Background
I started work in a solicitor’s office in 1982 as an outdoor clerk. This job was administrative and involved running around the High Court in London. The surroundings were a great place to start my legal career. As an administrative clerk, I gained more and more experience in personal injury after an accident. I qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2004 and began to specialise in more complex and higher-value claims. Over the years, I have been involved in most types of personal injury claims, developing a particular interest in injuries sustained in accidents at work and accidents happening on the street or on private premises. I’ve also been involved in large-scale litigation in professional negligence cases. In recent years I have also been involved in complex litigation involving the trauma and injury caused to vulnerable children by those who were meant to care for them.
What are you most passionate about in your job?
Injury is always difficult to cope with and that burden is much worse when the injury results from someone else’s fault. Our legal system requires victims to fight for compensation. That fight requires victims to prove whose fault the accident was and to show what injury was caused by that fault. This is a difficult and challenging process. I strive to give the best advice in a way that is easily understood so that my clients can make informed decisions about their cases.
What are your personal interests outside of work?
I enjoy walking and travelling, although this is more difficult as my knees get older. I’ve walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks (and gained the tea shirt—just). I have been to Everest base camp, helped study lemurs in Madagascar, travelled around New Zealand, and helped build a dry-stone wall in the Lake District. I’m keen to find ways to continue to help the most vulnerable in our society, who always seem to be most affected by our society's decisions.