The Ipswich office of Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP plays a key role in the firm’s national corporate claims practice, which acts directly for clients rather than through insurer panels. The practice is led by senior partner Nicola Lashmar, who focuses on crisis management and the resolution of high-value and sensitive injury claims; she has an impressive roster of clients, among them Johnson Controls, the Civil Aviation Authority, Thames Water and GSK. Lashmar recently defended Norfolk County Council against a claim brought by the wife of a deceased motorcyclist, who blamed a negligently resurfaced road for the accident. Louise Bland, legal director Paul Coppin, and principal associate Wayne Donovan also play pivotal roles in the practice.

Kennedys is a specialist clinical negligence defence firm that acts as a key adviser to NHS Resolution, as well as many individual NHS Trusts. The firm’s Cambridge office is home to a deep bench of talent, including the ‘extremely impressive‘ practice head Robert Tobin, who is ‘clever, thoughtful and gives very good advice‘. Amanda Mead is a nominated partner for NHS Resolution, and Camilla Long is ‘very experienced and has excellent judgment‘. Senior associates Margaret Duncan, Samantha Williams, the ‘superb, calm, organised,‘ Samantha Goward and Laura Ringrose, who ‘knows which cases to fight and which to settle‘ are also key practitioners.

The Norwich office of Mills & Reeve LLP has a strong medical malpractice group that works with colleagues in Manchester and Birmingham as a key part of the firm’s national full-service health sector offering. Focused purely on clinical negligence indemnity coverage and defence, the team acts for a broad range of healthcare providers in complex and high-value claims. Health and insurance partner Stephen King leads the practice, in which senior associate Matthew Wilson is a key adviser to insurers and their insured on coverage issues, and defending claims against plastic and orthopaedic surgeons.