Weightmans LLP

Adam Skelland

Adam is an experienced solicitor who specialises in defendant credit hire. He joined Weightmans in 2016, following a seven year stint at another leading law firm. Adam has extensive experience in defending personal injury and credit hire claims, claims for credit hire from companies, with particular knowledge and experience in claims for replacement taxis. Adam’s noteworthy cases are Lubhaya v Stanley a case involving estoppel and acceptance of zero offers, and Ali v Bayliss surrounding the correct assessment of damages where the claimant is a taxi company or an individual who operates a fleet of vehicles.

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: Successfully 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; Advising 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; Successfully 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; Successfully 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; Successfully advising and defending unfair dismissal and sex discrimination claims involving a longstanding employee with significant final salary pension loss saving £100k in damages Successfully 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. Successfully 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. Advising 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. Advising on the performance related exit of an employee with ADHD and depression. Recent testimonials: David 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.’ Chris 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!’ Carole 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.’

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.

Alex Marler

Alex defends professionals facing negligence claims, chiefly in the construction sector, including engineers, architects, design-and-build contractors and surveyors. Alex is skilled in analysing the legal and practical issues in a claim, and gathering and deploying the evidence and arguments in his client’s favour. This has helped many clients walk away from trial with the claims against them dismissed, and brought many more to successful negotiated conclusion where that is the best outcome. Alex also specialises in insurance coverage disputes, dealing with issues such as fair presentation, breaches of policy conditions, the effect of exclusions, aggregation and double-insurance. A current highlight is a matter in which the Court of Appeal is set to determine a point of law regarding limitation in Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 claims. The outcome will be of some significance to all liability insurers, and those seeking to bring claims against them. Alex is recognised by clients for his technical ability, innovation, clarity and pragmatism.

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.

Alexandra Johnstone

Alexandra is a Partner in the Healthcare department, advising and representing healthcare bodies and professionals. As a skilled advocate, she has represented a large number of care homes and mental health hospitals at inquests. She has also been involved in a number of inquests relating to prison deaths. She has considerable experience advising on protocols and policies in the healthcare sector, particularly those raising issues of human rights and medical ethics. She is regularly asked to advise on a range of mental health issues including unlawful detention claims. Alexandra has a particular interest in issues relating to mental capacity and treatment decisions concerning child and adult patients. She has often advised in Court of Protection cases, including defending challenges to DoLS authorisations brought by residents of care homes.

Alison Brennan

Alison is an Associate in the Liverpool healthcare team and qualified as a solicitor in 2010, joining Weightmans in 2012 and has dealt with clinical negligence claims across several specialist fields along with secondments to NHS Resolution. Alison deals with a range of complex high value and sensitive claims, including addressing complex clinical issues in cases relating to spinal injuries, paediatrics, orthopaedic and gynaecology including baby deaths. In addition, her caseload includes high-value cases in spinal injury and stroke medicine, along with sensitive psychiatric and suicide claims. Alison has a background in the health service as a nurse holding a dual qualification in paediatric and adult nursing. She has worked at a senior nursing level and therefore has significant knowledge and insight into the demands on the health service, along with a particular focus on clinical governance and patient safety. Alison remains committed to patient safety and continues to work with trusts, clinicians and teams to learn from and address patient safety issues through presentations and discussing specific topics, along with organising large events on this subject. She is also regularly instructed to assist trusts with complex complaints and serious incident investigations, taking a thorough, open and transparent approach in the way that she works with clinicians and liaising with families including other stakeholders.

Alistair Hewitt

Alistair is the Managing Partner of the Leeds office and a Partner in the Healthcare and Regulatory team. He is a highly accomplished practitioner and advocate, representing healthcare professionals and providers in regulatory, disciplinary, coronial and criminal proceedings, investigations and prosecutions. He is frequently instructed by the major medical defence organisations (MDOs), healthcare providers and individual professionals in a wide variety of complex regulatory proceedings and misconduct hearings. Alistair advises on a range of matters including: Fitness to practise investigations and hearings at the General Medical Council (GMC) and Coroner’s inquests Trust disciplinary investigations and MHPS hearings Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions Performers List investigations and PLDP hearings Post Incident Procedures and Misconduct Hearings CQC reviews First tier tribunal hearings Health and Safety investigations and prosecutions Judicial Reviews Alistair is an experienced advocate regularly appearing before MPTS and GDC hearings, Coroners Inquests and Criminal Court hearings. He obtained his Higher Rights of Audience to represent clients in all courts in 2005.

Amy Nesbitt

Before joining Weightmans, Amy practised for a number of years at the independent bar in London as a member of a leading set of barristers’ chambers. She specialises in professional liability, insurance coverage and cyber. Amy acts for all manner of professionals including surveyors, construction professionals, solicitors, accountants, IT consultants and agronomists. In 2018, she successfully represented an electrical contractor in Hiscox Insurance Company Ltd v (1) Quendon Interiors Ltd (2) Mr Ismail Oral (T/A Precious Marble) (3) T P & N Electrical Contractors [2018] EWHC 3585 (TCC) and she is currently instructed to act in connection with the Pyrite class actions in Eire. Her insurance coverage experience spans multiple classes of business, including cyber, professional indemnity (particularly engineering and construction risks), public liability and product liability. She has advised on all aspects of insurance law including validity of notifications (including block notifications), breach of the duty of fair presentation, breach of policy terms and conditions and the application of the Insurance Act 2015, fraudulent claims and waiver and estoppel issues; and is regularly instructed to act on behalf of insurers in related complex and high-value coverage disputes, including in respect of post-Grenfell cladding notification issues. Amy regularly acts as coverage and monitoring counsel under cyber insurance policies. She is a key member of the Weightmans CyXcel team - a unique multidisciplinary service from Weightmans which was launched in 2018 and provides comprehensive advice and solutions for digital and data resilience, incident planning, crisis management and response - and is a regular speaker and author on cyber and data protection risk issues. She is an advocacy tutor, deputy chair of FOIL’s Technology & Cyber Liabilities Sector Focus Team and a regular spokesperson on the impact of technology on professional indemnity and liability.

Andrea Cohen

Andrea joined Weightmans in March 2018 and is a Legal Director in the Compli team, Weightmans' bespoke regulatory consultancy service for the legal sector, advising on all aspects of regulation, compliance, risk management, disciplinary matters, including SRA investigations and defence work for solicitors before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, claims and complaints handling. Andrea also delivers training on a wide range of areas, most recently on AML, professional ethics and regulatory obligations, and regularly speaks at both national and local Law Society conferences Andrea qualified as a solicitor in 1988 and specialised in commercial litigation, with a particular focus on professional negligence claims. She is a founder member and Chief Executive of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association (PNLA). In 2006, Andrea moved into the management team of a Top 100 law firm, developing a niche expertise in risk and compliance. Following five years in her own risk and compliance business, and Head of Risk and Compliance and Training Principal at a law firm, she moved to Weightmans, where she continues to advise clients on a range of issues from setting up new law firms, retainers, policies and procedures, AML obligations and concerns and carrying out independent AML audits, to disciplinary investigations. Andrea acts for solicitors, including partners, employees and entities, from sole practitioners to ABSs. One client wrote to our managing partner to say, ‘Andrea has a professional, engaging manner and she provided high quality advice and documents backed up by an understanding of what the regulator would require… she has been an outstanding support to my business, and I shall not hesitate to work with her again.’ In addition to her role at the PNLA, Andrea is a member of The Law Society Regulatory Processes Committee, the Manchester Law Society Regulatory Affairs Committee and COLP and COFA Forum, and the Editorial Board of the Journal of Professional Negligence. She has a monthly column in a number of Law Society publications and is a contributor to Practical Law.

Andrea Steventon

Andrea advises on all aspects of commercial real estate law, acting for owners, investors and developers who range from multi-nationals to smaller regional businesses. A large number of her clients are from the manufacturing and industrial sector. She specialises in providing advice on multi-million pound acquisitions, disposals and development agreements for clients in both the public and private sector.

Andrew Forrest

Andrew is a Fellow of the CIPD and has a masters’ degree in Human resource management and industrial relations. His experience covers both the public and private sectors and includes: Tribunal advocacy, consulting and negotiating with trade unions, training, mediation, seminar presentations and advising on employment law. Andrew joined Weightmans in October 2010 from EEF (now Make UK) where he was the HR and legal leader for the Midlands.

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 two decades as a leader in the field of partnership law in independent directories Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500

Andrew Roberts

Andrew is a Partner in the Litigation team at Weightmans and has well over 30 years' experience of handling and resolving commercial disputes and litigation, all of which has been gained at leading national and global law firms in the UK. In recent years, Andrew has led work on a number of significant and complex cases proceeding in the Commercial Court, Mercantile Court and Court of Appeal. Andrew's specialist areas of practice within commercial litigation include: advising in relation to contract disputes (including contract interpretation, enforcement and termination) warranty claims arising from the sale and purchase of companies shareholder disputes (including claims of unfair prejudice) intellectual property matters (including breach of copyright, trademark infringement and passing off) defamation IT disputes including contracts for the supply of software franchising disputes (including those involving international franchisors) joint venture disputes the enforcement of restrictive covenants and the protection of confidential information advising on claims for compensation by commercial agents procurement disputes He is experienced in managing electronic disclosure in litigation proceedings and in advising clients on appropriate and cost-effective strategies for dealing with electronic disclosure. Andrew has helped numerous clients to settle their disputes either before or during litigation by way of Alternative Dispute Resolution and in particular by way of mediation. He is also National Sector Lead for Manufacturing at Weightmans and a member of the firm's Education Sector group acting as lead Partner for Further Education. Andrew acts for a broad range of clients ranging from large corporates, owner-managed businesses and private individuals as well as universities, further education colleges, local authorities and charities. Prior to joining Weightmans in December 2013, Andrew spent over 20 years at DLA Piper in Liverpool where he had been a Partner since 2007. He is a member of the Society for Computers and Law.

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.

Andrew Cox

Head of Service Delivery, Litigation Department. Types of work include contractual disputes, financial sector litigation, property litigation, and general commercial litigation.

Andrew Clarke

Andrew is Regional Office Head of the Leicester office and a partner in the Local Government team based in our Leicester office. He acts for a large number of local authorities, police and fire services, housing providers and education establishments across the country in relation to a wide range of issues. Andrew specialises in complex, high value, multi-party litigation and has significant experience of stress, bullying, assault and harassment claims. He leads the Environmental Technical Claims Unit dealing with flooding, subsidence, tree falls, invasive species and highway winter-maintenance claims. He is also regularly instructed in relation to data loss and information management as well as social care and abuse claims. Andrew acted for the Defendant in an undercover police officer stress case - AB v Chief Constable of X Constabulary [2015] EWHC 13, and for the local authority in a case involving illegal accessing of social services information - Ali v Luton Borough Council [2022] EWHC 132 (QB). He regularly delivers bespoke training at national and regional level.

Andrew Brammer

Andrew Brammer joined Weightmans in April 2019, to become the Lead lawyer in the Midlands Regulatory Team. Since qualifying in 1996, he has developed an enviable reputation as a specialist Regulatory lawyer.Working for national and international organisations across multiple sectors, Andrew’s practice focuses on protecting businesses and key decision makers during criminal investigations and prosecutions. He has defended hundreds of clients against regulatory bodies like the Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency and Local Authority Trading Standards teams. His polished but practical style enables him to advise at all levels and he has been described as "highly experienced and impressively robust" and is known for his "tactical astuteness" and "excellent attention to detail".Drawing on his knowledge and experience, clients regularly call upon Andrew to offer in-house training and compliance management support.Andrew’s expertise in contentious health and safety and environmental law has been recognised by legal directories for over a decade and he is cited as being a "Leading Individual" by the Legal 500 for his health and safety work.

Andrew Warren

Andrew specialises in commercial real estate transactions across a range of classes of property including the office, retail, leisure and industrial sectors for investors occupiers and funders and has over 30 years of experience operating in those sectors. Andrew acts for a number of high profile clients and regularly advises on the Scottish property aspects of cross-border transactions. A selection of notable transactions and matters in which Andrew has been involved are as follows: The Scottish property aspects of the outsourcing of property estate of the Inland Revenue to Mapeley (a Soros/Delancey backed investment vehicle) with a global transactional value of circa £2 billion; The multi-million pound acquisition and subsequent disposal of Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, Edinburgh for a private Irish Investor; The relocation of AMF Bowling to premises at Springfield Quay, Glasgow; The restructuring of the Scottish property portfolio of Little Chef; The property aspects of the Administration of Gretna Football Club; The acquisition of properties in Glasgow and Edinburgh for student accommodation for an offshore fund at a value of circa £30 million; The management and leasing work for Landmark Space Limited (formerly I2 Office Limited) in Scotland; The Scottish property aspects of the refinancing of the student accommodation property portfolio of an offshore fund with a global value exceeding £100 million; Acting for a BVI offshore entity in the acquisition of a Holiday Inn Express branded hotel in Edinburgh from an Administrator for circa £17 million; Acting for a major cinema operator in negotiating an Agreement for Lease and taking a lease as part of a redevelopment of a city centre shopping centre in Glasgow; Acting for a US Funder in agreeing security documentation for provision of funding to the purchaser of a major PRS Scheme at Fountainbridge Edinburgh; Acting for a US Funder in agreeing security documentation for provision of funding to the developer of a speculative build office building in Glasgow; The property aspects of the acquisition of Hillington Industrial Estate Glasgow for a Singaporean investor as part of a cross-border deal with a global value in excess of £650 million; Acting for a UK operator in the acquisition of a riverfront site in Glasgow for development of a hotel; The management and leasing work for Thorntons Limited in Scotland. In his leisure time, Andrew enjoys playing golf and is a member of his local club at Caudwell near Glasgow and also of The St Andrews Golf Club in St Andrews.

Andy Griffiths

As Business Change, Knowledge & Market Affairs Director, Andy is responsible for the overall delivery of business change at Weightmans, together with our knowledge management and providing market affairs insight for clients. He leads three teams. One consisting of project managers and business analysts engaged on a variety of projects throughout the firm. Another consisting of professional support lawyers focussed on embedding a knowledge sharing culture that contributes to the success of our clients, our business and our people. And also a team of market affairs specialists dedicated to horizon scanning and thought leadership. Andy and his department are continually and actively looking for ways to enhance the client experience - always seeking to add value and deliver tangible benefits. Andy is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Six Sigma methodology is just one of the approaches used by the Projects team when seeking to review and re-engineer processes. Looking at everything we do, how we do it and how it can be improved. Andy oversees consistent and effective project management nationally and is a certified AgilePM practitioner. He also forms part of the operations board responsible for portfolio management of projects and priorities. As a qualified solicitor, Andy has, in the past, acted for a number of local authorities specialising in the defence of public and employers' liability claims. He also has experience of operations management and team management during his time at Weightmans which is used to good effect in his current role. Andy joined the firm as a trainee in 2001, qualified in 2003 and became a partner in 2009. Andy splits his time between our Liverpool and Birmingham offices.

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.

Ann Hughes

Ann joined the firm in 2019 having qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Since that time she has worked almost exclusively in the field of high-value personal injury and has over 15 years' experience dealing with spinal and head injury claims of the utmost severity. She has a particular interest in fatal injury claims and her practice also covers claims involving amputations, severe orthopaedic injuries, chronic pain and post-concussion syndrome. She also advises on policy coverage issues related to personal injury claims. Ann represents a number of different insurers and has a full range of experience defending employers’ liability, public liability, occupiers’ liability, product liability, construction and agriculture-based claims and road traffic accident claims as well as cases involving a foreign element.

Anna Naylor

Anna is a regulatory defence lawyer specialising in advising organisations on health and safety, food safety, coroners’ inquests and Public Inquiries. She assists clients who are being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, Local Authorities, Environment Agency and Police following serious incidents. She represents companies in enforcement notice appeals, fee for intervention disputes and prosecutions of companies and individuals for a range of regulatory offences. Anna also provides advice and support for directors and senior managers on regulatory compliance. Anna assists clients in getting to grips with forthcoming changes to legislation and provides training on a wide variety of health and safety, food safety and inquest related topics. Anna undertakes advocacy on behalf of defendants charged with regulatory offences in the criminal courts and a large part of her practice involves acting for Interested Persons at Inquests. Her inquest experience spans workplace fatalities, prison deaths, motor incidents and healthcare matters. She is described by the directories as having great experience and being tireless in her determination to achieve results for her clients. Anna is also recognised by Legal 500 for being 'patient, industrious and very hard working'. Anna qualified as a lawyer in 2003 and joined the regulatory team at Weightmans in 2019.

Anne Green

Anne Green is a Partner in the Healthcare department of the Leeds office. She has a vast range of experience (more than 20 years) in advising medical and dental practitioners in all areas of disciplinary and regulatory law including General Medical Council (GMC), General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Trust/NHS England and coroners inquests. She advises doctors and dentists and provides representation and assistance in Trust and Local Area Team disciplinary hearings. She is frequently involved with advising doctors and dentists in respect of performance/capability cases and their liaison with their employers and NCAS. She is regularly instructed by the major medical defence organisations (MDOs) and is well known for her particular interest in dental disciplinary cases. She has been involved in many high profile cases. She also advises on appeals to the High Court (including judicial review).

Anne-Marie Barnes

Anne-Marie is a Principal Associate in the Corporate department, based in the Manchester office. Anne-Marie joined Weightmans in 2018 and has over 8 years of experience advising on corporate law matters. Anne-Marie specialises in a range of corporate work; including share sales, mergers and acquisitions, group reorganisations, de-mergers, joint ventures, equity investment, shareholders' agreements, PSC requirements, asset sales, partnership agreements and general company law advice. Anne-Marie has acted for a variety of clients including owner managed businesses, national and international corporate clients, GP and dental practices, pharmacies and institutional investors.

Anne-Marie Knight

Anne-Marie is a Partner based at Weightmans’ Newcastle office, who specialises in defending professional indemnity claims against a range of professionals. She has 30 years of experience of advising both insurers and their insured professional clients in this field. Anne-Marie is regularly instructed in relation to claims against traditional professionals, such as architects, engineers, design and build contractors, approved inspectors, cladding designers, asbestos surveyors, building surveyors, solicitors and accountants. She has also advised in relation to claims against emerging professions, such as process servers and recruitment consultants and has experience of professional disciplinary proceedings, as well as criminal proceedings brought against a professional client. In addition to defending claims brought against professionals, Anne-Marie is regularly instructed by insurers to advise on policy coverage matters. Anne-Marie is recommended by the Legal 500 as one of only three Leading Individuals in the North and as one of only five practitioners in Chambers and Partners for the North East and Yorkshire region. She has acquired a reputation for hard work, attention to detail, and excellent client service delivery. She is an accredited Mediator and has successfully conducted many mediations.

Anthony Rance

Anthony is a commercial litigator who is also part of CyXcel, Weightmans’ multi-disciplinary team specialising in cyber risk, crisis, incident response and litigation. Anthony’s commercial litigation practice sees him advise on a broad range of disputes across a variety of sectors. He is regularly instructed to act on disputes arising out of commercial contracts, distressed IT and outsourcing projects, financial disputes, shareholder disputes, cases involving the misuse of confidential information, restraint of trade disputes and also negligence claims, including professional negligence. He has been involved in many high value and complex commercial cases, several of which have involved reported decisions. As part of Weightmans CyXcel team, Anthony also has substantial experience of assisting clients with data breach and cyber incidents, as well as cyber-related disputes. Anthony is also highly experienced in alternative dispute resolution and has represented clients at numerous successful mediations and other forms of structured settlement negotiations.

Anthony Howarth

Anthony a Chartered Legal Executive (FCILEx) and joined Weightmans in June 2016. He is a is a Principal Associate in the Real Estate Team and has gathered over 25 years of residential conveyancing experience in the Yorkshire Region. He takes a particular interest in technological and legal developments in relation to conveyancing practice. In addition to a varied caseload of private client files, Anthony has also recently been engaged in the purchase of a portfolio of properties for the London Borough of Newham and acts for a range of other public and charity sector clients.

Anthony Sullivan

Anthony is a Legal Director in the Large Loss and Technical Claims team of Weightmans. He qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and, after many years advising and representing Claimants, he joined Weightmans in 2006. Anthony now specialises in defending civil claims for compensation against various insurance companies, brought by or on behalf of Claimants who have suffered catastrophic personal injuries of the utmost severity. Anthony deals with a broad spectrum of claims, including those for serious traumatic brain injuries for adults and children, spinal injuries (including tetra and paraplegia), amputations and chronic pain. The areas of law he covers are road traffic accident, employers’ liability, public liability, occupiers’ liability and product liability. His work includes dealing with complex liability, technical, and indemnity issues. He is also experienced in dealing with public funding issues, reverse indemnities, in-out Deputyships and periodical payments orders. The claims he currently deals with have gross reserves up to c£30million each. He is an experienced advocate and regularly conducts hearings in both the County and High Court. He has also dealt with cases which have reached both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Anthony was previously a Team Manager with responsibility for managing 13 catastrophic injury case handlers and their associated secretaries and administration assistants. In that role he dealt with budgeting, recruitment, MI, ensuring that the whole team provided an excellent service to clients, financial hygiene and many other issues.

Asema Natha

Asema is a Principal Associate in the Local Government team based in our Leicester office. Since qualifying as a solicitor 19 years ago, Asema has focused on delivering support to local authority clients. She joined Weightmans 17 years ago. Asema is regularly instructed in relation to flooding, subsidence and highway winter maintenance claims. She is also regularly instructed in relation to data loss and information management claims. Asema is also vastly experienced in advising clients in claims concerning public liability. This specialist support often includes complex, high value, multi-party litigation and Asema has significant experience of defending public liability claims on behalf of local authorities, education establishments and housing providers in relation to a wide range of issues. Her vast experience includes multi-party litigation arising out of newly designed shared space schemes, multi-party complex litigation arising out of a flooding incident affecting 33 properties. Reported cases include: Asema represented the Defendants in McDonald v Leicester City Council [2007], a highway winter maintenance claim. Asema assisted in defending the claim brought against the local authority in Ali v Luton Borough Council [2022} EWHC 132, a vicarious liability case related to unlawful accessing of information.

Barry Riley

Barry is an Associate in the Manchester Corporate team, mapped to the Weightmans’ Owner Managed Businesses segment (companies up to £100million turnover). He qualified as a solicitor in 2011 and joined Weightmans in January 2018. He acts for private companies and specialises in a variety of corporate work, including: merger, acquisition and disposal activity, group re-organisations, equity investment, joint ventures, shareholders' agreements and articles of association, corporate governance and company law advisory. Recent transactions he has acted on include: Acquisition of Plastique Holdings Limited (UK) (Sonoco Holdings, Inc. (US)) Equity investment by BGF Investments LP(Planixs GRP Limited) Re-organisation and onward sale of part of an insurance brokerage business(Caunce O’Hara to Markel UK) Acquisition of a plastics moulding and fabrication engineering business based in the North of England.

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.

Becki Smith

Becki is an Associate in our family team. Becki assists clients with all aspects of family law including divorce and separation, financial remedies, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, variation of maintenance, cohabitee disputes, injunctions, and private children law. Becki trained as a Solicitor at Weightmans and qualified in 2020, with over 6 years’ litigation experience prior to qualification. Becki is an active member of Resolution and sits on the Merseyside Resolution Committee. Becki is part of the winning team named Family Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards.

Becky Baty

Becky qualified in 2000 and joined Weightmans in 2001 working in the large loss and catastrophic team. She is currently an associate in the motor team specialising in defending civil claims for compensation against insurance companies and handles claims up the value of £500k.

Belinda Moore

Belinda qualified as a solicitor in 1998 following a career in senior management in the public sector. She acts for police forces and public authorities in defence of civil claims in particular misfeasance cases. Belinda has developed a specialism in applications arising out of legislation aimed at targeting anti social behaviour. This includes applications for ASBOs, crack house closures, football banning orders, sexual offences prevention orders and cash seizures and forfeiture. She has lectured extensively on these areas of law and has provided training in house for the police service.

Ben Mackenzie

Ben has been a partner since 2003 and he specialises in all aspects of commercial property litigation, including LTA 1954 Act lease renewals, forfeiture claims, large dilapidations disputes, enforcement of tenants’ covenants, boundary disputes and Pubs Code arbitrations. Ben is our Retail and Leisure sector lead, heading a team with an impressively broad client list of household names and leading brands in these sectors, providing insights to our clients on all relevant legal developments as they arise. Ben is also particularly renowned in the licenced and leisure sector and currently acts for 3 of the UK’s large Pub Owning Businesses , as well as for other large UK landlords in all aspects of property litigation.

Ben Daniel

Ben is head of service delivery for the employment, pensions and immigration team at Weightmans. Formerly a partner with Ford & Warren solicitors, Ben deals with all areas of employment law for a wide variety of clients in both public and private sectors. Ben is an advocate, regularly appearing in multi-day Employment Tribunal Hearings, and also conducts the advocacy in appeal cases at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. He has specialist knowledge from 20 years' experience in the transport sector, including road haulage, rail and bus passenger transport. He is particularly involved in the management of industrial disputes with clients across the transport sector. Ben also leads client management development seminars in the field of employee relations with the emphasis placed upon 'the right to manage'.

Benjamin Davies

Benjamin trained with Weightmans, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2014 and his primary workload focuses on a broad range of contentious and non-contentious contractual disputes, acting on behalf of public bodies, corporate and individual clients. Benjamin has extensive experience advising and litigating Consumer Credit Act Agreements, having acted on behalf of a number of financial institutions since 2009. Since January 2019 Benjamin has managed a team of eight individuals primarily working for a patron client of the firm, ensuring adherence to client SLA as well as all management responsibilities. Benjamin also has extensive experience in unjust enrichment claims, specifically pension salary overpayments and recovering monies for estates of deceased individuals.

Beth Williams

Beth qualified as a real estate solicitor in October 2015. She joined Weightmans in December 2017 and has significant experience in acting for the social housing sector, having almost exclusively serviced this sector throughout her career to date. She advises on property acquisitions and disposals, including the acquisition of sites for housing development, together with all ancillary matters such as easements, infrastructure and statutory agreements, option agreements and overage agreements. She prepares acquired sites ready for disposal by our plot sales team and advises on affordable housing products. She also acts for registered providers in asset purchases, stock rationalisations, landlord and tenant matters and the property aspects of securitisation projects. Recent experience includes acting for a registered provider and their PRS commercial subsidiary in the acquisition of a rural site for development of approximately 150 units, and acting for a registered provider in a number of portfolio stock rationalisation matters to assist in funding their acquisition programme.

Beverley Beale

Beverley is a member of the Office of the Public Guardian’s Panel of professional deputies of last resort and has in excess of 25 years’ experience advising clients and their families in Court of Protection applications and proceedings as well as being personally appointed to manage and safeguard the affairs of people who may be at risk financially. She currently supports around 180 individuals who lack capacity to manage their financial and property affairs. Beverley joined Weightmans in June 2019 and has seen a steady growth of referrals into the Court of Protection team which is reflective both of the wealth of expertise and experience that the team is able to offer and of the personable and compassionate approach taken with all of her clients. Although based in the East Midlands (Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) the team operates nationally with clients referred from each of the Weightmans’ regional offices. A Dementia Friend Champion and member of Solicitors for the Elderly, Beverley’s focus is always on the individual, achieving their goals and safeguarding their best interests. As a Panel Deputy, she deals with challenging, complex and sensitive issues for some of the most vulnerable clients: issues including financial fraud and misappropriation, family discord, wealth protection, the conduct of general litigation and the bringing of claims on the client’s behalf, domiciliary and care home funding and benefits reviews. Beverley’s duty to make decisions on behalf of her vulnerable clients cannot be fully discharged without coming to as full an understanding of the client as a whole as is possible. A thorough but considerate approach is always necessary and wherever possible the engagement of family and friends is sought. The overarching need is to act in the best interests of the client to safeguard them from risk and support the achievement of personal goals so as to enable the client to maintain as full and independent a life as possible. Beverley advises on all aspects of private client work including estate administrations, Lasting Powers of Attorney and will drafting.

Blaise Smith

Blaise is a partner in Weightmans' large loss team in Leeds. He handles catastrophic injury and major property damage claims for insurers. He has 42 years' experience in all aspects of personal injury and insurance litigation. He has particular experience in head and spinal injury claims, fatal accidents and policy disputes and fire claims. Blaise was a Medical Working Party member for the IUA UK Bodily Injury Awards Study (2003). Blaise has handled fatal and catastrophic injury claims arising not only from accidents on the road, in the workplace and from defective premises and products, but also from hot air ballooning, gliding, paragliding, horse riding, a miniature train ride and 'welly-wanging'. He also handled multi-party litigation arising out of the Bradford fire, the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the Hillsborough stadium disaster, the Myodil pharmaceutical claims and the Dingle Tunnel collapse. Other notable cases include litigation arising out of the finding of the Middleham Jewel and the fire which destroyed the Football Association’s former headquarters at Lancaster Gate. Other fire claims include sauna, gym, school, restaurant, supermarket, home and factory fires. Reported cases include: Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 A.C 310 (liability for psychiatric injury) Crabtree v Wilson [1993] PIQR Q24, CA (assessing damages for dependency); and Blair-Ford v CRS Adventures [2012] EWHC 2360 (QB) (risk assessment, foreseeability, Compensation Act, section 1) Thewlis v Groupama [2012] EWHC 3 (TCC) ( CPR part 36) Whitehead v Bruce and others [2013] EWCA Civ 229 ( RTA apportionment of liability; Court of Appeal)

Bob Granger

Bob joined the firm in 2017 as Group Finance Director, following 13 years as Finance and Retail director at Lakeland based in Windermere. As FD Bob was instrumental in the transformation of Lakeland into a digitally focused and international business. During his ten years as retail director, he had line responsibility for 68 stores and 1200 colleagues, and the team were consistently recognised by customers as one of the leading UK brands for customer service. Bob's career spans retail, technology, hospitality and professional services. Whilst at Vodafone Bob held roles in Group Finance and ultimately as the head of finance in the UK technology division, where the business spent over £1bn p.a. building and operating the UK mobile network. At PWC Bob qualified as a chartered accountant and spent two years as audit manager, gaining exposure to a range of audit, corporate finance and tax assignments. His appointment at Weightmans is his first in the legal sector, and his 25 years experience in a wide variety of other businesses bring a fresh and commercial perspective to the firm. People, values and winning through effective teamwork are of fundamental importance to Bob's approach.

Bob Hetherington

Bob joined Weightmans in 1994 and has been a partner since 2004. He specialised in litigation for local government clients and was Head of Local Government Litigation before becoming Head of Management Information in 2010. He is responsible for the provision of Business Intelligence and Management Information to the firm’s clients. This incorporates liaison with clients on market analysis, the provision of key performance statistics, risk management and advice around data management and delivery. Bob’s role also covers the production of internal management reports to enable strategic business and planning decisions and performance reports to ensure the quality and consistency of our client services. Bob has a MBA in Legal Practice Management from Nottingham Trent University

Brian Ghatan

Brian is a Partner in our real estate team. He advises a wide range of institutional and commercial clients on all aspects of commercial real estate law including development and funding transactions, sales and purchases, lettings, asset management and property finance. He has extensive experience of leading high profile deals and due diligence for large complex sites along with project management of both small and large teams under tight timetables. Brian is recommended for real estate in the latest edition of The Legal 500. His experience includes: Acting on development transactions at the Circle Square (former BBC Site) in Manchester including forward fundings, land acquisitions, lettings, site assembly and development agreements for infrastructure. Leading on all Real Estate aspects of the creation of the SciTech Joint Venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General which is the largest investment made in science and technology property assets in Europe in 2018. Managing all Real Estate aspects of multiple and significant portfolio refinancings of over £700m of debt across a large number of multi let properties for a substantial nationwide commercial property owner. High profile investment acquisitions and disposals including the sale of City Tower in Manchester to Schroders for £132m and the purchases of the Innovation Birmingham Science Park and Manchester Science Park. Advising on asset management, refinancing and development for a significant part of a north west based company’s circa £600m commercial property portfolio. Acting for landowners in relation to Promotion agreements and subsequent disposal of sites to residential house builders. Advising on the real estate aspects of numerous high profile Corporate transactions including the IPO of the Watkin Jones Group and various other private equity investments.

Brian Collins

Brian is part of the niche costs team responsible for providing a costs service that combines technical excellence with a commercial approach, together with training that can lead to continuous improvement. He is an expert in advocacy and costs control during litigation including budgeting and case management. Brian qualified as a costs lawyer in 2007 giving him rights of audience and authority to conduct costs litigation. Although costs lawyer qualification was only given regulated professional body status in 2007, Brian has 37 years' experience in costs litigation and was a Fellow of the Association of Law Costs Draftsman (now the Association of Costs Lawyers).

Bruce Ralston

Bruce specialises in the arenas of sports liability, regulatory & governance, advising insurers, sports governing bodies and sports companies/organisations, and has done for the past 20 years. He is a member of BASL & an affiliate of the ICSA. Bruce recently acquired a postgraduate qualification from Birkbeck in the Governance & Regulation of Sport. He has previously gained accreditation as a mediator from CEDR and an early postgrad in sports law from KCL.

Caley Collins

Caley specialises in commercial property and provides legal services for clients who have large property asset portfolios within the retail and logistics sectors. She advises on all commercial landlord and tenant transactions as well as dealing with freehold acquisitions and disposals. Caley has completed a secondment within a client’s in-house legal team and assisted with strategic property decisions within the business.

Carina Smith

Carina is a Partner in our Family team. She advises a broad range of clients on divorce, and all areas of matrimonial finance work including pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Carina also specialises in private law children matters including residence and contact disputes and applications for leave to remove a child from the jurisdiction. As a member of Resolution she is committed to resolving such matters in a constructive and non-confrontational manner.She has expertise and experience in all aspects of family law, including 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.

Carole Atkinson

Carole is a partner in the Private Client team at Weightmans. Recognised in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame, she has practised as a family lawyer for over 35 years and was appointed as Deputy District Judge in 2001. Carole has acted for many high profile individuals with significant assets. She has particular expertise in dealing with cases involving onshore and offshore trusts as well as complex corporate and tax issues in cases where the assets are worth many millions. She has considerable experience in drafting prenuptial agreements particularly those involving cross border issues. She is recognised for her extensive knowledge and experience, her exceptional client care skills and her pragmatic approach to family dispute resolution. Carole is consistently recommended and recognised in Legal Directories: Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a leader in her field. She has been described as a family lawyer who "makes the so-called 'magic circle' firms look ordinary." Her clients have included household names as well as fellow professionals. Many of her clients are recommended to her by QCs and other lawyers and professionals. She regularly lectures and writes articles on topical family law issues and has appeared on radio and television to discuss and to advise on family law issues and recent developments. Her approach to family law is a sensitive yet proactive approach to dispute resolution with the aim of achieving a successful outcome for each client in a cost-effective manner. Carole is recognised as a "Top Recommended" family lawyer for high-net-worth individuals in The Spear’s Family Law Index 2024.

Carole Spiller

Carole is the Head of Service Delivery for the Specialty Insurance department at Weightmans with over 60 fee earners based across 5 offices. Having qualified as a litigator in 1996 she has handled a wide range of commercial disputes in that time with particular focus on professional negligence claims, high value property damage claims, recoveries work, policy coverage issues and complex contractual disputes. She is well regarded for her commercial approach. Carole joined Weightmans in February 2007 and is the Regional Office Head for Weightmans Manchester office.

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.

Caroline Doyle

Caroline is a Legal Director in our tax and private client team. She advises clients on all aspects of private client law, including international and domestic tax, complex succession planning, estate administration and probate, trusts and mental capacity. Caroline advises a wide range of individuals, both UK based and international, in relation to their tax and succession issues. Caroline specialises in advising and structuring international high net worth individuals across multiple jurisdictions. Caroline is ranked in EPrivateClient’s table of Top 35 Under 35 women practitioners. Caroline has broad experience in all elements of private client law and taxation. Caroline specialises in the following: International and cross-jurisdictional succession planning, including the preparation of tax efficient Wills for high and ultra high net worth individuals Asset protection and generational estate planning Administration of estates, including complex estates with contentious and international elements Advising international individuals on their UK residence and domicile status and how to prepare for becoming UK resident or domiciled. Domicile disputes and negotiating with HMRC that an individual was not domiciled in the UK at their death All aspects of trusts, both onshore and offshore, and their taxation Capacity issues, Court Of Protection matters and the preparation of lasting powers of attorneys and deputyships. Caroline works to provide bespoke advice to clients based on their individual circumstances and is successful at developing strong working relationships with clients and intermediaries.

Carolyn Bowie

Carolyn is a key member of the firm's business immigration team. She has wide experience in professional legal services and has been a member of the team since January 2018. Carolyn’s experience of working in the field of immigration law allows her to advise a wide variety of clients – from FTSE 100 companies and multinational organisations to universities, the NHS and individuals – in relation to a full range of immigration issues, including: Sponsor Licence applications and compliance Skilled worker visas and extensions Global business mobility visas Visitor visas Student visas Creative worker visas Family member visa applications and extensions Applications for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) British citizenship Advice on recruiting non-UK Nationals European applications Right to work assistance General HR and recruitment advice Offering practical help in the face of complex Home Office rules, Carolyn assists clients to manage the risks involved with the sometimes inconsistent application of those rules. In addition to her legal qualifications, Carolyn has a First-Class Business Degree and her commercial experience puts her in the best position to work with her clients with the aim of achieving a positive outcome. Carolyn also works with employers on a range of HR and employment law issues. She is a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA) and the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA). Her articles are regularly featured in well-known publications, such as The Scotsman newspaper, and on the firm’s media. Carolyn is interested in all areas of immigration, employment, and discrimination law. She is also one of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Champions and is a qualified mental health first aider - a testament to her passion for inclusivity.

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.

Catherine Ainsworth

Catherine joined Weightmans in 1999 and qualified as a solicitor in September 2001. She has a litigation background, having previously undertaken EL/PL in the insurance/retail sectors and professional indemnity claims for Bar Mutual. She became Associate Solicitor in 2006 and has been undertaking healthcare work for the last 11 years, handling EL/PL and clinical negligence claims. She is experienced in EL/PL claims including manual handling, occupational stress, asthma, deafness and disease. She handles a range of clinical negligence claims for the NHS Resolution and NHS trusts, and is experienced in claims involving birth injury, psychiatric treatment, oncology, misdiagnosis/delayed diagnosis, surgical negligence and spinal and brain injury cases. Catherine has handled a range of complex/high value clinical claims since 2006 onwards including claims involving spinal injury/paralysis and brain injury with values of up to £5 million. She also regularly handles multi party actions involving the MPS/MDU. Catherine also has experience of handling dental claims within the NHS sphere, most notably dental claims arising out of oncology treatment.

Catherine Hendy

Catherine qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and joined Weightmans LLP as a solicitor in the corporate department in 2015. Catherine specialises in a broad range of corporate work including share and asset acquisitions and disposals, mergers, management buyouts and management buyins, debt and equity investment work, group reorganisations and restructures, shareholders agreements, joint ventures and general company and commercial advice. Catherine has acted for a broad range of clients including owner managed businesses, national and international corporate clients, institutional investors and management teams.

Catriona Wolfenden

Catriona is Weightmans' Product and Innovation Director and leads innovation and product initiatives across the firm, ensuring that delivery is aligned to the firm’s overall strategy. She works closely with the innovation and product teams, our clients, suppliers and our legal teams to ensure that Weightmans continues to evolve and offers real market-leading solutions. Catriona joined Weightmans in September 2007 following completion of a PhD in medical law and the Bar Vocational Course. She was admitted as a solicitor in October 2011 and promoted to Partner in 2019. Catriona has plenty of first-hand experience of civil litigation as she was a team leader in the costs department and as a Professional Support Lawyer frequently provided strategic know how updates, training and technical support internally and externally for clients. Catriona is regularly interviewed for articles and research projects and frequently presents at legal/innovation conferences on topics related to innovation and future skills. She was shortlisted for 'rising star' at the Legal Week Innovation Awards 2019. Catriona’s team have been shortlisted finalists in over 20 National Innovation awards since 2018, winning the Modern Law Awards 2019 for the 'best use of technology' as a result of a collaborative project with Kira Systems (AI software provider) and the Computer Science Department at the University of Liverpool. They have been runners up for: British Legal Tech Awards 2022 - 'Most Innovative Firm’ Managing Partners’ Forum Awards 2022 British Legal Tech Awards 2020 - ‘Technology Venture of the Year’ Catriona has previously been a Director of UKLTA (The Legaltech Association for the UK) and in 2023 completed a 3 year term on the Liverpool Enterprise Partnership Professional and Business Services Board. Catriona is a member of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship Panel College. Catriona is the co author of ‘Innovation in Law Firms: implementing successful projects’ which will be published in 2024 (https://www.globelawandbusiness.com/books/innovation-in-law-firms-implementing-successful-projects).

Charles Boyne

Charles has a wealth of experience in disputes relating to finance and insolvency and has represented financial institutions, corporate clients and insolvency practitioners. He has acted for an international property developer involving a high profile shareholder dispute regarding the ownership of a Premier League football club. Charles was instructed by the Insolvency Service in relation to progressing director disqualification proceedings and public interest winding up petitions and advised on the first compensation order application under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. He provides advice to insolvency practitioners helping them to recover and realise assets of the insolvent company or the bankrupt for their creditors. Charles acts for a number of banking institutions assisting them with enforcing security against corporates and individuals. Charles represents clients faced with the threat of insolvency and has experience in making applications to restrain the presentation of winding up petitions, setting aside statutory demands and preparing applications for injunctive relief.

Charles Maesschalck

Charles is an Associate, qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow), with 23 years' experience handling claimant and defendant insurance claims. Charles has worked at Weightmans LLP since January 2017, handling defendant motor claims for a variety of insurer clients

Charles Heppenstall

Formerly a partner of Ford & Warren solicitors, Charles has wide experience in all aspects of litigation including indemnity disputes, fraudulent claims and high value / catastrophic injury claims with a value up to £5 million. Under Blaise Smith he also has experience in the handling of claims of the utmost severity, valuing at £10 million+. His specialism is in road traffic/motor claims, particularly those involving brain injury and chronic pain/invisible injury. He also has experience in handling high-value EL and PL claims. In addition, he has developed a name for himself in the industry as a specialist in the defence of credit hire claims, and in 2000 was part of the team that took (successfully) leading case Ketley v Gilbert to the Court of Appeal. He has been Regional Office Head for Weightmans’ Leeds office since 2021.

Charles Williams

Charlie joined Weightmans in 1997 and leads Weightmans’ credit hire teams. He is responsible for the day to day operational running of the teams, and advises clients on best practice and strategic developments, based on over 15 years experience in the motor litigation sector. Charlie specialises in fraudulent credit hire and handling multi track claims in excess of £50,000.

Cheryl Rowbotham

Cheryl qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and joined the regulatory team at Weightmans in May 2018. Cheryl specialises in healthcare law and has provided advice to a range of both NHS and private healthcare clients on a number of issues but specifically in relation to the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and Court of Protection and HFEA Regulations. Cheryl has been involved with a number of significant reported cases involving challenges in the Court of Protection and the interface between the two Acts. Cheryl has also represented individuals, organisations, insurers and NHS Trusts in the Coroners Court. Cheryl’s expertise is in providing representation in complex multi party Article 2 inquests especially those involving mental health patients and prisoner deaths. She has managed and advocated these cases with sensitivity and skill. Significant cases In the matter of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (Cases P, Q, R, S, T and U) (No 2) [2017] EWHC 2532 (Fam) Declaration of Parenthood cases involving failures to correctly complete consent to parenthood documentation. IH (Observance of Muslim Practice) [2017] EWCOP 9 (Mr Justice Cobb): consideration of the approach the COP should take to religious observance, in this case Islam. Re A (A Child) (Medical Treatment: Removal of Artificial Ventilation) [2015] EWHC 443 (Fam)(Mr Justice Hayden): the definition of “death” in English law, contrasted with that in Islamic law - the High Court under parens patriae/inherent jurisdiction, should determine whether a person should have artificial ventilation withdrawn, in the event of a dispute, and not the Coroner, even though there is an overlap of jurisdiction. AMA v Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust [2015] UKUT 0036 (Mr Justice Charles) whether a deputy under the Court of Protection has standing in a MHT Hearing C v Blackburn with Darwen BC & others [2011] EWHC 1923 (Mr Justice Peter Jackson): overlap between guardianship (MHA) and DOLS (MCA)- COP should resolve best interests disputes. R (on the application of C) v A Local Authority et al [2011] All ER (D) 171 (Jun) Neutral Citation: [2011] EWHC 1539 (Admin) Dispute over best interests of severely autistic child; associated human rights claim and COP challenge.

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.

Chris Ball

Chris joined Weightmans in 1994 and has spent his career acting for insurers and self-insured clients across various sectors. Chris is now responsible for the development of solutions for the motor insurance market to ensure clients get the best results on their claims and are able to plan for future challenges. Chris is also a member of various trade associations such as FOIL, CPT, FTA and RHA.

Chris Webb-Jenkins

Partner specialising in defending Social Care and Safeguarding. Defending claims, in particular against local authorities, education providers, sports clubs and sports governing bodies. Often these claims are high profile, and of great sensitivity to all parties involved. Particular expertise in issues relating to duty of care, vicarious liability, human rights, mental health, data protection, defamation and judicial review. Particular sectoral expertise in the legacy insurance market. Also provide advice on Safeguarding governance and regulation, and in relation to public inquiries, with extensive involvement in IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse). Clients include Zurich Insurance, Municipal Mutual Insurance, AIG, Travelers, Gallagher Bassett, QBE, Barnardo’s, and many local authorities and local authority consortia. Notable cases: North Wales Children’s Homes Group Action; South Wales Children’s Homes Group Action; Staffordshire Children’s Homes Group Action; NA v Nottinghamshire County Council; JB v Leicestershire County Council.

Christina Bateman

Christina is an Associate in the London Healthcare Team. She qualified in 2012 and joined Weightmans in 2015, having previously worked for NHS Resolution and a niche claimant clinical negligence firm. Christina assists with and manages her own case load of high value, complicated and sensitive claims on behalf of NHS Resolution including maximum severity birth injury claims, cases settled on a periodical payments basis and multi party and group actions. She has a particular expertise in spinal injury cases. Christina has handled cases attracting media attention, including a sensitive claim concerning a maternal death. Christina assists with mentoring and supervising junior colleagues and helps organise events for Healthcare clients.

Christina McDonald

Christina joined Weightmans in 2007 and is a Principal Associate in the large loss team in Liverpool. She has considerable experience in defending catastrophic motor, employers' liability and public liability claims, for insurers and their insureds and for the Motor Insurers' Bureau. Christina deals with claims involving fatalities, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, complex orthopaedic injuries, psychiatric injury and chronic pain.

Christopher Graham

Chris has almost 20 years’ experience of advising commercial and public sector organisations on all aspects of employment law. He has always conducted his own advocacy, representing employers before the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the High Court as well as the Employment Tribunal. He has a very broad range of experience involving almost all applications before the Employment Tribunal and has particular expertise in business protection, unlawful discrimination, outsourcing (TUPE 2006) and industrial action. As well as advising on all aspects of employment law, Chris frequently provides industry-specific training in both the private and the public sectors. ACAS regularly rely on Chris to provide elements of training to their own advisors. Legal 500 recently rated the employment team very highly, stating "Christopher Graham acted as advocate for Atkins before the Croyden Employment Tribunal in its defence against whistleblowing and disability discrimination allegations. Graham, who heads the employment practice, has extensive experience representing employers before employment appeal tribunals and the High Court." Chris also has substantial experience in protecting businesses from unlawful competition, misuse of confidential information and fraud. He usually runs a number of high court actions for employers involving injunctions to enforce restrictive covenants to prevent database misuse and to recover diverted funds. Chris has a particular interest in technology and has recently secured a first injunction allowing for imaging of the defendant's servers and systems. Chris is experienced in freezing orders and contempt applications as well as director's duties more generally. Recent experience Successfully resisting multiple claims under the TUPE Regulations 2006 for an outsourced contractor under a local authority framework agreement following a two week hearing. Such a decision develops the law on fragmentation in the context of framework agreements and, on appeal, will change the law relating to outsourcing Project managing large programmes for redundancy and the transfer of almost 3000 employees following a changeover of a contractor providing services to the government Successfully defending multiple claims under discretionary bonus schemes, resisting complaints for enhanced redundancy terms and managing changes to final salary and other types of pension scheme Successfully bidding for an exclusive contract for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to provide all employment services. Advising a range of new clients including Balfour Beatty Limited, Cape Plc and Whessoe Oil & Gas Limited

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.

Ciara Jenkins

Ciara is an Associate in the Employment, Pensions and Immigration Team. Ciara advises employers on the full spectrum of employment law across a number of sectors, with significant experience in the retail sector in particular. Ciara’s non-contentious experience includes drafting employment contracts, service agreements, settlement agreements and employment policies and procedures. She advises clients on general day-to-day employment issues such as disciplinary and grievance procedures, managing sickness absence and managed exits as well as HR projects such as redundancies and restructures. Ciara’s practice also includes the provision of employment support in commercial and corporate matters, often involving the application of TUPE. On the contentious side, Ciara acts for employer clients defending Employment Tribunal claims and she has dealt with claims involving unfair dismissal, constructive dismissal, redundancy, whistleblowing and complex discrimination. Ciara also has experience of preparing and presenting training on a variety of topics, including employment law updates and managing performance and malingerers.

Claire McCracken

Claire is the regional office head of our Glasgow office and a partner in Weightmans’ corporate team, leading our corporate offering in Scotland. Qualified in Scotland and England & Wales, Claire has over 20 years' experience of acting for companies and organisations ranging from owner-managed businesses to PLCs. She is sector lead for Owner Managed Business in Scotland. Claire advises on all aspects of corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts/buy-ins, joint ventures, investments and all types of commercial contracts. She adopts a commercial and pragmatic approach to assist clients navigate the complexities of corporate transactions. Claire advises clients in a wide range of sectors but has particular expertise in the dental, pharmacy and audiology sectors. A keen runner she also advises clients on sports law, having acted for a number of sports governing bodies, clubs, and athletes.

Clare Malpus

Clare qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and joined Weightmans in 1999, becoming a partner in 2009. Since qualification Clare’s practice has comprised defendant insurance litigation, encompassing motor, employer and public liability claims for a number of insurance clients. Clare specialises in catastrophic injury claims including tetraplegic, paraplegic, traumatic brain injury, amputation, complex multiple orthopaedic injury and fatal accident claims. Clare is a designated Large Loss Partner for AIG Europe Limited. Her caseload includes claims against local authorities and the police, claims arising out of workplace accidents and road traffic accidents. Clare has presented and written articles, most recently in relation to fatal accident claims, and calculating future loss claims.

Clive Bleasdale

Clive Bleasdale has been a Partner since 1993 specialising in commercial property law with an emphasis on regeneration and development projects where he has significant experience and expertise. His particular focus is large town centre redevelopment and infrastructure schemes as well as large property portfolio management. He acts for a number of public sector organisations on large projects of very high value and complexity working closely alongside our built environment team members. He also acts for high net worth proprietors of businesses in the property developer and investor segments and sectors of the firm.

Colette McCann

Colette qualified as a solicitor in 2012 with experience of handling a wide variety of litigated personal injury claims. She joined Weightmans in 2014 and then specialised in defending occupational disease claims for major UK insurers, local authorities, multi-national self insureds and the disease legacy market with a particular interest in complex corporate histories. Colette currently works in the casualty department handling EL and PL claims for insurers and corporations.

Colette Morgan-Ford

Colette is our Head of Construction and is ranked as a ‘leading individual’ in the Legal 500 directory. She has worked in private practice for over 20 years, including 10 years at Pinsent Masons. She has significant experience in dispute resolution and strategic advice in relation to construction and engineering projects. Colette is known for providing clear and direct advice which enables clients to achieve their objectives commercially and cost effectively. She has represented contractors, sub contractors, professional consultants, employers and developers through adjudication, litigation, mediation and arbitration (both domestically and internationally). Colette has a wide perspective in the sector and has advised on the standard form suite of contracts (e.g. FIDIC, JCT, NEC), bespoke contracts and complex PFI/PPP contracts, including associated step down agreements. Colette's relevant experience includes: Acting for an international contractor in a series of multi-million US Dollar disputes in ICC arbitration in relation to extension of time and money claims under EPC contracts for a project in the Middle East. Acting for a leading European contractor in a multi-million Euro dispute in ICC arbitration in relation to defects and delays on luxury hotel project in Azerbaijan. Acting for a global engineering consultant in relation to a multi party/action/million pound UK dispute in the Technology Construction court in relation to ground movement suffered at a national UK distribution centre. Acting for a police authority in a dispute with a leading contractor in connection with performance failures under an NEC Term Service Contract for repairs and maintenance works. Acting for an international facilities management contractor in connection with a multi-million pound dispute with the MOD. concerning variations under a NEC Term Service Contract for the provision of (among other) management, administration and site maintenance on a number of air weapons range training sites. Providing strategic advice and acting in adjudications on PFI disputes across various sectors (health, education and social housing) including disputes on unavailability deductions. Acting for an employer against a contractor on a marine project in relation to defective construction works which caused a significant sinkhole and resulted in extensive remedial works. Acting for M&E Engineers in adjudication against a design and build contractor in relation to contra charges wrongfully levied. Acting for a Design and Build contractor in adjudication against an Architect in relation to defective design works.

Craig Blakemore

Formerly a Partner in the Litigation team with strong corporate client and accountancy connections in the North West, Craig has almost 40 years' experience dealing with commercial contentious matters of all descriptions. He is now a Consultant in the Knowledge Management and Library team where he brings those skills acquired as a commercial litigator to a number of internal governance projects.

Crispin Kenyon

Admitted in 1980, Crispin was a partner from1986 and joined Weightmans in April 2011 and in 2023 became a consultant based out of the London office of a nationwide health and safety team which works exclusively in this field. Crispin's roots are in insurance litigation where he was a specialist for over 30 years in employers', public, product and motor liability claims. His caseload now exclusively involves advising clients under regulatory investigations and prosecutions by HSE/Environmental Health Officers in local government and Police, as well as inquests, for individuals and the full range of commercial business activity including construction, waste management, leisure, transport, education, care sector, manufacturing ,fire safety and police forces. Crispin is frequently instructed by other specialist firms where conflicts of interest arise. As to notable cases he acted for Veolia Environmental Services in the leading 2011 case on interpretation of health and safety law (R v Tangerine Confectionery ;& Veolia ES(UK) Ltd and for an interested party in the Administrative Court decision November 2013 Chief Constable of Devon & Cornwall v HM Coroner for Plymouth Torbay and South Devon dealing with questions for coroner's juries.

Damian Carter

Damian is a member of the Owner Managed Business team at Weightmans. His specialism is resolving complex commercial and corporate disputes, and he has over 25 years' experience. He acts primarily for owner managed businesses, corporates, entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals. Damian has experience of a wide range of commercial litigation matters with a particular emphasis on high value corporate disputes. Damian's caseload includes claims for breach of contract, warranty claims, shareholder actions, board disputes, insolvency, fraud claims, partnership disputes, banking litigation, intellectual property disputes, defamation claims, commercial agency disputes, restraint of trade, regulatory matters, contentious probate claims, property disputes and professional negligence actions. Damian also has considerable experience in working with clients to create innovative and flexible funding arrangements for litigation claims, enabling companies to leverage claims as a potential asset. Damian leads the firm’s third party litigation funding and ATE offering for clients – “Enable”. Damian has extensive experience in conducting proceedings in the specialist divisions of the High Court including the Business and Property Courts. Damian's work includes emergency applications for injunctions and expedited trials. Damian is an exponent of alternative dispute resolution and has successfully resolved many claims for his clients at mediation. Damian is recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. Part of the winning team of Manchester Legal Awards 2022 for Litigation Team of the Year

Daniel Rutherford

Daniel is a Principal Associate based in our London office and specialises in defending actions against the police. He is listed in the Chambers and Partners UK 2021 guide as an "Associate to watch". Interviewees reported to Chambers and Partners UK that he works "incredibly hard" and is a "trusted player". Daniel represents a number of police forces and is frequently instructed in high profile claims and inquests. Daniel represented Sussex Police in the litigation which arose following the drone incursions at Gatwick Airport in December 2018. He has represented the British Transport Police in a number of sensitive claims including the high profile acquittal of a male accused of sexually assaulting an actress from Game of Thrones at Waterloo station and a claim which resulted from the use of a spit hood at London Bridge station where footage of the incident went viral. Daniel represented Surrey Police at two of the three Deepcut inquests from 2018-2019. He represented the British Transport Police at the inquests into the terrorist attack at London Bridge and Borough Market. This included representation of PC Wayne Marques GM who was stabbed on multiple occasions whilst challenging the three terrorists. Daniel is currently instructed in the inquests into the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall, the inquests into the Guildford Pub Bombings in 1974 and the inquests into the Croydon Tram Crash. He has been involved in the two leading cases addressing the applicability of qualified one way costs shifting (QOCS) to actions against the police. He successfully advised the Metropolitan Police Service in Jeffreys v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1505 and in the Court of Appeal case of Brown v (1) The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (2) Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and the Equality and Human Rights Commissioner (Intervener) [2019] EWCA Civ 1724. Notable cases include: Countess of Caledon v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2016] EWHC 2214 (QB); Chergui and Stewart v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1307 (QB); Jeffreys v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2017] EWHC 1505 (QB); Dr Pal v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2018] EWHC 2988 (QB); Brown v (1) The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (2) Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police and the Equality and Human Rights Commissioner (Intervener) [2019] EWCA Civ 1724. Notable inquests include: Inquest into the death of Private Sean Benton at Deepcut barracks (2018) Inquest into the death of Private Geoff Gray at Deepcut barracks (2019) Inquests into the terrorist attack at London Bridge and Borough Market (2019) Inquests into the five deaths arising from the Guildford pub bombings in 1974 (2019-2022) Inquests into the seven deaths arising from the Croydon tram disaster (2019-2021) Inquests into the deaths following the terrorist attack at Fishmongers' Hall (2020-2021)

David Birch

David is the national lead for our ‘NHS Secondary Care Providers and Commissioners’ sector and he works with a wide range of NHS organisations, and independent health and care providers. Since 2010, David has focused upon advising health and social care organisations, charities and insurance clients, in connection with a wide range of care delivery matters, including inquests, investigations, mental capacity, Court of Protection proceedings, best interests, consent, confidentiality, CQC regulation, complaints, candour, commissioning responsibilities, safeguarding, information governance (GDPR, FOIA etc.) and treatment under the Mental Health Act. David is recognised for his practical and pragmatic approach, drawing upon his close working relationships with a variety of care providers, his secondment work within NHS Trusts, his experience working within insurance companies, and insights gained through his role as a Trustee within a Learning Disabilities charity. David helps health and care providers to ensure their safe and lawful delivery of care. He frequently represents organisations and their staff at inquests (direct instructions and insurance-funded). He has provided advice and support to professionals appearing before a variety of courts and tribunals and has provided guidance in relation to independent inquiries, high profile inquests and criminal investigations. David regularly delivers training courses to clients and their staff. Some recent topics include - Inquests, the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), Statement and report writing, and Applications in the Court of Protection.

David McGuire

David is a member of the firm’s litigation department and has specialist expertise in disputed wills trusts and estates, including will validity claims and challenges, claims involving the administration of estates, proprietary estoppel, Inheritance Act claims and disputes involving trustees, executors and beneficiaries. David was named Private Client 'Rising Star of the Year' at the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards 2024, awarded to him following a comprehensive research programme based on feedback from David's clients and external contacts. He was also awarded Young Practitioner of the Year at the industry leading British Wills and Probate Awards 2022 for delivering “exceptional levels of client care”, “demonstrating high levels of skill and technical ability”, showing “a flair for innovation and championing best practice” and finding “solutions in challenging situations”. He was also recognised as a ‘Rising Star�� of the legal sector by the North West Business Insider 2023, and is part of the winning team at the Manchester Legal Awards 2022 for Litigation Team of the Year. He is a member of the contentious trusts association (ConTrA), the Northern Contentious Probate Group and the STEP Contentious Probate Special Interest Group. David has extensive court and ADR experience, particularly mediation, and is regularly instructed by a variety of clients including high net worth individuals, trustees and professionals.

David Evans

A 26 year track record in the area of personal injury and associated areas, working with major insurance companies Zurich and MIB.

David Lewis

David Lewis is a member of the firm’s national Regulatory Department, which he led from 2004-2018 before serving two terms as the firm’s Senior Partner (2018-2024). He has previously served as a Regional Office Head, first in Liverpool and later in Leeds (2007-2018), as the firm’s national Deputy Managing Partner (2000-2003) and its Regional Office Managing Partner in Liverpool (2003-2007). After joining Weightmans as an Articled Clerk in 1985, David qualified in 1987 and was made a partner in 1992. After qualification he spent many years handling both civil and criminal litigation for insurers and their policyholders, before becoming a founder member of firm's dedicated regulatory services unit in 2004. David is best known for his work defending organisations and individuals facing investigation and prosecution for offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and breaches of health and safety legislation. The work often entails on-site investigations, PACE interviews and advocacy in Magistrates' and Coroners' Courts. In addition David has experience of environmental, trading standards, food safety and other regulatory enforcement work. David has extensive experience of inquest work. He is a veteran of hundreds of inquests, many involving juries and/or of a sensitive nature. David is an Assistant Coroner himself, having held coronial office since 2010. Beyond Weightmans, David is currently Chair of the Trustee Board at Lighthouse Futures Trust, a dynamic, award-winning charity providing opportunities for young people with an autistic spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. In 2016 David completed two terms as a Trustee of NEBOSH (National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health), including two years as Vice-Chair and two years as Chair of the Strategy Committee. During his period in office the organisation earned the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade (2014). Between 2005-2011 David was a core tutor and module leader on Nottingham Law School's acclaimed 'MBA in Legal Practice' course. Trained Weightmans; articled clerk 1985-87; qualified 1987; assistant 1987-89; associate 1989-92; partner 1992; health and safety partner 1993-2002; divisional client liaison partner 1996-97; divisional managing partner 1997-99; deputy managing partner 2000-03; regional managing partner 2003-07; head of regulatory services 2004-2018; regional office head 2007 to 2018; senior partner 2018-2024. Assistant Coroner. Chair of Lighthouse Futures Trust. Coroners Society of England and Wales; Health & Safety Lawyers Association; North East Regulatory Lawyers; Law Society; Leeds Law Society. County Grammar School for Boys, Helsby; Leicester University (1984 LLB Hons); College of Law, Christleton (1985 Law Society Finals); Nottingham Trent University (2003 MBA in Legal Practice, with Distinction).

David Holt

David is technical lead for large loss, cross border and technical motor claims, having headed up our large loss and technical team for over 20 years. He specialises in catastrophic injury claims and in MIB claims, cross border claims and non-indemnity insurance work advising insurers on policy wording and on liabilities to third parties under both the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Art 75. He has dealt with the full range of catastrophic injury claims including claims of the utmost severity, spinal injuries (paraplegics/tetraplegics), amputations and serious head injuries. David has lectured widely on technical issues and on large loss issues. He was lead lawyer for MIB in relation to the latest Uninsured and Untraced Drivers Agreements. He represented in the Supreme Court case of Moreno (2016) and on the judicial review action brought by RoadPeace challenging various aspects of the Agreements and the 1988 Act as being contrary to European law. He has been involved in many leading cases including the cases of Wigley Foster, McCall v Poulton, Nemeti v Sabre, Winrow v Hemphill, Jacobs v MIB, Howe v MIB and Marshall/Pickard v MIB and others. David has advised MIB on a full range of strategic issues. David also represented MIB in the Supreme Court case of Moreno v MIB (2016) which determined that damages were payable in accordance with the law of the country of the accident.

David Tabinor

David is a leading figure in the volume real estate sector and is account manager for Royal Mail and other major national brands in relation to property transactions and estate management covering the whole of England and Wales. David specialises in retail work where he acts for a number of high street brands, as well as the utilities sector where he has established a dedicated team for a regional energy provider delivering quality and efficiency across multiple workstreams. He has developed case manager systems combining data capture and management information to service his clients. His online reporting tool, One View, has been widely used by clients with larger property portfolios to help manage their estate and legal cases, providing data analytics on performance and trends. David has developed the use of Artificial Intelligence technology for real estate clients, employing Kira for lease analysis and data extraction.

David Tuck

David is the head of service delivery for disease claims at Weightmans and has specialised in the defence of all types of occupationally induced disease claims for over 20 years. He specialises in occupational cancer and lung disease claims, especially all asbestos related conditions as well as asthma and work related upper limb disorders. David is instructed regularly by insurers, large corporates and public bodies as well as clients who have no insurance cover and advises clients on Transfer of Undertakings Regulations, corporate liability, associated risk management and policy issues. David has extensive experience in dealing with the transfer of liabilities arising from Local Government reorganisation and in the Further Education sector. He is regularly involved in seminars on these, as well as other aspects of disease litigation both internally and externally.

Deborah Edwards

Deborah has over 30 years' experience in occupational disease litigation, specialising in asbestos work and complex high value disease claims. She has led in group actions, and provides strategic advice on claims clusters. Her clients include public bodies, insurers, FTSE 100 and SMEs. Deborah regularly speaks at conferences, and provides training to clients.

Deborah Bannister

Deborah qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and has worked in healthcare litigation for nearly 18 years - six years as a claimant lawyer and the last 12 years as a defendant lawyer. She became a partner in 2009 and is a nominated partner for both clinical and non-clinical claims. She advises and trains organisations in respect of all aspects of healthcare and related areas of law and practice including governance and risk management. She is the deputy client relationship partner for a number of our key public sector clients. Deborah has managed all types of clinical negligence claims in the last 18 years covering the majority of medical specialisms: including cerebral palsy and other birth injuries, neurological damage, fatal claims, surgical error, misdiagnoses and delayed diagnosis. These claims have ranged from those that are relatively straight forward to those of maximum severity, complexity and value. In the last 12 or so years, the focus has been on the high end claims but she has responsibility for the day to day training and supervision of the junior members of the team who focus on the work of more limited complexity and value. Deborah manages group actions on behalf of clients to include all aspects of strategy, regulatory implication, risk management, organisational improvement and co-ordination with external agencies such as CQC and media. She is currently involved in a maxillofacial group action involving 138 claimants which requires a tailored approach in order to save time and costs. A claims handling agreement has been agreed with the claimant’s various representatives. The claims are handled in a very specific way to ensure knowledge sharing between all those working on the claims and to ensure that the approach is perfectly consistent on each matter. Deborah is trusted by the NHS Resolution to provide sensible opinion and a pragmatic approach to novel situations. She has worked with the NHS Resolution Chair and Director of Claims on a historical complaint arising out of alleged clinical negligence that occurred 11 years ago. The litigation was resolved some years ago but the family have continued to be persistent in their desire for what they see to be justice. Their complaints involve multi agencies and involved previous panel solicitors. Deborah has conducted a case review and advised the Chair and Director of Claims upon a strategy for resolution and has worked with the Director of Claims to deliver the strategy. Deborah has wide experience of working in house in NHS Foundation Trusts, working closely with Chairs, Chief Executives, Chief Finance Officers and wider boards. Specific responsibilities have included:- Re drafting core constitutions to ensure legal and statutory compliance following the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and to ensure suitability to take the organisation forward in light of significant pipeline projects, advising governors and board in respect of significant transactions, redrafting and implementing new Board Assurance Framework, liaising with and submitting returns to CQC and Monitor, co-ordinating the production of the Quality Report and preparation of the Annual Report, commissioning / liaising with external consultants to undertake reviews in respect of compliance, co-ordinating complex internal enquiries involving the instruction of external experts and overseeing unannounced regulatory inspections. She also has experience of working in house in respect of complaints and claims. Deborah has been the Business Centre Manager for the Birmingham Healthcare team since 2006 responsible for all aspects of the day to day running and supervision of the team, ensuring consistent high performance and adherence to client service level agreements. From 1 May 2017, she is responsible for service delivery across all our healthcare litigation offering. Deborah is ranked in Chambers and the Legal 500.

Deborah Sullivan

Deborah is a Legal Director who qualified in 1998 and has worked in Weightmans' Specialty Team throughout her career, specialising in lawyers’ liability claims. She has extensive experience of acting for solicitors and barristers in professional negligence claims arising from a wide range of underlying subject matters. Deborah frequently deals with lenders' claims and cases involving complex commercial transactions. She is particularly adept at dealing with document-heavy claims and has successfully handled several matters arising from personal injury litigation involving brain damage and other catastrophic injuries. She also advises on coverage issues. Deborah has been highly successful in protecting a number of her professional clients from vexatious litigation by obtaining Civil Restraint Orders and has an excellent track record in the management of persistent litigants. Having worked for both mutual indemnity funds and open market professional indemnity insurers, Deborah has a keen insight into the importance of understanding client needs and objectives. A highly experienced litigator, she is equally comfortable with resolving claims by ADR. Deborah is experienced in dealing with solicitors’ disciplinary cases and has drawn upon her considerable knowledge of claims against lawyers and regulatory matters to advise other professionals about risk management and compliance issues. She also regularly publishes articles in the legal press.

Denise Holt

Denise joined Weightmans in 2009 and qualified as a Legal Executive later that year. She went on to qualify as a solicitor in 2016. Denise works in the casualty department, dealing predominantly with claims against local authorities and schools/academies. She has a local authority background having previously been employed for many years by Liverpool City Council. Her most notable case thus far is Halton Borough Council v Daniel Eric Condron (2015) in which she brought successful contempt of court proceedings which resulted in a prison sentence for Mr Condron for a false personal injury claim.

Dewi Ap-Thomas

A well-respected and experienced health & safety lawyer, Dewi has been ranked for a number of years in Chambers and Legal 500 and his reputation with peers and clients continues to grow. He specialises in work in the criminal and coronial jurisdictions. His main focus is assisting organisations in post-death investigations, managing regulatory enforcement action and representing clients at inquests. He has represented clients at hundreds of inquests around the country, involving the most sensitive of cases, workplace deaths and Article 2 hearings in front of juries. After qualifying, Dewi quickly found himself at home dealing largely with insurer/insured public sector clients. He is dedicated to working within the criminal, regulatory and coronial jurisdictions. Dewi advises a wide range of clients in investigating serious incidents and representing them at inquests, as well as assisting with risk management and behavioural change. His areas of specialty include: Working with organisations to understand their Corporate Risk Profile, to improve culture and behaviours and make the workplace safer. Crisis Management Support (24/7) - advice and representation in the wake of incidents. Assisting organisations with legally privileged incident investigations to protect their position, learn lessons and make any necessary changes. Preparing clients who may be exposed to Regulatory or Coronial investigations/inquests/enforcement action. Defence of Health & Safety and Corporate Manslaughter prosecutions. Inquests as a result of workplace fatalities & road traffic incidents. Dewi provides advice and representation to a range of household-name clients such as: Nike, E.On UK, RWE Renewables, Kimberly Clark Ltd, Emcor UK Ltd, Chubb Fire & Security and various local authorities and NHS/healthcare clients As a former Executive Committee Member of the Health & Safety Lawyers’ Association for many years, he was involved in shaping the Guidelines on Sentencing for Corporate Manslaughter and continues to regularly present to a number of regional health & safety focus groups and public sector forums.

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.

Douglas Keir

Douglas is a partner in Weightmans’ Glasgow office. He is an experienced litigator who acts for insurers, adjusters, corporate and public sector clients. He specialises in defending motor, employer and public liability claims, particularly high-value or complex cases, in both the Sheriff Court and Court of Session. He also conducts the defence of health and safety prosecutions and appears at fatal accident inquiries. Cases of note: acted for a major UK insurer in relation to two high value personal claims arising from a road traffic accident where the driver of the car they were passengers in was “racing” with another car – both claims had values in excess of £1m while the circumstances of the accident itself led to the claim proceeding to a trial on liability alone; acted for the Scottish Government in relation to claims brought by family members of individuals who had committed suicide in prison – these claims involved detailed consideration of the policies and procedures followed by the Scottish Prison Service, particularly in relation to its treatment of inmates with psychological problems.

Duncan Reid

Duncan is well-known amongst the North East business community for providing strong, pragmatic legal advice on a whole range of corporate transactions, including acquisitions and disposals, as well as private equity and venture capital transactions. In addition to his experience of working in national law firms, Duncan also spent two years working in-house at a leading private equity firm. Specialising in the technology, financial services, waste and leisure sectors, Duncan’s impressive client list includes BGF, LDC, Perwyn, Camerons Brewery Limited, Transmission Dynamics, Broadband Satellite Services, Bluetree, Perspective, Praesto Consulting and SaleCycle Limited. As one of the North-East’s 'go to' lawyers, Duncan’s track record in providing solutions-driven, bespoke advice combined with his ability to engage with clients in a business context, ensures that his clients feel supported at every stage, from instruction through to completion. The loyal client base Duncan has built is testimony to both his professional, approachable demeanour and his ability to provide outstanding advice to business owners who truly value the personal service they receive. Duncan is an ‘Acritas Star – independently rated lawyer’, an accolade given to those identified as a client-nominated, stand-out lawyer in private practice. Duncan was also awarded Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the North East Business Insider Dealmakers Awards 2022. Recent experience: Advising BGF on its investments in Arc Trinova, Broadband Satellite Services and J & B Recycling and on its subsequent exits from Arc Trinova to Permira-backed Quotient, from J & B to Urbaser and from Total Recycling Services to Biffa Advising LDC on its investments in Cleveland Containers and ScarlettAbbott Advising Ramarketing & PR on its investment from NorthEdge Advising Datum360 on its investment from BGF and on the subsequent sale of Datum360 to NASDAQ listed Autodesk. Advising Praesto Consulting on a number of acquisitions

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”.

Edwina Farrell

Edwina leads the Primary Care team at Weightmans and advises GP practices, individual partners, and local medical committees. She has worked in both the private and public sectors as a real estate and partnership solicitor. She is ranked in the Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 directories as a medical partnership expert and is widely recognised as a specialist NHS GP adviser. She also has significant experience in working with emergency services clients and local authorities. She has a broad experience in the way in which general practice and its finance operates together with the requirement for collaboration across many specialisms within the healthcare market including primary care networks and as such is able to bring a holistic approach to GP partnership business. Her work includes partnership formation, retirement, mergers, and other contractual arrangements such as partnership contract variations as well as practice disputes. She has advised commissioners on contracting matters where these are linked to partnership problems. Edwina is widely known for negotiating robust and 'GP friendly' property transactions especially in connection with landlord and tenant matters. This includes significant experience 54 Act renewals and in LIFT transactions for GPs together with new development work and section 106 contributions. She has a strong understanding of primary care service contracts and finance and the link to premises issues so that she is able to provide detailed advice and transactional support on a very wide range of issues and has supported many practices on premises matters during the COVID-19 pandemic. Edwina has written many articles in medical practitioner press in relation to service charge issues for GPs. She has assisted GPs and LMCs nationally in relation to demands for unsubstantiated claims and provides regular training sessions and seminars in respect of partnership premises and core business. She is known as an effective public speaker, encouraging practices to understand the law as it relates to their business. She is regularly invited by LMCs to present to their members She is described by clients as "approachable, supportive, knowledgeable and tenacious," and Chambers and Partners note that clients praise her ability to "provide timely responses and sensible advice in easy-to- understand language." Edwina leads on NHS Trusts' Estate matters representing these clients on a variety of complex property matters and estates strategy and rationalisation in keeping with the government agenda for collaboration and working at scale. She oversees and manages work in relation to large property portfolios and property management generally. Having spent 14 years in local authority property teams, she is familiar with public sector processes. In addition, she has worked on estates and joint venture projects for emergency services clients and supports the Weightmans emergency services team in this respect, undertaking a large level of landlord and tenant matters, as well as providing general property advice. Edwina also worked with the government of Malta to assist in delivering a refurbishment programme to enable health service delivery across 3 sites in Malta and Gozo. Listen to Edwina being interviewed on The General Practice Podcast and also talking to Leadership in Practice As an expert GP lawyer, Edwina is regularly asked for her opinion on issues affecting General Practitioners and GP business law. Here, she discusses the evolving nature of GP leases.

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.

Emerson Wallwork

Emerson joined Weightmans in 2003 and has been a partner in the Large Loss Team since 2005. Emerson’s case load principally comprises traumatic brain injury and spinal injury cases. He has a wealth of experience in technical and indemnity issues, together with rehabilitation and funding issues. Emerson leads Weightmans' Motor Technology Group, advising insurers on the legal, regulatory and practical implications of advancements in vehicle technologies, along with responding to government consultations and speaking at a wide variety of events/forums. He has also sat on the ABI Autonomous Driving Liability Group. Emerson finds nothing more satisfying than being reappointed to a panel having considerably delivered for a key client.

Emlyn Williams

Emlyn Williams is a partner and employment lawyer specialising in healthcare. Emlyn is a well-respected advocate in both the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeals Tribunal. He specialises in all aspects of employment law, with particular interests in whistleblowing, discrimination, MHPS and TUPE. Emlyn has a significant reputation in the healthcare sector and heads up our healthcare employment team nationally. His clients also include other public sector bodies, charities and private businesses. Emlyn also has a strong track-record in delivering innovative training programmes and regularly undertakes bespoke in-house training for various bodies including multi-national companies, the NHS, ACAS, CIPD and other professional groups. From December 2014 to December 2015 Emlyn was President of Liverpool Law Society. Since 2023 he has been working with an NHS Trust in support of its work with the Liverpool Chapter of Citizens UK – an organisation which seeks to support local communities and organisations to build a better, fairer society.

Emma Skelton

Emma joined Weightmans in 2008. She qualified as a Solicitor in 2014 and she is an Associate in the Large Loss team. Emma has over 11 years' litigation experience. Emma specialises in catastrophic personal injury including claims of the utmost severity. This includes traumatic brain injury in adults and children, tetraplegic and paraplegic claims, amputation cases and fatal accident claims. She assists Will Quinn with motor, employers' liability and public liability claims involving complex liability, technical and indemnity issues.

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.

Emma Cochrane

Emma is an experienced insurance litigator specialising in property damage claims including subrogated recoveries and defending claims against construction professionals. Emma is also experienced in advising insurers on policy coverage with particular expertise in cover provided under property policies. Emma previously worked in house at Jones Lang LaSalle and prior to that was at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain for 9 years. Emma trained at Barlow Lyde & Gilbert.

Emma Collins

Family law partner with expertise in all aspects of family law, in particular high value/complex financial matters for both married and unmarried couples including trusts , companies, partnerships , third party interests , offshore assets, jurisdictional issues; regularly receives referrals from a variety of legal and other professionals and business people. Also advises on pre/post nuptial and cohabitation agreements, complex children issues, Schedule I , TOLATA and Inheritance Act matters.

Emmett Boyce

Emmett joined Weightmans in 2005 and qualified as a solicitor in 2008. Until October 2018 Emmett specialised in all aspects of motor fraud. He also held various management roles and provided training to clients. Emmett has represented major UK insurers, national and international logistics, transport and utility companies and local authorities. He also has experience in sanctions and recoveries, non-fraudulent personal injury, local authority and motor claims. In terms of motor fraud, Emmett has extensive skills in claim investigation, all aspects of litigation to trial and dealing with organised fraud. He delivers an excellent experience for clients at the transactional and operational levels. Emmett is now a professional support lawyer in the Knowledge Management team based in Liverpool. Emmett supports all sectors of the business but primarily focuses on casualty, healthcare and motor sectors where he provides support in respect of continuing development, legal knowledge and process enhancement. Emmett has extensive experience in supporting business optimisation, technological innovation, and internal risk management. He has a particular interest and involvement in building business resiliency in response to court digitisation and the introduction of the MyHMCTS platform.

Faraz Naqvi

Faraz is an experienced commercial litigation solicitor, having practised exclusively in this field since he qualified in 2013. He is a member of our construction team. He regularly advises large national organisations, academic institutions, hotels, top flight football clubs, SMEs and high net-worth individuals on varying disputes focussing on breach of contract, fraud, reputation management, including defamation, construction and insolvency. Prior to joining Weightmans, Faraz spent several years at a large regional practice where he acted for both claimants and defendants in mostly large value disputes (multi track) at both County Court and High Court. Faraz is results focussed and he always will secure the best outcome for his client, delivered in a cost effective and transparent manner. He has developed an extensive network of specialist barristers in the region and nationally whom he often works alongside on more complex disputes. Faraz has developed a broad understanding of the education sector and often is instructed by academic institutions nationally to intervene with disputes prior to them becoming contentious and costly. He is also an active member of Education Group.

Felicity Flint

Felicity is a Principal Associate and Team Manager based in the Birmingham Healthcare Team. Since 2009 she has handled employers’ and public liability cases for NHS Resolution and various NHS trusts throughout the country. She handles fast and multi track personal injury cases and has a specialist interest in fraud, third party assaults and bullying and occupational stress claims. She has dealt with a number of Covid-19 cases for NHS Resolution, as well as claims for damages brought under the Equality Act, the Data Protection Act and for defamation. She is the assistant Fraud Lead for Healthcare and is also the Team Manager of the Healthcare National Team, a team of twenty EL/PL lawyers and assisting paralegals.

Fiona Turner

Fiona joined Weightmans' family law team in 2015. As a partner with 30 years' experience, she deals exclusively with family law issues. Having practised in London with leading and innovative family law firms before relocating to Manchester, Fiona has a global practice, dealing with matters for clients wherever they are based — whether in the North West region, London or elsewhere in the UK or overseas. Main practice areas include advising on wealth protection strategies (including pre and post nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements); divorce and dissolution (including international issues), financial settlements for married and unmarried couples (often involving businesses, land (including farms), trusts and pensions), children law and international relocation cases. Fiona and the team at Weightmans provide a bespoke, tailor-made service for each individual client. Fiona offers a range of dispute resolution options as a trained mediator, collaborative lawyer and litigator and is recognised for providing strategic case management and a focused, realistic and discreet approach to clients. Former clients include high net worth and high profile individuals, entrepreneurs, business owners, land owners and professionals. In one matter on which Fiona was instructed, the Court of Appeal stated that they had "never seen a financial case of greater complexity". Fiona is an accredited member of the nationwide family law organisation Resolution and is Secretary of the Manchester Resolution Committee. She is a member of the Manchester Dispute Resolution Group and chairs/presents to a number of other professional groups. She is a co-author of previous editions of Resolution's Good Practice guidance and regularly writes for the national and local press. Fiona is recognised as a leader in her field by the Legal Directories and fellow professionals. Fiona 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

Fiona Davidson

Fiona heads the Liverpool family law team and manages the renowned national family team at Weightmans across our offices. She is recognised by Legal 500 2023 as a Leading Individual in family law in the North West. And is a First tier ranked solicitor in Chambers and Partners. Fiona specialises in financial and children issues arising out of relationship breakdown with particular expertise in complex divorces involving company, partnership and trust issues. She has a significant practice in pre, post marital and cohabitation agreements, as well as a wealth of experience in dealing with children cases, particularly involving international relocation. Fiona is known for her strategic and focused advice in delivering results for clients. Her understanding of the needs of clients enables her to offer a first-rate and bespoke service to her clients resulting in regular referrals from fellow professionals including barristers and other members of the legal profession. Fiona is keen to offer alternatives to litigation with a child centred and amicable approach to separation. She is a trained collaborative lawyer, she chaired the Merseyside collaborative law group for over six years. She is an active member of . She also sits on the Liverpool Law Society Family Committee helping to shape local family law issues. Fiona is recognised as a leader in her field in both independent legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, being described as ‘excellent – reassuring, technically able and clear and calm’ ‘technically excellent; really approachable and able to build a real rapport with clients, who trust her implicitly’. ‘an incredibly robust solicitor who is phenomenal for her clients and will fight incredibly hard to get results for them’ , ‘she is a brilliant financial specialist who offers top notch advice’

Gabrielle Hough

Gabrielle is a principal associate in the large loss and technical team and specialises in defending civil claims for compensation against insurance companies and the Motor Insurers' Bureau. The claimants in these claims are almost always catastrophically injured with injuries ranging from severe traumatic brain injuries, amputations and severe spinal injuries resulting in paralysis. The quantum aspect of these claims invariably reaches the millions and, in light of the alteration to the discount rate, the highest reserved cases are currently circa. £30 million. She deals with motor claims as well and employers' and public liability matters and have experience in cases involving complex liability and technical and indemnity issues.

Gail Heighton

Gail is based with the AIG/PWC/BAI disease team, specialising in noise-induced hearing loss, HAVS, WRULD, dermatitis, occupational asthma and asbestos-related disease claims. She is also part of the Weightmans’ fraud team.

Gary Jones

Gary qualified in 1989 with Alsop Wilkinson in London (now DLA Piper). In 1991 he returned to the north and for four years worked at Aaron & Partners in Chester. He moved to Mace & Jones in 1995 and became a partner in the corporate department in Liverpool in 1997. Mace & Jones merged into Weightmans in May 2011. Gary offers a wide range of expertise to a varied client base including owner managed businesses, large corporates, universities and the regional venture finance holding fund North West Business Finance Limited. He advises clients on all aspects of corporate work, nationally and internationally, from starting up, shareholders agreements, mergers and acquisitions, MBOs, joint ventures, private equity, fundraising and AIM floatations. Gary advises local authorities, universities, venture capital funds and public and private companies on State aid compliance. Feedback from DCMS state aid team is that the state aid review letter has been the best and most comprehensive they have to date seen across all the Waves of the Local Full Fibre Projects and has now set a new benchmark on quality expected going forward. Gary is the partner principally responsible for the firm's relationship with Legalink, the international network of 70 independent law firms. Gary has helped lead the Legalink network through its management committee since 2013 and was appointed Legalink Chair for two years from October 2017. Gary is actively involved with the International Bar Association and is a member of the IBA Mergers and Acquisitions Committee and Space Law Committee.

Glyn Thompson

Glyn is national Technical Lead for Motor Mainstream and specialises in Defendant RTA litigation. He also enjoys the position as Head of the Motor Sector Focus Team at FOIL. Glyn has a long history of acting for insurers, self-insureds and public sector organisations in civil disputes of all types.

Graham Dean

Graham has been with Weightmans since 2006 and brings over 20 years' experience in handling disease claims to our national disease unit. He specialises in asbestos related disease claims and acts for many well known run off/legacy insurers providing them with strategic advice. He also regularly deals with NIHL, dermatitis and VWF claims and heads up the Liverpool disease team. He has handled several high profile and widely reported asbestos cases over the years, as well as test case litigation for defendants and their insurers. In addition to this he has presented seminars on the subject and has had articles published in the legal press. He is also the author of a section in Occupational Illness Litigation.

Hannah Beddis

Hannah qualified in 2003, she is a Partner in the local government team based in the Leeds office. Hannah has extensive experience of handling litigated personal injury claims with a strong focus on public sector clients, working primarily for local authorities and insurers. She handles claims across the wide spectrum of local authority risk. She has a specialism in handling stress bullying and harassment claims from initial notification through to trial/settlement. She successfully advised the defendant in the case of Akay v Newcastle University [2020] EWHC 1669 (QB) where the claim was struck out as an abuse of process in light of previous Employment Tribunal proceedings. She also has a keen interest in highways claims, she advised the local authority in the Court of Appeal case of Kim Ali v City of Bradford MDC [2010] EWCA Civ 1282 relating to deposits on the highway. Hannah is a regular speaker at external events such as ALARM and IOG meetings. She regularly writes and delivers a wide variety of training seminars and provides risk management advice to clients and has worked with a major insurer providing advice on claims handling strategy. She has worked closely with commercial and municipal insurers providing support in respect of a wide variety of casualty claims as well as directly supporting an insurer client’s claims handlers in respect of their pre-lit handling and professional development.

Hannah Walsh

Hannah Walsh heads the London police team. Clients describe Hannah as "offering incredible work and dedication which has a real impact on the community". Hannah has worked exclusively with police clients for a decade. She is especially noted for her work on sensitive matters that attract high-level media coverage and comment. Hannah was recently working with the Al Sweady Public Inquiry into the alleged killing and ill-treatment of Iraqi civilians. Hannah is currently advising several police clients with claims arising from high profile protester arrests.

Haydn Rogan

Haydn is a tax partner who provides tax advice and support across all the commercial practice areas. He is a dual-qualified solicitor and chartered accountant with over 20 years' experience advising on corporate, employment and property tax issues. Haydn is recognised as a leading individual in Legal 500 and recommended in Chambers for his commercial and practical tax advice and has extensive experience in advising management teams, companies, private equity houses and investors on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions, ranging from mergers, acquisitions, reconstructions and disposals to the structuring of tax-efficient joint ventures and investments. Haydn has particular expertise in advising on the design and implementation of a broad range of employee share schemes and equity incentive arrangements and regularly advises both public and private sector clients on the tax aspects (and tax-efficient structuring) of land and property transactions (ranging from SDLT and VAT to capital allowances and the Construction Industry Scheme).

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

Helen Brown

Helen qualified in 1993 and joined Weightmans in November 2016, heading up the rapidly expanding casualty and local government team in the Leeds office. In May 2018, Helen was appointed as the Regional Head of the Leeds office. With over 25 years' experience in dealing with the full spectrum of employers' and public liability claims, Helen has acted for numerous local authorities, insurers, Lloyd's syndicates and listed companies for a significant number of years. Her particular areas of expertise means she is adept at dealing with all types of claims and particularly those concerning social care, HRA, GDPR, stress, bullying and harassment. Helen has recently been re-appointed to the public sector focus team for FOIL given her experience and keen interest in the ever-changing local government landscape. Helen is well known within ALARM at a national and local level and regularly speaks at their forums and local conferences as well as delivering tailor made training on any chosen topic. As part of her role as the Regional Head, Helen leads on diversity and inclusion, is a mental health first aider and is actively involved in the entire spectrum of CSR activities from the Leeds office.

Helen Taylor

Helen joined Weightmans as HR Director In July 2019 and leads out People , Learning and Development teams . Helen started her career as a graduate in Insurance with Royal and Sun alliance and having spent time in Claims moved into HR where she developed her HR career through spending time in Reward , Talent acquisition , Learning and Development and Early Careers teams . She is an experienced HR Director, having undertaken this at Royal and Sun Alliance , Next, Coop Financial Services and esure. In her previous role at Esure she was involved in the IPO of the Go Compare business , lead the People workstreams when the Firm was acquire by Bain Capital alongside developing a new Employee Proposition and introducing Leadership and talent development programmes . Helen is passionate about developing people , high performance teams and creating an inclusive environment for everyone measured through high level of engagement . Helen is also an accredited coach, member of CIPD and a Council member at the University of Salford where she also chairs the Remuneration Committee .

Helen Leppert

Helen joined Weightmans in 2017 and is an Associate in the employment, pensions and immigration team, based in Liverpool. Helen has a large and varied caseload. She acts on behalf of a wide range of clients, including charities, SMEs, large corporate and public sector clients. She provides clients with commercial pragmatic advice. Helen specialises in defending high-value employment tribunal claims, often involving sensitive and complex allegations of discrimination. She also handles claims involving TUPE transfers and whistleblowing. Helen advises clients on an ad hoc basis in respect of Settlement Agreements and routinely carries out non-contentious work such as reviewing, amending and drafting employment contracts and providing corporate support. She has experience of advising clients in respect of both large-scale and individual redundancies. Helen is an experienced advocate who regularly represents clients in the Employment Tribunal.

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.

Helena Liebster

Helena joined Weightmans in 2018 and is a partner in the London commercial real estate team. Helena has extensive experience in all areas of commercial property investment and development work and deals with all asset types including retail, office, industrial and mixed-use schemes. Helena acts for a broad spectrum of clients ranging from quoted corporates, property companies, developers, retailers, banks and private investors. Helena is very experienced in landlord and tenant matters, particularly on significant pre-let agreements, and also acts for banks on a variety of property finance matters including development finance. Helena is a member of Women in Property and a panellist for Women Talk Real Estate.

Henry Bermingham

Henry is a public sector specialist with over 25 years' experience in advising public sector bodies. He specialises in social care claims, highways, human rights, occupiers' liability, employers' liability, stress, public rights of way and 'power and duty' cases. His work includes recovery of indemnities under outsource contracts and contributions from abusers. With particular experience in CSE (Child sexual exploitation), he is used to 'press cases' and is media trained. More recent work has included Inquiries, where he set up the Sheffield Tree Inquiry and represented ADPH in Module 1 of the Covid Inquiry. Chambers & Partners describes Henry as "an experienced personal injury solicitor with comprehensive knowledge of litigation concerning public sector bodies", while The Legal 500 notes that he “excels in public sector cases.” He was President of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) in 2008. He is an active contributor to ALARM, speaks and writes regularly on public sector issues. Notable cases: Claims arising from CSE Operations (2008-2015), The Employers' Liability Trigger Litigation (2012 UKSC-14), Multi-Party cases, The Sobhia Khan Inquest and claims arising from murders committed by adult service users.

Ian Pace

Ian acts for a wide range of private and public sector clients and advises on all areas of employment and discrimination law. He has considerable experience in acting for NHS Trusts and healthcare clients generally and also advises employers in the education, retail and insurance sectors. He has a particular interest in whistleblowing and all areas of discrimination, including disability and age. Ian regularly speaks at conferences and seminars and provides bespoke in-house training on a range of employment and equality issues.

Ian Coppell

Ian is a hugely experienced solicitor, who has recently switched disciplines to all aspects of Housing Disrepair Litigation having previously spent over 30 years specialising in personal injury and occupational disease cases with particular interest in noise induced hearing loss and hand arm vibration claims. Ian has successfully defended to trial Housing disrepair matters and industrial deafness cases. He also has successful Court of Appeal experience in deafness claims. Ian handles litigation on behalf of Social Housing providers, Housings Associations and Local Authorities. Notable case Boyle v Ford Motor Company (deafness case – Court of Appeal)

Ian Young

Ian has 30 years' experience of personal injury claims from various perspectives. Over the years he has acted for a number of insurer clients on a defendant basis, both in the traditional panel solicitors environment and also in-house for a major insurance group where he ran a team dealing with road traffic claims from first notification to trial. Ian has also spent a number of years pursuing claims on behalf of claimants and has gained the ability to view a personal injury claim from all perspectives. Ian is currently involved in costs recoveries work for major insurers, organisations, councils and police forces, often seeking and obtaining findings of fundamental dishonesty against claimants.

Ian Sadler

Ian is a Partner in the Healthcare team advising and representing medical defence organisations (MDOs) and doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals with criminal, employment and regulatory matters. Ian’s practice includes: appearing regularly before Tribunals and disciplinary panels on behalf of clients, considerable experience of General Medical Council/Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service Panels, and General Dental Council committees, appeals to the High Court from decisions of health regulatory bodies including those involving the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care, Crown Court trials including appeals to the Court of Appeal Criminal Division, NHS employee disciplinary proceedings and appeals, First Tier Tribunal Primary Health List hearings and subsequent appeals, and Employment Tribunal hearings and High Court claims for breach of contract and injunctive relief for healthcare professionals. Ian frequently receives plaudits from clients for the quality of his work and the commitment given to individual cases. He also advises on claims for judicial review arising out of the above and undertakes such proceedings on behalf of clients. One senior healthcare professional wrote in 2015: “I am very grateful for your help with my [...] problems and thankful that your expertise resulted in the successful outcome. I was impressed by your insightful opinions and clear thinking and mostly by your articulate delivery at the hearing.”

Ian Critchley

Ian is a partner with 20 years' experience in dealing with healthcare matters, specialising in clinical negligence litigation. He has advised NHS Trusts and NHS Resolution throughout that time and is the client partner for several NHS Trust clients in the North West. Ian manages a wide caseload of high-value, complicated and sensitive claims on behalf of NHS Resolution including maximum severity birth injury claims and has settled numerous cases by way of periodical payment orders (PPOs). He also has particular expertise in surgical claims and cases involving spinal injuries, brain damage, amputation, the delayed diagnosis of cancer and orthopaedic injuries. Many of Ian’s cases involve complex medical and quantum issues. Ian has also dealt with highly sensitive cases on behalf of NHS Resolution involving significant publicity, including the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust group action claims. He adopts a sensible and pragmatic approach to managing claims in order to achieve a fair and reasonable resolution for all parties. He has substantial experience of various alternatives to litigation, including mediation. Ian has also lectured to NHS Trusts on a variety of issues including risk management, consent, duty of candour and the clinical negligence litigation process. He has assisted with patient safety projects and is the client relationship manager for all NHS Resolution allocated Trusts in the North West.

Ingrid McGhee

Ingrid is a key member of the firm's business immigration practice. She is experienced in both employment law and immigration law and provides seamless advice across both disciplines. Ingrid has experience in providing global immigration advice and support for a variety of sectors including retail, transport, hospitality, education and construction. She is also a key member of the firm's HR Rely service and is managing the HR Rely immigration service delivered to new and existing HR Rely clients. Ingrid’s immigration expertise extends to assisting with compliance, policy drafting and implementation and strategy and the prevention of illegal working. She is a regular contributor to immigration articles and is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA). Recent work highlights Advising higher education authority in respect of new points based system and assisting with policy implementation and strategy Advising FTSE 100 company in respect of compliance duties and immigration/discrimination considerations within recruitment practices Advising construction sector in respect of immigration rules and compliance Supporting transport and logistical businesses with compliance and advising in respect of immigration rules and the prevention of illegal working Advising further education authority in respect of sponsorship duties and application process.

Isabelle Inskip

Isabelle Inskip is an associate in the banking and finance team and has acted on matters for borrowers, local government entities, banks and other commercial lenders in relation to real estate finance, development finance and acquisition finance matters. Isabelle works closely with the wider corporate team leading on the finance element of transactions including corporate acquisitions, management buy outs and corporate restructures.

Isobel Michie

Since first qualifying as a solicitor in 1994, Isobel has acted for the NHS Trusts, as well as representing NHS Resolution (previously known as NHSLA) since its inception. Isobel also has extensive experience of defending individual healthcare practitioners and dentists acting for their MDOs and private insurers. Her caseload is very wide ranging defending and resolving all types of clinical negligence cases, including claims of the utmost severity (including birth and adult brain injury claims, spinal claims and other catastrophic high value injuries) involving complex causation issues. As well as dealing with the highest value cases, Isobel also deals with a large number of mental health and Human Rights Act public liability claims and works with insurers defending private practitioners including GPs, dentists and surgeons. Many of her cases involve novel or sensitive issues and can also involve dealing with the media. She has group action experience, as well as both extensive trial and mediation experience. Her advice is pragmatic, robust and commercial, achieving early evaluation and resolution as soon as possible. Isobel has particular interests in patient safety and learning and in cases that relate to informed consent. She speaks at sector specific events on these topics, as well as on the investigation and clinical negligence process and preparing for inquests. Her training aims to understand and identify risk profiles and trends, whilst minimising claims and complaints. In addition, Isobel has experience of judicial review of healthcare provision, particularly in the mental health sector. She has advised on best interest assessments and withdrawal of treatment cases and has represented NHS Trusts at inquests. Isobel is one of the key contacts for Remedy, our bespoke healthcare complaints handling solution. Isobel studied medicine at UCLH before converting to law. Her background makes her ideally suited to forging strong relationships to ensure delivery of a high quality service to all healthcare clients. As a result "Isobel is an extremely experienced case handler with a strong depth of knowledge and experience." Legal 500 2019. Rising star & Key lawyer Legal 500 2020 and 2021. High profile cases: RAGE (Breast radiotherapy group action) Janet Birch v UCLH Foundation NHS Trust 2008 EWHC 2237 (QB) R v Camden & Islington Health Authority ex-parte K 2001 EWCA CIV 240 (CA) Bostridge v Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (2015) EWCA CIV 79.

Jacqui Bickerton

Jacqui is a principal associate and professional support lawyer based in the knowledge management team in Liverpool. With over 25 years' legal experience of dealing with catastrophic injury claims, fraud and civil litigation, Jacqui provides strategic and technical advice and support to the business. Jacqui has a particular interest in public and constitutional law and regularly lectures on not only the law but also the associated risks. Jacqui is also an active member of Weightmans Brexit Committee and is responsible for advising the business and clients on the implications of Brexit. Jacqui enjoys nothing more than a good debate on the Brexit process.

James Hough

James qualified in 2004 and has been at Weightmans since 2005. He handles non-clinical negligence related claims against NHS Trusts/NHS Resolution, including EL/PL, slips, trips, falls, manual handling and assaults. With the NHS having one of the largest workforces in the world, the claims can vary. James also acts for Markel with their social care claims which link well with the NHS related claims.

James Muller

James has specialised in regulatory law since 2012, covering all aspects of: -Health and safety -Corporate manslaughter/gross negligence manslaughter -Inquests -Fire/building safety -Careless/dangerous driving -Food hygiene/safety -Environmental law. He has a national practice and represents clients throughout England and Wales. James provides advice and representation for companies and individuals throughout the entire duration of regulatory investigations, often being instructed in the immediate aftermath of serious and fatal accidents, and carrying matters through to their conclusion. He has extensive experience of court litigation and trial preparation, and has particular skill in dealing with complex areas of expert evidence. James is passionate about getting to know his clients’ businesses in detail, ensuring that his advice always takes into account the wider impact the matter might have on the business as a whole. He works for all manner of businesses, ranging from multi-nationals to sole traders and individuals, with particular experience in manufacturing, construction, health and social care, leisure, agriculture, food and hospitality, local government, education, emergency services, haulage, waste and recycling, and mining. At the outset of his career, James gained significant experience in the prosecution of health and safety and fire safety cases. Having experience of how such cases are prosecuted gives James a significant tactical edge when defending. James regularly advises clients in relation to fire safety matters and defends companies prosecuted under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He also advises clients, contractors, designers and those occupying buildings (as accountable persons) in relation to the new regulatory regime under the Building Safety Act. James also carries out non-contentious advisory work for his clients, including advising on health and safety and fire safety requirements and providing training to senior management. He also carries out specialist health and safety and fire safety due diligence in relation to both the firm’s own corporate deals, and the corporate deals of other law firms. He recently advised private equity investors in relation to the health and safety and fire safety implications of its acquisition of a company group operating over 150 care homes. James is currently instructed in relation to numerous complex health and safety cases, including: defending multiple managers in relation to a manufacturing fatality in Shropshire (the company being charged with Corporate Manslaughter); defending a company and director in relation to a life-changing injury in Berkshire; and defending an engineering consultancy in relation to a complex fire safety prosecution. He recently represented a company director in the West Midlands who was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter in relation to a fatal accident at a recycling facility.

James Mackie

James qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and joined Weightmans in 2013. He specialises in catastrophic personal injury and assists Will Quinn on his caseload of high-value claims. He has extensive knowledge across a broad spectrum of RTA, EL and PL claims. Prior to joining Weightmans, James worked for a large claimant PI practice and also as an outsourced solicitor to a major motor insurer.

James Holman

James has been at Weightmans since 1989. After 25 years as a professional negligence litigator representing solicitors and their insurers including in relation to regulatory matters, James became full time COLP and leads a team of risk professionals with expertise in Data Protection, AML, Information security and business continuity, supplier management/ procurement, internal audit and our Legal counsel. He is also responsible for the firm’s insurance arrangements including its relationship with the London insurance market and for its Lexcel programme.

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.

Jane Price

Jane Price is head of service delivery for casualty claims within Weightmans and client relationship partner for one of the firm’s major insurance clients. She has extensive experience in defending both EL and PL claims on behalf of both commercial organisations and public bodies. Jane’s focus is upon ensuring that Weightmans' clients receive exceptional service and excellent technical, commercial and strategic advice resulting in maximum savings.

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.

Janice Weatherly

Janice is a Partner in the Real Estate department and leads the Liverpool Real Estate team. Janice has 38 years’ experience specialising in all aspects of commercial property work for a wide range of clients in both private and public sectors. Janice’s work includes property development schemes, site acquisition and disposals, property finance and secured lending, leases, landlord and tenant and estate management. Janice also leads the firm’s Real Estate Education team which has seen many years of strong growth in the sector. Other areas of focus are OMB’s and the industrial sector.

Jasmine Armstrong

Jasmine is manager of the Birmingham Healthcare team. Since 2001, Jasmine has provided specialist advice managing clinical negligence claims for NHS Resolution. Her practice spans general healthcare advice dealing with inquests, best interests assessments for children and adults; CQC interventions; deprivation of liberty issues; data security and information governance issues for NHS Trusts and other healthcare providers. Her good understanding of the clinical and resource pressures ensures her advice is pragmatic and robust. She trains colleagues and clients, educating healthcare staff upon aspects of healthcare law including claims, inquests and the implications this has upon safety and learning drawing on her wealth of experience of clinical claims. She leads on changing culture by using innovative dispute resolution techniques to resolve claims as early as possible.

Jawaid Rehman

Jawaid is a Partner in the employment team at Weightmans and Regional Office Head in Birmingham. He also heads the firm’s flagship HR Rely retainer product. His areas of specialism include equal pay, advising on the legal implications of implementing new pay structures, industrial relations issues and large scale restructures. He also has considerable experienced defending cases against Embassies. He services many of our clients’ international needs through our Legalink framework. His clients include household names in the Hospitality sector alongside many others such as London Business School and the Kuwait Embassy.

Jeff Turton

Jeff is a principal associate who specialises in defendant RTA work, with an emphasis on technical, high value, fraudulent and credit hire claims. He regularly advises and defends domestic and foreign insurers, together with self-insured entities, in cases involving complex technical arguments. His CV of notable successes for clients includes the cases of Gladwin v Bogescu (High Court appeal relating to witness statements and relief from sanctions), Tuffnells Parcels Express v John Vernon (credit hire fraudster sentenced to prison), Abdul Baban & Others v Transportes Viana (successful appeal against decision not to strike out claims on the basis of defective service on foreign defendants), Abid Anwar & Others v Severn Trent Water (interlocutory order revisited after trial and claims struck out), Powell v Palani (clarification of the correct approach to intervention offers in credit hire claims) and Miller v AIG (admissibility of 'rebuttal evidence' in credit hire cases).

Jessica Kraja

Jessica is a Partner in our Commercial Litigation team who deals with a wide range of high value, complex commercial disputes, including contractual claims, construction-related disputes, corporate disputes (including shareholder claims), professional negligence claims and intellectual property. She also has extensive experience in brand protection, including product liability, brand infringement claims and defamation/reputation management. She has expertise in acting for both claimants and defendants. Jessica is regularly involved in all types of alternative dispute resolution and has resolved a number of claims for clients through mediation and without prejudice meetings. She is regularly instructed by a variety of clients including individuals, corporate bodies, insurers and owner-managed businesses. Jessica also provides operational management responsible for the northern regions of the commercial litigation department. Jessica is recommended by the Legal 500. Part of the winning team of Manchester Legal Awards 2022 for Litigation Team of the Year.

Jessica Swift

Jessica qualified as a solicitor in 2015 having completed her training contract with Weightmans and subsequently qualified into the Regulatory department in Liverpool. Since qualification, Jessica has focussed her practice on representing both NHS and private healthcare providers at inquest, as well as NHS Trusts designated Core Participant status in public inquiries. Jessica uses excellent knowledge and understanding of the coronial process to advocate at inquests involving complex medical issues, many involving juries, Article 2 ECHR and/or matters of a sensitive nature; many of which have attracted regional, national and international media attention. Jessica’s practice involves supporting and guiding NHS professionals, including, doctors, nurses and paramedics through the public inquiry or inquest procedure. Jessica has represented at inquests resulting from fatal road traffic collisions and accidents at work. She regularly liaises with medical defence unions before, during and after inquest and has developed a strong professional relationship with many of the Coroners and other legal professionals in the North West coronial jurisdictions. Jessica also often assists with supporting clients with their internal investigation processes and is able to competently advise on conflicts of interest between organisations and their staff members. Jessica acted for over 18 months as in-house solicitor for an NHS healthcare provider, focussing mainly on advising and representing the Trust at inquest whilst supporting their Board of Directors and employees with all manner of inquest related queries. During this time, Jessica was responsible for providing bespoke training to the organisation to assist with preparation for and attendance at inquest proceedings. She has also provided in-house legal support to a number of other NHS clients, advising and guiding them through the inquest procedure. Jessica is also an Assistant Coroner and has held coronial office since June 2022.

Jill Dalkin

Jill serves as CyXcel’s Head of Service Delivery, where she leverages her extensive experience in mobilising large teams of lawyers, technical specialists and subject matter experts to efficiently manage resources and costs in the delivery of major projects. Working closely with the CEO, Jill is responsible for ensuring the highest level of client service across CyXcel. Jill has over 15 years' litigation experience in transactional processes and data recovery. She has managed breach of warranty and indemnity claims, and orchestrated cases involving intellectual property, franchising, and shareholder disputes. Her data recovery efforts in the UK High Court have included successful implementations of interim-remedies in litigation (injunctions, contempt of court, interim payments, and security for costs). Jill’s committed work has resulted in reported decisions recovering confidential information, strike out, and successful claims for damages exceeding £30m in the Technology and Construction Court and Chancery Division of the UK High Court.

Jim Bryant

Admitted in 1996, Jim has been a partner since May 2003 and joined Weightmans in January 2014. Jim’s expertise is defending disease and toxic exposure claims for the live and legacy insurance markets, upon instruction of carriers, brokers, intermediaries and global corporates. He has extensive experience in all aspects of this litigation, including all asbestos-related diseases, asthma, dermatitis, HAVS, NIHL and stress cases. He has particular expertise in HAVS, following extensive involvement in the British Coal Litigation and Government Compensation Scheme, on behalf of Commercial Union, CGU and NU. Jim has also been instructed by the insurance market on a number of successful group actions, not just in relation to HAVS, but also carbon monoxide, dermatitis, food poisoning, lead poisoning and rhinitis. Jim has successfully defended to trial every type of disease case. He also has successful Court of Appeal experience in HAVS and stress claims. Jim also has a great deal of experience in the discontinued insurance business. He has advised run-off managers and acquirers of run-off books of business on claims-related and corporate liability and coverage matters. He has also taken part in panel discussions on disease-related topics at the annual IRLA Congress and chairs regular claims forums for the key players in the legacy market. Jim is currently an accredited mentor to younger members of IRLA.

Jim Byard

Jim has been with Weightmans since 1993 joining from Zurich (Eagle Star) where he was employed between 1985 and 1993. Jim now provides thought leadership across a range of topics affecting personal injury claims. Previously he specialised in occupational disease cases with particular interest in respiratory disease, work related upper limb disorders and noise induced hearing loss claims. Jim has been involved in much high-profile litigation, defending class actions brought by claimants, representing the successful lead appellant in the Notts and Derbyshire Textile Litigation (Baker v Quantum Clothing) in the Supreme Court (UKSC 2011).

Jo Loake

Jo qualified as a barrister in 2003 and cross qualified as a solicitor in 2007. Having worked for commercial organisations, with specialisms in working with social housing providers, charities and local authorities over the length of her legal career, Jo is an expert legal voice and a highly experienced lawyer in a wide range of business critical governance, regulatory and constitutional areas. Her experience includes governance advice, policy and constitutional issues, identifying and mitigating risk, and advising on strategic projects such as stock transfers and group structures. She also has expertise in commercial contracts and partnering arrangements and complex negotiations, including with local authorities, third party solicitors and funders’ solicitors on contract terms, warranties, service level agreements, nominations, VAT sharing and VAT shelters. Jo also advises on a wide range of mergers, cost-sharing vehicles, JVs and other partnering and collaboration arrangements, including JVs between charitable and private organisations, and also matters ranging from codes of conduct and board member service agreements to restructures, creating subsidiary organisations and intra-group arrangements. Jo is at the cutting edge of developments in the regulatory environment, regularly speaking at seminars and conferences on changes affecting the charitable and social housing sector. Jo also demonstrates authoritative thought leadership through her regular blogs and contributions to the housing press. Jo was also a contributory author to the legal text Handbook of Co-operative and Community Benefit Society Law and is the vice chair of the North West branch of the Chartered Institute of Housing and is a registered CIH trainer.

Joanna Carty

Joanna qualified as a solicitor in 2010 having trained with Weightmans. She acts for police forces and public authorities in relation to a wide range of issues. Joanna specialises in police malfeasance claims and judicial review. In particular, she regularly acts in claims involving areas of particular sensitivity such as claims involving undercover officers, CHIS (covert human intelligence source) handlers and intelligence; those with reputational issues for clients and multi-action claims involving a number of claimants such as complex protest claims and claims involving issues that affect police forces nationally. For example, the police overtime claims litigation.

Joanna-Louise Hector

Joanna is a principal associate, with over 9 years' experience in defending personal injury claims for insurance companies, commercial businesses, local authorities and the NHSLA. Joanna specialises in all types of multi track and high value industrial disease litigation, with a particular interest in hand arm vibration syndrome, work related upper limb disorders and asbestos related conditions. She is part of our Midlands disease team, based in our Leicester office. Joanna has previously spent time working in-house for a major international insurer. Joanna is a regular speaker and provides training in various issues surrounding industrial disease claims both externally and as part of in-house sessions. Joanna produces and edits our monthly Disease-i publication as well as regularly writing stand alone articles.

John McArdle

John joined Weightmans in 2008 and is an Associate in the Employment, Pensions and Immigration team in Liverpool. He acts for private and public sector clients and specialises in complex respondent Employment Tribunal litigation. John has a broad experience of providing both non-contentious and contentious employment advice to commercial clients, including senior executives. He provides policy and operational advice to FTSE 100 clients and local authorities on a range of issues, including diversity, sick absence management, performance and capability, misconduct and contractual issues. He is an experienced advocate and regularly undertakes advocacy at final hearings in the Employment Tribunals. John presents Weightmans seminars and in house training sessions for clients. He also writes articles which are published in the HR press. John is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

John Gibney

John has been with Weightmans since 2016 and has extensive experience in handling complex industrial disease claims. He predominantly specialises in asbestos related claims but also has experience of handling silicosis, occupational asthma and NIHL claims. John acts for many well known corporates and run off/legacy claims handling companies.

John Schorah

John became Weightmans' Managing Partner in 2013 and was re-elected for the second time in 2018 until 2021. Prior to that, he was Weightmans' Commercial Director for 6 years, overseeing the 300% growth in that part of the business during that time. John joined Weightmans having been a CEO of a listed public company in the entertainment industry. During his time on Weightmans' board, John has overseen the firm's acquisitions, opening of new offices, overhauled the partnership remuneration structure and seen the firm's overall revenues rise from £43.8m in 2007 to £100m. Consistently accredited both in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK as a leading individual in corporate work, clients have recognised John as having a "pragmatic and commercially realistic approach", and noted his "extensive experience of corporate transactional, corporate structures and commercial contract work". John's clients range from technology companies and IT suppliers to a variety of private and public sector concerns who outsource the supply of technology and provision of IT services. John has extensive experience in preparing and negotiating innovative contracting arrangements which best fit the specific needs of our clients. He spent 3 years in industry as managing director of a plc technology company so has an authentic perspective of clients’ commercial needs.

John Riddell

John specialises in police and public work. John and his team cover all areas of police law ranging from litigation to operational advice and police discipline. They act for forces in the Midlands, shire counties and East Anglia. The team also do all types of public work ranging from litigation to core work.

John Darnell

John has twenty six years' experience in property litigation, with several high profile wins in the Court of Appeal. John concentrates on commercial property disputes with particular specialism in business lease renewals and lease termination issues. His longstanding clients include PLCs, nationwide retailers and Universities. John is also the Head of Service Delivery for the 65-strong Property Litigation Department at Weightmans.

Jon Gregson

Jon is a Partner in the employment, pensions and immigration team in Liverpool. He specialises in high value, complex respondent employment tribunal litigation and leads the team acting for Royal Mail Group Ltd and British Airways Plc. Jon has broad experience in both non-contentious and contentious employment law advice. He provides policy and operational advice to FTSE 100 clients on a range of issues, including diversity, sickness absence management, performance and capability, misconduct and contractual issues. He is an experienced Employment Tribunal advocate and regularly undertakes advocacy at Employment Tribunals and has also appeared at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Jon also carries out a Product and Innovation Partner role for our corporate clients; sitting at the intersection of the client, legal operations and innovation sectors and using his experience to help evolve and develop market-leading and technology-driven solutions for both clients and also our legal teams. In 2022 a disability discrimination decision-making tool designed and implemented in collaboration with Royal Mail was shortlisted and came as a runner-up in the Managing Partner Forum Awards for Best People Initiative. Jon is a regular trainer at both Weightmans' legal seminars and also in-house training sessions for clients. He has also had articles published in the legal and HR press. He is also a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

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.

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.

Josh Conroy

Josh is a commercial litigation partner who specialises in heavy, high value and complex litigation in the Business & Property Courts. He deals primarily with unfair prejudice petitions, share sale disputes, restrictive covenant and restraint of trade cases, partnership disputes, professional negligence claims and other complex contractual claims arising out of commercial disputes. Josh has particular experience and expertise in defending judicial review claims and bringing injunctive proceedings, as well as a busy practice in defending claims brought under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, where he acts for a number of local authorities, trusts, blue light services, universities and other public bodies. Josh is a member of the firm’s higher education team and specialises in advising universities on student related issues, particularly in relation to complaint and discipline matters.

Joshua Ryan

Joshua is formerly of RadcliffesLeBrasseur and joined Weightmans as a part of their merger. Joshua advises individuals, families, trustees, family businesses, and onshore and offshore fiduciaries on all aspects of UK and cross-border tax and succession planning. Joshua’s clients are based in the UK and overseas, and he has a particular focus on advising US connected clients and /or European connected clients. Joshua advises on wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts, foundations (and other offshore structures), succession and tax planning strategies, business succession and exit strategies, family vehicles and investment companies, and strategies to own UK real estate. Joshua is qualified as a Wills Draftsman in Dubai, and he can assist with the preparation and registration of DIFC compliant wills. Joshua advises internationally minded clients on their tax residency and domicile positions, tax strategies and structuring options for individuals and families relocating to or from the UK, and on tax obligations under double tax treaties. A part of this works sees Joshua advising owners of businesses on structuring options for their businesses too. This is often in coordination with advisors in multiple jurisdictions. Joshua also acts for a number of UK-based clients on their tax and estate planning, and he administers a number of UK trusts for clients, ensuring that all tax, legal, and compliance aspects are dealt with. Joshua also advises on the administration of estates of varying sizes and complexities. These can include advising on failed gifts, exposure to UK taxes (for non-domiciliaries), coordination between administrations in multiple jurisdictions, administration of business assets, contested estates, applicability of law (and conflict of law points), and exposure to tax under double tax treaties. Publications Joshua is published in a number of leading authorities including Lexology, ePrivateClient, STEP and Taxation on subjects including: cryptocurrency, and ownership issues; tax obligations arising from ownership of cryptocurrency; Middle Eastern tax and estate planning; and structuring options for modern families including LGBT+ couples and throuples. He has also been asked to speak on topics including tax and structuring options for modern families and US/UK estate planning.

Julia Appleton

Julia is a Partner in the Healthcare team and regularly advises many public and private sector healthcare providers on a wide range of medico legal, contentious and regulatory matters. She has a particular interest in mental health and aftercare and is instructed on behalf of providers in cases involving mental capacity and treatment issues in the Court of Protection. As an experienced advocate, Julia regularly undertakes advocacy at inquests on behalf of health and care providers and has also advised and represented clients in relation to CQC proceedings, HSE prosecutions, police investigations, Local Authority/CCG funding disputes and judicial review. Julia has experience of group action litigation.

Juliet Wood

Juliet joined Weightmans in 2005 as a paralegal. After completion of her training contract she qualified into the Large Loss and Technical Claims team and is now an Associate in the Motor team. Juliet primarily deals with technical issues arising out of non-indemnity claims and the Road Traffic Act 1988 and its interpretation, but also technical credit hire claims and fast- or multi-track personal injury claims.

Karen Neald

Karen has experience and knowledge in all aspects of housing management disputes on behalf of a number of housing associations and other landlords and also deals with commercial landlords. Karen has previously been a leading contact dealing with bulk gas injunctions and other access applications. Karen created a bespoke flow case management system to deal with bulk applications and has provided training and advice to clients on access proceedings and enforcement options as well as other forms of housing management issues. Her experience includes possession, removal of squatters in both commercial and residential premises and disrepair claims as well as injunctive action in matters involving both anti-social behaviour and unlawful eviction. Karen has successfully obtained numerous anti-social behaviour injunctions, undertakings and exclusion orders against individuals, including orders to exclude individuals from their own homes. Karen has dealt with committal applications following breaches of injunctions and undertakings. She has also sought injunction orders on the grounds of anti-social behaviour and regularly advises clients on evidence gathering and preparation of statements and evidence for Court hearings. Karen deals with all aspects of housing disrepair for landlords and Karen regularly advises clients on other housing management issues such as rent possession proceedings, succession, mutual exchange, rent increases, home loss payments, unlawful occupation as well as leaseholder issues. Karen also deals with mortgagee in possession proceedings for private lenders and commercial lenders up to and including eviction if that becomes necessary. Karen has also given a number of in-house seminars/training workshops to clients on housing related topics. Karen appears as an advocate in the county court on ASB and other injunctive action in not only matters of ASB but also in relation to access and possession. Karen has experience in dealing with lease extensions of flats and houses and also notice to purchase freehold titles as well as being able to deal with lease renewals and court proceedings in relation to lease renewals as required. Karen also deals with neighbour disputes including boundary disputes and adverse possession claims of land and has successfully obtained both recovery of land and acquisition of land for both commercial and residential clients. Karen also deals with any issues concerning the Party Wall Act and Access to Neighbouring land and also has experience in relation to queries on service charges. Karen also has experience in representing landlords in all manner of commercial property disputes including lease renewal proceedings (both opposed and unopposed) dealing with relevant notices and proceedings where required. However Karen has specific expertise in removal of trespassers, housing disrepair and other housing management related topics.

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.

Karim Ariane

Karim qualified in 2015 and joined Weightmans in 2018 where he was promoted to Associate in 2019. Karim has extensive experience in defending multi-track personal injury claims and works with a range of multi-national insurers and self-insureds. He has particular expertise in advising fleets, bus operators and emergency services in relation to fatal and not fatal accidents. He advises on a range of litigation strategies as well as handling high-value injury claims and strategic litigation cases. Karim is a client contact for a major self-insured client and does a wide variety of work for them across various disciplines. He acted for this client in a high-value claim described by the circuit judge as the “most fundamentally dishonest case” that he had ever heard and also deals with cases in the High Court for Committal Proceedings for Contempt of Court. Karim has the reported case of Metroline Limited v Araujo [2021] 5 WLUK 46, a helpful decision in Contempt Proceedings. Following a string of successful major trial wins, Karim joined Manchester’s large loss and catastrophic injury team, where he assists in the handling of cases of the utmost severity. He also helps develop client relationships and training.

Karl Jackson

Karl is head of our built environment segment. He specialises in all aspects of commercial property law including commercial and residential development, landlord and tenant and acquisitions and disposals. Karl is also an acknowledged expert in the field of urban regeneration, dealing with complex and high-value projects for both the public and private sectors. Karl specialises in city centre regeneration and is an acknowledged expert in the development market with active public and private sector clients. He advised Greater Manchester Arts Centre on the new development of HOME at First Street Manchester. It is the largest arts centre outside of London. Karl is the client relationship partner for Manchester City Council, Co-operative Group, Peel Group, Bruntwood and Pets at Home. Karl has recently been instructed by Manchester City Council in connection with the redevelopment of Oxford Road Railway Station in Manchester. Karl is consistently recommended by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a leading individual.

Kas Davis

Kas has over 25 years' experience in commercial property and has dealt with all aspects of her field including landlord and tenant, estate management, investment acquisitions and disposals, site assembly and commercial development of retail sites. She has acted for developers and national retail clients. Kas is now a real estate professional support lawyer in the Knowledge Management Team based in Liverpool.

Kate Shute

Kathryn Hinchey

Kathryn joined Weightmans in 2008 and is a Principal Associate in the Large Loss and Technical team in London. She has extensive experience in defending motor, public and employers' liability claims on behalf of UK insurers and local authorities. Kathryn specialises in catastrophic personal injury cases including severe brain injury, spinal injury, amputation and fatal accident claims.

Katie Gemmell

Katie is a legal director in the large loss department. She has specialised in defendant catastrophic litigation for 15 years dealing with all aspects of liability, indemnity and quantum including issues relating to rehabilitation, statutory funding, reverse indemnities and periodical payment orders. Katie has acted for both insurers and the Motor Insurers Bureau and is currently a specialist large loss handler working with Markerstudy Insurance. Her current caseload includes paraplegic, brain injury, amputee claims and severe orthopaedic injuries.

Katie Price

Katie is a Partner (employed Barrister) and Head of Service Delivery for disease and casualty claims. Katie oversees the operational side of the casualty and disease departments ensuring that Weightmans’ clients receive an exceptional service. Previously a tenant at a criminal set of chambers, she has a wide range of experience in multiple areas of law but now handles all types of occupational disease claims including dermatitis, noise induced hearing loss, work related upper limb disorders including hand/arm vibration syndrome, occupational cancers, all asbestos related illnesses and stress related issues. Katie also provides training both internally and externally. Katie takes great pride in her work which ensures she goes the extra mile to deliver a tailored and client focused approach.

Keith Jones

Keith Jones is an partner based in Weightmans' Liverpool office. Keith specialises in occupational disease claims, principally work related upper limb disease such as HAVS and CTS and NIHL claims. He also deals with and has a wide range of experience in relation to respiratory diseases, repetitive strain injuries and asbestos related conditions. Keith joined Weightmans in 2001 and has been part of the disease Unit from its inception in 2005. In particular Keith has acted for local authorities across England and Wales in relation to NIHL and HAVS cases and manages a team of specialist disease lawyers acting for local authorities and other public sector employers and utility companies. Keith has significant experience and expertise in dealing with claims for local authorities, colleges and other public authorities. Expertise on issues of corporate and successor liability arising from transfer of liability under TUPE and on local government reorganisation. Occupational asthma and other respiratory diseases arising from exposure to various agents. Keith's particular expertise is Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome including tranches of cases involving ground maintenance staff and low level intermittent exposure in light industry successfully defended on the grounds that level of knowledge and exposure was insufficient to give rise to foreseeable risk. Keith works with local authorities and utility companies reviewing their HAVS, health and safety and occupational health referral policies.

Ken Slade

Having qualified as a solicitor in 1996, Ken joined Weightmans in November 2004 when what is now the firm’s Knowledge Management team was in its infancy. With 10 years experience in private practice, specialising in personal injury, before joining Weightmans, Ken now heads up the KM team and provides both strategic and operational advice, guidance and support across the business, including writing and delivering training and commentary both internally and for clients. With an MBA in Legal Practice, Ken is also recognised as an expert in all aspects of knowledge management and professional support in law firms.

Kerri Whittaker

Kerri is a Principal Associate in the property litigation team in Manchester, specialising in commercial property disputes and housing matters. She is dual-qualified in the jurisdictions of England & Wales and Northern Ireland. Kerri deals with wide a range of commercial property matters including lease renewals, dilapidations claims, breaches of commercial leases and advises clients on all property and lease related matters. She has a broad range of experience of housing disputes on behalf of private landlords and housing associations, specifically in relation complex housing issues, housing disrepair and regularly advises clients in relation to bespoke issues they have in respect of same. Kerri has also acted for private landlords in respect of claims relating to forfeiture and other breaches and has obtained possession of commercial properties. Kerri is a keen advocate and regularly appears in the County Court on commercial and housing litigation matters.

Kerry Waters

Kerry is a highly experienced associate specialising in employment law. Named as a recommended lawyer in this years’ Legal 500 for her “expertise in executive exits and tribunal cases”, Kerry undertakes contentious and non-contentious work, successfully defending complex Tribunal cases and supporting the firm’s corporate partners with matters involving TUPE transfers in the public and private sector. Kerry also advises on commercial and contractual disputes in the areas of employee confidential information, the enforcement of post termination restrictive covenants and directors’ duties and on matters relating to the Equality Act. As an accomplished and highly regarded public speaker, Kerry regularly presents on a wide range of employment related topics. Kerry has recently delivered seminars to: The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) University of Sunderland Academies Enterprise Trust Recent experience Advising on complex disputes involving allegations of whistleblowing, discrimination and TUPE Advising respondent clients through tribunal process, including successfully defending an unfair dismissal claim in which costs were awarded against the claimant Advising on a complex transfer of part of a business, involving approximately 1300 employees A High Court claim for a PLC client arising from circa 75 staff moving to a competitor and related confidentiality and other business protection concerns Providing advice regarding an invitation to tender for a local authority contract, involving TUPE, LGPS pensions, redundancy planning and the impact on the pricing of any bid Defending a County Court claim for a University in which a student alleged a failure to implement reasonable adjustments relating to a disability in breach of the Equality Act Advising on the acquisition of a campus from one higher education provider to another and on the TUPE consequences of the taking “in house” of the cleaning contract at that same campus.

Kevin Brown

Kevin joined Weightmans in 2010 and is our IT Director, leading the firm's IT and data teams at a strategic and operational level. Kevin has over 25 years' experience in technology roles, gained across a range of private and public sector organisations. He has an MBA in Technology Management and an MSc in Lean Systems. He is also a Member of the British Computer Society and a chartered engineer. In 2018 he became a partner. Kevin sits on the firm's Operations Board and is responsible for advising the business on technology delivery and future developments.

Kieran Hearty

Kieran joined Weightmans in 2016 and is an associate in the large loss and technical claims team, specialising in defending civil claims for compensation against insurance companies and the Motor Insurers' Bureau brought by, or on behalf of, claimants who have suffered catastrophic and life-changing personal injuries. He was admitted to the roll in 2014 and has over 15 years of litigation experience. Kieran deals with a broad spectrum of claims which include severe traumatic brain injuries, amputations and spinal injuries resulting in paralysis and has experience with motor claims and employers' and public liability cases involving complex liability, technical and indemnity issues.

Kieran Jones

Kieran is head of our insurance segment. A highly experienced litigator who acts for insurers, public authorities and international commercial organisations, he has significant experience in defendant insurance litigation particularly in high value and high profile sensitive cases. Kieran is also actively involved with and sits on the Board of Insurance Law Global, an international network of "best in class" insurance law firms. He is a regular commentator in the insurance and wider press and a frequent presenter. Memberships include the Law Society, Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL), AIRMIC, Chartered Insurance Institute and Insurance & Reinsurance Legacy Association (IRLA). Kieran is ranked in Chambers & Partners UK and a recommended lawyer in Legal 500.

Kirsty Adamson

Kirsty is a technically skilled, highly competent solicitor, offering advice to well-known businesses such as Camerons Brewery Limited, BGF, Northumbrian Water Limited and Crafter's Companion Limited on matters including acquisitions and disposals, private equity investment, general company law matters e.g. corporate governance issues, compliance and shareholder agreements. Kirsty has experience in acquisitions and disposals of private companies with both local and national presence. Kirsty also advises on private equity investment, including dealing with early stage investment or subsequent supplementary funding, advising both venture capital funds and companies. Kirsty has further demonstrated her business acumen within the Financial Services sector, advising on a number of mergers and acquisitions. Kirsty has contributed content for two publications aimed at the Financial Services sector. How are advisers adapting to a changing environment? and, more recently, Fintech -Embracing the future, adapting to innovation. Demonstrating a mature commercial awareness, Kirsty understands the environmental pressures facing the legal industry and is aware of the changing needs of the client. Delivering above and beyond the level of service the client expects, Kirsty's pride in her work ensures she goes that extra mile to understand the needs of the client and their business and enables her to deliver a service that is truly supportive of the client's objectives and the desired outcome. It is testimony to Kirsty's legal ability that the sectors she has advised so early in her career make up an enviable list and include banking and financial services, education, utilities and energy, leisure, technology, healthcare and construction. Kirsty's growing reputation within the market was recognised when she was named the North East's Emerging Dealmaker of the Year for 2019 at the Insider Dealmakers Awards and enhanced further by Legal 500 in which she was cited as "definitely one to watch."

Kirsty Leedam

Kirsty has strong experience in all aspects of family law. She has a particular interest in family cases involving an international element. Kirsty worked as an Attorney overseas in the Cayman Islands for a number of years and has a particular insight into the dynamics of expatriate families and offshore arrangements. She deals with complex children cases and high-value financial matters. She is a member of Resolution and the Child Abduction Lawyers Association. Kirsty has considerable experience advising family clients in cases which involve businesses, trusts, drafting and advising on nuptial agreements, and third party interests in land. She has experience in complex family issues such as post-separation accrual, legal cost allowances, jurisdictional forums, special contribution arguments and clients with catastrophic injury within divorce. Her client base often includes leading individuals within offshore law firms, global investment banks, corporate services, world-leading medical practitioners and multinational professional services networks. Kirsty is committed to providing tailored solutions for her clients and considering alternative strategies. She is meticulous at problem solving and thinking outside the box. She is renowned for her ability to devise solutions to complex family disputes.

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.

Laura Roberts

Laura has been advising Royal Mail Group since 2013 and handles a diverse caseload of complex discrimination claims and sensitive unfair dismissal claims. She has experience in discrimination, whistleblowing and performance-related issues together with employment tribunal practice and procedure. She also has a particular expertise in holiday pay. Laura is an experienced advocate in the tribunal and has recovered large costs awards through her tribunal representation in recent years.

Laura Creasy

Laura joined Weightmans in 2008 and became a Principal Associate in 2020. She handles claims for defendant organisations and their insurers, specialising in the area of EL/PL litigation. Laura has a particular focus on construction claims and those involving logistics clients. She acts for organisations in a number of sectors but particularly in the built environment and logistics sectors for which she is a key handler for a number of global clients. Laura also has experience in handling group litigation and cross border claims.

Lauren Rigg

Lauren is a regulatory defence lawyer specialising in health and safety and food safety. Her client base is made up of companies and individuals from a wide variety of sectors which include manufacturing, construction, food and retail. She has a vast amount of experience in representing clients in investigations by the Health and Safety Executive, Police and Local Authorities in respect of workplace accidents. Lauren also deals with prosecutions by the trading standards departments of Local Authorities for a variety of offences. In the healthcare sector, Lauren represents clients at inquests, advises care providers facing enforcement action by the Care Quality Commission and represents individual medical practitioners in disciplinary proceedings. Lauren also represents companies and individuals charged with the full range of criminal offences.

Lauren Smith

Lauren was called to the Bar in 2007 and entered the roll of Solicitors in 2012. She advises and represents clients in the Family Court on a range of matters in private and public law. Lauren currently specialises in childcare and is experienced in all aspects of proceedings including, interim removal, cross-jurisdictional care plans, Finding of Fact hearings and contested Final Hearings. She has represented in the High Court in relation to the Deprivation of Liberty of children. She is the lead advocate in the childcare department and controls a compact caseload of some of the most multifaceted, complex cases within the department. Lauren regularly represents at lengthy hearings with a range of expert, professional and lay evidence in issue. Lauren has an established background in advising on matters under the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act. Lauren has represented clients at Mental Health Tribunals for over 10 years. She specialised in High Security/forensic hospital admissions and was also able to advise on a range of matters under the Care Act. Lauren held the Law Society Mental Health Accreditation for 9 years before moving to Weightmans. Lauren is a dedicated advocate for the Regulatory team occasionally representing in Education and Adult Social Care matters. She works on the Local Government adult and child out of hours’ emergency advice line. She has had notable success representing local authorities at out of hours’ hearings where the Article rights of the parties are engaged.

Laurence Pritchard

Laurence is a commercial partner and head of competition law. Laurence advises clients on competition law, including merger control and the control of anti-competitive agreements and practices. Laurence has successfully handled many high profile investigations and inquiries by the European Commission and the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to a wide range of sectors as well as appearing before the specialist competition law court, the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court on competition law matters. Laurence also advises on the new National Security & Investment Act regime and its impact on different types of transaction, obtaining clearances where appropriate from the UK Government Investment Security Unit. Laurence is rated by the Legal 500 as a “leading individual” for competition law.

Lewis Fearon

Lewis joined Weightmans in 2010 and began his costs career in 2011. Lewis has experience in all areas of costs claims and has a varied caseload of paying party, recovery, and costs budgeting work. Also, Lewis works directly with insurer clients for industrial Disease claims. This work involves providing internal and external training, drafting quarterly reports, preparing for, and attending client audits. More recently, Lewis has been part of a Fixed Recoverable Costs Project. The team involved in this have provided training in relation to the Fixed Costs reforms and Lewis was part of drafting the Whitepaper document following the roundtable event hosted by Weightmans. Also, Lewis has drafted an article which focuses on the costs implications that defendants will face when settling NIHL claims at different stages of the claim.

Lewis Hough

Lewis is a Legal Director working in the Weightmans Police Team based in our Liverpool office. He joined Weightmans as a qualified solicitor in 2012 and has a wide range of experience in handling civil claims. Lewis advises police forces across England and Wales regarding a range of civil liabilities including false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office, negligence, data protection issues, and claims under the Human Rights Act and Equality Act. He regularly deals with Judicial Review claims issued against police forces and local authorities. Lewis also frequently handles high value personal injury claims brought by police officers for stress at work or arising from serious accidents sustained on duty. In recent years Lewis has handled a number of high-profile, complex cases involving public order incidents and protests. He has also successfully handled large group litigation of national importance such as the claim brought by over 400 Royalty and Specialist Protection Officers against the Metropolitan Police for unpaid overtime and allowances totalling approximately £25 million - Prior & Others v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2023] Civ 32. Lewis also regularly deals with Judicial Review claims issued against police forces and local authorities. In recent years Lewis has handled a number of high-profile complex actions involving public order incidents and protests. He has also successfully handled large group litigation of national importance such as the claim brought by over 400 Royalty and Specialist Protection Officers against the Metropolitan Police for unpaid overtime and allowances totalling approximately £25 million - Prior & Others v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2023] Civ 32.

Linda Lee

Consultant

Lindsay Staddon

Former partner of Ford & Warren solicitors, Lindsay has over 20 years' experience specialising in catastrophic injury claims (spinal cord injury and head injury), fatal accident claims, commercial loss claims and indemnity issues. Her areas of expertise include road traffic claims, employers' liability, public liability, indemnity and holiday claims. Reported cases include: Lee v Airtours 1 Lloyds Rep 683, Leesmith v Evans 2008 EWHC 134 QB, French v Groupama Insurance Company Limited 2011 EWCA Cov 1119 and Annison v Nolan 2012 EWCA Civ54.

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.

Linzi Perriman

Linzi is an experienced family law Associate and collaborative lawyer who resolves conflict arising from family relationships and helps clients to future proof their wealth. Linzi advises on all aspects of relationship breakdown including divorce and dissolution of civil partnerships, cohabitation, variation of maintenance cases as well as pre and post nuptial agreements with a particular interest in complex children law proceedings. These include applications relating to whom a child should live with and spend time with, disputes over schooling, relocation applications for permission to move both inside and outside of England and Wales and cases involving domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse. Linzi adopts a constructive and conciliatory approach to cases, with resolution in mind utilising the most appropriate method for the client, whether that be solicitor assisted mediation, solicitor led negotiation, collaborative practice, arbitration or court proceedings. As a collaboratively trained practitioner, Linzi can offer clients a 'better way to divorce' and resolve the financial aspects of relationship breakdown giving clients a greater degree of control over the process and the ability to focus on specific needs whilst working closely with other lawyers committed to avoiding court proceedings. During the process, Linzi works collaboratively as part of a team with other professionals and with clients to find solutions that work for their family as a whole. Linzi is a member of the Manchester Family Dispute Resolution Group. Clients describe Linzi as "professional, honest and extremely conscientious", "fantastic in every way" and "caring and brilliant throughout". Linzi is known for her detailed and focused advice in delivering results for clients and consistently goes the extra mile offering a bespoke service resulting in regular referrals from existing and previous clients and other professionals. Linzi is an active member of Resolution and currently sits on the Manchester Young Resolution Committee providing seminars, training and events to other family lawyers.

Lisa Watson

Lisa joined Weightmans in 2001 and has been a Legal Director since 2022. Lisa has practised in the personal injury field throughout her 30 year career and currently specialises in the defence of all types of occupational induced disease claims, especially high value complex asbestos related conditions but handles disease claims of all types, lung cancer, skin cancer, sensitisation, occupational asthma, dermatitis. She was involved in Heneghan V Manchester Dry Docks [2016] EWCA Civ 86 establishing the test for causation in divisible disease conditions and provides strategic advice for insurers in relation to all issues on liability, causation, contribution, and public liability claims. Lisa has extensive experience in high value catastrophic injury claims as well as physical conditions such as chronic pain, psychological injury and stress at work and has had experience in handling class actions. Lisa has several nominated clients for whom she provides bespoke strategic advice and support for the defendant organisation and their insurers having considerable experience in relation to work related employer and public liability claims and attending quarterly claims review meetings for all nominated clients. Notable cases: Heneghan V Manchester Dry Docks [2016] See above. Denial of skin cancer cases for outdoor workers – breach of duty and foreseeability. Negotiated settlements involving complex pension losses for both private and public bodies. Negotiation of pleaded multi-million mesothelioma claim for £500,000.

Lisa Cain

Lisa qualified as a solicitor in 2004 and is a Legal Director in the large loss team. She has over 20 years' experience of defendant personal injury work. She joined Weightmans in 2007 and specialises in handling catastrophic injury claims for insurers. She has experience in dealing with cases involving fatalities, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, spinal injuries, multiple orthopaedic injuries and chronic pain. She also advises on indemnity and coverage issues. Lisa is praised by her clients for grasping the issues at the outset and achieving good early settlements by working collaboratively with claimant’s solicitors.

Lisa Spencer

Lisa qualified as a solicitor in January 2004 joining Weightmans as an assistant solicitor in February 2004. She was promoted to associate in 2013. Her workload is predominantly clinical negligence, dealing with often complex claims. She also has experience of dealing with claims involving care homes, deprivation of liberty, claims involving the Human Rights Act and the Mental Health Act including psychiatric claims i.e. patient suicide and patient assaults on other patients/members of the public. Her clinical negligence work is predominantly multi-track litigated and non-litigated claims. These include failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, negligence during surgery, failure to provide informed consent, failure to treat and wrong treatment. She has experience is a vast number of medical conditions and expert specialisms with claims including colorectal, obstetric and gynaecology, orthopaedic, paediatric, cardiology, vascular, oncology and diabetes etc. and significant experience in fatal claims and claims involving protected parties. Lisa has experience in managing highly complex and high-value claims including birth injury claims, brain injury in adults, complex injuries involving internal organs (i.e. perforation of bowel, ureter and aorta), failure and/or delay in diagnosing cancer and also complex ophthalmic claims; in regards to the latter she has recent experience in dealing with a highly complex ophthalmic claim which involved a rare (and as yet unknown) genetic complication and arguments involving Bailey v Ministry of Defence which is currently with the Court of Appeal. She regularly deals with claims worth in excess of £1,000,000 and has experience in claims involving provisional damages and periodical payments.

Lois McArdle

Lois has specialised in employment law since qualifying at Weightmans in 2008. She advises on the full range of employment issues and works on a significant number of complex advisory matters for both public and private sector clients. Lois provides day-to-day support for a wide range of clients on the full spectrum of employment matters, including contracts of employment, grievances, disciplinary matters, performance and capability and settlement agreements. She provides training to clients and regularly undertakes Employment Tribunal advocacy for national and regional organisations. Lois works closely with the pensions team at Weightmans providing employment law support on a range of issues including consultation processes, implementing amendments to employees’ contracts of employment and managing employees who object to changes.

Lorraine Wilson

Lorraine specialises in acting for private clients in relation to their estate planning, including the preparation of wills, trusts and lasting powers of attorney. Lorraine has extensive experience in applying for probate and dealing with the administration of estates. She has a particular interest in cross-border matters and is used to working with lawyers in different jurisdictions to meet her client’s objectives and ensure their worldwide affairs are in order. As part of our trust administration team, Lorraine regularly advises clients on the administration of trusts to ensure that trustees have fulfilled their legal and tax obligations. As well as dealing with private clients, Lorraine also leads our team of specialists dealing with recovery from estates work on behalf of local authorities. Lorraine regularly presents estate planning seminars for clients and intermediaries. Lorraine prides herself on providing excellent client care, ensuring that her clients are always given an efficient and professional service. Lorraine is a full STEP member, full accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly and a member of the Law Society Private Client Section. Lorraine completed her STEP qualification in 2021 and was awarded two STEP Excellence Awards for the highest scoring graduate across the STEP Diploma in 2021 and the highest score in the 2020 Administration of Trust examination. Lorraine was ranked as an “Associate to Watch” in the Chambers High Net Worth Guides 2021, 2022 and 2023 and as a “Key Lawyer” in the Legal 500 Rankings.

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

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.

Louise Neave

Louise has extensive experience of advising in relation to UK and international financial services regulation and best practice. She joins Weightmans LLP from DLA Piper LLP where she was a Legal Director with responsibility for the firm’s consumer finance practice. Louise focusses on providing consumer finance legal and regulatory advice to a diverse range of clients including high street and challenger banks, finance houses, high street retailers, motor finance providers/manufacturers, point of sale lenders, store card providers, brokers and debt managers/collectors. She typically advises on the development of innovative credit/hire products; requirements for becoming and being FCA authorised and regulated to undertake various consumer credit related activities, including consideration of exemptions; how to compliantly enter and operate credit/hire agreements; drafting of credit/hire agreements; due diligence and funding arrangements involving portfolios of regulated credit/hire agreements; brokerage agreements; affinity agreements; financial promotions and advertising clearance; regulatory changes; FOS complaints; and FCA investigations. Louise has also held various in-house legal advisory and management roles in the UK financial services sector, including at RBS Insurance, where she headed a legal team servicing the legal needs of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Insurance Division businesses (including Direct Line Insurance plc, Churchill Insurance Limited, NIG, Privilege Insurance) and a senior policy role in a leading market financial services regulator in the Middle East, where she was responsible for developing the regulatory framework for Banks, Insurers and Asset Managers and for promoting international cooperation.

Louise Harvey

Louise Harvey is the Team Manager of our Plots Department. She is experienced in leading teams that deal with large volume transactions; ensuring legal services are delivered on time and within fee. Louise is constantly looking for innovative ways to improve our legal services; making use of technology and systems to deliver outstanding client service. Being at the forefront of the residential plot sale and part exchange offering, she is tasked with understanding client requirements, monitoring residential market trends and resourcing according to demand at any particular time. She is also an experienced landlord and tenant real estate lawyer having acted for large national retailers and assisting with the transactional aspects of the portfolio management.

Louise Miller

Louise leads the Private Wealth team in the Newcastle office and provides advice in relation to wills, trusts and estate administration work across the North of England. Louise provides a fresh approach to helping her clients to put their affairs in order and her goal is to make the process easy for her clients. Louise has been complimented on her ability and willingness to listen. She wants to know what is important to her clients and offers clear, sensible solutions. Louise advises on all aspects of estate planning including wills, trusts, probate, powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters in England and Wales. She works closely with her colleagues in the owner managed business and family law teams to ensure that the advice that her clients receive is complete and that the process, for them, is effortless. Louise has particular experience and interest in guiding trustees and executors through the process of trust and estate administration. She has considerable experience in dealing with high net worth estates and those containing substantial property portfolios.

Louise Mutch

Louise joined Weightmans in 2006 and is a Partner in the Large Loss team. She specialises in catastrophic personal injury including traumatic brain injury, spinal injuries and amputation. Louise especially enjoys diversity of the work as she deals with a wide range of motor, employers' liability and public liability catastrophic personal injury claims. She is known for her pragmatic approach. Her role is client focused and she tailors her approach to meet her client's specific requirements.

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.

Mandy Higgins

Mandy heads the firm's business immigration practice and has over 18 years’ experience in her field. She is experienced in both immigration and employment law so can provide seamless advice on the cross-over between the two areas. Mandy is experienced in providing global immigration solutions to large multinational corporations from a wide range of sectors including logistics, healthcare and technology. With extensive immigration expertise in the education sector, Mandy advises universities, colleges and independent schools and assists with all aspects of compliance, risk management and strategy. Mandy advises on the full range of UK immigration and nationality law matters and has particular expertise in sponsorship, compliance with sponsor duties and the prevention of illegal working regime. Mandy regularly delivers training for businesses on various immigration topics. She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA). Recent work highlights Successful negotiated the re-instatement of a Sponsor Licence for a PLC biotechnology company Advising a large borough council on recruitment and compliance issues Successfully appealed and overturned a civil penalty notice against a FTSE100 company Assisting and advising a major hotel chain on a UKVI compliance visit Advising a pharmacovigilance company on immigration options for its global mobility needs Advising on the immigration aspects of a £10m acquisition by a US company of a UK distributor Conducted a mock UKVI audit of a multinational health service company and advised on risk and key areas of compliance Advising a multinational logistics company on the structure of their sponsor licence Advised numerous UK companies on the impact of Brexit on their workforce and assisted with the implementation of strategies.

Marc Allison

Marc is sector lead for owner managed businesses in Leeds and provides a wide range of advice in relation to corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, MBOs, finance, investments and general company law matters. In addition to being sector lead Marc also heads up our franchising team, having completed almost 100 franchise-related M&A deals over the last five years. In addition to working for a national law firm, Marc also spent over four years working in-house for a listed company. Marc’s main clients are owner-managed businesses, however, he also works for a number of larger businesses and PLCs. With a strong emphasis on building solid relationships with clients, Marc’s focus is on providing specialist value-added advice, in an efficient and cost-effective manner, with regular and clear communications with clients.

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.

Marianne Frall

Marianne is a Partner in our Healthcare Providers team, advising clients on clinical negligence, regulatory and disciplinary matters, inquests, mental health law, criminal investigations and prosecutions, and data protection issues. Marianne is a specialist in CQC issues, NHS Trust disciplinary hearings and HSE prosecutions. She is extremely experienced in defending healthcare professionals in complex, high value negligence claims and representing her clients in both the High Court and Crown Court. Marianne has a particular expertise in Mental Health Act matters and the treatment and detention of mentally ill individuals. She frequently advises on consent and confidentiality matters for mental health patients, vulnerable adults and children.

Mark Dunn

Mark joined Elliotts in 1996 as a trainee solicitor, qualifying in 1998 before joining Weightmans in 2003 and being promoted to partner in 2013. Mark has dealt with motor claims on behalf of defendant insurers since qualification and is a partner within the Weightmans' Manchester motor department. He has extensive experience and expertise in the handling of claims arising from fatal road traffic accidents and the issues that may arise, ensuring that claims are handled both empathetically and proactively. He has significant experience in claims involving major orthopaedic injuries and displays a positive and strategic approach to dealing with all claims both pre and post litigation.

Mark Evans

Mark is an Associate based in our Leicester office and qualified as a Solicitor in 2003. Since joining Weightmans in 2013, he specialised in all types of fast-track and multi-track industrial disease litigation, with a particular interest in work related upper limb disorders and hand arm vibration syndrome. More recently, Mark has transferred to our Casualty Police claims team who represent police forces in England and Wales and specialises in defending actions against the police.

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).

Mark Poulston

Mark heads the pensions team at Weightmans. He acts for private and public sector clients on a wide range of pension law matters including risk transfer projects, scheme amendment and termination projects, the resolution of pensions disputes and the pensions aspects of corporate transactions. Mark also specialises in group life insurance schemes. Mark has been described by the Legal 500 directory as "having a wealth of pensions experience" gained from over 30 years of pensions practice. He has practical experience of scheme management and trusteeship. Mark is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute, a Chartered Insurance Practitioner and a full member of the Association of Pension Lawyers.

Mark Baker

Mark is a Partner and heads the Commercial Property team advising clients on development, development finance, investment, property finance and landlord and tenant matters.Mark's clients include investment funds, banks, property companies and high net worth individuals. He handles acquisitions and disposals, large scale developments, secured lending and financing for both borrower and lender, property portfolio management, rights of light issues and planning agreements.Recent experience includes:- Acting for a pension fund on the acquisition of its property portfolio; - Advising on the acquisition of a boutique London hotel- Acting on the acquisition and disposal of a chain of UK restaurants- Advising on various mixed use developments and dealing with rights of light and telecommunications issues- Acquiring restaurant premises in Central London- Advising a major bank on its security over a large redevelopment in London

Mark Crabtree

Mark has worked in the real estate field for 35 years. Mark has extensive experience of commercial property law, especially disposals and acquisitions, acting for lenders, estate management and landlord and tenant matters. He acts for owners, and investors who range from multi-nationals to smaller regional businesses. He has particular expertise in the licensed and leisure industry and acts for several of the major pubcos. Mark is known for his efficient, commercial and pragmatic advice. Mark regularly has to act on transactions that have very tight timescales and will work with the other side to ensure the transaction is completed to everyone’s satisfaction.

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.

Mark Surguy

Mark has over 30 years' private practice experience of advising and representing companies, institutions and individuals in domestic and international commercial litigation, fraud and insolvency cases across multiple sectors. His practice encompasses commercial misconduct, corporate investigations, freezing and search orders, asset tracing, and other remedies arising out of suspected fraud, cyber-fraud, and civil and criminal wrongdoing. He also has a strong and active commercial litigation practice in specialist tribunals and all divisions of the High Court, including the appellate jurisdictions. Mark has deep expertise in and knowledge of the workings of computer forensics, digital evidence, data protection and cross-border e-Discovery, and uses leading-edge technology to assist in fact-finding. He specialises in designing pragmatic solutions to novel and complicated problems.

Mark Burch

Mark joined Weightmans in 2014 as the then Head of Commercial Recoveries. He has previously been an in-house lawyer at Barclays Bank plc, Head of Regional Debt Recovery for Eversheds and, prior to joining Weightmans, worked within the Debt team at Pannone. Mark has experience of handling secured and unsecured public and private sector volume debt recovery, particularly complex defended actions, but now specialises in the use of insolvency procedures (Winding up petitions and Bankruptcy petitions) to assist in the collection of debt. He also has considerable experience of marketing, client care and management issues associated with volume debt collection within law firms. Mark brought with him a very loyal commercial client base which includes the Radius Group of companies, Murray Metals Group companies, the NWF Group and companies within the Johnsons Group, all of whom he still acts for today. Mark also represents a number of debt collection agencies who are well known members of the Credit Services Association. He also acts for a number of local authorities who utilise his knowledge and expertise in insolvency to collect various taxes and other debts. Mark has been recognised as a leader in the field of debt recovery and noted as such in both The Legal 500 and The Chambers UK Guide. He has provided clients with training on all aspects of the cost-effective use of the legal process in the credit/collections arena. He has recently acted as an invited expert on a Liverpool BPC course, involving His Honour Judge Neil Cadwallader and District Judge Samantha Johnson.

Martin Vincent

Martin is our national sector lead for education and is experienced in all commercial and academic areas of law as affects Universities particularly relating to projects, international ventures, collaboration, income generation and procurement arrangements. His exceptional experience at strategic, policy and operational levels within the sector ensures that our advice is practical and results-driven. Martin founded Weightmans education practice in 2008. He is client partner for key University clients including The Open University, Liverpool John Moore’ and the University of Chester. Martin is recognised in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for his work within the education sector.

Martin Edwards

Previously head of employment and HR at Mace & Jones, Martin specialises in all aspects of employment law and has appeared as an advocate before Employment Tribunals nationwide, as well as before the Employment Appeal Tribunal. He is regularly consulted by private and public sector organisations seeking fast and practical advice on high-profile business transactions, ranging from corporate mergers to European and premier league football transfers. Martin is a specialist in providing strategic advice in high profile and sensitive cases. Martin’s clients include many solicitors, barristers’ chambers and household name companies based throughout the UK, as well as multinationals. He regularly acts for a wide range of public sector clients including education establishments, NHS Trusts and Local Authorities. He is consistently recommended by Independent Legal directories such as Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners as a leading individual.

Martin Forshaw

Martin has been working with organisations in the public sector over the last 20 years. His expertise in police law is exceptional and he is respected for tackling the most challenging of cases that attract national press coverage. Martin has handled a number of issues for organisations who have been challenged in relation to the publication of information, the accuracy of information they hold, the sharing of information with third parties, and the loss of information including retrieving unlawfully removed information. He has represented defendants in a number of reported defamation cases. Martin regularly speaks at seminars and events on all aspects of information law. He led the tender that resulted in the reappointment of Weightmans national police team to the police national legal framework again in 2016 and retained the firm's number one ranking.

Martin English

Martin qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and joined the regulatory team at Weightmans in September 2014. Martin's specialism is representing organisations, insurers, NHS Trusts and individuals designated Core Participant status in public inquiries or Interested Person status at inquests. He has used his excellent knowledge and understanding of the inquisitorial process for both public inquiries and inquests to represent clients in cases involving major incidents, fatal road traffic collisions and major health & safety incidents, as well as on numerous healthcare inquests involving complex medical care. He conducts a significant proportion of his own advocacy, including Article 2 ECHR, multi-week, multi-party and jury inquests. He has managed and advocated cases of complexity as well as great sensitivity, some of which have attracted regional, national and international media attention. Martin also represents individuals and organisations in the magistrates and crown court in respect of the full spectrum of road traffic, regulatory and criminal offences (from speeding to homicide-related offences). He has had notable success in securing acquittals on complex and technical points of law. He has independent LEXCEL quality accreditation for providing advice and assistance at interviews under caution and providing advocacy assistance in the magistrates court.

Maryam Storr

Maryam has 20 years of experience in clinical negligence claims. She qualified in 2004 and worked in claimant clinical negligence until 2006. She joined Weightmans in 2010, became an Associate in May 2013, Principal Associate in May 2019 and Legal Director in May 2022. Her caseload is wide ranging, defending and resolving all types of clinical negligence cases, including claims of the utmost severity (including birth and adult brain injury claims, spinal claims and other catastrophic high value injuries) involving complex causation issues. As well as dealing with the highest value cases, Maryam also deals with cases which involve novel or sensitive issues using mediation where appropriate. Her advice is pragmatic, robust and commercial and aimed at achieving early evaluation and resolution. Maryam has a particular interest in patient safety and is Weightmans’ national Safety and Learning Lead. The role involves liaising with NHS Resolution on a regular basis to gather and analyse evidence on risk and trends, to develop and disseminate learning with a view to preventing future patient harm and improving services. She facilitates national learning events for NHS Resolution, members and clinicians to inform safer practices and spearhead a culture of learning. She also provides bespoke training to individual trusts on risks identified both in person and through podcasts. Maryam is also client relationship manager for one of our largest clients: University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS trust and she has worked with them to review their claims history and implement safety and learning strategies informed by the data analytics we provide to include in bespoke reports for the Board and Governance Directorates.

Matthew Jones

Matthew is a Principal Associate Solicitor in the Real Estate Team at Weightmans. Matthew specialises in property disposals and acquisitions as well as asset management, leaseholder enfranchisement and landlord and tenant matters. As a key member of the firm’s Primary Care Team, Matthew regularly acts for healthcare clients including GPs, dental practitioners, and pharmacists in connection with their premises needs. His experience in the primary care sector provides him with a detailed and empathic understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that the sector presents, and he works closely with his clients to achieve their goals. His experience and knowledge of the healthcare sector’s nuances as well as NHS service provision contracts enables him to offer strategic advice tailored to the needs of healthcare provider professionals and organisations. In particular, Matthew has advised on Premises Costs Directions, advice in relation to service charge and GP lease assignments, a large-scale transaction involving over 30 pharmacy practice disposal and acquisitions of dental practices on behalf of a large Dental corporate. Whilst Matthew’s main focus and specialism lie in the healthcare sector, he is also the firm’s leading expert on leaseholder enfranchisement. Matthew has regularly lectured to fellow professionals and property owners on the issues arising out of residential lease extensions and enfranchisement. He is ALEP accredited and a member of a specialist surveyor's panel of solicitors. He regularly receives referrals and recommendations from surveyors, solicitors and other professionals, recognising his expertise in this niche area of work, as well as being directly instructed by property owners, be they leaseholders or freeholders.

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”.

Matthew Lake

Matthew has 18 years’ experience specialising in property litigation dealing with all aspects of contentious commercial property and residential property issues. He also has a broad range of experience covering all aspects of housing management disputes on behalf of Housing Associations. Matthew has acted for a diverse range of clients including some well-known retail and service industry businesses. Matthew’s experience includes debt recovery, possession and demotion claims, injunctive action in matters involving anti-social behaviour (ASB), unlawful eviction and securing access for inspections and repairs, and extends to more complex matters such as mutual exchange, abandoned properties, unauthorised occupation, succession, and challenges to allocation schemes. Matthew has appeared regularly in the County Court on matters of anti-social behaviour and he has successfully defeated challenges brought on the grounds of proportionality. Matthew has developed a particular specialism in defending disrepair claims and prides himself on offering as robust a defence as possible in every case. Matthew believes his reputation with the claimant firms in this area assists him in defeating a significant proportion of claims and minimising damages in all other cases. Having previously represented tenants at his former firm in all manner of disputes against landlords, and having been that firm’s Housing Legal Aid Supervisor, this provides him with a tactical advantage when defending claims as he can anticipate the arguments which will be raised by a tenant’s solicitor and the manner in which they may be susceptible to challenge, at the outset of a case. Matthew has been involved in a number of claims involving the Equality Act and Proportionality defences. He has experience as an advocate in injunctive proceedings and committal proceedings, including successfully defending matters where Counsel has been instructed on the other side. He has vast experience of disrepair claims and successfully defended litigated claims. Matthew has also obtained costs orders against claimants in these claims. Matthew regularly provides training to clients on disrepair. Matthew also advises landowners in relation to matters regarding the Electronic Communications Code, including Code Operators’ rights to inspect land and site telecommunications equipment on that land, and the land owners’ ability to challenge those Operators’ demands. Some examples of his housing work include: Resisting a housing disrepair claim in which proceedings had been issued and an offer in settlement of £13,750 made, settling for £350 and small claims costs. Successfully defending a claim brought by a long leaseholder in respect of alleged failure to provide the services for which the landlord charged, and securing a recovery of wasted costs from the leaseholder. Resisting a telecommunications provider’s attempts to secure blanket rights under the Electronic Communications Code in respect of premises leased to the Housing Association (published case Cornerstone Telecommunications Limited and (1) Central St Giles General Partner Limited (2) Clarion Housing Association Limited [2019] UKUT 183). Matthew also represents landlords and tenants in all manner of commercial property disputes including lease renewal proceedings (both opposed and unopposed), dilapidations claims including use of the PLA Dilapidations Protocol, the impact of s.18 Landlord & Tenant Act 1927 and the effect of sub-tenants, rent/service charge disputes, advising on the effects of conditions attached to break options, serving break notices and advising landlords where a break notice may not be effective, advising on methods of obtaining vacant possession of sites and removal of equipment by telecommunications providers and advising on any discrete issues which arise during the term of a lease e.g. boundary disputes and encroachment. Some examples of his commercial work include: Successfully challenging the validity of a landlord’s break notice, saving the client £1m in relocation costs. Advising a landowner in relation to a £13m disposal affected by telecommunications equipment, including strategic and tactical options for seeking the removal of the equipment without the need for proceedings. Advising a tenant in relation to reinstatement provisions which could have resulted in expenditure in the region of £80m.

Matthew Foden

Matthew is a Principal Associate based in our Liverpool office within the police claims team who specialises in defending actions against the police. Matthew represents a number of police forces, including the Metropolitan Police Service, British Transport Police and Merseyside Police, advising on employers' liability and public liability claims including actions for false imprisonment, assault, malicious prosecution, misfeasance in public office, negligence, workplace stress, and claims under the Human Rights Act and Equality Act. Matthew has a particular interest in data claims brought under the Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR, for misuse of private information and for breach of confidence. Matthew has undertaken secondment work within police force legal departments, providing day to day advice on operational matters to officers on duty.

Matthew Williamson

Matthew is head of our corporates segment and has responsibility for Weightmans corporate clients in the financial services, transport and logistics, manufacturing, retail and leisure, and energy and utilities sectors. He is client Partner for national retailers as well as third party logistics providers. He primarily advises on complex landlord and tenant matters as well as property acquisitions and disposals with a specialism in negotiating overage and clawback provisions. Matthew sits on the property advisory board of the UK Warehousing Association and has recently worked with them and Savills to develop a model form of warehouse lease, 'Standard Property Lease' in order to provide a starting point for the industry when negotiating a new lease of this type of property. Matthew has expertise in the delivery of client contracts and projects, ensuring both Weightmans and the client’s own Key Performance Indicators are met through bespoke IT solutions. He is product manager for Weightmans' ‘One View’ product which enables team members, whatever the practice area, to deliver an excellent service and to capture, measure and report on those items which are important to the client.

Matthew Morton

Matthew is a partner and the national head of the Disputed Wills, Trusts and Estates team. He covers the Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle offices. He is a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists and is recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading individual in this area of law. Matthew is experienced in disputes involving the administration of estates, will validity claims, proprietary estoppel, Inheritance Act claims and also disputes involving trustees, executors and beneficiaries. Matthew is regularly instructed by a number of well-known charities for his specialist knowledge in contentious trust and estate disputes and also receives instructions from solicitors, barristers and accountants. Matthew is regularly the lead solicitor on high profile cases that are reported in the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Matthew is the co-author of the chapter on Inheritance Act claims in the 2020 Edition of the Resolution Family Law Handbook. Reported cases Singh v Kaur and Others [2011] EWCA Civ 1554Nahajec v Fowle [2017] Free consultation We offer a free 30 minute consultation on all matters relating to disputed wills, trusts and estates. Book now

Melanie Steed

Melanie Steed is a principal associate in the employment, pensions and immigration team, based in the Leeds office. She has acted for all kinds of employers during her career, from large PLCs and household name employers through to owner managed businesses and senior execs. She has particular expertise in the education sector, having joined Weightmans from her most recent role as a senior in-house lawyer at The University of Leeds where she worked hand in hand with her senior management, human resources and governance colleagues to manage a whole range of staff and institutional related issues. Melanie deals with all contentious and non-contentious employment matters, including employment tribunals, employee relations and transactional work. She has a strong reputation amongst her clients and peers for giving pragmatic and commercial advice in a way which is direct and accessible as well as for being easy to work alongside.

Melanie Isherwood

Melanie qualified as a solicitor in 1994, previously having worked a hospital doctor. She joined Weightmans in 2001 and was made partner in 2006. Since 1995, Melanie has specialised in defendant clinical negligence claims. Melanie’s specialisms include cases of catastrophic injury, claims arising out of non-delegable duty of care, and other matters of high profile and sensitive claims, sometimes with media involvement. Melanie has experience in handling claims with mentally ill unrepresented claimants and provides training and to support to colleagues and NHS Trusts in connection with this specialist work. Melanie also represents clients at mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, provides training to clients on learning from claims and works with NHS Trusts on DNACPR issues.

Michael Rogers

Michael is a principal associate in the Manchester motor team dealing with the defence of high value multi track claims. He deals with all aspects of claims including indemnity, liability and quantum and has a specialism in chronic pain syndromes, in respect of which he is the preferred adviser for major insurer clients. Michael has also presented and advised in respect fundamental dishonesty findings.

Michael Murphy

Michael is a Partner in the corporate and commercial team and leads the Owner Managed Business Sector in Liverpool, having joined the firm in November 2019. Michael advises on a range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, joint ventures, corporate restructurings and general corporate governance matters. He has particular expertise in acting for owner managed businesses, from inception through to receipt of investment, buy and build strategies and exit. Michael’s experience includes advising listed companies, private companies, private equity houses, management teams and entrepreneurs. Michael is ranked as a Rising Star in The Legal 500, Corporate and Commercial: Liverpool. Michael’s recent work highlights include: Advising the shareholders of Ventcroft Limited in their sale to NKT Group. Acting on behalf of the Management Team of Vivify Venues Limited on their receipt of investment from Arete Capital Partners. Advising the shareholders of MD Insurance Services Limited in their sale to HSB Engineering Insurance Limited, a subsidiary of Munich Re. Acting on behalf of Orange Property Services (Liverpool) Limited in its acquisition of Fit Property Lettings and Management Limited. Advising the shareholders of Tuffx Processed Glass Limited on their sale to and receipt of investment from Alcuin Capital Partners. Advising the shareholders of Design Reality Limited on their sale to Full Support Healthcare Limited. Advising the shareholders of EDP Engineering on their sale to RSK Group. Advising the shareholders of Online Legal Limited in their sale to Blume Acting on behalf of River Capital in their investment in Baron’s (Fylde Coast) Supplies Limited

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”.”

Michaela Nicholas

Michaela is a Partner in the Healthcare team. She brings a unique skill and expertise to her clients having trained and worked as an intensive care nurse before becoming a lawyer. She has more than 17 years of experience advising in healthcare law.She provides advice for a wide range of healthcare issues with particular experience of clinical negligence claims, disciplinary and regulatory proceedings, and advising on matters before the General Dental Council (GDC), Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Michelle Garlick

Named by one client as "The Rockstar of Compliance", Michelle is head of Weightmans' award-winning Compli service which advises the legal sector on all aspects of regulation, compliance, risk management, professional discipline and claims and complaints handling. Michelle qualified as a solicitor in 1992, specialising in professional negligence litigation, and joined Weightmans as a Partner in February 2008. She is also the firm's MLRO. Over the years, she has advised and represented many hundreds of lawyers and legal businesses on their regulatory obligations and disciplinary investigations and is known for her pragmatic, commercial and supportive approach. Michelle is the author of The COLP's Toolkit, a Law Society best-seller (currently in its third edition), and co-author of The Good Risk Law Firm, published by the Solicitors Journal. She is a well-known speaker and commentator on the legal circuit and sits on the editorial committee of the Law Society’s Legal Compliance Bulletin. Michelle was extremely proud to be elected as the President of Manchester Law Society for 2019, having been a council member of Manchester Law Society for six years and chair of its regulatory affairs committee and COLP and COFA Forum. During her Presidency, she launched the Manchester Law Society Access to the Profession Hub to help improve Diversity and Inclusion in the legal sector and she appears in the Manchester Power 100 list 2019 of most influential people in Manchester.

Mickaela Fox

Mickaela has over 25 years’ PQE and became a Partner in 2005. Mickaela specialises in professional liability, regulatory and insurance coverage work and has particular experience of claims against lawyers. Mickaela has acted for a number of large national firms and is well regarded for her skill and expertise in the conduct of complex, high-value indemnity cases. Over the years she has advised on all types of lawyer’s liability claims, including claims involving complex trusts arrangements, taxation, banking, property, fraud, group litigation, consumer protection, personal injury/clinical negligence and, in more recent times, cybercrime. Mickaela is frequently retained to advise on coverage issues pertaining to professional indemnity policies. She also acts as a consultant to law firms who require compliance advice. Mickaela was responsible for the launch of the firm’s risk management consultancy service for lawyers, Compli, and has been instrumental in the development and growth of Compli. Mickaela is the chai of the Liverpool Law Society’s Regulatory Committee. In that role she is responsible for preparing the Society’s responses to consultation papers issued by the SRA, including those setting out fundamental changes to the way the profession is regulated. Mickaela is highly recommended in the directories and has for many years been recognised as a leader in her field.

Mike Clifford

Mike is experienced in acting for major corporates, private companies, and investors on their M&A, joint venture, due diligence and re-organisation activity across a variety of sectors including media and advertising, defence, food, catering, health and care. Mike has particular experience in providing corporate and commercial legal services to private, public and 'third' sector organisations in the healthcare and care industries. Mike leads our Private Health and Care Practice, providing market-leading legal services to owners, operators, and investors in businesses operating in the health and care sectors. Mike also leads the firm’s work with national and international law firms and equity houses on investments in or including UK health and care businesses. Our care team acts for, among others, public and private providers of acute care, specialist diagnostics, community care as well as General Practitioners, Dentists, Pharmacists and other providers of Primary Care services. In addition, it acts for providers of care such as including UK based health and care businesses and assets. Notable projects include: Leading for Top 5 Private Acute Hospital Group in relation to a number of corporate acquisitions and joint ventures including a novel shares acquisition and related establishment of a strategic joint venture oncology services business; Leading teams advising various private equity purchasers of healthcare businesses including Plasma Resources UK Limited, Independent Clinical Services Group Limited, Cygnet Healthcare and Oasis Dental. Acting for US based care business on its £32m earnout acquisition of leading UK care services publisher and related digital services provider Advising NHS Trusts/FTs in connection with various projects including: a joint venture with Alliance Medical re new PET/CT and MRI Services and construction of dedicated facilities; long term commercial joint venture for the provision of diagnostic services to a private provider and related provision of premises; establishment with a private provider of an outpatient diagnostics facility and co-located minor surgery facilities.

Mike Burns

Mike trained with Withers and on qualification in 1993 joined specialist London shipping firm More Fisher Brown. Mike joined Weightmans as a partner in May 2006. Mike’s expertise includes the carriage of goods by sea, charterparty and bill of lading claims, hull and P&I insurance, cargo recoveries, freight liability, multimodal transit, CMR and yacht claims. Mike has a related non-contentious practice including vessel sale and purchase and drafting contracts of carriage. Mike is ranked in The Legal 500 2015 as a 'Leading Individual'.

Mike Scherp

Mike originally qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and after spending several years in the Channel Islands he qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales in 2005. Mike has been involved in healthcare law since 2002 and has dealt with cases that cover almost all aspects of healthcare; his civil practice extends from managing claims at all stages of the process with a focus on providing an efficient, pro-active and cost effective service that achieves the best possible outcome for his clients. That he has acted for Claimants and Defendants in clinical negligence litigation over the years gives him a real ability to understand the aims and motivations of the other party, which informs the strategic and tactical advice he provides to clients. Mike is also an expert in defending healthcare professionals in regulatory proceedings, criminal cases and Inquests. His experience of GDC and GMC cases includes assisting clients with all phases of a regulatory investigation through to contested hearings, including interim orders hearings. Mike also represents clients involved in investigations being undertaken by NHS England, Local Health Boards and NHS Trusts. Mike also represents healthcare professionals in Inquests and any related regulatory or civil proceedings. That vast breadth of experience means that Mike has a real understanding of the Healthcare sector, and also the way it works on a day to day basis, which allows him to protect and advance his client’s interests whatever problems may confront them.

Mike Grant

Mike Grant has been recognised for many years in the leading directories for his expertise in defending claims against construction professionals , mediation and insurance coverage work. He has been described as "technically astute", "commercial", "robust enough to deal with anything thrown at him" and as the "go to" expert for defending claims against engineers by The Lawyer Magazine. Chambers 2017 said “Mike Grant knows the insurance market inside and out” He featured in The Lawyer Magazine’s Hot 100 for 2014. He has dealt with many complex and high profile cases and is experienced in arbitration and mediation. He has resolved claims worth in excess of £800m by means of mediation. He speaks regularly to professionals and professional bodies about insurance and risk issues. He has been involved with, and has a particular interest in, the development and delivery of consultancy services.

Mike Simpson

Mike is a partner in Weightmans large loss team and has over 30 years experience specialising in handling catastrophic loss personal injury claims for insurers, including Ageas and Covea. He handles claims involving severe spinal injuries including paraplegia and tetraplegia, traumatic brain injury, amputation, multiple orthopaedic trauma and fatal claims. Mike is an expert on coverage and indemnity issues.

Morris Hill

Morris joined Weightmans in 2007, having previously spent 10 years working for in-house local authority teams, latterly as a Principal Solicitor. Morris specialises in all aspects of public law, with a particular emphasis on social care, healthcare and education. Morris regularly acts for local authorities in matters relating to child protection and children with disabilities, adult protection and best interests determinations, applications before the Court of Protection, general community care obligations, ordinary residence disputes, mental health law, commissioning and contractual arrangement and charging. He advises local authorities and individual schools on school organisation, exclusions and admissions, SEN provision, school transport and general strategic advice. His healthcare clients include hospital and mental health trusts and ambulance services to which he provides general healthcare law advice, particularly in relation to mental health/capacity law, consent issues and provision of and withdrawal of treatment. Morris also has an interest in all aspects of public and Human Rights law and information governance. He frequently advises his public sector clients on responding to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and their obligations under data protection legislation. He also regularly provides training to lawyers, clinicians and other medical staff and local authority officers. Morris has been recognised for a number of years as a ‘Star Associate’ and ‘notable practitioner’ by Chambers & Partners in the category of Court of Protection: Health & Welfare (Public Sector Clients). He also sits as a Fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Health, Education & Social Care Chamber). Morris has acted in a number of reported and important cases, including: HH v Carmarthenshire CC & Ots [2023] EWCOP 18 (whether the same judge can make best interests decisions in respect of more than one person) Fixsler v Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust [2021] 4 WLR 123 (withdrawal of life sustaining treatment) An NHS Trust v ZA [2021] EWCOP 39 (below the knee amputation) Surrey CC v NHS Lincolnshire CCG [2021] 2 WLR 805 (claim for restitution/NHS Continuing Healthcare) A Local Authority v H (No.2) [2019] 2 WLUK 767 (capacity to have sexual relations, but not contact) R (Paul Worthington) v HM Senior Coroner for Cumbria & Others [2018] 12 WLUK 124 (challenge to Coroner’s conclusions) R (City of Wolverhampton Council) v South Worcestershire CCG & Shropshire CCG [2018] EWHC 1136 (Admin) (responsible commissioner) In The Matter of Human Fertilisation Embryology Act 2008 (Case M) [2016] Fam Law 1089 (declaration of parentage) HM Senior Coroner for Cumbria v Ian Smith [2015] Inquest LR 235 (application by Coroner to quash previous Coroner’s decision) GP v Deby City Council [2012] EWHC 1451 (consultation with NR) Wirral Borough Council v Salisbury Independent Living [2012] HLR 25 (meaning of ‘person affected’ for the purposes of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000) A Local Authority v H [2012] 1 FCR 590 (the test for capacity to enter sexual relations) R (RH) v SSHD & Wigan BC [2010] EWHC 2414 (age assessment) R (Broster & others) v Wirral BC [2010] EWHC 3086 (Refusal to provide Personal Budgets) DCC v KH [2009] (CoP) (Use of standard authorisation to return to placement) R (Culkin) v Wirral Independent Appeal Panel [2009] ELR 287 (school exclusion) W PCT v TB & S MBC, CW NHS Trust & W MBC [2010] 2 All ER 331(Mental Health Act 1983 / Mental Capacity Act 2005) R (F & Others) v Wirral BC [2009] BLGR 905 (community care / Supporting People Programme) R (Manchester CC) v St Helens BC & PE [2009] WLR (D) 319 (ordinary residence dispute) R (St Helens BC) v Manchester PCT [2008] Times, October 6 (NHS continuing healthcare) St Helens BC v PE & JW and Manchester PCT [2007] 2 FLR 1115 (best interests under the inherent jurisdiction) E v Channel 4 V Channel 4 & News International Ltd and St Helens BC [2005] 2 FLR 913 (injunction/declaratory relief) R (on the application of Haggerty & Others) v St Helens BC [2003] HLR 69 (care home closure) R v Dr Finnegan & DE ex parte Wirral Health Authority and Wirral BC [2001] MHLR 66 (effect of quashing order on MHRT decision) R v Chief Schools Adjudicator, ex p Wirral BC [2001] ELR 574 (challenge of decision of the adjudicator) R v (1) Wirral BC (2) Governors of Elleray Park School, ex p B [2001] ELR 266 (special educational needs) R v Schools Adjudicator, ex parte Metropolitan Borough of Wirral [2000] ELR 2620 (challenge of decision of the adjudicator)

Natalie Keyes

Natalie has over a decade of experience in both contentious and non-contentious construction matters. Natalie assists a wide variety of clients, including international, national and regional contractors, sub-contractors, consultants, employers, and insurers, and has experience across diverse sectors including leisure and educational buildings, infrastructure, energy, groundworks, piling, roofing, mechanical and electrical, on commercial, residential and public developments. Natalie’s non-contentious experience includes review, negotiation and drafting of build contracts, appointments, collateral warranties and framework agreements, particularly using the JCT and NEC forms of contract. Natalie’s contentious/dispute experience includes advising clients in relation to commercial resolution of disputes through negotiation, mediation, adjudication, and, where necessary, Court proceedings, particularly in the Technology and Construction Court and Natalie has experience in the conduct of multi-million pound disputes. Natalie regularly writes legal briefings and legal update newsletters and has presented numerous legal update seminars both to clients and on behalf of other organisations such as the University of Leeds, Constructing Excellence, CECA, ICE, and CIAT. Feedback from clients: “Again thank you for all your assistance below. You did a brilliant job given the time frames, time zones and lack of documentation and everything else. Much appreciated. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you.” “Thank you for your efforts and congratulations for reaching such a good settlement” “Well done Natalie, a tall order and nailed right on time!” “Thanks again for all of the excellent advice and support.” “If I can just express my gratitude for all your assistance and advice. I think we may well have given up the fight long ago if it wasn’t for your persistence and patience in the matter which is hugely appreciated.” “Thanks again for the service. We got exactly what we wanted out of the process.”

Neal Samarji

Neal has been an insurance litigation specialist lawyer from the start of his career in 1992. He was head of insurance litigation at Elliotts where he spent 11 years before joining Weightmans in 2003. Neal has significant experience in defendant insurance litigation particularly high value and sensitive injury litigation including catastrophic injuries. Neal's work is divided between his legal practice and managing client relationships where his approach is pro-active and focused in providing solutions and value to clients' needs. Memberships include the Law Society and Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL).

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.

Nick Newman

Nick is a Partner in the employment, pensions and immigration team, responsible for national clients and a team spread across his own office of Leeds, plus Manchester, London, Birmingham and Glasgow. He has a portfolio of household names as his clients, having a particular specialism in the road transport sector, both haulage and passenger carrying vehicles, and also within healthcare and charities. He is skilled at advising company clients, including transport providers, haulage companies, care providers, NHS Trusts, owner managed businesses, and charitable organisations, on both contentious and non-contentious matters and is praised for providing "invaluable support" by his clients. Nick and his team manage a significant caseload of Employment Tribunal litigation matters, including claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination, employment status, wages/national minimum wage, holiday pay, whistleblowing and TUPE. During his career he has appeared in almost all of the Employment Tribunals in England and has also conducted his own advocacy in Scottish Tribunals and appeared in the Employment Appeals Tribunal, with an excellent appreciation of not only what the law says, but also how it is likely to be interpreted in practice. Nick provides strategic, tactical advice on various matters such as disciplinary and grievance issues, TUPE, industrial relations, equal opportunities, redundancy processes, restrictive covenants and business protection and contractual disputes. He advises on matters such as large-scale change projects and other complex issues involving high-profile, media sensitive material together with the removal and/or management of senior employees and Company directors. Nick also provides bespoke client training including the delivery of in-house national training programmes to a number of clients. Nick also acts for medium to high net worth individuals, including negotiating settlement agreements with payments up to approximately £500,000.

Nicola Gonnella

Nicola is a partner in our corporate and commercial team, based in Glasgow and working closely with our national commercial team on general commercial work, IP, media and technology matters, outsourcing/contract management, procurement and data protection. Nicola has extensive commercial contracts and negotiation experience in a range of sectors — both public and private and worked across various jurisdictions, in the UK and globally. Nicola is also a member of Weightmans Digital, technology and data, and sports law team. Nicola has widespread experience of representing major brands, high-value companies, partnerships, public authorities, sport bodies, educational institutes and charities, along with a sound background of working in highly regulated sectors and managing risks across a broad range of legal issues.

Nicola Shand

Nicola is an Associate in the London Healthcare team and acts on behalf of NHS Resolution and private insurer clients in a wide range of clinical negligence cases. She has particular expertise in dealing with sensitive and complex paediatric cases which have often attracted press attention. Nicola also has significant experience of both assisting with and managing her own caseload of high value claims including those related to maximum severity birth injuries, other types of neurological injuries, amputation and maternal death. She has experience of engaging in mediation and other forms of ADR at all stages of the litigation process, achieving positive results for her clients. Nicola organises Weightmans' healthcare seminar programme which covers a wide range of healthcare topics presented by external speakers and attracts a variety of NHS Resolution, NHS Trust and MDO clients. She also has experience of lecturing to medical experts on liability issues in clinical negligence cases.

Nigel West

Nigel is a Partner at RadcliffesLeBrasseur, where he heads the litigation department. He has a niche practice specialising in defence work for solicitors and firms facing SRA investigations and disciplinary proceedings, and has over twenty years’ experience of work in the field. Most of his work is carried out without any publicity at all, but he and his team have represented solicitors and firms in a number of the leading reported cases on solicitors regulation in recent years including SRA v Wingate and Malins (definition of integrity), SRA v Scott (definition of integrity), SRA v Bryant & Bench (right to rely on character references), SRA v Ebhogiaye (SDT restriction orders), SRA v Moosavi (using client account as a banking facility) SRA v Sheikh (interventions), SRA v Neumans (interventions) and Yussouff v SRA (right to oral hearings on adjudication).

Noel Ferry

Noel is a solicitor advocate based in our Glasgow office specialising in Scottish family law. In expert guides he has been described as "exceptionally good". According to clients, he provides 'outstanding' service, is 'absolutely committed to the case', and has 'exemplary' knowledge. Noel has extensive experience in high-net-worth divorces, cohabitation claims, prenuptial agreements and child relocation cases. He has also conducted many cases as a fully trained collaborative lawyer. Noel attracts glowing recommendations from clients - 'I cannot praise the service I received highly enough'; 'I found him to be outstanding and very understanding to my case'. He did "a fantastic job representing me". "I felt sad for [my ex partner] when he was on the stand... being cross-examined by Noel". Noel continues to be a leader in the field of family law. He has recently been involved in a number of difficult divorces where the sums at stake have been several millions of pounds. In addition, he has prepared a number of pre-nuptial agreements for some of the highest profile individuals in Scotland, including international sporting stars as well as members of the Sunday Times 100 Richest people. He has also successfully litigated and negotiated several complex cohabitant claims both on separation and on intestacy. Noel also successfully obtained an order for a father to retain his son in a groundbreaking relocation case which attracted widespread publicity in newspapers and TV not only across the UK but also abroad. Noel’s strong grasp of the law inspires confidence in clients and commands respect from fellow practitioners. The complex financial nature of the cases he is in involved in demands not only technical expertise but also innovation and creative solutions. Noel is exceptionally good at thinking outside of the box. Noel has extensive experience in all areas of family law. As well as having extensive litigation experience he is also noted for his strong negotiation skills and commercial pragmatism. Noel’s people skills in dealing with clients going through highly emotive situations are second to none. Noel’s easy-going and likeable nature really puts clients at ease. His ability to explain often complex legal and financial issues in a straightforward and understandable way takes a lot of the stress off the client’s shoulders. Noel's clients regularly confirm their high regard for the work he has undertaken on their behalf. As well as being a solicitor advocate with rights of audience in the Supreme Courts, Noel is a trained Collaborative lawyer and member of Consensus. He is also a member of the Family Law Association, having served as Treasurer and a committee member on the Family Law Association Committee for 9 years. He also contributed a chapter on Financial Aspects of Divorce for the Family Law Association's handbook. Noel has had numerous articles published in the Law Society Journal and Family Law Bulletin as well as in several publications and broadsheets such as the Scotsman and Herald newspapers. Noel previously ran Professional Competence Courses for trainee family lawyers on behalf of the Law Society of Scotland and is still actively involved in preparing and presenting seminars for the Law Society of Scotland, Family Law Association, STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), Various Solicitors’ Groups and Central Law Training. He has presented seminars on Divorce, Pensions; Cohabitation laws; Pre nuptial Agreements and Children’s cases to solicitors across Scotland. He was also formerly a member of the panel of solicitor reporters for West Lothian and the former Vice Dean of the West Lothian Faculty of Solicitors. Noel is part of the winning team named Family Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards. Noel is also a member of the International Bar Association.

Noor Miah

Noor is an associate solicitor who is part of our Midlands disease team. He qualified in 2015 and has been practising personal injury since 2011. Noor specialises in occupational disease claims across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, transport & logistics, retail, leisure and hospitality sectors. Noor specialises in all types of multi-track and high-value litigation and has acted for insurance intermediaries defending occupational disease claims including, carpal tunnel syndrome, hand arm vibration syndrome, asbestos induced pleural thickening, noise induced hearing loss, occupational stress claims, skin disease, occupational asthma, cumulative back and various repetitive strain injuries. Work highlights include successfully defending a claim to trial for Plantar Fasciitis against a major car manufacturer and securing costs orders against Third Party solicitors. Noor is assisting in legacy claims dealing with asymptomatic platinum sensitisation claims following the Supreme Court decision in Dryden et al. Noor has formed strong client relationships and is able to advise on claim strategies and legacy risks to avoid floodgates.

Oliver Nelson

Partner specializing in restructuring and insolvency work, acting for all types of insolvency office holders eg liquidators, administrators, receivers, trustees in bankruptcy and nominees / supervisors of voluntary arrangements. He also acts for lenders on enforcements issues and has a particular specialism in fixed charge receivership work. He also acts for directors and distressed companies/ individuals and on complex debt recovery work, guarantee enforcement and directors disqualifications. Commercial dispute resolution.

Pamela Freeland

Pamela is a partner in Weightmans’ national Speciality Team. She specialises in professional indemnity claims and regulatory matters across many professional disciplines including: - accountants -insurance brokers -IFAs -surveyors -health and safety consultants -administrators and liquidators -architects -civil and geotechnical engineers -fire engineers -solicitors -barristers -property managers and care home operators. An experienced negotiator and litigator, Pamela manages and resolves high value, complex and multi-party disputes. She provides advice and guidance at all stages of a dispute – be that during the initial phase when a client is conducting preliminary investigations for an anticipated dispute or up to and including a trial. She adopts a commercial and pragmatic approach to dispute resolution and regularly leads negotiations conducted in person and/or remotely and via mediation. She has conducted cases heard in the High Court, Technology and Construction Court and the Business and Property Court. She is also experienced in dealing with disputes referred to adjudication and arbitration. Pamela sits on the ILG Professional Liability Committee, which comprises members from across the globe. They produce articles and provide guidance on relevant issues across multiple jurisdictions. Pamela has a leading role in the firm’s multi-disciplined team of experts who deal with all aspects of claims against Directors and Officers or business entities. She project manages such claims, acting a key point of contact when input is often required in a number of areas such a regulatory, insolvency, ESG and cyber security. She also acts as monitoring counsel for insurers on claims where individuals and /or entities require separate legal representation. Pamela is also instructed to provide advice on policy coverage across several classes of business including professional indemnity insurance, Directors and Officers/ Management liability insurance, Business Interruption Insurance, Contractors All Risk insurance and EL and PL insurances. She regularly produces articles relevant to professional indemnity and policy coverage and provides training to clients and industry bodies.

Pamela Stevenson

Pamela joined Weightmans in Glasgow in September 2014 as an Insurance Partner. She has worked exclusively in the personal injury field her entire career. She qualified as a solicitor in 1999 following the completion of her traineeship with Thompsons Solicitors, one of the largest pursuer personal injury practices in Scotland. At Thompsons, she worked within their disease department dealing with a diverse case load including claims for bladder cancer, asthma, silicosis and asbestos related diseases. In December 2001, Pamela moved to bto solicitors, an insurance defender firm, as she was interested in approaching claims from a different perspective. Her caseload was very diverse including all types of employers liability, public liability, disease, motor, fatal, stress/harassment at work, medical negligence, professional negligence and consumer protection claims where there was a personal injury element. In April 2011, Pamela was assumed as a Partner of bto, and headed up their Disease team although her remit also involved running the £50,000 to £500,000 team. Through the work undertaken for one of bto's insurance clients, she managed to secure instructions / nominations from two large insureds to deal with their asbestos cases. Pamela was also part of the Marine Team at bto dealing with personal injury claims arising from accidents or the contraction of illnesses/diseases whilst on board ships or in shipyards. Pamela’s in depth technical knowledge and pragmatic approach has resulted in her being viewed by a number of clients as their "first port of call" both for dealing with claims and providing ad hoc advice. Pamela has been involved in a number of high profile cases, including Amanda Chinn v Cyclacel (2013) where she successfully defended a preliminary proof on time bar in a WRULD claim, and Mair v Amey (2013), where she obtained judgement for her client in an action arising from alleged defects in the road and the defenders failure to inspect and repair. She also recently obtained abandonment for her insurance clients in a Lyme Disease and COPD claims. The Lyme Disease abandonment was a significant result as liability had been admitted and an interim damages payment had been made pre litigation. Pamela is also an active member of FOIL Scotland.

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.

Patricia Grinyer

Patricia heads the firm's finance team and advises on all aspects of financial services. She provides advice to banks and borrowers on bilateral and syndicated facilities. She has particular expertise in public sector finance. Key clients include Santander, Lloyds Bank Plc, Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II and the Midlands Engine II. As one of the few solicitors nationally who acts on the establishment of Public Sector Funding schemes, establishment of legacy funds and utilising public and private sector money to create funding platforms for SMEs, this year Patricia has successfully won pitches to act for various fund managers in connection with their bids to be appointed to the £200million South West Investment Fund and the Investment Fund for Scotland. Patricia has continued to provide advice nationally for bank lenders and borrowers on syndicated and bilateral banking documentation.

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.

Paul Ryman-Tubb

Paul joined Weightmans in November 2019, with over 30 years of experience in the motor insurance industry. Previously Chief Technical Officer at the Motor Insurers Bureau, Paul was responsible for the large loss claims team as well as all aspects of technical claims policy and MIB's role in the cross border claims system. He served as Chairman of the MIB Technical Committee for the last 10 years overseeing the resolution of disputes between MIB and insurers. Paul advises insurer clients on motor non-indemnity issues, he has particular expertise in the Road Traffic Act, Article 75 and the MIB agreements. He also advises on policy wordings, processes and provides training to claims handlers on his specialist area. Prior to working at MIB, Paul was employed by Budget Insurance and Eagle Star - both within the claims area.

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.

Paul Colman

Paul works in the Wills, Trusts and Estates team based in our Leeds office and deals with a variety of private client matters. Paul is a private client specialist with extensive experience dealing with business owning clients, professionals, landlords, agricultural clients and landed estates. Paul advises on all tax planning, Trusts, Wills as well as on the use of personal or Family Investment Companies and Partnerships, offering bespoke solutions where required. Paul provides advice in all areas of lifetime and post-death tax planning. He also brings to the team specialist experience of advising on the taxation of land and property, ranging from the sale of garden plots or whole farms to housebuilders, the use of promotion agreements, and the holding of rental property portfolios in trusts, partnerships and companies. Paul provides specialist trust advice including preparing bespoke provisions for new documents and in the interpretation of existing trust provisions, where there may be ambiguities, inconsistencies or historic errors. Paul also provides specialist expertise for complex Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax problems, such as on the use and applicability of the Residence Nil Rate Band or Business Asset Disposal Relief (formerly Entrepreneurs’ Relief) as well as niche tax areas such as Stamp Duty Land Tax in relation to multiple dwellings, companies or partnerships. Paul also advises on the use of Lasting Powers of Attorney and Living Wills, and, where applicable, how disabled persons' trusts can be used as estate planning tools. Paul is a fully accredited member of STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).

Paul McGagh

Paul has over forty years experience in Conveyancing having commenced his career with a city centre Practice in Manchester in 1976 and then worked for several practices in and around Manchester, Chester and North Wales. Initially he gained experience in Residential Conveyancing, Lender Security work and Commercial Property alongside Estate Development work and has specialised in Developer land acquisition and Estate Development work for more than 25 years He was employed by McCarthy and Stone PLC as an in house Conveyancer and set up their regional legal department and has an in depth knowledge of the workings and expectations of Developer clients.

Paul Raftery

Paul is head of the OMB segment at Weightmans, having been the head of corporate and commercial at Weightmans and at Mace & Jones prior to its merger with Weightmans in 2011. Paul has over 20 years' experience through fluctuating economic cycles in advising businesses and their owners and directors on their corporate affairs. Paul’s clients range from technology and entrepreneurial start-ups at one extreme to established private and public companies at the other. Paul advises sellers and buyers on disposal and acquisitions, from strategy and planning stages through to completion. Paul also advises clients on fundraising and investments, group reorganisations and restructuring. In addition to transactional advice, Paul advises owners and directors on their duties and responsibilities and on corporate governance and compliance. Non-transactional advice also includes advice on joint venture and shareholder arrangements and other partnering relationships. Paul regularly advises non-UK companies, listed and private, in relation to their UK subsidiaries and UK acquisition strategy and on cross border acquisitions and joint ventures. Transactions he has acted on in the last 18 months include the purchase by Sonoco of Plastique Holdings Limited (as part of its acquisition of Thermoform), the sale of Caunce O’Hara Insurance Brokers Limited to Markel Capital Holdings Limited and the purchase of Macclesfield Town Football Club. Whilst advising clients across a wide range of sectors, Paul has particular expertise in sectors as diverse as packaging, logistics, property and construction, professional services and commercial vehicle distribution and services. He also advises both universities and their academics in relation to university spin-outs and related fundraising.

Paul Debney

Paul qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and has specialised in disease and personal injury claims since then, joining Weightmans as a Partner in 2008. His disease experience includes: asbestos related diseases, asthma, biological exposure cases including Legionnaires disease, chemical poisoning including neuropsychiatric injury, occupational cancers, cumulative back and other repetitive strain type injuries, noise induced hearing loss, vibration related injuries and work related upper limb disorders. Paul has particular expertise in relation to fraudulent claims, speaking regularly on that subject. Paul has been to the Supreme Court (Dryden & Ors v Johnson Matthey PLC [2018] UKSC 18; the case which clarified what constitutes an “injury” in a personal injury claim) and the Court of Appeal several times, including in relation to clarifying procedure in contempt claims (Zurich Insurance Plc v Romaine [2019]EWCA Civ 851).

Paul Wigham

Paul specialises in acquisitions and disposals of companies and businesses for both owner managed business and large corporate clients. He advises on private equity investments, particularly in relation to early stage companies, and provides general funding advice to companies, including advice on banking facilities and security documentation. In addition, Paul provides general corporate governance advice to companies and directors and assists companies with their annual compliance and statutory obligations under the Companies Act. Paul provides advice to all organisations within, or who interact with, the education sector, including schools and academies (including free schools, alternative provision academies and university technology colleges), further education corporations and universities. In relation to schools and academies, Paul has significant experience in providing advice to academy trusts on expansion through the sponsorship of other schools and re-brokering of existing academies (including advising trustees on their duties in connection with expansion), and major capital build projects. He also advises academies on compliance with the financial handbook and governance handbook, and on the establishment of trading subsidiaries and other group structures. Within the maintained sector Paul has advised on federation and de-federation issues, as well as the establishment of charitable companies providing opportunities for collaborative practice, shared learning and other professional development opportunities for clusters of schools. Paul forges strong relationships with clients underpinned by his focus on making things happen. He has an excellent project management track record and an enviable breadth of knowledge in connection with DfE policy and cutting edge academy work. Recent experience Advising a corporate client in relation to a $80,000,000 syndicated multicurrency banking facility involving group companies in 7 jurisdictions. Acting for both further and higher education institutions on term loan and revolving credit facilities totalling in excess of £45.5 million. Acting for a charity and one of the North East’s most visited tourist attractions on the restructuring of its banking facilities. Acting for bank on the provision of acquisition finance in relation to the management buyout of a precision engineering company. Acting for bank on the provision of development facilities for the construction of care homes. Paul also provides advice to Further Education colleges on a whole range of matters including: The merger of further education colleges following the government’s area review process; The establishment of shared services companies and associated advice to governors; The establishment of trading subsidiaries and the acquisition of training providers by further education colleges; Large finance projects including development and working capital banking facilities; Paul also advises universities on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters including: University spin outs and subsequent venture capital fund raising; Banking and finance including significant term loan and development finance facilities; The establishment of university technology colleges and collaboration with schools and academies; Mergers and acquisitions within the sector (including advising on the disposal of a HE campus to a further education college); Advice on constitutional issues.

Penelope Marshall

Penelope is a partner in the local government team in Birmingham and an expert in local authority litigation with particular emphasis on highways, education and social services and high value complex claims. Penelope has advised clients on policy matters as well as claims and has taken part in numerous training events and spoken at local and national conferences. Noted in Chambers & Partners as an excellent lawyer in the defendant personal injury field, Penelope has been commended for her exceptional client-focused approach.

Peter Hall

Peter qualified in 2003 and joined Weightmans in March 2013 as part of the Semple Fraser merger. Peter's background is in real estate litigation, including 1954 Act business lease renewals and terminations, termination and renewal of telecoms agreements, dilapidations claims, tenant insolvency and enforcement of guarantees, applications to assign or sub-let, boundaries, right of way and right to light disputes, restrictive covenants, option agreements and conditional contracts, rent reviews, lease forfeiture, adverse possession, rectifying conveyancing errors and general property management. Peter advises a wide variety of occupiers, developers and investors. He believes in the merits of ADR and has conducted a number of successful mediations. Peter is also a long-standing volunteer supervisor at the University of Manchester Student Law Advice Centre.

Peter Ward

Peter first joined Weightmans in 2009, having qualified as a solicitor in 2004. Peter has specialised exclusively in industrial disease claims since qualification. Peter’s disease experience includes: noise-induced hearing loss, hand/arm vibration syndrome, work-related upper limb disorders, dermatitis, work related cancers, respiratory illnesses and asbestos-related illnesses. Peter’s case load predominantly covers higher value/complex disease matters with a particular speciality in relation to asbestos claims, unusual disease types and work-related cancers. Peter has pursued cases successfully to the Court of Appeal and has significant trial and procedural experience. He is predominantly instructed by major insurers, local governments and multi-national companies.

Peter Tyler

Peter is an associate solicitor working in the dedicated disease unit and is based in Leicester. He qualified in October 2009 and has been practising in the area of personal injury since 2007. Peter acts for insurers handling industrial disease claims and assists with the supervision of other fee earners. He participates in the setting of the strategy for disease claims. He has formed good client relationships and is trusted by them to advise on claim strategies, claimant firm behaviours and legacy risks.

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.

Peter Forshaw

Peter joined Weightmans in September 1997. He became a Partner in 2005. Peter leads the firm’s services to Commercial and Municipal Insurers and is the Lead Partner for Casualty Claims, overseeing the handling of all EL, PL product liability claims for insurers and corporate entities across the firm’s various offices. He sits on the Retail & Leisure and Manufacturing sector groups within the firm. Peter continues to handle claims himself, specialising in the area of EL/PL personal injury litigation, for defendant organisations and their insurers. He is nominated by various corporates including a global retailer, international food manufacturer, a family entertainment scheme and a global oil provider for claims emanating from its forecourt and service station outlets. In addition, Peter specialises in defending theatre owners and production companies in respect of personal injury claims arising in the fields of theatrical production and live performance. Peter also has particular interests in Violence in the Workplace, wearable technologies and drones on which he has written various papers and articles. He regularly delivers training seminars and provides risk management advice for clients, particularly focused on the claims process, claims defensibility issues and reducing avoidable litigation in order to save money for his clients. He has written for a number of publications including the firm’s Insurance Insights publication and various trade press such as Insurance Times and Insurance Day, providing thought leadership and best practice advice to the market. He is also a highly regarded speaker at training events on such issues. In 2006 Peter qualified as a mediator with the Academy of Experts. He is also Weightmans’ CSR partner, strategically leading the firm’s fundraising, pro bono and community initiatives for which the firm has been shortlisted for a number of awards over recent years, as well as being the firm’s lead for the LGBTQ+ strand. Peter is a member of FOIL, a mentor with GROW and in his spare time, he acts on a pro bono basis as Hon Gen Solicitor for an arts-based charity in the North West.

Peter Wake

Peter trained at Weightmans and qualified in 2003. He became a partner in 2011. He acts for local authorities across the country as well as fire and rescue authorities, education establishments and housing providers. Peter has particular expertise in defending professional negligence and human rights claims against social services and education authorities. He also specialises in abuse claims to include historical matters, multi-claimant cases and group actions. Peter has a special interest in defamation, privacy and data protection law. He also represents local authorities at inquests, particularly Article 2 inquiries and inquests that involve safeguarding issues, social care and Children's Services departments. Peter also lectures and presents on related topics.

Philip Harding

Phil qualified in 2009 and joined Weightmans in July 2013 as a solicitor before becoming an associate in 2017 and subsequently a Principal Associate in 2019. He currently manages a team in the Casualty department. He handles a wide variety of public liability and employers' liability claims for a wide variety of clients in both the public and private sectors, and has a particular specialism in highways claims made against local authorities. He successfully acted for the local authority in the widely discussed matter of Heath McCabe v Cheshire West & Chester Council & BAM Nuttall Ltd that looked at questions of misfeasance and non-feasance and powers vs duties. duties.

Philip Nicholas

Philip is currently a principal associate in the Manchester Large Loss team with over 10 years’ experience in dealing with motor claims. Prior to working in his current role, Philip worked in the commercial insurance team handling a variety of employers’ liability, public liability, product liability and stress claims. As a member of the large loss team, Philip has considerable experience dealing with cases with complicated indemnity issues and liability disputes. Philip in particular acts for the firm’s key clients dealing with complex orthopaedic cases, in addition to cases with complicating factors, mild traumatic brain injury, and chronic pain. He is well known for pro-active, commercial and pragmatic approach to claims, to ensure optimal resolution at the earliest possible opportunity. Philip is a member of the vulnerable road users’ group within Weightmans, and is the motorcycle lead. He also has specific interest in cycling, e-bikes and e-scooters, and has written numerous articles for internal and external publication, and has also provided numerous training seminars and presentations internally, and to external clients. He is also a member of the firm’s internal advocacy unit, and regularly conducts case management and procedural hearings, and interlocutory applications. Outside of work Philip is a keen golfer and wine enthusiast, with a WSET level 2 qualification.

Philip Vickers

Philip is a Partner in our Property team. He specialises in both commercial and residential property and advises his clients on the purchase and sale, redevelopment and refurbishment and refinancing of properties. He has also advised lenders on property secured lending and financing. Philip advises on a full range of property matters and acts for a range of clients from investors, developers, banks, other finance providers and high net worth individuals. Philip's expertise includes: Auction sales and purchases The grant and surrender of commercial leases Landlord and tenant issues, including rent reviews, enforcement of lease covenants and dilapidations Stamp duty and other taxes affecting both residential and commercial properties Refinancing work for both borrowers and lenders Portfolio sales and purchases

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.

Polly Wesson

Polly is a solicitor in the Tax and Private Client team based in London, having trained and qualified in RadcliffesLeBrasseur’s leading private wealth team prior to the merger with Weightmans. She advises clients on all aspects of private wealth law, including succession planning, estate administration, probate, trusts, tax planning and mental capacity. Polly is experienced in assisting clients with preparing their Wills & Wealth Planning Structures and 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 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 also advises clients on Lasting Powers of Attorney, complex capacity issues and applications to the Court of Protection involving substantial estates. Polly provides clients with high-quality counsel encompassing all aspects of private client law and is a member of the STEP international advisory special interest group. Polly also advises on matters involving disputed estates and trusts.

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: 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, Antares, Argenta, Argo, AXA Insurance, CFC, Chaucer, Collegiate, IGI, Markel International, MMI (part of Zurich), RiverStone, Sompo International, Tokio Marine HCC and Vibe. He has been involved in a number of high-profile and complex cases, including: acting for one of the defending parties in a very substantial dispute arising from the collapse of a tunnel at Gerrards Cross; acting 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; and acting for Argo in the successful defence of a claim by Multiplex arising from the construction of a tower block at 100 Bishopsgate (which is frequently cited as a precedent case in other matters). He advises frequently on cladding disputes and is currently representing one of the parties involved in the Grenfell Tower refurbishment project.

Rachael Keightley

Rachael is team manager of one of our Liverpool disease teams, dealing exclusively with disease claims including asbestos-related diseases, noise induced hearing loss, HAVS and upper limb disorders. She has been with Weightmans since qualifying in 2013 and has acted for a diverse range of clients including multi-national self insureds, local authorities and the disease legacy market. Rachael has successfully defended claims on grounds of limitation, breach and causation and has been involved in defending a tranche of disease claims against a large insured which has required a detailed understanding not only of the litigation process but also of resolving complex corporate and insurance histories.

Rachael Fawcett

Rachael is a Partner based in our Liverpool office. Rachael deals with a wide variety of public liability and employers' liability claims on behalf of local authorities, schools/universities and academies, housing associations and other public sector organisations across the country. Rachael has particular expertise in defending claims made against housing providers including personal injury claims brought under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Defective Premises Act 1972 and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. Rachael also works closely with the firm's property litigation department handling claims, providing advice and training on housing condition claims where there is a personal injury element. Rachael regularly provides training to insurers, housing providers and local authorities on housing claims. Rachael also deals with data protection claims made against public sector organisations. Rachael regularly delivers training for clients, speaks at various events and writes articles on related topics.

Rachel Donovan

Rachel is a clinical negligence solicitor, specialising in birth-related cases. She is based in our Liverpool office. Rachel qualified as a solicitor in June 2003 at Goodmans Solicitors where she worked from 1999 to 2009 specialising in claimant clinical negligence. It was there that she found her niche in birth-related cases including CP cases and injury to mum, settling cases with values exceeding £15 million. Further to her time at Goodmans, Rachel moved to John Pickering and Partners to start a department in Liverpool where she also set up HEADWAY Liverpool. After John Pickering, Rachel moved to Simpson Millar where she was made partner and ran the Liverpool office. Rachel then took a career break to raise her children for 2½ years and came back in 2019 to work for SPG Law, where she ran the TVM Litigation case (product liability). Although she thoroughly enjoyed the causational aspect of this case, Rachel missed medical negligence and jumped at the chance to join Weightmans.

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 Band 1 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 acts for a number of NHS trusts and organisations across London, the South East and the Midlands, 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.

Rachel Lim

Rachel is a Partner within the family team. She qualified in 2003 and is a Resolution Accredited Specialist in Children Cases and Complex (middle/high value) financial remedy cases. Rachel specialises exclusively in family law and embraces the varied work this area of law has to offer. She has a wealth of experience in advising clients on all aspects of relationship breakdown. In particular, Rachel has expertise in the following areas: -Divorce; -Matrimonial finance – complex high value cases involving companies, trusts, pension sharing, overseas assets and inherited wealth; -Children Act applications including Child Arrangements Orders, Specific Issue, Prohibited Steps and Removal from the Jurisdiction; -Cohabitees disputes; -Schedule 1 applications; -Variation of maintenance; -Prenuptial/separation agreements; and -Enforcement. Rachel has a particular interest in modern family law issues and recognises that over the last few decades family structures have changed dramatically. Consequently, she welcomes new enquiries from individuals in same sex relationships and those considering surrogacy or co-parenting agreements. Rachel enjoys working closely with clients to help them negotiate the legal and other issues which flow from relationship breakdown. Rachel is known for her empathetic nature and approachable manner which readily sets clients at ease. She is always meticulously prepared and adopts a sensible and pragmatic approach to all of her cases. She gains considerable satisfaction in achieving a good outcome for her clients. Rachel has been singled out as a Rising Star by the Legal 500 for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and has been praised for her "confidence, clarity and professionalism." Rachel is part of the winning team named Family Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards. Rachel has been singled out as a Rising Star by the Legal 500 for 2019 and 2020 and has been praised for her "confidence, clarity and professionalism." Rachel is part of the winning team named Family Law Firm of the Year at the LexisNexis Family Law Awards.

Rebecca Cairney

Rebecca joined Weightmans in 2012 and is Team Manager for the Employment, Pensions and Immigration team, based in Liverpool, specialising in employment law. Rebecca handles a diverse caseload of complex and sensitive discrimination and unfair dismissal claims with a particular expertise in worker status, Agency Worker Regulations and objective justification of discrimination matters. She also provides advice on a range of issues including conduct, sickness absence management, performance and capability, as well as intricate matters such as restructuring exercises, TUPE and Trade Union activities. She provides operational and strategic advice on all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law, including day to day employee relations issues, disciplinary and grievance procedures, TUPE/business reorganisation, redundancy, discrimination, contracts, policies and procedures and settlement agreements. She qualified in 2018. Rebecca is an experienced advocate in the Employment Tribunal, regularly representing clients on discrimination and unfair dismissal claims. Rebecca works with a wide range of clients from a variety of sectors including registered housing providers, transport and logistics, local authority and NHS Trusts. Rebecca is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA).

Rebecca Alton

Rebecca completed a training contract at Weightmans and qualified into the Birmingham Healthcare team in 2016. She handles a mixed caseload of clinical negligence claims, including some fixed fee work and high value claims, which vary in the types of dispute and value. She has been involved in work covering all aspects of clinical negligence, including; group claims, associated claims to inquests, litigants in person, claims with media interest and claims with multiple defendants. Rebecca also assists partners with high value, catastrophic injury matters, including brain injury claims. Rebecca has gained invaluable experience and understanding as to the needs of the client, as she has worked in-house at a number of NHS Trusts on secondment.

Rebecca Blythe

Rebecca is a partner in the Large Loss team based in Liverpool. She is experienced in all areas of law relating to personal injury claims and specialises in large loss and catastrophic injury claims including traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, amputation claims, fatal accident and chronic pain/subtle TBI/functional neurological disorder claims. Rebecca has worked for numerous large insurers and the Motor Insurers Bureau and has longstanding experience or providing non indemnity advice and currently works for a large car rental company. She is particularly experienced in defending fraudulent/exaggerated claims prevalent in the fast-growing area of chronic pain/STBI/FND. Rebecca works with multiple municipal and corporate insureds with large deductibles as well as individuals and is adept at developing and maintaining good relationships with all levels of customer.

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.

Richard Briggs

Richard has worked for NHS clients for over 20 years. He advises healthcare clients in connection with their clinical negligence claims. He is adept at finding solutions, in resolving claims efficiently and fairly, and in helping our clients learn from them. His work, in case handling and as a supervisor, ranges across all medical disciplines and includes the most complex and severe claims.

Richard Burrows

Richard Burrows is a partner in Weightmans’ national Disease team. Based in Liverpool, and having joined the firm in 2011, Richard is one of the internal technical leads for the team. He has a keen interest in emerging risks and horizon scanning to ensure that the firm’s clients are well prepared for any potential new trends which put them at risk. Richard’s core client base is formed of insurers in the legacy market, as well as large corporate organisations. He handles a variety of claims ranging from low value noise induced hearing loss claims to high value asbestos-related injury claims, COSHH claims and other respiratory injury claims. Richard frequently co-ordinates and delivers training sessions to Weightmans’ clients and to the wider legacy market, both in relation to the technical complexities of current claims, as well as how to prepare best for potential claims trends in the future. In addition to his work at Weightmans, Richard is also a director of the Insurance and Reinsurance Legacy Association (IRLA), having been appointed in April 2023. In May 2023 he won IRLA’s Future Leader award as recognition for his contribution to Weightmans, IRLA and the legacy market as a whole. le.

Richard Palmer

Richard is recognised for his expertise having been highlighted as a leader in the field of professional indemnity and “highly recommended” by Legal 500 for several years. A Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator for the last 13 years, Richard is a skilled negotiator who uses a wide range of dispute resolution tactics to achieve the best results for his clients in complex and high value disputes. He is viewed in The Legal 500 as standing out for his "straightforward professional advice that is always well researched". In Chambers UK 2010 Richard is described as "an extremely good communicator with an excellent ability to analyse problems and get to the heart of the issue". Richard has chaired several Professional Indemnity Seminars in the City of London, hosted by the Professions & Insurance Group, as well as speaking to insurers and brokers on a wide range of professional indemnity related subjects. Richard was also a guest speaker for the Institute of Money Laundering Prevention Officers (IMPLO) at one of their annual conferences and has appeared in a DVD produced by the North East Fraud Forum on the subject of money laundering.

Richard Vaughan

Richard is a principal associate in construction. He joined Weightmans from Squire Patton Boggs, where he worked for 6 years, and prior to that he spent 8 years at DLA Piper. Richard is extremely experienced in contentious and non-contentious construction law, and regularly advises universities, local authorities, emergency services and government in relation to their major projects. Examples of recent relevant experience include: Acting for Birmingham City Council in relation to their joint venture, with Hermes and Argent in relation to the development of the £500m scheme to create Grade A office accommodation, retail and public realm. Acting for the Police and Crime Commissioner in Merseyside in relation to the development if Merseyside Police Fleet Headquarters in Liverpool. Acting for Walsall City Council in relation to their agreement with Highways England in respect of the design and engineering of the bridge and associated works at Junction 10 of the M6. Acting for Birmingham City Council in respect of the £300m redevelopment of New Street Station. Advising Queen Mary University of London in relation to their creation of a new medical school in Malta Advising in respect of the works associated with the electrification of the Midlands Mainline railway network between London and Corby, worth an estimate £260m.

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.

Richard Jolly

Richard is the national head of our health sector practice and has overall responsibility for leading on the delivery of legal services to existing and new health sector clients. This entails enhancing the quality of the legal services we provide, the development of new products and new markets. Richard sits on the NHS Resolution steering group. This group is tasked with improving KPIs, and identifying how we might best support NHS Resolution in meeting its strategic aims. Richard has been an NHS Resolution Nominated Partner for nearly 20 years for both clinical and non-clinical claims. He leads internally on our non-clinical offering, working closely with NHS Resolution management teams to help them meet the challenges presented by this ever-changing sector. Richard is the client partner for a number of NHS Trusts, focussing on patient safety and helping them identify the learning from incidents, inquests, complaints and claims and how to embed improvements. Richard has become a trusted adviser to a number of healthcare organisations, such as NWAS, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS FT and Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS FT, with the result that Weightmans are now instructed by these Trusts on inquests, and investigations but often on employment, commercial law and property transactions.

Richard Corran

Richard’s expertise is in dealing with substantial, complex litigation matters, predominantly in the Chancery Division in the High Court. He has a deserved reputation for excellence in handling shareholder disputes, public contract procurement challenges and complex contractual issues. Richard has particular expertise in seeking injunctive relief to protect clients’ interests on a pre-emptive basis. After over 30 years’ experience of dealing with commercial contentious matters, Richard moved to the Knowledge Management and Library team in 2024. He now supports the litigation departments in achieving excellence in litigation practice. Reported cases Harlow v Aspect Contracts Ltd 2020 WL 02621416 [2020] EWHC 1488 (TCC) 116 Cardamon Ltd v (1) Alan Ramsay MacAlister (2) Birgitt Alice MacAlister (2019) [2019] EWHC 1200 (Comm) QBD (Comm) (Cockerill J) 14/05/2019 Joseph Gleave & Son Limited v Secretary of State for Defence [2017] EWHC 238 (TCC). Transport for Greater Manchester v Thales Transport & Security Ltd [2013] All ER (D) 41 (Jan) and [2012] EWHC 3717 (TCC) Celtec v Astley [2006] UKHL 29 and C-478/03 (ECJ) Bradford & Bingley v Ross [2005] EWCA Civ 394 (Banking and finance; mortgage claims; sale to associated company at undervalue) Bruce Cook v Vehicle Inspectorate [1999] House of Lords on appeal from the Divisional Court Recent Directory quotes 2024 Legal 500 "Richard Corran is clear sighted and authoritative in his approach". 2023 Legal 500 "Richard Corran is a fantastic, cool-headed dispute resolution lawyer who uses all of the knowledge and experience he has built up in his career to get the best possible outcome in any given situation". 2021 Legal 500 "Richard Corran, who counts corporate litigation and restrictive covenant actions among his areas of specialism" 2020 Legal 500 - "Other key partners include....Manchester Office Head Richard Corran" 2019 Legal 500 Regional Office Head Richard Corran is “very able" 2018 Legal 500 the "pragmatic" Richard Corran “takes a tough line against opponents" 2017 Legal 500 "Other key figures include Richard Corran" 2016 Legal 500 "Richard Corran is recommended".

Richard Bate

Richard leads the Private Wealth team nationally. He is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Law Society private client section. He has broad experience of working with clients from various backgrounds having worked in large commercial practices and smaller high street firms. Richard advises clients on all aspects of estate planning including wills, trusts, family investment companies and probate matters. He has a particular specialism in tax mitigation and assisting business owners and those with more complicated family arrangements and asset structures with succession planning and wealth protection. He is a professional trustee on numerous family trusts, acts as an attorney for elderly clients and has been appointed by the High Court as an independent administrator in complex contentious Probate matters. Richard works closely with the firm's Owner Managed Business and family teams and often with accountants and independent financial advisors to ensure that clients receive broad based holistic advice. Richard is a regular presenter of estate planning and asset protection seminars. He is used to working with lawyers in different jurisdictions to achieve clients’ objectives in terms of their worldwide estate.

Rob Williams

Rob has worked at Weightmans for 32 years becoming a Partner in 2002. Rob served on the Main Board as a Claims Director between 2013-2017 before becoming Head of Insurance in 2018-2022. Rob is currently on his second spell on the Firms main board where he is the Claims Director for injury work. Rob’s has spent all his career within the insurance sector acting for an array of Insurers and Claims organisations, Public Sector Bodies and Corporates and delivering great outcomes by meeting their claims and advisory requirements.

Robert Jones

Robert has over 30 years' experience in commercial dispute resolution and was national head of the practice area until May 2017. He has extensive experience of complex commercial contract disputes, Commercial Court and TCC work, insolvency matters, partnership disputes, property disputes and ADR. He has undertaken mediations for clients for over twenty-five years and has undertaken mediator training. Robert works closely and regularly with Corporate clients’ in house General Counsel. Clients span a variety of sectors but include; pharmaceutical, manufacturing, energy, tech to name but a few. Throughout his career he has also acted and continues to act for insurers (principally financial lines) in high value or sensitive cases) and also for financial institutions. Robert specialises in complex commercial disputes including shareholder disputes, intellectual property issues, data protection, professional negligence and trust and probate disputes. He is engaged in helping clients to pursue recoveries (including in the context of unjust enrichment claims) and, to prevent dissipation of assets and to take preventative and defensive steps arising out of employee breach of restrictive covenants and third-party dishonesty as well as frequently dealing with the reputation management issues for clients in the local and national press and other media including social media. Rob has also advised on IT issues and disputes concerning IT agreements. In respect of professional negligence, he has, throughout his career, advised insurer clients and their insureds in respect of claims brought against licensed conveyancers and other professionals. He has provided advice to clients in relation to contracts awarded following a public procurement process and in relation to Judicial Review matters. In relation to insolvency matters, Rob has experience in dealing with both corporate insolvency actions and all aspects of personal insolvency. He has acted for directors facing claims by office holders and for parties subject to or enforcing personal guarantees. He has advised on RoT claims, undervalue and preference claims and all other manner of corporate disputes. Robert’s strong client focused relationships are based upon incisive commercial advice at the outset and regular management information tailored to meet the clients’ requirements. He is frequently recommended by other firms of solicitors and counsel to prospective clients. Robert’s team wone “Litigation Team of the Year” at the 2022 Manchester Legal Awards. He is listed is a “Ranked Lawyer” for litigation in the 2024 Chambers Directory and has been for several years. Robert is also ranked in the Legal 500. The 2024 edition comments “A reputed practitioner in the dispute resolution sphere, Robert Jones continues to build an impressive portfolio of high value Inheritance Act claims and will challenges on the grounds of capacity and fraud”. Robert Jones is 'one of the leading litigators around who has seen and done it all in terms of litigation. Respected by clients and opponents alike and someone you want in your corner if you are facing any heavy and difficult litigation.' 'A strong leader driving a strong team'; he 'grasps issues quickly, and has a pragmatic and commercial approach' - Legal 500. In 2019, Robert was awarded the Acritas Star, an accolade given to those identified as a client-nominated, stand-out lawyer in private practice. A recent professional services client commented "A massive thank you to David McGuire and Robert Jones from Weightmans LLP for their efforts over the last few months. I highly recommend these professionals to fight your corner with the peace of mind that you are in a safe pair of hands."

Roddy MacLeod

Roddy deals with employers' and public liability claims. He has particular experience in workplace stress claims both arising out of overwork cases and harassment. He has lectured on the subject of stress and written a number of published articles. He has dealt with over a thousand stress claims involving overwork bullying and harassment and is often instructed pre litigation and even on occasions before a claim has been made. His stress work also includes claims resulting from violent acts such as the Court of Appeal case of Mitchell and others v United Co-operatives [2012] a case involving shop workers who experienced multiple violent robberies. The successful result was said to have saved the retail industry millions of pounds. Stress is now acknowledged by the Health & Safety Executive to be the most common reason for someone to be off work and is becoming a popular new work stream for claimant lawyers. Stress claims also produce reputational issues for employers especially ones involving allegations of sexual harassment. They tend to be of interest to senior Directors of companies and, as such, require discrete handling for which Roddy is known. Stress claims can be brought in an Employment Tribunal or the County/High Courts. Roddy has experience of the cross overs between the jurisdictions which can be used to bring claims to a satisfactory conclusion. He has dealt with a number of catastrophic injury claims and in particular, spinal and brain injury cases. In addition, he has a wide experience of Occupiers Liability Act claims, having dealt with the leading House of Lords case Tomlinson v Congleton [2003]which has been used in countless claims subsequently to successfully defend claims against occupiers of land. Subsequently he took the case of Poppleton v TPYAC[2008] to the Court of Appeal. That claim involved an accident at an indoor climbing centre. The successful defence was welcomed by the sporting press as was the result in the potential £6 million pounds claim of Grimes v Hawkins [2011]- a swimming pool case, where the successful defence was described as a life line of common sense. In all his cases Roddy appreciates that it is key to find out what success looks like for his clients. Do they wish to defend to trial or is the disposal of the claim quickly and on the best terms the definition of success.

Roger Bishop

Roger qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and joined Weightmans in March 2018 as an associate in the casualty team in Birmingham. He was made Principal Associate in 2019. Roger has over 17 years’ experience acting for clients in the public sector defending a broad range of liability claims. He has an extensive range of experience dealing with public and employers’ liability claims, including common law claims for nuisance; claims relating to the Highway; statutory compensation claims under s209 and Schedule 12 of the Water Industry Act, and New Roads and Street Works Act; fatal accidents, workplace injuries and stress claims, accidents at schools and claims arising from the duty as occupiers. Roger has a particular expertise in environmental claims and dealing with claims involving damage to property as a result of subsidence caused by tree root encroachment, other vegetation and the escape of clean water and waste from statutory undertakers assets; claims due to natural flooding and fire; and claims for nuisance involving Japanese knotweed and other invasive species. Roger acted for the successful party in the Court of Appeal case of Vernon Knight Associates v Cornwall Council 2013 involving an incident of highway flooding causing property damage and has experience of dealing with and managing property damage claims in excess of £4m. As part of his work, Roger is experienced in drafting pleadings and advices; pursuing and dealing with injunctions and statutory notices; participating and advising in ADR, including mediation and JSMs; advocacy; and pursuing cases to trial and on appeal where appropriate. Roger has also spoken at multiple seminars/webinars and delivered training both internally and externally. Examples of experience/expertise/notable cases Notable reported case: Vernon Knight Associates v Cornwall Council [2013] EWCA Civ 950 Advising on multiple claims for subsidence damage to properties and the highway as a result of the escape of water Advising a local authority following the collapse of a section of highway on a spine and managing the complex investigations and litigation Advising and defending claims for a number of local authorities in relation to flooding incidents which have caused damage to properties and infrastructure Advised on and concluded numerous Schedule 12 claims for compensation including the successful rejection of a claim pursued in excess of £2m for losses related to a business that had not been established Defended a local authority at trial in a claim for a fatal accident on the highway which was alleged to have been caused by defective cats eyes and rutting Defended a local authority at trial in a tripping accident claim where there was not considered to be an actionable defect Legal directory quotes/testimonials/rankings “Roger Bishop is switched on and well organised, with good judgment about how to handle his cases.” Legal 500 2024 Roger is listed as a key lawyer in the Legal 500 rankings for water: Tier 2, in 2024 Roger was listed as a key lawyer in the Legal 500 rankings for personal injury and clinical negligence: Defendant, Tier 1, in 2022. Relevant professional memberships/industry influence Roger is a member of the Law Society.

Roland Hutchins

Roland is a partner in Weightmans' corporate team. Based at the Liverpool office, Roland has over 20 years’ experience in dealing with mergers, acquisitions and disposals; corporate finance; private equity investment and joint ventures. Roland has particular expertise in advising clients on non-transactional corporate and company law matters including group structures; corporate governance; share structures and reorganisations. Roland has also accumulated considerable experience advising mid-tier corporates working closely alongside general counsels and assuming a role of trusted adviser in respect of corporate governance and structure in addition to advising on commercial contracts including supply of goods and services, agency and distribution, terms of trade and intellectual property licensing. Roland’s diversity of skills and respected judgment has seen him appointed to the role of in house legal counsel for Weightmans from May 2021. Prior to taking on the legal counsel role, Roland was responsible for operational management of the corporate team nationally across London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Leeds. In addition to his role as in house legal counsel, Roland continues to provide legal advice to a small number of select clients of the firm comprising owner-managed businesses and mid-tier corporates operating in the manufacturing, logistics and retail sectors.

Ross Hutchison

Ross is an experienced employment and immigration law practitioner with over 13 years’ experience. He provides day to day advice on the inter-relation between the two areas as well as supports applications to the Home Office related to sponsorship and his clients’ compliance with their ongoing duties. Ross works with a wide range of clients from the FTSE100 multinational to the single site UK business. He provides advice to Universities, goods and persons transport providers, NHS Trusts, engineering firms and retailers (as well as many more). He has supported many of his clients in relation to the immigration changes post-Brexit and worked with them to establish practical solutions where existing practices were no longer possible. He is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) and the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA). Recent work highlights Successful granting of a Skilled Worker/ICT sponsor licence upon implementation of the new regime for a rapidly expanding beauty product retailer Advised on the use of visitor visas for permitted business activities to enable contract compliance in time-pressured industry Provided training to a UK University with overseas campuses on the new immigration system Advised another UK University in relation to the availability of the UK’s Foundation Training Programme for junior doctors when graduating from their overseas medical campus Provided advice on engaging both employees and workers in foreign jurisdictions.

Russell Burnett

Russell has a considerable experience in dealing with most aspects of commercial property work but has particular expertise in the areas of development in both the private and public sectors, investment, landlord and tenant and secured lending. Examples of matters which Russell has advised upon include: Acting for a national housebuilder in relation to strategic site assembly Acting for private developers in relation to numerous residential development sites Acting for a retailer in relation to management issues across multiple sites Advised investor in relation to ongoing management issues at prestigious central London mixed-use scheme. Advising landowners in relation to option, promotion and conditional contracts Advising a developer in relation to a mixed-use development in London, including ongoing advice on issues related to the funding agreement, agreed with a large pension fund. Acting for a government agency in relation to a national scheme the aim of which was to kick start the residential housing market. This involved reviewing stalled residential developments and advising on funding agreements Acting for the Homes and Communities Agency and Regional Development Agencies in relation to various development projects

Sally Cook

Sally is a Legal Director in the Private Wealth team at Weightmans LLP and is based in the Manchester office. Sally is a fully accredited member of STEP (the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners), the Law Society Private Client Section and The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (formerly Solicitors for the Elderly). Sally also sits on the Manchester Law Society’s Private Client section committee. Sally qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and joined Weightmans LLP in 2018, having left her role as Head of the Private Client department at her previous firm. Sally has practised solely in the field of Private Client since qualification and she has extensive experience in advising clients in relation to their estate planning, including the preparation of Wills, Inheritance Tax planning, the creation of and the onward administration of trusts and the preparation of Lasting Powers of Attorney. Sally has a particular interest in the administration of estates, and often deals with high value, complex estates on behalf of both professional and lay executors.

Sam Gittoes

Sam is our Head of Service Delivery for Motor. She has 23 years' motor litigation experience, 15 of which have been at Weightmans. Sam transitioned from a fee earning role to one of management over a number of years, now overseeing the operational side of the motor department and ensuring that we are providing an excellent service to our clients. Sam works collaboratively with our business support teams to innovate and consistently improve our claims handling processes, developing internal and external reports that give us the ability to provide insight and analysis into market trends and portfolios of business for our clients. Having worked in the motor insurance sector for over 20 years, she has seen a lot of changes across the industry. Sam is driven to look for ways to improve our people through development and our processes through advancements in technology, to drive efficiency and effectiveness for our service delivery. Sam has developed insight and market knowledge as a result of her involvement with a number of key clients over the years. As well as sitting on a number of client steering groups, Sam has recently joined the firms Environmental, Social and Governance steering group to help shape a sustainable future for the next generation. Sam was promoted to Associate in 2013, Principal Associate in 2019 and Partner in 2021.

Sam Flew

Sam is a Partner and Head of the Healthcare Professionals team, specialising in the representation of medical defence organisations (MDOs) and healthcare professionals in regulatory, disciplinary and criminal investigations and prosecutions. He is a skilled advocate, with extensive experience in the High Court, Crown Court, inquests, Performer's List hearings and General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC) proceedings. He also undertakes judicial review applications. Two of his notable cases include Cheatle v The General Medical Council and Lim v Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust. Sam has recently defended a doctor accused of manslaughter and a surgeon facing serious allegations at the GMC.

Samuel Harland

Sam joined Weightmans in 2013 and has over 13 years of experience in healthcare law and the resolution of disputes. Sam advises NHS Trusts, NHS Resolution, the Department of Health, and private practitioners on a wide range of health related legal services with a particular emphasis on resolving disputes. Sam has handled cases with values exceeding £10 million and with attached periodical payments. He is recognised as a practical lawyer and has a reputation for dealing with disputes pragmatically and sensibly. He is an advocate of alternative methods of dispute resolution and manages the Global Resolution Scheme on behalf of NHS Resolution. Sam has a niche specialism in claims arising from disease infection following blood transfusion and organ transplant. He advises organisations on consumer protection law and has represented the NHS and Department of Health in group actions. Alongside his healthcare case load, Sam deals with public and administrative law and is instructed by a significant core participant in the Infected Blood Inquiry. Sam regularly presents to NHS organisations on safety and learning issues.

Sandra Macmichael

Sandra is an associate within the counter fraud group. She deals with low velocity impacts, staged and induced collisions, exaggerated claims, bogus passengers and no knowledge claims. She currently acts on behalf of numerous bus and coach firms. Sandra has had numerous success at court in findings of fundamental dishonesty and applications to set aside QOCS thereby recovering the client’s costs. Sandra also specialises in recovery of monies from claimants whose claims have been struck out, discontinued or lost at trial. This can include charging orders placed on peoples properties, attachment of earnings, involvement of the High Court Enforcement Officers, statutory demands and bankruptcy proceedings.

Sarah Hopwood

Sarah is a Partner and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with over 18 years’ experience in dealing with healthcare matters, which include advising on and defending clinical negligence cases, as well as catastrophic and sensitive personal injury cases, for NHS Resolution and other private insurers. Sarah is the Team Manager for the Birmingham and Cardiff Healthcare teams. Sarah handles a wide variety of clinical claims, ranging from injuries of maximum severity right through to those which are more relatively straightforward. She also has a particular interest in group litigation, being involved in a group action of over 138 claimants for maxillofacial injuries. This also includes supporting the clients on a range of legal and regulatory issues as well as media, reputational management, patient safety and learning, disclosure duties and the duty of candour Sarah’s breadth of knowledge and experience in respect of both clinical negligence and personal injury has proved invaluable to healthcare clients and she is known for her robust approach, whilst also demonstrating an understanding of the sensitivities of dealing with seriously injured claimants.

Sarah Skinner

Sarah is a Principal Associate in the Birmingham office. Sarah joined Weightmans in 2016 and having qualified as a solicitor in 2001, she has over 22 years post qualification experience in clinical negligence and insurance litigation to include cases involving claims validation issues. She specialises in defendant clinical negligence litigation for NHS Trusts and NHS Resolution, advising clients on high value and complex claims within the healthcare sector. She has substantial advocacy experience having been called to the Bar in 1998 and regularly attends Court on behalf of clients. Sarah handles a wide range of cases of utmost severity to include birth injury and brain injury cases, psychiatric damage, neurosurgery cases such as cauda equina syndrome and vascular matters resulting in amputation/stroke cases with values often exceeding £10 million. She is experienced in dealing with cases involving the vast majority of medical specialisms to include paediatric matters and cases of particular sensitivity. In addition to utilising various forms of ADR to facilitate pragmatic resolution, Sarah also has extensive trial experience to include reported High Court cases. Sarah has successfully defended a number of cases at trial resulting in significant savings for the defendant. Sarah’s advocacy experience means that she is able to work sensitively with NHS Trust factual witnesses to develop their confidence and to prepare them for trial. Sarah has a particular interest in legal knowledge and practice development and regularly delivers training to clients and fee earners on a variety of practice and healthcare related topics.

Sarah Temperley

Sarah has over 30 years' experience of all types of employers and public liability work. Based in the Manchester office she handles a wide variety of employers' liability claims for insurers and self-insured, mainly public bodies. Sarah deals with all types of claims that emanate from public bodies including social services claims, data breach claims and property damage claims. Sarah has a special interest in claims involving Human Rights Act issues. Areas of speciality: Co-ordination of catastrophic claims – including tree fatalities DoLs claims Human trafficking and modern slavery Failure to protect claims involving CSE Historic abuse claims Teacher assaults Sarah works closely with her clients’ insurance departments, social care departments and legal services. Sarah has delivered training and seminars on all aspects of her practice.

Sarah Ezzat

Sarah is a Legal Director in our Leicester large loss and technical claims team. She joined Weightmans LLP as an associate in 2009 and was admitted to the Law Society in 2004.Sarah acts of behalf of a number of major insurer clients dealing with a wide portfolio of multi million pound catastrophic personal injury claims. These include spinal injuries (tetraplegia and paraplegia), head injuries (including PSV and minimal awareness cases), amputation, chronic pain and fatal accident claims.She is experienced in a wide range of employer, public and motor liability issues together with policy coverage issues.Sarah prides herself on providing a fast efficient service to our clients and working collaboratively with claimant's solicitors to achieve early resolution.Career: Freeth Cartright Hunt Dickins (Nottingham), Browne Jacobson (Nottingham) Qualifications: Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (Horncastle, Lincs), Sheffield University (BA Financial Accounting), LPC Nottingham Law SchoolMembership: Leicestershire Law Society, FOIL

Sarah Walton

Sarah is a highly experienced corporate lawyer, specialising in all aspects of corporate law and company law, advising a wide range of clients (from large corporates to individuals and owner managed businesses) on corporate mergers and acquisitions, disposals, venture capital and private equity investments, joint ventures, group reorganisations and strategic projects. Sarah is a member of the Executive Board at Weightmans LLP, leading on Client Relationships. She is responsible for the profitable revenue growth of the firm through effective client engagement, leading business development across the firm’s seven client-facing segments (Built Environment, Corporates, Health, Individuals, Insurance, OMB and Public Bodies).

Sarah Conroy

Sarah is a Partner in the Commercial Litigation team at Weightmans. Sarah trained and qualified at Eversheds Sutherland in its Manchester office and has over 19 years' experience of dealing with a variety of commercial disputes. Sarah currently manages the sizeable Commercial Dispute Resolution team in Liverpool and other national offices with the team recognised in the Legal 500 2023 rankings as a "Top litigation team. Able to handle the most complex and challenging litigation." As well as her team, Sarah is also recognised in the latest Legal 500 as a Leading Individual. Sarah has experience of a broad range of disputes, particularly of high profile and complex company/director/shareholder claims, supporting on corporate governance and constitutional matters alongside this work. Sarah’s expertise also includes judicial review claims, defamation, and reputation management, advising on restrictive covenants, restraint of trade and confidentiality issues arising from employee moves acting for both employer and employee and dealing with complex contractual issues. Sarah deals with litigation in all branches of the civil courts. Sarah has extensive experience of the range of alternative dispute resolution options and has successfully assisted many clients to settle disputes both prior to and during litigation. Sarah can assist clients with consideration of funding options which includes third party funding, conditional fee agreements and after the event insurance. Sarah acts for a range of clients including private individuals, large international corporations, SMEs, registered charities, local authorities, schools, colleges and universities. Sarah has been listed as a stand out lawyer in Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers database

Sarah Jane Knight

Sarah Jane Knight is a Solicitor Advocate who leads on healthcare regulatory law in the Birmingham office and has a wealth of experience representing NHS Trusts and private (including not for profit) providers. Sarah has conducted hundreds of inquests for NHS Trusts (including mental health trusts), individuals and care providers. Her experience includes complex medical inquests, restraint cases, prison inquests, representation of the ambulance and 111 services and has experience as an advocate in military inquests. Sarah represented a not for profit organisation in the first prosecution of its type brought by CQC and advises on enforcement action brought by CQC (and other regulators) including representations against warning notices, notices of proposal as well as appeals to the First Tier Tribunal. Sarah has an in-depth knowledge of the particular challenges experienced by care providers including residential and domiciliary care settings and she also has considerable experience in Court of Protection proceedings including serious medical treatment cases and best interests decision making around residency. Sarah has also worked in house as an advocate for a professional regulator and has undertaken both prosecution and defence work in the professional regulatory sector.

Sarah Louise Walker

Sarah manages the National Private Wealth team at Weightmans. Sarah is a Private Client specialist, who is experienced in all areas of lifetime and post-death tax planning to achieve a positive end result for the client by offering a holistic approach which puts a client’s objectives and needs first. Over her 25 years in law, Sarah has amassed a wealth of experience including: Complex estate planning advice in order to mitigate tax and ensure structured succession of clients’ wealth including their business and agricultural interests; Cross-border matters including EU inheritance and succession planning and Wills and estate planning advice to give effect to Sharia Law; Estate administration including complex multi-jurisdictional taxable estates and those comprising of business and agricultural property; Advising on, creating and administering vulnerable beneficiary trusts for clients who require assistance in management of their compensation payments or inheritance; Advising clients on how to give effect to their philanthropic aims through use of charitable trusts and CIO structures; Advising Charity trustees in respect of all governance and compliance maters relating to the running of their charities including ‘corrective’ work; Working closely with the Charity Commission on behalf of her clients on complex applications including merging of charities and amendment of charitable objects. Sarah’s particular interest is in complex trust matters and she has acquired a strong reputation for administering and acting as a trustee on trusts which have had historical issues either in respect of family relationships or compliance. She regularly is appointed by clients as a professional executor and trustee who see her as their trusted family adviser. Sarah is a full member of the Society and Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Law Society Private Client Section. Sarah has been recognised in the Acquisition International Influential Businesswomen awards for both 2023 and 2024 as a top lawyer for Private Wealth.

Sarah-Jane Howitt

Sarah-Jane joined Weightmans in 2006 as Director of Business Development and Marketing. In 2014 she became the firm's first non-lawyer Business Services Partner. She has over 20 years' experience gained in marketing and business development roles within professional services firms. She has an MBA and is a CIM Chartered Marketer. Sarah-Jane sits on the firm's Operations Board and is responsible for client relationship management, new business creation and internal and external communications activity. Her team's success has been recognised with several awards - the Law Society Excellence Award for Marketing and Business Development Team of the Year (2010), the Innovation Award at the Association of Proposal Management Professionals Awards (2013) and the Client Management Award at the Legal Week Innovation Awards (2016). Sarah-Jane was named in the NW Insider Women 100 List 2014 and Women of Influence List 2015.

Sarbjit Nanuwa

Sarbjit is Weightmans Data Protection Officer and works in the Risk and Compliance Team. He joined Weightmans in 2011 having qualified as a Solicitor in 2004 and is a Principal Associate. Sarbjit formerly worked in the claims department acting on behalf of insurers defending industrial disease claims. He is an experienced civil litigator and has managed multiple teams. Sarbjit advises and delivers training internally on a variety of operational, regulatory, business risk and compliance issues in particular data protection.

Saul Burton

Saul is a Principal Associate in our Sports Team. With a background in defendant litigation including personal injury, human rights and data protection, Saul specialises in high value and complex sports claims with a focus on catastrophic injuries arising out of motorsport incidents; neurological damage from concussive injury; player-on-player assaults and injuries suffered during competitive games; horse-riding accidents and disciplinary & regulatory disputes. Saul acts for national and domestic governing bodies, schools and colleges, professional and amateur sports clubs, and private companies in a wide range of sports including football, rugby, numerous motorsport disciplines, horse riding, athletics and mountain biking. In addition to sport, Saul maintains a busy practice dealing with claims arising from data breaches, with particular interest in those that include claims for unusual psychiatric injury.

Sean Crotty

Sean Crotty is a partner in our commercial team with particular experience in data protection, IT, commercial, procurement and intellectual property matters. Sean advises many high profile clients within the private (ranging from SMEs to listed companies) and public sector (including Police Authorities, NHS Trusts, local authorities and universities) on a wide range of strategic and complex data, IT, media and IP issues. Sean has developed a specialism in drafting and negotiating major commercial, IT, entertainment, IP and data contracts within the private and public sector. He understands his way around the relevant industries and their statutory obligations and often provides training in relation to the same. Examples of his work in this area include advising: Peel Ports Group on procurement of works and services for £350 million Liverpool 2 Project; One of the world’s largest packaging companies on a large scale production agreement; A national fraud body on a standard user agreement for the insurance industry (including data sharing arrangements, database use and use of strategic data on an international scale); Upon the £multimillion procurement of a major police force’s content management system; and The Motor Insurers’ Bureau in relation to the UK Government backed MyLicence Project, a revolutionary data sharing project between the DVLA and the UK insurance industry. Sean has vast experience of the video games industry and was awarded the legal services provider of the year award at the TIGA Awards 2016 in recognition of the excellent work provided by his team in the field. Sean also regularly delivers presentations in this field (eg. International Festival of Business 2016) and is regularly published in trade and national press (eg. Financial Times, IP Magazine and Daily Telegraph). Sean is recommended in Legal 500.

Sejal Raja

Sejal is a Partner and Head of Employment, specialising in advising employers and high net worth individuals on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law. Sejal is particularly experienced in dealing with discrimination cases, including those based on religion, belief, age, disability or gender. She was involved in the high profile pregnancy litigation involving the Ministry of Defence in 1995. In addition, she has conducted a number of claims relating to whistleblowing, TUPE, equal pay and injunctions to protect confidential information. She has extensive experience representing clients at the Employment Tribunal and High Court. Other cases in which Sejal was involved include: Meredith v Ministry of Defence, Moyhing v Barts and London NHS Trust and Others, and Rackham v NHS Professionals Limited. Sejal also has experience in IR35 litigation in the Tax tribunal; having acted for high profile BBC presenters and radio presenters. Sejal provides regular workshops and training for HR professionals and managers and speaks at a number of external conferences, such as the Employment Lawyers Association and Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA).

Seonaid Busby

Seonaid is a partner and solicitor advocate with extended rights of audience in the Court of Session, the UK Supreme Court and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Her active role as a solicitor advocate has assisted in reducing costs to clients. Seonaid has dealt with a wide spectrum of liability claims including all levels and values of road traffic, public and employers’ liability and occupational disease. She has particular experience in dealing with personal injury, discrimination and Human Rights claims brought against a legacy Scottish Police Force. She also has extensive experience in the regulatory field including prosecutions in the field of road traffic, health & safety and environmental, proceedings before the Traffic Commissioner and Fatal Accident Inquiries. Her breadth and depth of experience also includes work in the Marine field. More recently she has been involved in the successful defence of Judicial Review proceedings against a client involving complex jurisdictional issues along with vessel arrestment proceedings. Seonaid has regularly prepared and presented training to a wide variety of clients. Seonaid is an active member of FOIL Scotland.

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.

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.

Shaheen Akhtar

Shaheen qualified as a Solicitor in 2007 and became an Associate in 2015. He is originally from the North East, joining Weightmans in May 2007. His work predominantly covers high value personal injury claims from most areas of the public sector and some from the private sector as well. Shaheen has a particular expertise in relation to: Novel highways claims including subsidence and property damage claims All aspects of housing disrepair claims Assault claims involving service users with special needs in the education and care settings Bullying at school Stress at work Potential fraud Failure to educate Shaheen also regularly provides training to clients in respect of pre and post issue processes as well as liability and quantum. He has been involved in delivering seminars and training to clients in Wales and the Midlands over the years.

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

Simon Forster

Simon is a Partner who manages the large loss teams in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Leicester. He has responsibility for all aspects of team management and performance across each site, reporting directly to Weightmans' Director of Claims and Head of Service Delivery to ensure the consistency and quality of Weightmans' product. Simon has experience in dealing with and supervising all aspects of complex catastrophic injury claims, from indemnity and liability enquiries, to the extensive medical investigations required of cases involving brain injury, tetraplegia, paraplegia and polytrauma.

Simon Hartley

Simon is a Partner in RadcliffesLeBrasseur’s Property Litigation department, advising on all facets of contentious real estate work.Based in our London office, Simon provides comprehensive advice on all facets of contentious real estate work. He has substantial rent review experience working both within and outside the central London markets. Simon advises on professional negligence claims, rights of light, service charge issues, development disputes and emergency injunctions. He has considerable expertise in acting for landlords, tenants and insolvency practitioners in relation to real estate disputes in an insolvency context. Simon also acts in relation to the enforcement of security held over property. Additionally, he handles all aspects of contentious real estate management work, including lease renewal, tenant default and restrictive covenants and easements. Simon is a founding committee member of the cross-disciplinary Dilapidations Association. He conceptualised and was involved in the development of terminal dilapidations insurance for commercial tenants.

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 Achieved 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. Successfully 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) Acted for the French insurers of a driver in a claim where a victim who suffered brain damage received damages of £9.885 million

Simon Gomersall

Simon is a Partner in the Healthcare department. He represents doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals in disciplinary proceedings before their regulators arising from conduct, performance and health issues. Simon also advises and represents practitioners in respect of inquests, NHS Performers List investigations and hospital disciplinary investigations. He is instructed both by medical defence organisations (MDOs) and individual healthcare professionals. Simon is an experienced advocate and appears regularly before professional regulators, coroners and NHS panels.

Simon Kernyckyj

Simon is a Partner in the Healthcare team. He represents doctors and dentists in criminal, disciplinary, regulatory and employment matters and inquests. He has many years’ experience advising and providing representation for clients. His caseload involves high profile, complex and often sensitive issue and includes inquests, GMC, GDC, LAT and MHPS disciplinary proceedings and in criminal cases. Simon has successfully advised healthcare professionals in their appeals to the High Court and the Court of Appeal, judicial review, criminal investigations through to trial, NHSE LAT and MHPS proceedings and at the GMC and GDC. He regularly appears as an advocate at the GMC/MPTS Interim Orders Tribunal, GDC IOC hearings, NHS Local Area Team disciplinary hearings, inquests, the Magistrates Court, other investigatory meetings including under Maintaining High Professional Standards in the NHS. He also represents clients at interviews and other hearings. Simon regularly provides seminars, workshops and training to healthcare professionals.

Simon Goacher

Simon joined Weightmans in February 2013 to head up the Local Government team. Prior to joining Weightmans Simon enjoyed a long and distinguished career in local government law spanning almost two decades. In 2009, he was appointed Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer of the newly created Cheshire West and Chester Council. This involved the creation of a single authority from four councils and the development. He has led on significant projects including an innovative housing stock transfer at Wirral Council and on the promotion of a private Act of Parliament. He was awarded the title of Local Government Young Solicitor of the year in 2006. As Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer at Wirral Council, Simon was the lead legal adviser for key projects including regeneration schemes in New Brighton and Birkenhead. At Weightmans Simon is a go-to adviser for local authorities throughout the country on significant governance and vires issues throughout the country including carrying out independent reviews on sensitive and high profile issues. He is a leading practitioner on member conduct and has carried out a number of significant investigations on behalf of local authorities into the behaviour of elected members. He is also a leading expert on local authority constitutions and has led a number of projects to review and rewrite local authorities constitutions. He is recognised as a leader in the field on the role of the local authority monitoring officer having co-authored the Handbook for Monitoring Officers published with LLG (Lawyers in Local Government)

Sophie Fulwell

Sophie is an Associate in the employment, pensions and immigration team. She provides advice on contentious and non-contentious employment law and HR matters. Her clients are predominantly employers, who she supports to navigate their relationships with staff and contractors while ensuring their business interests are protected. Sophie provides strategic advice on employee exits, particularly those involving senior employees, as well as HR projects such as redundancies, restructures and outsourcing arrangements. In addition, she has a wealth of experience advising on day-to-day HR matters such as grievance and disciplinary investigations, dismissals, and managing sickness absence and performance. On the contentious side, Sophie advises on the disputes that arise between employers and their workers, including complex employment tribunal claims of whistleblowing, constructive unfair dismissal and discrimination. Sophie is well-versed in providing advice on business protection through the use of post-termination restrictions and she is also an experienced transactional lawyer who works with our Corporate, Commercial and Real Estate teams on the employment-related issues arising on transactions such as outsourcing, corporate restructuring and business acquisitions and disposals. The clients Sophie works with come from a wide range of sectors, but she has a particular focus on owner-managed businesses, education and healthcare.

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.

Stephen Peacock

Steve has spent his entire legal career at Weightmans. He is an experienced employment lawyer and advocate and is also regional office head for Liverpool. Steve has in depth experience of employment law issues arising in both public and private organisations and has a particular expertise in the education sector where he regularly advises a large portfolio of university, school and college clients. Steve also acts for a number of police forces and has comprehensive knowledge of the application of police regulations to serving officers, in addition to advising on complex employment tribunal disputes involving serving officers and civilian employees such as disability, race and sex discrimination claims. Steve handles boardroom disputes, facilitates senior executive terminations and manages employment related project work. He regularly undertakes advocacy at the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeals Tribunal and has a formidable 'win' record. Steve focuses on providing straightforward and practical advice mainly to employers to achieve outcome based solutions. In May 2015, Steve was awarded the Higher Rights of Audience (HRA) qualification. This allows Steve to represent clients as a solicitor-advocate in the higher civil courts throughout England and Wales. The HRA qualification recognises Steve’s enhanced advocacy capabilities and enables him to offer a cost-efficient and complete service for clients.

Steve Johns

Steve is an experienced infrastructure specialist. His practice covers a range of sectors, with particular focus on PPP/PFI projects and rail. Steve joined Weightmans in 2018 after 17 years with DLA Piper. Steve is expert in the complex contracting and financing arrangements required for large scale infrastructure developments. He has substantial experience of guiding authorities and bidders through the often lengthy regulated procurement process necessary for such schemes, and has an excellent track record of delivery. He also advises on issues arising from operational schemes, such as dispute avoidance and resolution, major variations and early terminations, and has acted on refinancings of operational projects, including advising the Department for Transport on a £1.4bn refinancing of a high profile rolling stock PPP project, and the Project Company on a £400m refinancing of a hospital PFI in the north of England. He has worked on projects involving hospitals, schools, social housing, renewables, energy from waste facilities, highways and street lighting, and emergency services facilities, advising procuring authorities, bidding consortia and funders. Amongst other things, over a period of a decade he advised Leeds City Council on its PFI programme, supporting the Council in successfully delivering seven such schemes. In the rail sector he has advised on rolling stock procurements, franchise competitions and complex regulatory issues, for clients such as the Department for Transport, Alstom, Keolis, Nexus and Merseytravel.

Steve Robb

Steve re-joined Weightmans as a Partner in July 2012 having previously been an Associate at the firm eight years before. He now has over 30 years' experience acting for a variety of insurers, loss adjusters, local authorities and self-insured companies. Steve was until recently acting for an insolvent Insurer within the Building Guarantee sector. This involved daily interaction with the Joint Administrators, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and Policyholders on matters of complexity and sensitivity. Steve continues to defend employers' and public liability cases, having spent the majority of his career acting in claims of all values across a variety of sectors, predominantly the Retail, energy distribution, Sport and Manufacturing sectors. More recently Steve has been asked to assist on behalf of one of the defendants and its insurers on the “concussion related litigation” being pursued against the national governing bodies by former professional and amateur rugby and football players. He also has specialist expertise in handling product liability claims involving a wide range of products, including contamination in food.

Steven Harte

Steven is an experienced employment law specialist. He provides advice on all aspects of employment law/HR and represents both employers and employees in the employment tribunals. An experienced litigator, Steven regularly appears in the employment tribunals and has an excellent track record. Steven also has experience in football regulatory matters and the Commercial Agents Regulations. His key expertise includes: -Employment Tribunals (claimants and respondents) -Settlement agreements -Disciplinary matters -Absence and performance management -Redundancy handling -TUPE transfers -Discrimination -Maternity and paternity rights -Whistleblowing -Data protection/GDPR -Commercial agents regulations -Football regulatory matters Steven is known for his professional but down to earth approach and, in particular, his focus on achieving practical as well as legal solutions for clients. He was also a non-executive director of a mental health charity for a number of years. Prior to becoming a solicitor, Steven worked for ACAS and is also a former VAT inspector.

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.

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

Stuart Jones

Stuart is Director of Legal Operations for the Litigation, Transactional and Advisory division of Weightmans. He has over 30 years' experience of employment law, and has an impeccable reputation for commercial and pragmatic advice, particularly specialising in providing advice on commercial situations involving TUPE, reorganisations and collective issues. Stuart proactively contributes to client profitability through analysis of management information and translation of key learning points into corporate training programmes. He is client partner for a range of clients including Swissport, Mitsubishi/Hitachi Power Systems Europe and East West Insurance Company and deputy client partner for Royal Mail Group plc, in addition to advising other legal firms on their employment law issues. Stuart frequently presents at seminars and conferences on HR issues and regularly contributes to national and local publications.

Stuart Whittle

Stuart is a qualified lawyer by trade, having practiced law as a professional indemnity lawyer from 1995. He has been a partner at Weightmans since 2002. During 2003, Stuart become involved in Weightmans’ IT, designing, developing, and rolling out case management systems across the firm. In 2005 Stuart took on responsibility for Weightmans’ IT department and in 2010 was promoted to IS and Operations Director since when he has been a member of Weightmans’ Board and an equity partner. From 2017 as part of Weightmans’ Reorganising for Profit strategic transformation initiative, Stuart took on the role as Business Services and Innovation Director with responsibility for Information Management and Technology, People and Knowledge, Business Process Re-engineering, Risk and Compliance, Facilities and Innovation and most recently has taken on a new role, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, to enable Weightmans to capitalise on the success they have been having in building products for clients that solve some of their issues, only one part of which might involve any actual legal advice. Stuart regularly presents at events with special areas of interest being around BPR, technology and helping lawyers to work smartly in an uncertain market where there is continuous downward pressure on price, upwards pressure on costs and the quality of the service that is delivered to the client needs to be continually improved. He has a MSC in IT, is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and a qualified coach and was recently named Legal Week’s Legal Innovation Trailblazer.

Sumaira Choudary

Sumaira is a Partner and Solicitor working within both the Corporate and the Corporate Restructuring departments. Sumaira’s general corporate work includes advising on mergers and acquisitions and company formation and structuring work business start-ups and commercial contracts.Within the scope of her restructuring practice, Sumaira advises on general corporate restructuring, business turnaround, corporate recovery, solvent and insolvent rescue, corporate finance, management buyouts, and joint ventures. Sumaira’s clients include private equity houses, venture capital businesses, entrepreneurs and management teams. Sector experience includes acting for clients within recruitment, training, manufacturing, telecommunications, hotels, leisure and entertainment, fashion, property and business advisory and marketing sectors.

Susan Carville

Susan is an Associate in the Liverpool motor team. She qualified in 2004 and joined Weightmans in 2005 having qualified into a large North West claimant personal injury firm. Susan manages her own motor caseload and has extensive knowledge of motor claims litigation.

Susan Matthews

Susan joined Weightmans in 2015 from a Chartered University where she was Director of Legal and Secretariat (2008 – 2015). As the manager of an in-house legal, student complaints, academic appeals and breaches and information governance teams, Susan was directly responsible for managing and advising on strategic legal, regulatory and compliance risk. Susan currently works with Higher Education institutions to provide legal advice and pragmatic support to University clients on student and staff related legal matters. Susan’s credentials in HE legal practice include: A track record in building collegiate relationships with University central services and in working directly with academic colleagues on legal issues; Wide experience of delivering collaborative projects on a range of University issues. Practical and proportionate adviser on solutions and approaches to legal issues that impact on HE services, organisational performance, external contractual relationships, research projects and University partnerships that have led to or may lead to legal dispute. Developing innovative proposals to support University colleagues to address legal challenges: e.g. legal processes for in-house teams; legal risk assessment; template documents, legal process review, developing and delivering bespoke training. Susan specialises in supporting HE managers on the implementation of solutions in response to legal issues and acting as an addition to the HEI’s team. Susan is the third member of the Weightmans HE team to be recruited from an in-house position.

Susanna Heley

Susanna is a Partner in the Solicitors Regulation department, specialising in regulatory law and professional disciplinary work for legal professionals. She is an experienced litigator, acting for solicitors, partners and employees of legal practices in all professional disciplinary matters including SRA investigations, applications and appeals relating to Practising Certificate conditions, disciplinary proceedings before SRA adjudicators, LeO complaints, referrals to the SDT, statutory appeals to the High Court, (challenging intervention decisions, appeals against sanctions and judicial review proceedings). Susanna advises on compliance and reporting obligations and has assisted COLPs and COFAs in relation to compliance investigations and applications for approval as role holders. She advises on the Separate Business Rule, applications for recognition and approval and Alternative Business Structures. Susanna's litigation experience includes contractual disputes, challenging the refusal of professional indemnity cover, partnership issues, insolvency and general commercial disputes. She has a column in the Solicitors’ Journal as a regulatory lawyer and is a contributor for LexisNexis.

Suzanne Nulty

In March 2020, Suzanne returned to Weightmans, where she trained, after 17 years elsewhere practising employment law, predominantly for the Health sector. She continues to provide advice and representation in litigious and non-contentious matters throughout the employment law field. This often includes detailed advice on the full range of potential discrimination and whistleblowing claims, as well as TUPE. Suzanne’s reputation is for a detailed and forensic, yet practical approach, delivered in a straightforward and supportive way. As well as her specialist experience in advising on complex and contentious internal processes, including for doctors’ and senior executives’ contractual and disciplinary cases, Suzanne is well versed in the governance aspects of senior-level public sector employment issues. She also advises on TUPE issues arising in public sector reorganisations. Suzanne delivers bespoke training for clients on subjects such as whistleblowing, redundancy and TUPE consultation, disciplinary and grievance investigations and capability/performance and absence management. Experience Successful strike out applications at preliminary hearing stage of two constructive unfair dismissal claims (upheld by Court of Appeal) Advice to foundation trust governors in an unprecedented investigation into anonymous whistleblowing allegations against senior non executives Advice to board of governors about process for removal of senior non executives Advice to medical and HR directors on various Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) processes for doctors' disciplinary and capability processes Review and advice on updating executive contracts Advice on negotiating agreed termination of senior executive and drafting/negotiating consequent settlement agreements.

Tania Derrett-Smith

Tania is a principal associate in the family team based in Birmingham. She has over 15 years' experience in all areas of family law, providing clients with a tailored, robust and effective approach to resolution whilst never losing sight of the client's priorities and objectives. Tania's areas of practice include divorce, pre and post-nuptial agreements and arrangements for children with particular specialism in financial consequences arising as a result of a relationship breakdown. Considerable experience in cases involving family businesses, property in the UK and overseas together with pensions. Cases of note include a client attracted away from a magic circle firm with assets over £125million, case involving complex trust issues, disputes regarding post separation accrued wealth, overseas property and a private law children matter with serious allegations of radicalisation. Tania is a member of Resolution and a trained collaborative lawyer. Book your consultation We offer a free consultation on any family law matters. Book now

Tim Lang

Tim is head of Weightmans' London office and leads the firm's relationship with its large corporate clients. He specialises in employment and professional regulatory work with a particular interest in whistleblowing, DPA, FOIA and discrimination claims as well as all aspects of healthcare and local authority employment work. Tim has acted for the General Medical Council and was the first solicitor to act as lead advocate before their professional conduct committees; he has also acted on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive and the General Teaching Council. Tim's employment clients include The Royal Mail Goup, Whitbread Group plc, Pizza Hut UK Limited, Guoman Thistle, Pizza Express, WRB and Tragus as well as Nuffield Health, and a number of local authorities. Tim's professional regulatory clients include the Professional Standards Authority, who is charged with scrutinizing and overseeing the work of the nine healthcare regulatory bodies. Tim is a member of Association Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers, Health & Safety Lawyers Association, Disciplinary Lawyers Association, a committee member of the Institute of Directors (West Midlands) and former world-ranked tennis player.

Tom Boulton

Tom specialises in health and safety law and regulatory compliance. Having previously prosecuted on behalf of HSE and various Local Authorities he joined Weightmans’ Regulatory team in the Birmingham office in 2016. Tom is a determined litigator with a proven track record in regulatory matters including Health and Safety and Road Traffic offences. Tom tenaciously defends clients who find themselves under investigation. Since joining Weightmans Tom has developed a growing reputation for successfully defending individuals and organisations (both public and private sector) in relation to a full range of health and safety and regulatory offences. Testimonials (Legal 500 - 2023) “Tom Boulton has a calm and level-headed approach towards his cases which provides his clients with reassurance in challenging circumstances.” “Tom Boulton has always been very focussed on helping his clients get the best advice they could so that they understand the challenges facing them and can act from a position of informed choice. I was impressed that Tom went beyond providing the traditional provision of high-quality legal advice following incidents. He also identified areas where clients could improve their practice and manage risks better to avoid future incidents or to mitigate their impact. In doing so, he sought input from relevant engineering risk management experts so that his client got the best possible combination of engineering and legal advice.”

Tom Nutter

Tom is a Partner in our Leeds office and acts for clients in relation to regulatory, disciplinary, criminal investigations/prosecutions and inquests. Tom has been representing police officers for more than 14 years. Predominantly instructed by the Police Federation of England and Wales, he has a reputation for acting for clients in high profile cases including allegations of gross negligence manslaughter, serious sexual offences and misconduct in public office, as well as matters arising from the Hillsborough stadium disaster. Tom has extensive experience in advising officers at the police station as well as in relation to criminal prosecutions, both in the Magistrates and Crown Courts and in the Court of Appeal. He is regularly instructed on complex death in custody cases involving jury inquests and also assists officers facing internal misconduct investigations and hearings. Tom has particular expertise advising in the aftermath of death or serious injury cases and post-incident procedures following fatal shootings, deaths in custody and pursuits. Tom regularly lectures and provides training on key topics for the Police Federation and organisations such as the Police Firearms Officers Association.

Tom Collins

Tom is a Partner and Head of the construction team. He advises clients in both the public and private sector. He is responsible for managing the team nationally and is recommended in the Legal 500 and ranked in Chambers. Clients have said he is "An exceptional lawyer who provides clear and consistent advice. Tom Collins has the ability to deal with complex issues and highly technical matters and translate these into a clear, concise and logical form when presenting a case" that "He gives down-to-earth, practical advice and delivers results” and that “Tom has a combination of encyclopaedic knowledge and reassuring demeanour; he brings his intelligence to the case. In a complex case he would see the wood from the roots. Unflappable!” Tom has over 20 years' experience in advising on dispute resolution. He regularly advises clients across a broad range of sectors and industry disciplines. He advises in relation to all construction-related disputes including claims for extensions of time, loss and expense, applications for payment, final account disputes and defective works/allegations of negligence with a particular focus on fire safety. Tom regularly acts in adjudications whether bringing or defending claims ranging from payment disputes and claims for extensions of time to more complex and substantive negligence claims together with being regularly involved with litigation and arbitration. He advises in relation to, and participates in, alternative dispute resolution including mediation. A large part of Tom's practice is dispute avoidance and as part of that, he regularly provides ongoing day to day strategic project advice with senior-level contacts at client organisations. In addition, Tom has previous experience of advising on breach of warranty, misrepresentation and injunctive relief claims. Tom also advises on the drafting of construction agreements. He is familiar with all the major standard forms of contract and advises in relation to amendments to those standard forms. He also advises on the drafting and negotiation of supporting and associated documents such as professional team appointments, collateral warranties and bonds. Tom delivers training to clients on key issues affecting their business relating to the construction industry. This includes delivering seminars to trade bodies on matters such as building safety, recent case-law and innovation. Tom was invited to speak at the BSI’s Global Built Environment Summit. He has written a number of articles which have been published in key sector publications including in the Construction Law Journal. Examples of work which Tom has advised on include: Advising on a dispute for a US contractor claiming additional payments following the design and construction of an oil platform and on shore and sub-sea pipeline; Successfully defending in full a “smash and grab” adjudication Acting for a University on a series of claims and adjudications relating to a final account dispute; Bringing and defending numerous claims alleging fire safety defects including considerations of the impact of the new Building Safety Act; Acting for the successful party in the adjudication and reported adjudication enforcement case of The Metropolitan Borough Council of Sefton v Allenbuild Ltd [2022] EWHC 1443 (TCC) addressing the question of the court’s jurisdiction to enforce an adjudication decision where the parties have elected to resolve disputes through arbitration

Tom Thurlow

Tom is an established member of Weightmans' professional negligence and insurance disputes team based in Newcastle. Although based in Newcastle, Tom acts for clients across the country. In the last five publications of the Legal 500, Tom has been ranked as a Tier 1 "rising star" and described as a "calm and methodical" solicitor with "excellent client care" and "wise beyond his years – a very good lawyer who is prepared to put in all the hours to get to the final article". Considered "very attuned to his clients' needs" and “the go-to name for construction disputes”, Tom is considered by his clients to have “exceptional ability to analyse cases and plan strategies. For the last 2 years, he is also listed in Tier 1 National for Professional Discipline work and described as “very competent in managing a diverse team and keeping the clients focused on the issues”. The mainstay of Tom's current practice involves complex professional negligence construction disputes, with a particular focus on cladding and related façade claims arising in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Disaster. As well as being instructed on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry itself for one of the Core Participants, Tom has also assisted various professionals involved in disputes concerning allegedly defective cladding/façade products, including one of the ‘top-20 cases to watch for 2024’ as well as acting on associated recovery actions. In the Legal 500 2022, Tom was described as "the name to note for this type of work". Alongside this, Tom has a burgeoning practice in disciplinary/regulatory and alternative forums work, and is currently acting on various matters before disciplinary bodies, public inquiries, appeal panels and the Bullock Independent Fire Review. Tom has also recently taken a regulatory prosecution to trial on a previously untested point of law, obtaining a favourable result for the client, and has been instructed on a number of novel, construction-based Judicial Reviews. Tom also continues to be instructed on a broader range of disputes spanning the traditional and emerging professions and is regularly instructed by a wide range of insurers, and other clients.

Tony Yeaman

Tony is a partner and heads the NHS Resolution (formerly NHSLA) clinical negligence team. He has extensive experience in acting for the NHS, having specialised in this area since 1986 and having spent six years in-house as one of a team of regional legal advisers. He has managed multi-party group litigation, including the HIV haemophiliac litigation and has advised the NHS on a number of high-profile claims and inquiries. Tony now specialises in managing high-value and complex clinical negligence claims, whilst providing advice on complex healthcare issues such as treatment decisions and risk management.

Tracy Kielty

Tracy has been with Weightmans for 20 years and is a qualified legal executive. She is in the Property Litigation team and specialises in housing disrepair cases for a number of Social Landlords.

Tracy Smyth

Tracy joined Weightmans in 2006 as a partner and has over 25 years' experience acting for insurance companies and self insureds. Tracy also has particular expertise in employers' liability and public liability claims and extensive experience dealing with high value personal injury claims, to include fatal accident dependency claims. Tracy also has particular expertise in multi party construction claims and travel related litigation on behalf of tour operators and insurers. She is a member of FOIL and Head of EL (non disease) FOIL sector focus team.

Victoria James

Victoria started her career in costs in 1996 and joined Weightmans' costs team in 2012 as an associate. Victoria has experience in all areas of costs and currently specialises in disease cases. Victoria also provides training and support to clients on costs management, rule changes and implementation of costs strategy.

Victoria Cassidy

Victoria has recently returned to Weightmans having spent four years working in a local authority as a Senior Solicitor for litigation and Safeguarding and then as the Special Educational Needs Team manager. Victoria completed her training contract in local government and has over 25 years of litigation experience specialising in public law matters relating to child and adult protection, community care, mental health and education. Her career has been spent supporting local authorities dividing her time between managing a caseload of complex litigation and providing advice to senior managers and decision making panels. She is familiar with the respective statutory duties of public bodies, their governance arrangements and their decision making processes. Victoria enjoys case analysis and problem solving and promotes mediation as an alternative, cost effective method of dispute resolution. She had delivered training to a variety of different audiences on the operation of the Mental Health Act, the Mental Capacity Act and the Children and Families Act. She has advocacy experience in the Court of Protection, the Magistrates, the Family Court, the First Tier Tribunal (Health, Education and Social Care) and the County Court. Victoria constantly strives to develop her legal knowledge and understanding and has post graduate qualifications in mental health law, local government law and is currently completing her LLM. She works on the local government adult and child out of hours’ emergency advice line. Notable cases: A Local Authority v Z & The Official Solicitor [2004] EWHC 2817 (Fam) [2005]

Victoria Wright

Victoria has expertise in advising insurers and logistics operators and is known for industry knowledge. She has been handling EL/PL claims for insurers and large self-insureds for over 15 years and leads on technical civil claims for haulage, construction and warehousing clients.

Victoria Duddles

Victoria is a Legal Director who is both a solicitor and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). She advises on all aspects of employment law, both contentious and non-contentious, including redundancy and reorganisations, TUPE, changing terms and conditions, discrimination, disciplinary matters, and contractual issues. Victoria deals with clients from a range of sectors covering, amongst others, manufacturing, education, engineering, local authorities with much of her work advising police forces on employment law matters. Victoria regularly creates and presents employment training courses on a wide variety of employment law topics for clients and has presented on various employment law topics for the Birmingham Branch of CIPD as well as carrying out other public speaking activities. In addition, Victoria is experienced in carrying out investigations for clients on grievance and harassment complaints. Victoria is Vice Chair of Birmingham Law Society Employment Law Committee.

Victoria Morris

Vicky joined Weightmans in 1986 as an articled clerk and became a partner in 1992. She specialises in clinical negligence. She deals mostly with high value cases or those with unusual or novel issues including pre-issue resolution of a potential claim by mediation in which it was sought to expand the duty of care owed by the NHS and advising on management of a major patient safety incident relating to over 1,000 patients. She acted for one of the core particpants at the Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry and has been involved in a number of group actions. More recently she acted for the blood service and predecessor bodies, core participants in relation the Infected Blood Inquiry and on related claims. Her particular interests are patient safety, mediation and the strategic management of claims. She has advised on aspects of law change and policy development but is most interested in working with the NHS on initiatives to reduce avoidable harm.

Vincent King

Vincent is a projects and commercial lawyer. He advises public sector clients on capital projects, contracts and service delivery models including the establishment of wholly owned companies, outsourcing, partnerships and joint ventures. Vincent has established a variety of contractual and corporate structures including shared services arrangements between public bodies. He also advises on the associated funding arrangements including grants. He acts for different types of public sector bodies including clients in the local government, emergency services, education, health and housing sectors. Vincent has a good understanding of procurement law. He has advised in particular on stand-alone procurements and call-offs under frameworks, the availability of exemptions including the in-house exemption and public sector co-operation arrangements, and contract variations. He has also advised extensively on the application of the procurement rules to projects involving the development of land. He also advises private sector clients on contracts with public sector bodies, outsourcing, supply agreements and joint ventures.

Wendy Perry

Wendy Perry has extensive experience in all types of EL and PL claims in particular disease and counter fraud claims. Noted for having a keen eye for detail her focus is to provide expert technical advice and strategic thinking whilst providing common sense advice to provide both clients and insurers with the best outcome.

Will Quinn

Will qualified in 1995, becoming a partner in 2000. He specialises in large loss and technical claims. He acts mainly for MIB, Zurich, AXA Corporate Solutions and Travelers and deals with a whole range of catastrophic injury claims. Will is a member of FOIL and a representative on their specialist Catastrophic Personal Injury group. He is also Client Relationship Partner for AXA Corporate Solutions.

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.

Yvonne Hudders

Yvonne is a Legal Director in the Casualty team and is based in our Birmingham office but has clients nationwide. On joining Weightmans in 2009, Yvonne brought extensive experience of acting on behalf of local authorities and public sector clients in the London and South East area. Yvonne’s practice is broad and covers defending speciality claims such as complex injury, historic child and adult abuse claims, highways, flooding claims as well as a particular interest in GDPR/DPA breaches. Clients also seek safeguarding advice and Yvonne has also advised on flooding and highways policies. Yvonne also has an interest in sustainability and ESG and acts as the Birmingham ESG Champion supporting the firm’s ambition to achieve net zero. Yvonne is a member of FOIL (Forum of Insurance Lawyers). Admitted as a solicitor in 2006 and a Fellow of CILEX in 2000. Significant reported cases: -Alexis v LB Newham (2009) -Yetkin v LB Newham (2010) Yvonne’s cases have also featured in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse

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