The team at Capsticks LLP is co-led by Peter Marquand and Catherine Bennett, and also fields such seasoned names as Philip Hatherall. It has been on the NHS Resolution’s ‘Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts’ panel since 1995 and on its ‘Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice’ panel since 2019. The workload consists of high-value, complex, multi-party claims involving such issues as birth injury, brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal injury and wrongful birth. The team’s ethos is to aim for non-contentious resolution. The group’s high profile Covid-related mandates, wherein it is defending proposed breaches of duty at the height of the pandemic, are novel as to their circumstances and, as such, of national interest and likely to influence future case law, once settled. Majid Hassan leads a sub-team which is focused specifically on medical malpractice, representing insurers in claims brought against private surgeons, clinics and hospitals. Tamara Knight is a recently appointed partner with an impressive caseload.

The team at Clyde & Co is led by the ‘tenacious and determined’ Claire Petts. It continues to act for the NHSR panel, and work stemming from this client has grown significantly with the panel’s recent re-shuffle. The team’s practice is complex and values are typically in the millions; claims including wrongful birth, brain injury in adults and children, spinal injury and orthopaedic injury form the core of the workload. In addition, the team is experienced in defending a range of complex and sensitive mental health claims, including assessment of the duty of care owed in immigration facilities. As of July 2022, the team has grown significantly, having merged with BLM, who themselves had a complex and often cross-jurisdictional caseload. As part of this merger, the team has notably gained industrial disease expert Michelle Penn . Senior associate Ben Shoebridge, described as ‘punching above his weight’, is one to watch in the team. Legal director Sam Holden is another key contact.

Mary Menjou, described as having ‘unrivalled experience’ in this field, leads the clinical negligence offering at Hempsons. The team continues to act for the NHSR panel in this area, an its workload consequently includes multi-faceted claims, often involving miscarriage mismanagement; brain and psychiatric injury; birth, spinal and dental injury; general surgerical issues or negligence to perform surgery; and catastrophic injury. Gautam Chawla is described as a ‘fantastic litigator, with brilliant intellect and outstanding medical knowledge’. Another notable team member is ‘outstanding’ associate Kristy Harkett, who has an impressive caseload, and is gaining experience dealing with complex mental health matters. The group is also able to benefit from the presence of seasoned practitioners, who continue to enjoy outstanding reputations in the market; John Holmes is just one such example.

The ‘truly impressive’ clinical negligence offering at Kennedys is led by Christopher Malla, who has recently been chosen by the NHSR to advise on the strategic management of claims arising from Covid-19; he is described as ‘the most impressive and dedicated partner in this area’. The firm has a strong global reputation for its international healthcare practice. Private healthcare lead Nico Fabri manages multi-jurisdictional schemes for a leading international insurer. The London team acts for a range of public and private bodies, including the NHSR panel, as well as private clinicians, private hospitals and their insurers. Its workload takes in the full spectrum of claims, which are often multiparty and multijurisdictional, and touch on issues relating to catastrophic, spinal, orthopaedic and birth injury; failure to diagnose and unnecessary surgeries; and psychiatric injury. In addition, the team is regularly involved with the production of analytical reports for trusts, with a particular focus on midwifery, obstetrics, neurosurgery and emergency medicine - Ed Glasgow is particularly involved in this risk management work.

The ‘first class’ Joanne Easterbrook leads the clinical risk team at Bevan Brittan LLP. As well as NHSR panel work, the team acts for an increasing number of private medical malpractice insurers and healthcare providers, and has a growing body of international work. The claims it defends include complex and high-value spinal injury, amputation and birth injury. In addition, it is establishing a specialism in areas concerning cosmetic and aesthetic medical malpractice work, and fertility claims arising from both public and private clinics. Notably, partner Dan Morris acted in the landmark Supreme Court case of Whittington Hospital NHS Trust v XX, which concerned recoverable damages and international surrogacy arrangements. ‘Superstar’ Penelope Radcliffe has been at the forefront of some of the team’s key secondary victim cases in the last year, and is developing an expertise in this area.

The London-based clinical risk team at DAC Beachcroft LLP is co-led by team members who work in various offices, namely Simon Perkins, Simon Wortley, Rachel Roberts-Jenkins, David Roberts and Nigel Montgomery; the last of these names regularly advises on patient safety and triangulation, as well as on issues relating to consent. The national team is one of the largest in the country, and is consequently able to act on large scale class actions, including the ongoing vaginal mesh product case, as well as being the metal-on-metal hip actions. It acts for such notable clients as the NHSR and the MDU. Claims it defends often involve such complex issues as cerebral palsy, birth, orthopaedic and spinal injuries, and fatal accidents.

The ‘highly respected’ Janet McWhinney and the ‘unrivalled’ Rebecca Hunt co-lead the London-based Hill Dickinson LLP health litigation team. Its caseload spans such complex issues as alleged failure to diagnose, negligence in anaesthetics, issues in orthopaedic surgery, and birth injury, often coalescing with mental health issues and catastrophic injury. The value of these cases often reaches well into the millions. In 2021, the team successfully defended a landmark application by a claimant to bring a birth injury claim for the second time. Legal director Rohana Abeywardana specialises in maximum severity matters and works closely with the NHSR.

The Weightmans team, which is led by Rachel Kneale, was boosted by the firm’s merger with RadcliffesLeBrasseur in March 2022. The team’s caseload regularly sees it defending claims in court, though the team does also have a reputation for its expertise in mediation and ADR. It acts cases in the multi-millions, involving catastrophic birth injury and cerebral palsy, obstetric, psychiatric and dental injury, as well as delayed treatment. The ‘hugely knowledgeable’ Warren Forsyth leads the GP-focused sub-team, dedicated to handling GP claims, often with multi-defendant components. ‘Fantastic‘ legal director Isobel Michie is also recommended.

The Browne Jacobson LLP team is led by the ‘brilliant’ Matthew Trinder. The London team was established in 2017, and has recently been appointed to the NHSR panel for all work types. It has a growing reputation for its specialism in defending complex claims involving matters including obstetrics, GP indemnity, mental health, emergency and ambulance services, spinal and dental injury, and private medical malpractice cases; its ethos is early resolution. Its recent caseload has been particularly noteworthy, with Trinder leading on a medical malpractice case of the largest NHS England patient recall to date, which the team successfully defended at appeal.

Dorothy Flower leads the medical and life sciences team at RPC. The team has experience defending group action claims, as well as those with cross-jurisdictional elements. It also has a reputation for its insurance expertise. The firm advises its clients on cases involving alleged negligence in reproductive healthcare and fertility services; the clinical trial and pharmaceutical industry; the incorrect administration of medication; mental health and psychiatric injury cases; and the duty of care owed in various facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic’s height. In particular, the team has recently defended a novel case involving a paediatric patients’ data leak, as well as acting on a high profile case concerning alleged failure to diagnose a premiership footballer’s knee injury.

Yvonne Screene leads the team at CMS, with former team head Chris Horsefield taking on a consultant role within the team. The group’s workload involves defending on high-value matters; mandates are typically centred around complex matters of alleged negligence in areas including delayed diagnoses leading to lifelong medical issues and failure to investigate unexplained symptoms. Elizabeth-Anne Larsen is a standout member of the team, and is described as having ‘outstanding judgement’.

The DWF healthcare litigation team, described as ‘going above and beyond’ for its clients, is under the leadership of Lisa Heathcote, following the departure of Tracy Sell-Peters to Keystone Law in July 2022. The team has a stellar reputation for its extensive experience advising insurers on policy coverage issues, policy wording and regulatory issues. Notably, in 2022, the team gained a place on the NHSR panel. Its workload is broad-ranging, and claims the team defends against involve alleged negligence and breach of duty in areas including reconstructive, cosmetic and general orthopaedic surgery and post-operative care, as well as cases wherein the claimant has developed sepsis, brain injury or spinal injury as a result of the alleged negligence. In May 2022, the firm bolstered its offering with the acqusition of Rosie Shapiro from BLM.

Sian Davies helms the ‘very strong’ sport and healthcare team at Keoghs LLP. The team is heavily involved in the niche area of sports and acts for a wide variety of healthcare providers as a result of this specialism, including acupuncturists, emergency responders, nurses and sports therapists. The ‘thorough and determined’ Jason Howarth has a reputation for his expertise in player-on-player, high-value sport injury claims, as well as delayed diagnoses for sports players.