Following completion of my Master of Laws (LLM) degree and a brief stint working in finance and insurance, I started working at Minster Law in January 2010.
My first role was as an assistant to a fee earner working on fast-track personal injury claims which had arisen out of road traffic accidents. Whilst working in this quick pace environment, I gained an understanding of the fundamentals of the personal injury claims process and the basic soft skills in legal communication and dealing with clients. Within six months, I became a trainee fee earner and put what I had learned into practice whilst being responsible for my own case load; further honing my skills. A year later, I was a fully-fledged fee earner with a larger case load and the added responsibility of managing my own assistant.
Following completion of a training programme, I crossed over to the ELPL (Employment Liability / Public Liability) department. I moved again in 2015 to Minster Law’s Complex Claims Unit and specialised in dealing with cases where an allegation of fraud or fundamental dishonesty had been raised by the defendant against our client. I became a subject matter expert in this area and found myself giving training to the company’s new starters on this topic for five years. I found these two jobs particularly interesting as they expanded my knowledge of liability (proving who is at fault) and causation (proving that that accident caused the injury and consequential losses) whilst also improving my knowledge and skills of litigation and conducting my own case management conference hearings. The complexity of these cases and the forensic analysis of evidence needed made every court victory and client settlement all the more rewarding.
Following qualification as a solicitor, I started dealing with serious injury claims and started receiving guidance from some of Minster Law’s best and brightest associate team leaders. Such investment paid dividends and I started dealing with even higher value claims in 2022.
During my time at Minster Law, I have seen the personal injury industry undergo several important changes, including the introduction of the low value claims portal, LASPO, the Enterprise Act, the introduction of fundamental dishonesty, expansion of the small claims portal, and the intermediate track to name a few. Having seen Minster Law’s leadership team’s response to these challenges and adapting to these, I am confident that Minster Law will be able to continue providing a great level of service to its clients and thrive in the future. It is a company I am devoted to and have no intention of leaving.
Currently, I still have my own case load but am now also training and mentoring the paralegal community in the serious injury department to help them reach their potential and enhance our client’s claim journey further.
Just as my journey at Minster Law has shown, there is the opportunity for career progression and just as I have received help and support over the years from more senior members, it is now my chance to help develop others.
Minster Law’s serious injury team is one of the largest in the UK, with specialists in head and brain injuries, spinal injuries, and injuries resulting in amputation and limb damage. Please visit our vacancies to see what opportunities are available in the team.