The London personal injury team at Clyde & Co has, as of July 2022, officially merged with the large personal injury offering formerly at BLM, significantly bolstering its strength-in-depth. The consolidated team is now co-led by industrial disease specialist Michelle Penn, and casualty and large loss expert Matthew Ford. The team has a multitude of areas of specialism, including: rail and airport; motor and transport, including severe road traffic accidents; health and safety, including accidents at work; catastrophic and sub-catastrophic injury and disease; and abuse and neglect, led by Paula Jefferson. The team’s client list contains an impressive array of leading insurers. The claims which the team defends include such factors as harmful chemical exposure leading to long-term health conditions, orthopaedic injury and amputation, fatalities, severe head injuries and brain trauma, abuse and psychological harm, spinal injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia. Michael Pether and Claire Collins are also recommended.

Steven King and Mark Whittaker co-lead the personal injury defendant offering at DWF. The team is comprised of experts in complex injury litigation and is well adept at defending high-value, complex claims arising from: motor and road traffic incidents, workplace accidents, property damage, health and safety issues, as well as public and product liability cases. It is also experienced in dealing with group actions. Presently, it is acting for the defendant council in the multi-claimant, high-profile action regarding the Grenfell Tower disaster, and has set up extensive rehabilitation for victims and their families as part of its work. In addition, the team is well equipped to handle cross-jurisdictional matters; recently promoted partner Michelle Knapp is developing a strong reputation for handling international catastrophic injury cases. Other noted senior practitioners include Claire Bowler, Graham Dickinson and Rhys Sanchez. ‘Future partner in-the-making’, Adela Carrasco, is one to watch at senior associate level.

Kennedys‘ sizeable serious and catastrophic personal injury offering is led in London by Mark Burton; the wider firm specialises in the global defence of insurers. The team deals with consistently high-value claims in a variety of areas, including: motor, workplace and leisure, and travel; notably of late, the team defended on the high-profile, landmark Supreme Court case made against the Four Seasons Hotel Group regarding whether an incident in a foreign jurisdiction can indirectly injure a UK-based claimant. In addition, the team has a strong reputation for defending sports-related claims; Ben Appleton has a strong reputation for his brain trauma work and is currently involved in defending on the high-profile World Rugby action relating to concussion and brain injury in multiple players. Anthony French, one of three partners who joined the team from BLM in 2021, is described as ‘a huge asset to Kennedys’. ‘Visionary partner’ Richard West is a well-regarded member of the team, while Burton led on the development of the team’s Serious Injury Suite, an innovative technology created to assist clients through the legal process. Joe McManus and Stephen Foster are also noted.

The ‘dynamic and diverse’ large loss and technical team at Weightmans LLP in London is led by the ‘fantastic’ Elaine Chapman, who has a strong reputation for catastrophic injury work and vast experience handling issues of care, statutory funding, rehabilitation and accommodation. The team deals with high-value, serious injury and industrial disease, as well as employers’ and public liability matters and complex motor incidents. Notably, principal associate Phillip Bratt is assisting with the defence of Cornwall Council against a fatal road traffic claim, which is awaiting approval at the Supreme Court. In addition, Nicholas Richards has a strong reputation in cases concerning accidents which took place abroad. Factors often involved in the matters the team defends include severe injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia, amputation, severe brain and spinal injury, and fatal claims. Associate Shaun Lavery, described as ‘a true natural with tremendous skill’, is one to watch in the team.

James Fawcett leads the insurance team at Browne Jacobson LLP, with frequent assistance from Nottingham-based head of public law Laura Hughes. The group has experience in dealing with injury cases of maximum severity, including brain and spinal injuries. It also defends on foreseeable risk of injury cases in more minor incidents. The firm’s particular specialism is in adult and child abuse cases; namely acting in public liability matters defending local governments against vicarious liability claims in instances of child sexual abuse, as well as in ‘failure to remove’ cases involving complex Human Rights issues.

Howard Watson leads the personal injury disputes offering at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. Its caseload is focused on representing defendants in fatal and catastrophic accident cases, complex sensitive stress and bullying at work claims, and high-value group litigation matters. The team has recently acted on some notable cases, including fatal explosion and train derailment cases, as well on a multi-party, cross-border action regarding the long-term effects of ingestion of thalidomide by pregnant mothers in the 1950s and 60s.

The complex injury group at Horwich Farrelly is led by Malcolm Henké, and has a strong reputation for defending high-value road traffic claims on behalf of motor insurers, as well as acting on a variety of catastrophic claims, including employers’ and occupiers’ liability cases. The team's typical workload includes cases involving adult and child brain injury, spinal injury, paraplegia and tetraplegia, and complex quantum factors. The team also has expertise in advising on liability and indemnity issues, as well as on policy disputes. In addition, it has significant experience of dealing with insurance fraud. New to the London team is head of product liability, Daniel West, who joined from BLM in January 2022.

Rachel Butlin, described as ‘one of the best lawyers in this field’, co-leads the team at Ince & Co with recently recruited partner and ‘outstanding lawyer’ Leanne Conisbee, formerly of Clyde & Co. Along with Conisbee, senior associate Imogen Webb, and seasoned specialist Jennette Newman - who brings to the team experience dealing with sensitive, multi-party, multi-jurisdictional cases - also joined the team in December 2021. The team maintains a strong reputation for its niche specialism defending on maritime and offshore incidents, and its new recruits bring with them expertise in terror attack and aviation matters.

The personal injury, travel and regulatory team at Hill Dickinson LLP is led by the ‘extremely experienced’ John Caddies. The sectors the team’s workload covers include disease, travel, and workplace and factory cases. In particular, the team has a niche specialism in marine and offshore cases, and deals with complex matters of significant value in that sector; new recruit formerly of Plexus Law, associate Grace Skinner, has a particular specialism in this area.

Cordelia Rushby and Steven Conway are key individuals in the Keystone Law personal injury defendant team. The group’s caseload often involves defending employers against workplace claims and defending local authorities against public liability claims. In addition, the team deals with matters involving such complex factors as retrospective abuse, and Animals Act claims.

Gavin Reese leads the London and Bristol-based team at RPC. It represents defendants on a range of cases, often involving public liability, road traffic or workplace accidents. Its cases often involve defending claims of significant value, and involve such injuries as brain damage, psychiatric illness, amputations, somatoform disorders and fatalities, and can often involve claimants lacking capacity.