate, trusts and mental capacity. Patrick also assists the contentious estates team and provides private client planning and technical support on high value, complex, contested estates and trusts. Patrick advises UK and non-UK domiciled individuals (often entrepreneurs, landowners and trustees) on all aspects of UK taxation, with particular emphasis on Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax, in the context of succession planning and in relation to specific deals and events. Patrick is well versed in administering a range of multi-jurisdictional taxable estates including those which comprise agricultural and business property. He has a particular interest in administering estates with a contentious element and has acted for independent administrators appointed pursuant to a court order on multiple occasions. Patrick is experienced in advising on the creation and re-arrangement of trusts where families and trustees are looking to protect assets, save tax and create flexible structures that will last for generations. Patrick is a member of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and is a member of the International Tax and International Private Client special interest groups.
Karen Mayne

Karen Mayne

Karen is a Partner and Head of Property. She specialises in the purchase, sale, letting, ownership and management of residential property for owner occupation, investment and development by UK or off-shore clients. Her clients include landed estates, high-net worth owners, occupiers, investors and property companies. Karen advises on the full range of property matters, and has a particular interest in financing of and secured lending on residential property, lettings, individual and collective enfranchisement. Some of her recent work includes advising on the first registration of an unregistered ransom strip without evidence of title and to protect the amenity of a major country house, advising the Church Commissioners on applications for flat lease extensions, purchase of house freeholds and collective enfranchisement, and acting for a historic London club on sale of part of its premises for residential development.
Helen McCann

Helen McCann

Helen was admitted as a solicitor in 1997 and joined Weightmans in 2000, becoming an associate in 2006. Helen specialises in personal injury litigation and has extensive experience in defending higher value multi track employers' liability claims for major insurers and their insureds, particularly in the logistics, construction and manufacturing sectors. She has conducted several cases of particular sensitivity due to the nature of the claim and the potential fraud concerns. Helen also handles disease claims including noise induced hearing loss and work related upper limb disorders.  
Alan Meneghetti

Alan Meneghetti

Alan is a partner in the Corporate department at RadcliffesLeBrasseur UK LLP, where he undertakes a full range of privacy, commercial and regulatory work in the general commercial, aviation and manufacturing sectors. The main focus of his practice is privacy and regulatory work, and commercial contract negotiations. Alan’s practice ranges from handling regulatory issues to the procurement of suppliers and responses to tenders, to data protection and privacy, information technology, intellectual property, and the drafting and negotiating of various commercial agreements, such as outsourcing, supply, service, and research and development. He has worked extensively on matters in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the United Kingdom. Alan is a regular contributor to publications and speaker at conferences in these sectors, and his articles and book reviews have been widely published.
Ling Ong

Ling Ong

Ling joined Weightmans in 2008 and is a partner in the London market insurance & reinsurance team. Before that, she was a partner in the London (Re)insurance team of DLA Piper; and at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert. Ling specialises in insurance and reinsurance litigation with particular focus on coverage disputes and advice. Since qualifying in 1993, Ling has been involved in a wide range of insurance and facultative/treaty/retrocession reinsurance matters. Much of her work is complex and apart from the UK, she has been involved in claims from worldwide jurisdictions including the US, Canada, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Belize, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Italy, Romania, Zambia, Malawi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Australia, Papua Indonesia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. Ling's key clients include well known Lloyd's syndicates, international London Market insurance and reinsurance companies, major European reinsurers and run-off companies. She has been involved in a number of major disputes and high profile arbitrations, and is very experienced in mediations. Ling is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute/Insurance Institute of London, Lloyd's Market Association, London Business Interruption Association, OPERA, British Insurance Law Association, Association Internationale de Droit des Assurances and the City of London Law Society. She is also a member of the International Bar Association and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. Ling is also certified as compliant with the Californian Fair Claims Settlement Practice Regulations. She is recommended for insurance and reinsurance litigation in Legal 500 and Chambers. Ling is currently the President of London FOIL.
Andrew Parsons

Andrew Parsons

Andrew specialises in medical law and all areas of health and social care law. He acts for a large number of private sector healthcare providers, care home operators and the NHS. Andrew regularly advises on care home law, mental health law, public law and judicial review and all operational legal issues that affect health and social care providers. He has been involved in many important mental health cases in recent years and is seen as a leading practitioner in this field. Andrew has extensive advocacy experience, including attending inquests on behalf of healthcare clients, and has significant experience in the Court of Protection. Andrew acts as an adviser on regulatory matters involving the CQC and the HSE/police. Andrew is a regular lecturer and contributor of articles to the health and legal press. He provides an educational programme to clients and others in the healthcare sector, especially relating to mental health, care homes and human rights.
Caroline Penfold

Caroline Penfold

Caroline is a Partner and Head of Family. Caroline advises on all aspects of private family law including divorce, complex financial and property cases often involving substantial assets and an international element, disputes over children including residence, contact and removal from jurisdiction, emergency injunction and enforcement proceedings. She is highly skilled and experienced in advising her clients on divorce, matrimonial finance, pre and post nuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, civil partnerships, children matters, including residence and contact, domestic violence and emergency relief and enforcement of orders and agreements.
Gemma Pressman

Gemma Pressman

Gemma qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and joined Weightmans in 2011. Gemma handles a mixture of product liability, public liability and employers’ liability casualty and property claims for a variety of leading insurers, with a primary focus on product liability. Gemma has experience advising large manufacturers across a variety of sectors, including the retail, food and automotive industries, and advises on cross jurisdictional recoveries where manufacturing has taken place in places such as China. Gemma has worked in the personal injury field since her qualification in 2008, and spent 3 years acting for claimants, which gives her an additional understanding of how litigation operates and the tactics that may be employed. She now acts for various large insurers, including Zurich, AXA and AIG, as well as directly for large self-insured manufacturers.
Richard Privett

Richard Privett

Richard is a Partner in the Healthcare team, specialising in criminal and disciplinary work, acting on behalf of medical defence organisations (MDOs), medical and dental practitioners and other health professionals. He has considerable experience defending cases before the Crown Court, and before panels or committees of the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC), and in disciplinary proceedings brought by NHS England. He has also assisted medical professionals under investigation by NHS Protect.
Anil Rajani

Anil Rajani

Anil is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation department, with extensive experience dealing with individuals and organisations in relation to corporate fraud, white collar crime and regulatory matters. Anil represents individuals and corporate bodies facing regulatory and investigatory action from the FCA, OFT, HSE, Environment Agency, Department of BIS, RICS, ACCA and others. He is a specialist in confiscation and restraint proceedings and representing individuals and third party interests under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (PoCA). Anil advises corporate clients in relation to internal investigations and proceedings instituted by regulatory or prosecuting bodies including the SFO, CPS and HMRC. He has experience in dealing with matters from Magistrates Courts through to the Supreme Court. Anil has commented on and written articles about white collar crime and the impact on professionals and corporates and has been interviewed by the media on a number of occasions.
Michael Ryley

Michael Ryley

“Michael has 40 years of experience advising a wide range of clients on all aspects of employment law. Save for a period of secondment in Tokyo, his career has been based in the City of London.  He is recommended by the latest edition of Chambers’ UK Guide. Michael has a particular interest in the employment issues arising on business transfers. He has acted in many corporate transactions and in service provision changes both on the procurement side - for Government, public bodies and for multinational companies - and for service providers, advising on the TUPE implications of outsourcing and major infrastructure projects. Michael gives strategic advice regularly across a range of employment law topics from boardroom disputes to labour relations issues, often with an international flavour. He advised Serco in the landmark discrimination case of Serco v Redfearn, which went to the Court of Appeal. Michael is the author of a number of books including "TUPE: Law & Practice" and “Employment Law for the Construction Industry”.”
Jonathan Shankland

Jonathan Shankland

Jonathan is a Partner in the Tax and Private Client team and Head of the firm’s International Private Wealth team. He is a trust, tax and estates lawyer and deals with all aspects of personal estates, wills and tax planning for both UK-based and international clients. Jonathan has a wide and complex client base dealing with high net worth private clients with international tax and planning considerations, corporate and trust structuring both onshore and offshore, as well as traditional pragmatic succession planning, tax planning and large multi-jurisdictional probate matters. Jonathan prides himself in the personal service that his team provides and counts amongst his client base royalty, lords and ladies, leading business figures, prominent families, banks and international trust companies.
Arvinder Shergill

Arvinder Shergill

Arvinder is a Principal Associate specialising in high value property damage claims, including subrogated recoveries and professional indemnity claims. Her experience includes a broad spectrum of claims arising from fires, floods, subsidence, design and construction defects, loss and expense, delay and final account. Arvinder has experience at all stages of the pre-action process and throughout litigation, as well as, mediations and without prejudice meetings. Arvinder enjoys focusing on the commercial aspects of disputes and has experience in advising on strategies for managing risk in light of both legal and commercial considerations. Arvinder has spent time on secondment at two insurers, the NHBC and as Legal Counsel in-house at a top 10 accountancy firm
Adele Shortman

Adele Shortman

Adele has extensive quality experience advising, training and representing SME and Corporate business’ on employee relations and all ancillary employment law issues. Her expertise and insight allied to her friendly manner fosters a very good rapport with clients, so she quickly grasps their business requirements, values and culture. She focuses on the key issues. She forensically breaks cases down delivering clear and pragmatic solutions tailored to the needs of your business. She acts for a host of loyal manufacturing and retail brands, blue chip companies and SMEs. Her considerable expertise in the manufacturing and retail sectors, includes assisting them with complex change management programmes, advising, supporting and coaching teams of HR Managers in significant restructures with reputational implications for their business whilst enhancing their brand. Adele is an experienced and persuasive advocate in the Employment Tribunal. She has many successful experiences of judicial and private mediation. Adele regularly leads on bespoke training courses delivered in-company where she is an engaging presenter. Highlights include: \tSuccessfully advising, proactively supporting and coaching a team of HR Managers in harmonising and changing terms and conditions of employment of 10,000 employees. The international brand increased weekend working to 3 in 4 weekends. Removal of bonus payments and introduction of living wage foundation pay resulting in increased staff at business critical times and reducing the overall wage bill; \tAdvising and supporting and coaching HR in significant restructure to cut 7500 jobs worldwide and 350 jobs in UK with reputational implications for the international brand resulting in a reduction in wage bill; \tSuccessfully managing capability termination of long-standing employee with significant mental health illness and numerous suicide attempts, preventing future grievances and significant liability for disability discrimination; \tSuccessfully settling multiple lurid allegations of sex discrimination which had the ability to adversely affect the reputation of a national business and saving approx. £85K in damages; \tSuccessfully advising and defending unfair dismissal and sex discrimination claims involving a longstanding employee with significant final salary pension loss saving £100k in damages \tSuccessfully advising and defended unfair dismissal claim where an employee refused to vary his working hours in accordance with the contractual flexibility clause, claiming the respondent engineered a gross misconduct conduct issue to exit him from the business. \tSuccessfully advising and defended a 6-day ET hearing relating to direct race discrimination, racial harassment and victimisation. The employee had put in a flexible working request (FWR) seeking to deviate from the hybrid working to fully remote. The employee alleged that the failure to grant the FWR was because he was a British Asian and/or that he had previously given evidence in another employee’s race discrimination case, and he had been stopped from attending management meetings. \tAdvising on a redundancy. The HR1 was issued for a 45-day consultation with over 100 employees across the shop floor to be subject to a selection criterion devised for the exercise. \tAdvising on the performance related exit of an employee with ADHD and depression. Recent testimonials: \tDavid Richardson - Business Segment :Systems and System Components – Indutrade - ‘We have worked closely with Adele and Weightmans for many years, always with the same great support. Adele works to give sound advice and help to resolve complex issues always giving clear advice. Adele has a great ability to listen to business difficulties to help form strategies to address issues - always with a successful outcome. I am happy to speak individually if that's helpful.’ \tChris Partington Beldam Crossley Limited - Indutrade - ‘Adele Shortman and the HR rely team are first class, responding to all our HR needs and requirements, with plain English easy to understand advice, support and recommendations. We have no hesitation in recommending Weightmans to other potential clients as well as utilising additional legal services on offer such as; commercial, property, pensions and intellectual property to name a few. I fully endorse and recommend Weightmans, it’s no surprise I have Adele on speed dial!’ \tCarole Anderton, HR & SCM Manager, ContiTech UK Ltd Continental AG - ‘However complex a situation I find myself in as a HR Manager, Adele methodically unravels the scenario through thorough questioning and then provides pragmatic tailored guidance in the form of either written or verbal advice. To ensure my understanding and ability to apply the advice provided, Adele includes explanations of the legislation and cases that she has used to formulate the solution and provides templates and other documentation where required. In addition, Adele is proactive in keeping me up to date with any legislative changes that are applicable to our sector of manufacturing, sales and distribution plus any generic changes. I feel as though Adele is part of our business and understands our culture and most definitely works collaboratively with us to limit risks and create best practices.’
Kate Shute

Kate Shute

Kate Shute is a Principal Associate and employment lawyer specialising in advising healthcare organisations in relation to all aspects of employment law. With over 18 years of experience advising predominantly health sector clients, Kate was described by the Legal 500 2019 as being “brilliant, pragmatic and technically excellent”.   Kate supports clients to navigate complex, sensitive and contentious internal processes including doctors’ and senior executives’ contractual and disciplinary cases, industrial action and workforce relations. Kate is well versed in the governance aspects of senior-level public sector employment issues and regularly provides advice, support and representation in litigious and non-contentious matters, including high court litigation arising from the application of MHPS processes. Kate regularly delivers bespoke training for clients on subjects such as whistleblowing, discrimination, change management and TUPE consultation.
Louise Singh

Louise Singh

Louise joined Weightmans in 2005 and, after completing her training contract, qualified in 2007. As a professional support lawyer, based in the Liverpool office, Louise provides training and technical support to Weightmans’ employment law practitioners across the country, keeping the teams up to date with the latest legal developments. Louise also has plenty of first hand experience of Employment Tribunal litigation. Her experience includes conducting cases involving unfair dismissal, wages, breach of contract and all forms of discrimination. She has also represented respondents, including Royal Mail Group Ltd, as an advocate in the Employment Tribunal.
Seva Singh

Seva Singh

Seva has considerable experience in dealing with maximum severity personal injury cases arising out of all classes of business but predominantly, road traffic accidents, employers' liability and public liability claims. Seva's caseload largely consists of high value personal injury litigation relating to claims involving severe irreversible brain and spinal cord injury and amputation cases. Seva also handles cases involving insurance contract and indemnity disputes. Seva has been involved in a number of cases involving contentious issues such as the provision of state funding in personal injury cases, periodical payments and indexation and he has presented training sessions to insurers on these topics. Seva has a particular interest in brain injury cases where capacity is in dispute. Seva has also been involved in a number of cases where he has successfully defended Applications for substantial interim payments in maximum severity injury cases. Seva is a trained mediator.
Basiru Terry

Basiru Terry

Basiru is an Associate in the Large Loss department, based in the London office. Basiru joined Weightmans in 2015 and initially worked successfully within the Disease department (handling claims including mesothelioma, HAVS/VWF, NIHL) before moving to Large Loss in May 2020. Basiru has extensive experience in defending motor, public and employers' liability claims on behalf of UK insurers and local authorities. Basiru is also adept at defending claims that involve fraud. Basiru specialises in catastrophic personal injury cases including severe brain injury, spinal injury, amputation and fatal accident claims. Basiru is also the Weightmans lead on BAME-related issues, supporting and promoting BAME agendas and initiatives firm wide.
Paul Thomson

Paul Thomson

Paul joined Weightmans in 2016 and has over 15 years of experience in the resolution of disputes arising from clinical negligence for the NHS and for medical protection organisations. He advises on and manages a wide spectrum of claims for NHS Resolution and NHS Trusts including for brain injury sustained at birth and neurological/spinal injury, neonatal deaths, psychiatric and orthopaedic injury. He has also dealt with a number of sensitive cases involving allegations of non-accidental injury and sexual abuse. He focuses on running complex and high value cases often with complex quantum issues and has settled numerous cases by way of periodical payment orders (PPOs). Recent instructions include a paediatric claim with multiple defendants for severe disability following an alleged delay in diagnosing pneumococcal meningitis. Cases involving a patient in a minimally aware state following a medication overdose, a failure to diagnose a rare neuro-metabolic disease and a claim involving a failure to obtain informed consent for an intra-operative epidural leading to severe neurological injury and paraplegia. Paul is an advocate for alternatives to litigation for resolving disputes and in particular for mediation where appropriate. Reported cases include the successful defence of the secondary victim psychiatric injury claim, Shorter v Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust [2015] EWHC 614 (QB). Other experience includes representing Trusts and healthcare practitioners at Inquests and in healthcare regulatory work representing doctors under investigation by the General Medical Council and dentists under investigation by the General Dental Council including GMC v Taranissi and GDC v Kotzenberg and others. Paul also presents to healthcare clients on a variety of topics including claims, Inquests and risk management and safety and learning issues.
Lottie Tyler

Lottie Tyler

Based in our London office, Lottie has over eighteen years’ experience advising on family law. Lottie is an active member of Resolution and currently sits on the Resolution Standards Committee. She is a Resolution accredited specialist in international family law, children law (disputes between parents or relatives) and complex financial and property matters (high-income households and substantial assets). She has written for the Family Law Journal and contributed to the current edition of the Resolution Family Law Handbook. Lottie finds all aspects of her work as a family solicitor engaging and rewarding. She is particularly keen to find practical solutions to disputes and minimise the impact of separation on children. She is a trained collaborative lawyer and happy to discuss resolving cases through a series of meetings rather than through the court process. As a mediator, Lottie works together with separating couples to facilitate them reaching their own understanding. Lottie has an MA in French and Italian which assists in international cases. She was runner up for the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) European Chapter Annual Award for young family lawyers in 2014. In 2018, Lottie was shortlisted for 'Family Lawyer of the year – Associate' in the Citywealth Future Leaders Awards 2018. Lottie is part of the winning team named Family Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards. Book your consultation We offer a free consultation on any family law matters. Book now
Janet Wallis

Janet Wallis

Janet works predominantly on personal injury cases for defendant insurers such as Zurich and Gallagher Bassett, and a number of other insurers. She also acts on direct instructions from London Boroughs and other local authorities,. Janet handles a mixed caseload of small claims, fast and multi-track matters on a variety of public and employer’s liability cases; motoring, credit hire, occasional disease/deafness claims, contractual arguments and property damage and subsidence caused by tree root damage.
Maria Watmough

Maria Watmough

Maria is a partner in the finance team and has many years' experience of advising clients across a variety of sectors. She has a broad range of expertise in negotiating and structuring all aspects of facilities for clients, and working for both lenders and borrowers has enabled Maria to develop a keen understanding of the commercial reasons behind structures and the drafting of finance documentation. Collaborating with other members of the firm from the corporate, commercial, real estate and construction teams, Maria provides advice on all aspects of secured lending, including acquisition finance, real estate finance and development finance. Maria has specialist expertise in the education and healthcare sectors, in particular, loans to fund working capital, acquisitions and developments and several student accommodation projects. She has been instructed on many loans in further and higher education in particular, including to Oxford and Cambridge Colleges. Maria has also advised on loans for numerous care home providers, dental practitioners and pharmacy owners growing their businesses. With an efficient and constructive approach to transactions, Maria advises her clients as to risks on matters as they arise and works together with her clients and other parties to find practical and commercial solutions to those issues.
Polly Wesson

Polly Wesson

Polly is an Associate in the International Private Wealth Team based in London having trained and qualified in RadcliffesLeBrasseur’s leading private wealth team prior to the merger with Weightmans in 2022. Polly was ranked as one of the 2025 eprivateclient NextGen Leader 2025 and ranked in the Legal 500 as a Leading Associate in personal tax, trusts and probate. Polly advises clients on all aspects of private wealth law, including succession planning, tax planning, trusts, and family investment companies. Polly is experienced in assisting clients with preparing their Wills and advising on their estate and succession planning structures and she takes a holistic approach to estate planning. Polly is mindful of the needs of individuals with high-value, international and otherwise complex estates. Polly specialises in asset protection and generational succession planning for both UK and internationally mobile clients. Polly advises on various personal tax considerations including inheritance tax and capital gains tax and deals with inheritance tax calculations and reporting for individuals, estates, and trusts. Polly assists clients in all matters related to estate administration and probate, including re-sealing foreign grants and liaising with international advisers on the UK probate process. Polly also advises clients on Lasting Powers of Attorney, complex capacity issues and applications to the Court of Protection involving substantial estates. Polly is skilled in dealing with all aspects of the Private Wealth legal spectrum both during the life of clients and on their death. Polly acts for a number of influential clients in the UK and globally including household names, offshore fiduciaries, accountants, banks and wealth advisors. Polly provides clients with high-quality counsel encompassing all aspects of private client law and is a full STEP member, becoming a TEP in January 2025 after being awarded the STEP Diploma with Distinction.
Lisa Williams

Lisa Williams

Lisa is a Principal Associate with nearly 25 years in the insurance industry and who began practicing law exclusively in 2004. Lisa has over 10 years' experience in the aviation sector starting out with a boutique aviation law firm. Lisa has provided legal advice and representation to numerous international and global airlines, including a flagship carrier, and their insurers in a range of legal disputes and cases both domestically and abroad, also in claims with multi-jurisdictional elements and cross border issues. Lisa’s has defended airlines and their insurers in passenger and third party injury claims arising out of the Montreal Convention 1999, Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and Regulation EC 1107/2006, as well as in property damage, baggage, flight delay and denied boarding claims. She is also experienced with advancing and defending subrogation claims on behalf of aviation clients, as well as with commercial litigation, insurance and reinsurance coverage disputes and general aviation claims. Lisa is also skilled in resolving claims pre-litigation, handling “white label” pre-litigation insured claims on behalf of a major UK airline and with Aviation ADR schemes approved by the Civil Aviation Authority, such as the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). Lisa has been recognised on more than one occasion in the Legal 500 UK as a recommended lawyer for Aviation London, being cited as having 'exceptional work capacity and [being a] commercial thinker' as well as 'approachable, knowledgeable and commercially astute'. Notable cases \tHandling of the passenger claims in the UK and US emanating from an incident of severe and unexpected turbulence on a commercial flight to Tampa in 2019, generating great media intrigue; \tResolving the lost baggage claim in the UK from a high profile "WAG"; \tInvolved in handling the alleged toxic fume claims, arising from a 2019 emergency landing of a A321 in Valencia following the inflow of smoke in the cabin. Incident under investigation by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CAAIIC); \tSuccessfully rebutting a very commercially sensitive UK Claim for denied boarding and discrimination for a well-known carrier, including liaising with the carrier’s press office to assist with appropriate responses to the media/social media; \tDefending a major UK carrier from a passenger claiming to have been inappropriately touched and groped during a flight, the subject of which entered the public domain via a blog post; \tSwiftly dealing with the, ultimately modest, settlement of a passenger claim against a flagship carrier for injury from a bag falling from an overhead compartment which was the subject of a news article in the Evening Standard in 2016; \tDefending the claims from passenger against a carrier following an alleged aerotoxicity incident, with interest in the US following linked litigation brought in the States involving Boeing; and \tRepresenting a carrier in litigation for a high value denied boarding claim for a well-known carrier, involving issues of Human Rights and the Tokyo Convention Act 1967, from a group who were removed from aircraft for disruptive behaviour.
Patricia Williams

Patricia Williams

Patricia is a Legal Director in the London Large Loss team. Qualifying as a solicitor in 1997, Patricia has over 25 years’ experience of high value, complex, defendant personal injury work, and joined Weightmans in August 2016. Patricia has been recognised as a key lawyer in the UK Legal 500 since the 2020 Edition, in the category: defendant personal injury lawyers in London. Patricia specialises in employers' liability, public liability and motor defendant civil litigation work for UK insurers, acting on behalf of household name companies and local authorities. She deals with a wide range of catastrophic personal injury cases including severe brain injury (in children and adults), subtle brain injury, spinal injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), amputation and fatal accident claims.