EXPRESS SOLICITORS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Litigation Executive
- Solicitor
Abigail Williams is a Litigation Executive in the Clinical Negligence Claims Department. She graduated with a Second Class Honours from the University of Birmingham in 2019 before joining the team at Express. She then began her LPC and LLM at the University of Law, due for completion in October 2022, with hopes to qualify in July 2023.
When asked what she enjoys most about working at Express Solicitors, Abi answered "It's got to be the one close relationships that you are able to develop with your colleagues. I work in a very experienced team and someone is always on hand to provide support and advice. This has been the biggest contributor to my development as a young lawyer. I can then pass this benefit onto my clients.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner - Road Traffic Accidents
Adele Greenough is a Partner in the Road Traffic Accident department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in July 2019. She is one of only 204 lawyers in the UK to hold the Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation. Adele specialises in Civil and Commercial Litigation - both Fast Track and high-value Multi-Track Road Traffic Accidents, Employers Liability, Public Liability, Occupiers Liability, Landlord and Tenant claims, with a specific niche in dealing with secondary victim and automatism cases. Adele takes a keen interest in the training and development of young lawyers and, in the past, Adele has managed in excess of 50 people as well as developed and led the New Starter training academy at two separate firms.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
- Litigation Assistant
Aida Chibok is a Trainee Solicitor in the Costs Department. Aida graduated with a Bachelors of Law Degree from Sheffield Hallam University and underwent her Legal Practice Course at the University of Law.
Before joining Express, Aida worked in a number of different litigation roles, including Personal Injury, Fraud and Consumer Claims Litigation giving her a breadth of experience of litigation knowledge which she uses on a daily basis to obtain the best results for her clients.
In her spare time she enjoys playing on the Express Netball team and loves to experience live music.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Alex Summerscales is a Partner (Non-Lawyer) working in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in February 2014.
He deals with a wide range of costs areas such as the drafting and variation of retainers, negotiations, budgeting, drafting of points of dispute and replies, skeleton arguments, appeals, advocacy at CCMCs, interlocutory applications, and detailed assessment and tackling complex technical challenges on retainers and bills.
Alex is a very organised individual, and cites this as one of his keys to success in costs. "I pride myself on meticulous attention to detail and an excellent understanding and interpretation of case law, the Civil Procedure Rules and Practice Directions," says Alexander. "I believe in very careful and considered planning and preparation and keeping on top of your time, deadlines and documents."
In the past Alex has worked on some extremely high profile cases. He assisted in the leading cases of Richards v Davis [2005] EWHC 90014 (Costs) (25 November 2005) and Oyston v The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc [2006] EWHC 90053 (Costs) (16 May 2006), and also acted in the multi-million dollar and multi-jurisdictional case of Sharman Networks Limited v Claria Corporation (Commercial Court) (2008) which took place across several US states, European countries and the High Court in London.
Prior to joining Express Solicitors, Alex gained over 10 years of experience in costs, including over 7 years at a leading international practice, bringing excellent perspective having acted on the side of claimants and defendants and within Solicitors Act 1974 assessments. He has furthered his knowledge of costs by attending many conferences, seminars and lectures on the subject throughout the UK and Europe in addition to drafting and delivering seminars both internally and externally.
Throughout the constantly changing legal landscape, Alex has developed an excellent understanding of the changes and impact of the Jackson reforms, both within the fundamental changes to the CPR and Practice Directions and the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. In addition, Alex keeps abreast of the constant developments in costs law and practice, which have become all the more crucial in the days post Jackson.
Job Titles:
- NCT Administration Assistant
Job Titles:
- Head of Marketing and Communications
Alison joined Express Solicitors in July 2023 with an extensive and varied background in marketing, communications, journalism and PR.
Having written for a range of magazines and newspapers, as well as having worked in a range of PR and communications roles which involved extensive copywriting, Alison's passion lies in the art of storytelling and ensuring the right messages get to the right people at the right time.
She said: "I'm really excited to be joining Express Solicitors at a time when there is so much to shout about both internally and externally. I'm looking forward to extending the reach of those good news stories and of the Express brand in general."
When not working she enjoys spending time with her family and heading into the countryside (particularly the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands) as much as possible.
Amie joined Express in November 2020 as Personal Assistant (PA) to the Partner and Head of Professional Support. With over 20 years of experience as a File Handler in personal injury and clinical negligence claims, she brings extensive knowledge and expertise to her role.
Amie's role has expanded since she joined Express and she has taken on the role of Training Coordinator in addition to her PA duties.
When asked what she likes best about her role, Amie commented "I enjoy interacting with the various departments within the company and particularly enjoy welcoming new starters to Express at the beginning of their journey with us as well as providing training on how to navigate our case management system"
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner - Road Traffic Accidents
Amy Cassell is a Partner at Express Solicitors having joined the firm in March 2012. She works in the RTA department alongside Partner Kimberley Kirkby dealing with a wide range of Road Traffic Accident cases, including collisions, accidents involving cyclists and accidents involving pedestrians. Amy also has expertise in Employment Liability claims having worked in that Department until transferring to the RTA department.
Amy states that the best part of her job is working with junior fee earners to help them develop their knowledge and provide the best client care possible. Amy also prides herself on ensuring she takes the time to listen to each individual client and therefore providing excellent client care.
Before Amy joined Express Solicitors she undertook 5 years of hard study. In doing so, Amy gained a Legal & Business degree from Liverpool University, followed by completing her GDL at the Chester College of Law, before finally studying for an LPC at Manchester College of Law in 2010.
Ana Joined the firm in March 2022. She specialises in drafting formal bills for personal injur y and clinical negligence cases. Ana says her favourite part of her job is that no two days are the same. Whilst working at Express Ana has had to deal with a variety of complex cases, from both fast track and high value cases. Ana finds it very interesting seeing how a case develops and always achieving the best result for a client. She says there is always something new to learn whilst working in costs. Ana has 7 years of experience working in costs and is always keen on developing new skills. She loves working within a team and is always happy to assist junior members of staff.
Job Titles:
- Courier & Facilities Assistant
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
- Partner - Occupiers' Liability and Public Liability
When asked what she likes best about her job, Angela said ‘' I like being able to help and support people when they are facing life changing injuries and assisting in their recovery. I always fully investigate the exact circumstances of an accident as the smallest things can have such a big impact on the outcome of a case."
Angela specialises in Occupiers' and Public Liability in particular, serious and catastrophic injury claims, with experience and interest in brain injury, spinal injuries, amputation claims, fatal accidents, sexual abuse and claims to the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority.
In making a difference, Angela said ‘'I love travelling to meet new clients personally and I always strive to be personable and approachable, as client care is the key to supporting your client and obtaining a successful outcome."
Angela is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She studied Law LLB in Hull, and thereafter completed her LPC at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Anna Thompson is a Partner at Express Solicitors. She joined the firm in May 2018 and forms part of Daniel Slade's team, handling Road Traffic Accident, Occupiers' and Public Liability cases.
As well as having a long standing interest in personal injury law, Anna is passionate about the more complex injury or complex liability claims and has a keen interest in cases involving accidents in public places. She cites being able to bring a complex claim to a conclusion as being the single most rewarding aspect of handling personal injury cases.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
After moving from Poland to the UK, she completed a Master's degree in Human Resource Management at Manchester Metropolitan University and gained a level 7 CIPD Advanced Diploma. B has worked in HR since 2017 and has almost 8 years of experience of working at one of the UK's top 30 law firms.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Head of Clinical Negligence
- Partner - Head of Clinical Negligence
- Partner and Head of the Clinical Negligence Department
- Specialist
- Trustee of Headway Central Lancashire
Carlos Lopez is a partner and head of the Clinical Negligence Department - a department that undertakes all types of negligence claims against individual medical practitioners and institutions.
Carlos is a specialist senior clinical negligence practitioner, with over 26 years experience in clinical negligence work, who has acted for thousands of clients since qualification in 1995, dealing with a vast array of clinical negligence work, including cases of maximum severity, such as brain injury, spinal injury, oncology misdiagnosis and delayed treatment and birth injury claims.
Carlos is dual qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor and is a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel, in recognition of his specialist expertise in this area of law. Additionally, Carlos is one of the few practitioners in the North West to hold dual accreditation, also being a member of the Law Society Personal Injury panel.
Due to his experience in the field of medical negligence, Carlos is also an Assessor for the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel, and is responsible for assessing solicitors who wish to become specialist practitioners.
During his career, Carlos has been involved in the creation and expansion of a number of clinical negligence departments in the North West and has supervised thousands of cases, securing over £20 million in compensation in damages for clients since qualification.
Amongst his notable cases, includes, Alder Hey organ retention group action, PIP breast implant group action, £5 million Cerebral Palsy birth Injury case, £2.5 million spinal injury claim, £1 million Erb's Palsy claim, £1 million leg amputation claim and a cervical cancer misdiagnosis case against a GP, resulting in over £1.2 million in damages to the client. Acting almost exclusively for Claimants, he has been involved in cases against GPs. Hospital Trusts, Private Hospitals, Private Consultants, Dentists, Pharmacists, as well as a number of other health care professionals.
"At the heart of what I do, is assisting those who have been let down by trusted medical practitioners, and to assist injured people rebuild their lives following sub-standard medical treatment. "Assisting clients is about more than just securing compensation. Many clients require support and understanding, and I pride myself on acting with professionalism and empathy", comments Carlos.
Due to his passion in representing those affected by clinical negligence, Carlos is a Trustee of Headway Central Lancashire and a Liverpool Law Society Civil Litigation Sub Committee Member. Carlos has also appeared in articles with the BBC and national newspapers.
"I am delighted to be a part of the specialist team at Express Solicitors, where the client is a the heart of everything we do. The team prides itself on offering high client service and in a way that is easy to understand and supportive."
Carly Schofield is a Partner at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in October 2018.
When asked what she likes best about her role, Carly commented "I enjoy the diversity that cost law brings. I have worked on a wide range of cases, ranging from mesothelioma to clinical negligence to sexual abuse cases and gained a wide knowledge of all aspects of the law, given that costs are now an integral part of the civil litigation case from the outset."
"I have mainly worked on catastrophic injury/clinical negligence cost cases from cradle to grave and am experienced at dealing with all aspects of cost budgeting from budget preparation to CCMC advocacy."
"I genuinely want the best result possible for the fee earners and the firm, I think the burden is on me to ensure the costs recovered reflect the hard work done on the case. I make a difference by always engaging a personable approach with Defendants."
Carly has worked in costs for 10 years and is a qualified Costs Lawyer regulated by the Costs Lawyers Standards Board. A personal achievement for Carly was advocating in the Royal Courts of Justice on a high value/ high media profile case.
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resources Officer
Carole is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Express Solicitors and heads up the Human Resources department, responsible for the full employee remit within the Express Group. Her role involves everything within the employee pipeline from recruitment, planning, induction, training, assessment and talent management. Carole believes that part of her role is to raise expectations and performance in the form while helping foster an environment that is forward looking, adopting a "Can Do" attitude.
Carole is a Chartered CIPD member. She has completed a Masters in Human Resource Management and a BSc in Business. Prior to joining Express Solicitors, Carole worked within a North West Top 500 company for 2 years and prior to that for a digital media company over 5 years which consolidated her extensive HR experience in mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and management buyouts. Carole joined Express Solicitors due to the fast pace of working for an owner-led business and the firm's strong commitment to excellence.
Bringing a wealth of experience working in different business sectors, Carole enjoys working with the Management Team and employees throughout Express Solicitors and has seen pivotal growth during her tenure at the firm. People are the most important asset to a Company and Express Solicitors takes great care and commitment to promoting and developing staff from within.
Carole is an Ambassador for Forever Manchester and leads the firm's charitable roadmap which has led to Express Solicitors winning Corporate Supporter of the Year and a host of activities from sky diving to the 10km run. The firm has spearheaded brand new initiatives with Forever Manchester such as panel grant awards and Community Reporters to highlight the fantastic contribution we make to so many community groups. Express Solicitors are proud to make a real difference to many lives.
Carole enjoys walking at weekends and lives near the Peak District which allows for easy travel to beautiful places. She is blessed with two children and a cat, with another on the way (kitten not child!). Having taken A-level French, she enjoys torturing the good people of France on an annual basis with her franglais; usually visiting the South West of France. Also, having married a Welsh man, the family enjoys plenty of trips to beautiful North Wales. Carole keeps herself busy and enjoys reading books such as 7 habits, Blackbox Thinking, Grit et al. These books are recommended to all - they have been really important to Carole's personal and professional life.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Occupier 's & Public Liability
Catherine is a Partner in the OL/PL department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in October 2011.
She attended Salford University to complete a Business Studies Degree with Marketing Management before changing career paths and deciding to study to become a lawyer.
After successfully completing the Graduate Diploma in Law and Legal Practice Course she joined Express Solicitors in the New Client Team.
Since then Catherine has gained a wealth of experience through initially working in the Employers Liability department and then moving across to qualify in the Occupiers Liability department.
Catherine now specializes in Occupiers and Public Liability claims but also handles cosmetics cases, product liability cases and claims involving minors.
She is renowned for her client care skills and is an exceptional communicator priding herself on building good relationships with her clients so that she can get the best results and has an excellent star rating received from numerous happy clients.
Born and bred in Manchester, when she is not working Catherine enjoys visiting various National Trust parks with her two young children who like to keep her on her toes. When she does get some time to herself, she enjoys keeping fit on the cross trainer at home and going to a variety restaurants in Manchester with her husband when they get a rare night off together.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Occupier 's and Public Liability
- Partner in the Occupier
Catherine Lansley is a Partner in the Occupier's and Public Liability department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in June 2015.
Catherine qualified as a solicitor over 18 years ago, and has dedicated her career to claimant personal injury work. Catherine has experience with occupiers & public liability, employer's liability, and road traffic accident claims. She has settled numerous cases where damages have exceeded £250,000.
When asked what she enjoys most about her role at Express Solicitors, Catherine answered: "I enjoy speaking to clients and securing the right settlement for them, working with my team to ensure that the claimants' journey is streamlined and as stress-free as possible."
Catherine believes that it is important to try to understand how an accident has affected her clients, this way she can endeavour to make the situation better for them and their families.
Before joining Express solicitors, Catherine worked at Beeley and Co and Beardsells Solicitors. She secured her training contact with Beardsells and progressed to the position of Junior Partner. At Beeley and Co she combined a Fee Earning and Management role helping Beeley's to secure the Law Society's Excellence Award with Lexcel for Excellence in Practice Management.
Catherine gained a combined degree in Law and Marketing at De Montfort University in Leicester and completed her LPC at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Sales and Purchase Ledger Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Colin Campbell is a Senior Costs Draftsman in the Costs Department, having joined Express Solicitors in December 2021. Colin has worked in Costs and Litigation for over 24 years and is a qualified (non-practising) Solicitor.
Colin has dealt with all areas of Costs Law, but particularly in the last 5 years has specialised in preparing Bills of Costs, preparing and negotiating Costs Budgets and preparing Replies to Points of Dispute on high value Clinical Negligence, Catastrophic, Industrial Disease and Commercial Litigation matters. Colin has also mentored and trained junior members of the team to aid their development and skill sets in Costs. Colin has also provided training to external clients on a variety of cost related matters.
When asked what he likes best about his role, Colin commented "I have always enjoyed the challenges that the ever-changing landscape of Costs has put in my way, which means you always have to be open to new ways of working and developing new skills."
Colin went on to say "I have always enjoyed preparing Bills of Costs in high value complex litigation and using my skills to obtain the best result for the client/the instructing Solicitor to reward their hard work in obtaining the best possible result for the underlying injured client. Every case is unique, and you have to use your knowledge and experience to produce a Bill of the highest quality to achieve the required result."
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Executive
Colin Wilkinson works for Express Solicitors as a Senior Litigation Executive within the within the Consumer Claims Department working under Ryan Postlethwaite.
He achieved a bachelor's degree in law back in 2018, studying part time alongside full time employment. He is currently in his second year of his legal practice course with a master's degree at John Moore's University. Balancing studying alongside full time employment is challenging but at the same time rewarding.
Colin chose a career in law as he is passionate about helping people and take pride in being able to help people seek the justice they deserve.
For the past 3 years Colin have worked on Housing Condition claims, helping tenants whose homes have fallen into disrepair due to their landlords negligence achieve justice.
In his spare time he enjoys watching and playing football, he's an avid Liverpool FC supporter, and keeping fit. He has completed a number of events such as Tough Mudder, and the Great Manchester Run.
As a Partner in the RTA Department Corbin manages a team of Lawyers and conducts his own caseload of fast and multi-track cases. He specialises in Road Traffic Accident claims involving Personal Injury.
With a background in both Claimant and Defendant personal injury and credit hire, Corbin is happy to help all his clients in their dealings with insurers, whether their own or the Defendant's.
Corbin frequently acts for vulnerable road users such as cyclists, motorcyclists or pedestrians and he is always happy to advise them in respect of their unique needs.
He also has significant experience of bringing claims against uninsured or untraced drivers, as well as appealing decisions made by the Motor Insurers' Bureau.
With over a decade of experience, including some time spent working for a Defendant firm. This means he can look at cases from both sides and approach them tactically, ensuring he can get the best result for his clients and that they proceed as smoothly as possible. Cobrin's experience means he is happy to act in cases where liability is disputed, and when making a counterclaim.
There is very little Corbin finds more satisfying than telling a client that they have won a particularly difficult case.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Occupier 's and Public Liability
Craig is proud to work at Express Solicitors.E xpress Solicitors is a national firm of fully accredited solicitors, which can pursue for you no win no fee personal injury and accident claims; medical and clinical negligence claims and serious injury claims.
Craig specialises in resolving claims which occur whilst individuals are abroad such as whilst travelling or when on holiday.
Please get in touch with Craig should you have a personal injury claim.
When not hard at work he can be found rambling around the Lake District.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
- Head of Legal Operations
- Partner - Head of Legal Operations
Damian Bradley - Interviewed on ITV regional news and on the radio to discuss matters surrounding workplace accidents and employment-related issues. Recently featured in ‘This is Money' discussing civil court delays.
Damian Bradley is a Partner and Head of Legal Operations at Express Solicitors Limited and joined the company in 2021. Damian specialises in Employers' Liability claims with over 20 years of experience as a qualified Solicitor.
Damian deals with claims arising from all types of serious injury following an accident at work, including brain injuries, spinal injuries, and musculoskeletal injuries together with claims involving pain syndromes such as chronic pain, CRPS and cases involving amputation.
Damian is a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and served for 6 years as their North West Co-ordinator.
Daniel Jamieson is an experienced Partner in our Road Traffic Litigation department with over 12 years of post-qualification experience representing Claimants in all manner of accidents on the road including serious pedestrian vs vehicle claims, significant bicycle and motorcycle accident claims, complex claims involving foreign registered motor vehicles, uninsured and untraceable motorists, successfully pursuing road traffic accident claims where serious allegations of fraud are advanced, along with representing protected party Claimants involved in road accidents.
Daniel is passionate, versatile, approachable, client-friendly, and adopts a methodical and determined approach to preparing cases for clients to ensure the best possible chance of not only winning cases, but also maximising damages beyond the expected levels of recovery.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Executive Officer ( Legal )
- Head of the Public Liability
Chief Executive Officer (Legal) of Express Solicitors, Daniel Slade has been instrumental to the firm since joining in 2003. He has represented several high-profile clients including celebrities, county court judges and professional athletes.
Daniel heads Express Solicitors' catastrophic injury department, acting for clients that have suffered the most serious types of accidents including amputations, spinal cord injuries and pain syndromes.
In addition, Daniel also has extensive experience working with those injured from sporting accidents with a speciality in cycling and motorcycle claims.
Daniel Slade is the Chief Executive Officer (Legal) of Express Solicitors Limited and has been with the company since 2003. Daniel is head of the firm's public liability team dealing with particularly complex cases. These include: pharmaceutical and product liability claims, group actions, sporting accidents, all types of foreign accidents, including those on aircraft's and cruise ships, as well as cases involving complex European aspects of law.
Daniel deals with serious and catastrophic injury claims in high courts with a value in excess of £1m, having a particular expertise in brain injury, spinal injuries, cases involving amputation, pain syndromes and fatal accidents.
Daniel led the litigation in the United Kingdom against GlaxoSmithKline for type 2 diabetes sufferers, contending they suffered heart attacks, strokes and heart failures, including many deaths as a result of the medications, Avandia, Avandamet and Avandaryl, being prescribed to the majority of type 2 diabetes sufferers from 1999 for more than 10 years.
Additionally, Daniel dealt with many high-profile cases, suing Argos and other large furniture suppliers for skin conditions suffered by many individuals from their ‘toxic sofas', suing Harvey's for breathing conditions suffered as a result of a sofa protecting spray they sold, suing DuPuy for metal-on-metal hip replacements made, and more recently suing many cosmetic surgeries for ladies having suffered with ruptured PIP breast implants.
Daniel was classed as a Recommended Lawyer in the 2017 Legal 500 who said of him.
Express Solicitors Ltd has a ‘very professional and caring team' that includes the ‘knowledgeable' Daniel Slade, who ‘asks the right questions'
Daniel has represented sports personalities competing on a National level, TV personalities and even Judges.
His favourite quote comes from Chinese author on military strategy, Sun Tzu "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of 100 battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle".
In 2013, Daniel was nominated under the ‘Young Lawyer' category for the North West Insider Young Professionals Award. The Young Professionals Award provides a superb showcase for excellence in the Manchester professional community; all nominees have to be under the age of 35 coming from a range of different professional backgrounds. Daniel is also recognised as a Law Society Personal Injury Accreditation Scheme member.
Daniel is currently representing individuals, including a gentleman in his 40's from Manchester who lost his entire right leg (from just below the hip) as a result of a broken leg at work resulting in an infection; a gentleman in his 20's from London who tripped on a paving slab, suffering ruptured tendons in both knees and went on to suffer negligent treatment at hospital leaving him permanently disabled and many individuals having been struck at speed by vehicles when crossing the road, causing them disabling brain injuries. He also represents individuals who've suffered brain injuries as a consequence of being placed on ventilators following admission to intensive care.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Partner
- Solicitor
- Partner - Training
David Small is a Partner at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in May 2018. David specialises in Professional Negligence and Personal Injury claims.
When asked what David enjoys about his role, he commented "I enjoy achieving compensation for victims of civil wrongs. I'm not the best but I'm a good listener - I hope I'm empathetic whilst being objective and I try always to see the wood for the trees and do the things needed to bring results for clients."
David has worked as a Consultant Solicitor from 1999 until 2018, working in various partnerships previous to that. He also has a Bsc in Pure Chemistry.
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Cost Drafting - Line Manager
Deepa Patel is a qualified Solicitor in the Costs department.
Donna Simcock is a Partner in the Employers Liability department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in September 2018.
When asked what she likes best about her role, Donna commented "I always enjoy building up a good working relationship with the client and having that interaction with them, constantly striving to improve and exceed their expectations."
Eduard Antanian Advocate READ BIO Eduard was called to the Bar of England and Wales in October 2021. Before joining Express in May 2022 as an Advocate, he started his career as a Legal Drafter in the Advocacy Department of another law firm, where he had to draft pleadings and provide formal advices. During his undergraduate years, Eduard was awarded with a certificate of top performing student for the academic year 2019/2020, he participated in Mooting assessments, and was involved in various Pro Bono activities for the National Justice Museum. In addition, Eduard completed his Master of Laws (LLM) by submitting a dissertation in a complex area of Commercial Litigation, in relation to issues surrounding jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments in cross border disputes following Brexit, on which he achieved a distinction. Eduard is highly committed to the legal profession, and extremely motivated to succeed in his work. Hence, he always strives to provide an excellent service of work and client care. Outside of work, Eduard enjoys working out, meeting with his friends on a Friday night for dinner, and participating in different sports, particularly extreme sports, such as skydiving and bungee jumping. He is all about socialising and he particularly enjoys improvising when cooking.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Solicitor
- Associate Solicitor - Legal Trainer
Eleanor Turton is a Associate Solicitor in the Employer's Liability claims department, having joined the firm in March 2017.
When asked what she enjoys most about her role at Express, Eleanor responded: "I enjoy getting good results for my clients. It is so satisfying settling a claim, and knowing that the damages obtained for the client will help make a real difference to their lives."
Eleanor specialises in Employer's Liability claims and describes her extensive experience as being her main attribute for success, having worked for both the claimant and defendant. Eleanor further commented, "This has allowed me to have a good understanding as to how both sides work, which I consider gives me a tactical advantage when negotiating liability and quantum."
Before joining Express Solicitors, Eleanor completed her LLB Degree at University of Wales, Aberystwyth before then going on to complete her LPC at The College of Law, Chester.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Elizabeth is a highly driven individual who has worked hard to develop the skills and a strong academic record to become a successful barrister.
She received a First Class with Hons in her LLB from The Open University, whilst working full time as a Litigation Executive. She later went on to complete her LLM/ BTC from BPP in Manchester, receiving a merit / very Competent.
Elizabeth spent 5 years working within personal injury and during this time she had a busy practice of managing her own caseload of Fast Track and assisting with Multi Track cases. As a result of this experience, she understands the importance of working relations between Solicitors and Barrister and by having a clear line of communication can bring successful outcomes for clients in Court.
Prior to commencing pupillage with Express Solicitors, Elizabeth gained 2 years court experience as a County Court Advocate conducting a variety of hearings, which she was fond of as each day was different.
Before, embarking upon a legal career, Elizabeth took the time to pursue her passion for winter-sports working within management in the travel industry based in Austria and Canada. A part of her roles here she dealt with customer care and organisation of operation which she has found beneficial working within the legal sector.
When not in court, Elizabeth volunteers for a local Rape Crisis charity providing help and support to vulnerable women or practicing yoga and completed her yoga teacher training in India.
Her diverse background has developed Ellizabeth as a versatile advocate who can adapt her advocacy skill to meet the needs of each induvial case and client.
Job Titles:
- Trainee Costs Draftsperson
Ella Ryan is a Trainee Costs Draftsperson in the Costs Department at Express Solicitors. She graduated from the University of Law with a First Class Honours Degree in Law before joining the team at Express Solicitors.
When asked what she enjoys most about working at Express Solicitors, Ella answered "The team that I work with are supportive and encouraging in achieving goals and progressing. The work can be challenging at times but this makes it more exciting an interesting to come into work every day. Working in such a dynamic and fast paced environment means that no two days are the same."
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Emma is a Trainee Solicitor in the Commercial Claims Litigation department working under Ryan Postlethwaite and Hazel Needham. She graduated Leeds Beckett University in 2019 with an LLB and then graduated from the University of Law with her LLM and LPC.
Her primary role is to provide expert legal advice to those who believe they have been financially mis sold a financial product.
Before joining Express in January 2022 Emma has had 2 years' experience in working in Commercial Litigation Claims, however under the guidance of the team she has been able to thoroughly develop my knowledge and skills in litigation which has allowed her to advance from a litigation assistant to a Trainee Solicitor within the firm.
Emma has always been passionate about pursuing a career in law as she has always wanted to help others and make a difference to people's lives in a positive way.
In Emma's spare time she enjoys playing football and is an avid supporter of Sheffield United.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Evita Perkone Advocate READ BIO Evita joined Express Solicitors as a Litigation Assistant in February 2021 in the Consumer Claims Department. Since then, her hard work within the department has been acknowledged and rewarded. She was promoted to a Litigation Executive in December 2021 and began her role as an Advocate in the Advocacy Department in September 2022. Evita completed and obtained First Class undergraduate law degree at the University of Liverpool. She completed and obtained Distinction in her LLM Legal Practice (Barristers) Course at the BPP Leeds. She was called to the Bar in 2021 and is a member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Evita aspires to help people by using the skills and knowledge she has gained throughout her legal studies and work experiences. She works hard and strives to provide an excellent service, client care and to obtain good results for each individual client. For Evita, being part of the legal profession is a true privilege. She looks forward to developing her legal skills further and to applying her existing skills and legal knowledge to good use.
Freya Thomson joined Express Solicitors as a Communications Officer in June 2023. Freya is your best point of call for all marketing enquiries, big or small.
Having graduated from the University of Manchester with a First-Class degree in History, and with 18 months of digital editing experience in hand, Freya is well-equipped with research and writing skills, and has a keen interest in social media.
Freya is responsible for keeping everyone up to date with any exciting developments here at Express Solicitors, and in the wider legal world.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Clinical Negligence Solicitor
Gareth Walkner is a Clinical Negligence Solicitor here at Express Solicitors. He joined the team in February 2023 after working within the clinical negligence legal industry in the North East, Yorkshire and North West for around 8 years.
Gareth initially studied Law at Nottingham Trent University and then went on to study his LPC at Leeds BPP Law School.
Gareth has always sought to be a Solicitor after studying law for one of his A Levels in his home town. He states the complexity and challenge in law has always fascinated him, and during his Training Contract he felt clinical negligence would be a suitable specialism to take.
Gareth has a mixture of both general clinical negligence experience alongside a specialism in cosmetic surgery negligence.
Gareth notes his goal is to make sure every client feels they are able to speak to him comfortably about their experiences so they feel they are supported every step of the way throughout their case. He notes that investigation and litigation can be very daunting so making sure he is approachable and understanding is a key part of his role.
Garreth is an in-house Barrister who joined Express Solicitors in August 2021 and is part of our dedicated Advocacy department. He was called to the Bar of Ireland in 2007 and practised in general civil litigation, personal injury, crime, family and employment. This allowed Garreth to develop a wide-ranging and diverse practise which meant he was able to accept instructions on a wide variety of cases.
Garreth moved to England in 2015, and took up a fee earner role at a nationally recognised law firm dealing with personal injury files. Those years as a fee earner gave him a complete understanding of dealing with personal injury matters from a fee earning perspective. In 2018, Garreth was called to the Bar of England & Wales and was then conducting advocacy on a regular basis as well as keeping on top of his fee earning. At that time, he mostly dealt with Stage 3 hearings and application hearings as well as assisting other fee earners with issues. He really enjoys being that fresh pair of eyes and fully understands the daily ups and downs of file handling.
Garreth has spent the last 12 months at another law firm in an employed barrister role dealing with general civil litigation matters. He has conducted all types of hearings: CMCs, CCMCs, applications and trials, as well as drafting pleadings and assisting with the preparation of applications. Garreth is able to accept instructions across all practise areas covering all aspects of the case journey.
Garreth is dedicated to getting results and doing his utmost to assist all of our clients in any way that he can.
Grant Dodd Joined Express Solicitors in June 2023, he came from Mitie working on the central government and defence contract. Grant Initially Joined Mitie during the pandemic as a touch point cleaner and quickly rose through the ranks to become a soft services manager and then quickly on to Facilities manager in Bury and Heywood and then overseeing 6 sites in Leeds earning multiple company awards.
Grant has the IOSHH managing safely qualification, He oversees the daily running of the buildings including health and safety, building maintenance and cleaning, also making sure that they are fully compliant with Government guidelines.
When asked why he made the choice to move over to Express solicitors he said " I am very excited about the projects Express solicitors have at the moment with the work well underway at the new South Court office, the prospect and challenge of working in a different way than I am used to was also an appealing factor. The company is a very ambitious one I am looking forward to being a part of the company for a long time to come".
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate Costs Lawyer
Hannah Buswell is a Senior Associate Costs Lawyer in the Costs department, having joined Express Solicitors in January 2020. Hannah Specialises in drafting high value Bill of Costs and Costs Budgets. Hannah has a particular interest in Clinical Negligence matters having historically worked on multi-million-pound claims for birthing injuries, drawing Bill of Costs in excess of a million pounds, undertaking negotiations, preparing replies and attending a JSM to achieve settlement.
When asked what she likes best about her role, Hannah commented, "I like the variety that comes with a full costs case load, so that no two tasks are the same. I can either be heads down in a large Bill or Budget or getting to grips with technical disputes whilst preparing replies and undertaking negotiations. I like that Costs is evolving and changing as it keeps me on my toes to ensure I am on top of changes to legislation and rules."
"My keen eye to detail and my experience of having dealt with a vast variety of cases from clinical negligence, dental negligence, commercial disputes, EL, PL, catastrophic injury etc. affords me a great understanding of the workings of litigation which helps me to work alongside the fee earners to map out the future of the case at the budgeting stage. It is a team effort and I like to think I make a difference in ensuring the budgeting process goes smoothly for the fee earners whilst ensuring no stone is left unturned."
Hannah has worked in costs since 2010, she qualified as a Costs Lawyer in 2015 and gained accredited status through the CLSB in December 2019.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- HR Data Analyst & Systems Advisor
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Chartered Legal Executive
Hazel joined Express Solicitors in January 2021 as a Chartered Legal Executive.
She first studied law aged 17 as part of a business studies course and was captivated by the subject. Much later, while working for a local building society, Hazel transferred to the litigation department and was given the opportunity to study with CILEx. After completing the Diploma in Law, her employer advised there was no business need for her to continue to study. Undeterred and determined to achieve the fellowship qualification, Hazel continued and completed the Higher Diploma, graduating from CILEx in 2013.
A large part of her career has been in financial services, working for several high street banks and building societies. In Hazel's first role with one of the high street banks, she recalls the introduction of PPI policies and being instructed to sell a policy with every personal loan as this would make the bank a lot of money.
There is no doubt PPI was beneficial to some, however many borrowers had no need for the protection, and most were charged excessive premiums. Plevin claims are an opportunity for the financially injured to receive just recompense and for financial institutions to pay back the commission concealed in the hiked-up premiums. It is being able to restore the unfairness for her clients which is the source of Hazel's job satisfaction.
Prior to Plevin, Hazel worked in debt recovery, industrial disease and mortgage repossessions. In her last role, she was compared to a combine harvester on the basis that irrespective of whatever obstacles arose, she pushed through unfazed to achieve a good outcome for her clients.
Hazel's many and diverse life experiences has provided her with the ability to communicate well and empathise with clients in difficult circumstances.
Alongside full-time employment and being married with 2 young sons, Hazel completed the CILEx course in 2013. Despite several enforced role changes and circumstances, her admission as a CILEx fellow was delayed until 2019. She is a secretary for the Greater Manchester CILEx branch.
Job Titles:
- Emerging Talent Specialist
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
James Haslam is a Pupil Barrister in the Advocacy Department. A science graduate who previously worked in clinical research James decided to undertake a career change in 2019 to fulfil his ambition of working as a barrister. James completed a, GDL, LLM and the Bar Course at Manchester Metropolitan University graduating in 2022. James has worked with the Crown Prosecution Service and also has two years' experience as a civil advocate working throughout the North West on a wide range of civil matters, bringing not only this experience but his clinical research experience to his role at Express.
James brings a meticulous and client centred approach to each case, working to ensure the best outcome whilst remaining approachable and offering clear, common sense advice.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Managing Partner
- Our Managing Partner
- the Lawyer Online
- the Lawyer Online ( 12th June 2011 ) . Work Life Quiz
Our managing partner, James Maxey, founded Express Solicitors in 2000 in Manchester and the firm has gone from strength to strength since, and we are ideally suited to help more clients recover the compensation they are due.
Managing Partner James Maxey founded the firm on the principles of continuous improvement, back at the turn of the century. In 2002, he appointed Partner Robin Patey, who offers decades of experience in handling serious injury claims.
James Maxey founded Express Solicitors in September 2000, and as the Chief Executive Officer has overseen the steady growth of the business.
Now one of the UK's leading independent specialist Personal Injury Law firms, James has established the firm's reputation as tough litigators who provide an unrivalled level of customer service.
James' vision for Express Solicitors has involved placing a huge emphasis on training new solicitors, enabling Express Solicitors to attract some of the brightest legal talent in the UK. James concurs with wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill who believed that "to improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often".
A qualified solicitor with over twenty years experience, James was a Law Society Personal Injury Panel member for over ten years.
James is well known in the industry for having a superb success rate with uncertain and non-standard claims. These include a substantial settlement for five children who tragically lost both parents in an air crash.
Notable media appearances include appearing on BBC Breakfast TV, BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme as well as at an ABS seminar where he was invited to speak as an industry expert.
Originally from Southport, James now resides in Cheshire with his wife and children. Combining the roles of Managing Partner and the father of twins means his free time is at a premium, but when he does get the opportunity he indulges in his passion for scuba diving.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Senior Costs Draftsman
Joe Bernhardt is an Associate Senior Costs Draftsman at Express Solicitors, having joined Express Solicitors in June 2018.
Joe specialises in preparing and negotiating Costs Budgets, drafting Bills of Costs and preparing Replies to Points of Dispute on high value serious injury claims.
When asked what he likes best about his role, Joe commented "I am really passionate about what I do and try to always go that extra mile to obtain the best results for my client/the instructing Solicitor. I have an eye for detail and always look to address potential issues at an early stage whilst they are still minor issues".
Joe went on to say "I have a keen interest and a passion in costs budgeting. I enjoy the challenge of estimating the future costs on a Precedent H which requires you to attempt to predict the future course that the case will take and the various costs that may arise as a result of this. This keeps me on my toes especially when it comes to high value complex cases with many disciplines of experts and many potential Witnesses. What I really enjoy about this, is that every case is unique which means that you are constantly required to think out of the box and use your knowledge and experience in order to ensure that the cost budget prepared is of top quality. I also really enjoy negotiating with Defendant's and feel a great amount of satisfaction when I have achieved a good result on settling a case."
Job Titles:
- Finance Manager
- Partner - Finance Manager
John Bush has been Finance Manager at Express Solicitors since 2014 and in that time has seen the department grow from a team of five to a team of fourteen.
After working as an accountant in industries as diverse as property management and home improvements, John made the move into solicitors' practice finance in 2006 and has never looked back.
His first role was managing a ten-strong team at a successful Manchester law firm, which enjoyed a period of rapid growth, seeing annual fee income increase from £10m to £28m before a gradual exit from the personal injury market following the implementation of the Jackson reforms in 2013.
Looking for a fresh challenge within the legal sector, John was invited to join Express Solicitors and was immediately impressed by the firm's forward-thinking and commitment to open-book management, giving its staff insight into the performance of the business. ‘It's greatly reassuring working for a firm that is continually adapting to changes in the industry and so willing to keep its staff informed of its plans.'
John and his team are committed to supporting the firm's file handlers in all areas of financial operations, whether that is advising on the finer points of the Solicitors Accounts Rules or processing a late cheque before last post.
A growing firm needs growing support and John is quick to praise the Finance team that he works with. ‘I'm extremely proud of the Finance team's contribution to the wider firm, with their willing approach to providing help and guidance and continual efforts to adapt and refine the Finance process.'
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
John Maxey, elder brother of James Maxey, recently joined Express Solicitors' board as a special advisor.
After graduating in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London, John started his career at Andersen and qualified as a Chartered Accountant, specialising in M&A and becoming a partner in 1995. In 2002 he joined Deloitte as a partner in London, specialising in private equity, and from 2013-17 he was a member of Deloitte LLP's main board.
In 2017 he became a partner in leading private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, where he deals with private equity funds and investment operations. Over the years John has helped the Company's Management Team with planning for the future of Express and now joins the Board to help Express in its next planned growth strategy.
Julia has over 20 years' training experience across different sectors and has worked for Companies such as Pareto Law, Talk Talk and Astra Zeneca. Julia's role is designing and delivering training on areas such as, communication skills, customer journey and sales techniques, as well as supporting the IT training department.
Julia has a passion for training and loves watching people grow and seeing great results within the business. When asked what she likes best about her role, Julia commented "I care about the client's journey from beginning to end. I believe that everyone within a business has their part to play in making the clients experience the best it can be. My role is to help others realise their full potential."
Julia's biggest achievement to date involved writing and delivering a training course for customer service excellence for over 500 employees in the insurance sector which won a Training Journal award for learner transfers. Julia become a trainer when she worked for British Airways and she says ‘I have not looked back since'. Julia has 10 years' experience in the travel industry and then moved to the insurance and telecoms sector.
Julie Pearson is a Senior Quality & Progression Executive in the Quality and Progression team at Express Solicitors having joined the firm in September 2018. Julie is no stranger to law firms, however, having started as a Junior Clerk in the 1980's and working her way up the employment ladder.
Julie has had extensive training in personal injury law, having spent in excess of twenty years working at Manchester law firms as a Personal Injury Litigator where the cases she dealt with gradually increased in complexity and value. She has taken great care in getting to grips with medical terminology and gained a self-taught qualification through the Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR).
This has given Julie an excellent understanding of injuries sustained by clients enabling her to gain success in claims involving soft-tissue injuries and making every effort to maximise client damages; one such case reported in Kemp & Kemp Volume 3, Section F: Spine and Ribs, F9-094 Kelleway v Wade being a case Julie dealt with from inception to trial. Julie has also dealt with fractures, dislocations, ligament ruptures, extensive facial and body scarring, anxiety and PTSD, and more unusual cases such as Marfan syndrome where the accident affected the Claimant's heart and surrounding tissues. She has also been successful in pursuing claims against an automatism defence and has a 100% success rate for detailed assessment of costs.
Julie has an ethos of ‘getting things right the first time' which has led her to the role that she now fulfills where quality is the key; describing it as ‘a feeling of coming home'. Above all she wants to be of service in an ever-changing personal injury environment, where passing on her knowledge of how law firms operate in the specialism of personal injury may be of benefit to the experience of Claimants, staff and management.
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Karl Young has worked at Express Solicitors for over 8.5 years, playing a vital role in both client representation and the Professional Support Department. With his wealth of experience and dedication to excellence, Karl has contributed significantly to the firm's continued success.
As a seasoned professional in the legal field, Karl possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of personal injury law. He has leveraged his expertise not only to provide comprehensive legal advice and representation for our clients but also to support Solicitors and Trainee Solicitors here at Express Solicitors.
Within the Professional Support Department, Karl plays a crucial role in ensuring that the entire firm stays up-to-date with the latest legal developments, precedents, and best practices. His role involves delivering policies and procedure training to staff as well as 6 weeks of training to our new graduates during our very popular Graduate Scheme.
Karl's collaborative nature and willingness to share his knowledge have made him a go-to resource within the firm. He actively mentors' junior lawyers, providing guidance and support as they navigate complex legal matters. His contributions to training programs assist in elevating the professional growth of his peers ensuring the firm always has the best lawyers on hand to assist our clients with every aspect of their claim.
Karl leads with passionate and client-centric approach, as he strives to provide personalized solutions tailored to unique needs. His strong communication skills enable him to explain legal concepts in a clear and accessible manner.
In 2018 Kieran graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a first in Law (LLB). He then worked as a Graduate Paralegal for a year at a large solicitor's firm, before then studying the BPTC full time at BPP Manchester. He obtained the grade of ‘Very Competent' for this course and was also awarded the BPP Excellence Scholarship for his studies.
Kieran has always been interested in law and once he began to study the subject at college, he realised just how much it affects every aspect of our lives and thus how important it is. He enjoys advocacy in particular because it's where the stakes are highest, and it requires you to think of the most persuasive way to set out a case so you can achieve a favourable outcome for the client.
Clients can be confident that if Kieran is representing them, he will use a friendly and down-to-earth approach whilst working tirelessly to try to achieve the best possible outcome for their case.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner - Head of Road Accident Claims
Kimberley Kirkby is a Partner at Express Solicitors and heads up the Road Traffic Accident Claims department. Specialising for a number of years in claims involving accidents in the workplace Kimberley headed up a sub team in our Employer Liability Department before moving across to RTA, continuing to work on cases involving both accidents in the workplace and also Road Traffic Accidents resulting in serious injuries.
Hugely popular within the firm, Kimberley has been at Express Solicitors since 2007 and the people friendly skills which have endeared her to her colleagues are also used to good effect when communicating with clients.
Joining the firm initially as a paralegal, Kimberley's rise to Partner and latterly Head of Department, reflects the firms excellent training programmes. In conjunction with her work at Express Solicitors, in 2011 Kimberley was appointed secretary of the New to Personal Injury Group, part of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). Kimberley has since been appointed in the role of Secretary to the APIL North West Regional Group, a position she stepped down from after a number of years' service.
Kimberley has extensive experience in dealing with Employer's Liability claims, with specific expertise and interest in Armed Forces personnel cases as well as in serious injury Road Traffic cases.
Kimberley has extensive experience with Employer's Liability claims.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Solicitor
- Compliance Solicitor
Kristian Horsfall joined Express Solicitors In March 2022.
Kristian is a Compliance Solicitor working within the Professional Support Department. He is the firm's Data Protection Officer and Court Liaison Officer.
Kristian has experience across the whole spectrum of Personal Injury having previously fee earned for 8 years. During that time he brought and concluded over 700 claims for clients who had suffered injuries in Road Traffic Accidents, Employer's Liability, Occupiers' Liability, Medical Negligence and CICA matters
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner - Head of New Client Team & Compliance Officer for Legal Practice
Laura Edgeley is a Partner at Express Solicitors, having been with the firm since 2006, completing her training contract here and qualifying as a Solicitor in 2008.
Laura became a Partner in 2012. Laura has previously handled a mixed caseload including Road Traffic Accidents and Employers Liability cases although latterly specialised in Occupiers and Public Liability claims with a keen interest in horse riding and other sports related accidents and has previously achieved Law Society specialist Personal Injury Panel member.
With 13 years of experience at Express Solicitors, Laura now heads up and has a very active role in our Quality & Progression Team having had many years file handling experience and being responsible for the implementation and improvement of many of the firms reporting procedures.
Since October 2018 Laura is also the Head of our large New Client Team, the first point of contact for all new clients and she is also responsible for the day to day supervision of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Team. A varied day to day life in the office but loves every second. Laura is also the Data Protection Officer for Express Solicitors.
Job Titles:
- Litigation Executive
- Litigation Executive in the Clinical Negligence Department
Lauren Taylor is a Litigation Executive in the Clinical Negligence Department at Express Solicitors, who joined in May 2021.
Lauren first became interested in law when she was studying at college. After obtaining a bachelors honours degree in Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation at the University of Central Lancashire, she decided to pursue a career in law.
Lauren's experience for the past 5 years has been solely in clinical negligence on behalf of claimants. In 2018, Lauren decided to gain professional qualifications alongside working and began studying to become a CILEX Fellow.
Lauren has worked on low value, high value and complex cases including birth, orthopaedic, amputation, GPs, and gynaecology to name a few. However, Lauren have a lot of experience dealing with cases relating to insertion of mesh which has recently been in the media. She is experienced in dealing with both single defendants and multiple defendants and acting on behalf of deceased's families.
Lauren prides herself on providing good customer care to her clients. She believes it is very important to build a rapport with a client from the outset. Lauren also prides herself on being able to emphasise with clients, understanding it can be a very worrying time and aims to put their mind at rest as much as possible.
Lauren really enjoy working in clinical negligence and could not imagine doing anything else. She loves working hard to get an outcome for a client that they deserve after being through such a difficult time.
A lot of Lauren's spare time is taken up with studying for her professional qualifications, however when she does get time to herself, she likes going for walks along the canal or in the park with her dog. Lauren enjoys spending time with her friends and family; including watching live music, going out for meals, having a spa day and going on holidays. Lauren also like learning new skills; having previously completed a photography course in her spare time to enhance her skills.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Leah attended The University of Manchester with the benefit of the Manchester Advantage Scholarship, which she was awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement. She then attended The University of Law, where she completed her Graduate Diploma in Law. Following that, Leah attended BPP University, where she completed the Bar Professional Training Course, achieving the grade of Outstanding in exams for Examination-in-Chief and Cross-Examination. She is a member of The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and was Called to the Bar in 2020.
Whilst studying for the Bar Professional Training Course, Leah worked closely with the Compliance Officer, Directors and Senior Partners at a law firm in Manchester. There, in her position as Auditor, she gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience in personal injury and clinical negligence matters.
Following the completion of her studies, Leah accepted a role as Senior Advocate in a company providing services for people with complex health needs who required funding for their care. Leah was the preferred advocate for higher level appeals and often appeared before panels at NHS England.
Leah then began taking instructions as a County Court Advocate. In this role, she gained a wealth of experience in personal injury matters, as well as landlord and tenant disputes and commercial disputes.
Leah joined Express Solicitors in 2021. She is regularly praised for her personable manner and her straightforward and direct approach in presenting issues and solving problems.
Lee joined Express Solicitors as a Legal Secretary in March 2021 in the Consumer Claims Department. He predominantly works for the Landlord and Tenant Department currently but is also the support for the whole of the CCL Team.
During his numerous years of employment, Lee has undertaken all kinds of office roles ranging from Office Junior to Personal Assistant but enjoys working within the legal profession as it gives him the satisfaction of knowing he is helping clients.
As a Legal Secretary, Lee works hard and strives to provide an excellent service for colleagues and clients.
Lee Harper is a Costs Draftsperson in the Costs department at Express Solicitors. Lee has worked in the costs industry for 10 years.
Lee specialises in Drafting Costs Budgets on a range different case type, at both low and high value multi-track level and occasionally assists with drafting detailed Bills of Costs for assessment when needed.
Lee has specialised in Costs Management for the majority of his professional career and states that "Costs Management is a crucial period in the lifetime of a case, an area that requires you to think about all aspects of a case from receiving initial instructions through to final trial."
Lee has over 6 years' experience in drafting Costs Budgets and pays close attention to detail when drafting and uses his experience to steer file handlers in the right the direction when it comes to predicting the future development of the case lifespan.
Job Titles:
- Senior Receptionist and Admin Team Leader
Lewis is a Trainee Solicitor within the Consumer Claims Litigation department. He joined as a Litigation Assistant in October 2021, having graduated from Bangor University with a First Class Honours in Law (LLB). He has also completed the Legal Practice Course.
Before joining Express Solicitors, he worked at a leading claimant law firm on a large ‘group claim' against Sainsbury's Plc, where he was entrusted with the general administration of the claim and obtaining disclosure from the comparators to support their equal pay claim.
Currently, he works predominantly on Landlord and Tenant matters where he handles claims from the pre-legal stage to trial and/or settlement. He has expertise in breach of tenancy deposit regulations; breaches of lease covenants; property dilapidations; breaches of HMO licensing; and other pertinent matters. He has a particular interest in enforcement of judgments, especially in circumstances where judgment debts are actively evaded by debtors. His acute attention to detail and aptitude for investigation has led to many substantial recoveries in circumstances, where recovery seemed unlikely. This approach has attracted many favourable comments from satisfied clients as a result of securing the monies owed to them.
He enjoys travelling, having travelled to over 30 countries over 5 continents. He enjoyed travel around South East Asia, in particular Kuala Lumpur and Bali.
He is an avid Wrexham A.F.C supporter
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Chief Operating Officer, Liam Wynne is our first non-legal Partner at Express Solicitors. Since joining the firm in May 2010, he has also served as Assistant Manager and Office Manager before taking up his current role.
Liam works with all departments to make sure everyone is working together and pulling in the right direction. Liam states: "Operations is all about trying to find the most effective ways of performing all functions within a production or service environment. If you like, it's a combination of the glue that holds things together and the oil that ensures smooth running of the business".
Liam has a good all-round experience and knowledge of business gained from working in various management roles within both the financial services and legal sector. Operations requires a good understanding of each employees role without ever becoming a specialist and Liam's natural desire and ability to assimilate new information has proved useful to this end.
Blessed with a good memory, Liam is able to keep tabs on everything that is going on within an extremely busy firm. A calm and analytical approach helps him give assistance and advice to other departments on opportunities for improving systems and procedures that it can sometimes be difficult to spot internally. Liam is also responsible for managing the ICT infrastructure for the entire firm.
Manchester born and bred, Liam lived in Sheffield briefly whilst at university before returning home to work in Financial Services as both a manager and financial advisor for seven years. He then changed to a management career in the legal sector and has never looked back.
The firm sponsored Liam to do a Master's degree in Business Administration at Manchester Metropolitan University. This course included units involving; financial analysis and management; managing human performance; management for business excellence; managing customer value; contemporary issues in the international environment; corporate and business strategy in an international context; strategy implantation; and organisational renewal and change.
He is a member of the Law Management section of the Law Society, the Chartered Management Institute, and the Association of MBA's.
Job Titles:
- Associate Solicitor - Advocate
Louise is a Associate Solicitor-Advocate experienced in Costs, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence.
Having specialised in costs litigation for almost two decades she has considerable experience advising on highly complex catastrophic injury cases to portal disputes. Louise deliver's practical clear advice both written or orally in conference, she provides tenacious advocacy with technical capability coupled with a personable approach in order to achieve the best results.
Louise is also experienced in attending all types of hearings within civil litigation, CCMC'S, interlocutory hearings, trials and any type of inter partes costs hearing.
Having attained the LLM in Medical Law and Bioethics, she has retained a keen interest in clinical negligence with experience in relation to various interlocutory hearings e.g. CCMCs, applications in relation to expert evidence/relief from sanction and applications for specific disclosure.
Louise's favourite phrases are:
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- Emerging Talent Manager
- Recruitment Specialist
Luiza da Costa is a Recruitment Specialist in the HR Department.
Before joining Express, Luiza completed her LLB Honours Degree in Law, at the University of Hertfordshire and her Diploma in Professional Legal Practice at Leeds Metropolitan University. After working as a fee earner for a number of years at several top 20 law firms, she moved into recruitment in 2010.
Luiza worked for a number of years for a recruitment agency, before moving into in-house roles. Luiza specialises in improving talent attraction, as well as developing selection & assessment strategies. Luiza currently deals with a variety of roles and enjoys turning candidates into colleagues.
Job Titles:
- Litigation Executive
- Costs Litigation Executive / Trainee Costs Lawyer
Luke Rimmer is a Costs Litigation Executive/Trainee Costs Lawyer at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in November 2018.
Luke has received training on budgets as well as Red Line Bills. His day to day tasks includes drafting incurred budgets, Red Line Bills for Detailed Assessment & working on his caseload.
When asked what Luke likes best about his role he commented, "Having a great team of people is a massive part of the job, they help keep you sane when busy! I enjoy learning about different case law and applying the same to current cases to get the best settlement for costs. However, one of my favourite things is the fact that each case is different and challenging."
"I make a difference to the team by completing my tasks on time and helping others when urgent work comes in. I will go out of my way in order to achieve the best outcome on a case, whether that be my own or somebody else's. I also like to think I put a smile on the people's faces around me (whether that be laughing with me or at me)."
Luke previously worked at a law firm which specialised in Industrial Disease claims for over two years. "This helped me gain a good knowledge of costs, which gave me a good opportunity to start working with Express and further my knowledge."
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- NCT Administration Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- Senior Litigation Executive
- Trustee of a Muay Thai
Max has worked in the legal industry for almost a decade and has a background in both fast track and multi-track personal injury; including employers liability, public liability and clinical negligence.
Most recently Max was a manager at a small-medium sized law firm in Liverpool specialising in civil litigation; including private nuisance, commercial litigation, housing conditions claims, personal injury and clinical negligence.
Max moved to Express Solicitors to specialise in clinical negligence and gain experience in some higher value and more complex matters from the greatly experienced team here. Max believes his varied background and extensive litigation experience will make him an asset to the team here at Express.
Max graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in criminology and sociology in 2011 and is currently studying for the Solicitors. Qualification Exam, hoping to qualify in 2024.
Outside of work Max enjoys fitness, including Muay Thai boxing, strength training and running. Max is a trustee of a Muay Thai boxing gym on the Wirral, which is a registered charity, dedicated to promoting community participation in healthy recreation
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Millie Dawber is a Solicitor within the Costs Department at Express Solicitors.
When asked about what she enjoys most about her role, Millie mentioned the fact that no two days are the same. Each case requires a bespoke approach to the problems faced, and the need to constantly adapt to the way in which you approach a problem is one of the main reasons why Costs disputes are so interesting. There is always something else to learn in Costs.
Millie has over 4 years of experience within Costs and is very keen to learn new skills and develop her role within the Costs Department, both Drafting Bill of Costs and fee earning.
Millie comments that she is always willing to do what is needed to help a Client or instructing Solicitor. Millie finds it important to develop solid relationships with Clients and has developed skills over the years to maintain excellent relationships.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Nadia Valentine is a Trainee Solicitor within the Clinical Negligence Department. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2021 with a 1st class degree in Law. She remained at Manchester Metropolitan University and completed the Legal Practice Course, graduating again in 2022 with a Distinction. Nadia joined Express Solicitors in November 2021 as a Litigation Assistant. She was promoted to Trainee Solicitor in September 2022.
Nadia is responsible for assisting solicitors within the clinical negligence department on many different cases, most of them high profile. What she loves best about working at Express Solicitors is the many clients she looks after. Nadia's aim is to help progress each and every file she works on, taking into account each individual client's circumstances. Nadia loves to talk to her clients and really get to know them. No two days are the same for her which makes the job for Nadia very interesting and engaging. Nadia is part of a fantastic and knowledgeable team who also care equally for their clients.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Nicole James -Julio is a Trainee Solicitor within the Clinical Negligence Department. She has joined the firm in April 2022 as a Litigation Assistant before securing her training contract at Express in September 2022. Nicole graduated with a first-class honours degree from the University of Hertfordshire in 2016 and she is currently studying for her Solicitors Qualifying Exam with an aim to qualify in 2024. Nicole hopes to qualify as a Clinical Negligence Solicitor in the near future.
Nicole assists on a variety of cases, ranging from birth injuries to extravasation injuries. She has particular experience in investigating claims for children who have suffered a brain injury due to negligence.
When asked what she enjoys most about her role at Express Solicitors, Nicole answered: "I chose to specialise in clinical negligence because it is an area of law where I can make a real difference to people's lives. I have the opportunity to work closely with clients and to support them during a very traumatic time, together we work towards a resolution which can dramatically change our client's life."
Outside of work and her studies, Nicole enjoys hiking and attempting new recipes.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Barrister - Head of Advocacy
Before joining Express, Nyssa spent just short of 6 years working as a vital cog in a small in-house advocacy team at a Defendant law firm. Whilst there she assisted with growing the same into a much larger Chambers-esque unit, and obtained her practising certificate along the way. In December 2016 Nyssa joined Express Solicitors as their first in-house Barrister, gaining vast experience in working on the opposite side of the table as well as achieving a promotion to Partner in September 2019. Nyssa is also Head of the Advocacy Team, which she has developed so as to meet the increasing demands of the ever-expanding business.
As is perhaps evident from the above, Nyssa has over a decade of experience in civil litigation (particularly personal injury, e.g. road traffic, EL, PL, OL, fraud, disease, catastrophic injury, etc) and costs. She is also regularly called upon to assist with all manner of complex procedural disputes.
Nyssa prides herself on her fiercely conscientious work ethic and personable personality. She strives to make a difference by working to make life easier for file handlers when problems arise, offering a calm and reassuring approach whilst trying to resolve matters to the best possible outcome. She enjoys being the fresh pair of eyes that can often bring a new perspective on a case.
Nyssa receives excellent feedback from the lay clients she represents at court, who recognise her efforts to put them at ease and guide them seamlessly through what could otherwise be a confusing and stressful experience.
Oliver joined Express Solicitors in October 2021 as a HR & Recruitment Administrator and was promoted to Emerging Talent Officer in January 2023.
Oliver has both the LLB & LPC from the University of Law and after joining Express, completed his CIPD Level 5 in HR Management. He also has a background assisting with Employment Law issues and Financial Technologies.
In his role as Emerging Talent Officer, he works closely with the Emerging Talent team in the attraction and selection of Graduates. Oliver also organises the recruitment side of the Vacation Schemes, working with the HR team to ensure that all of our participants have an excellent experience throughout.
Our new joiners always appreciate the hard work he puts into supporting them throughout their candidate journey and transition into work. Oliver loves this part of his role, helping them take their first steps into their new legal careers with Express.
Job Titles:
- Purchase Ledger Executive
Paul Cain is a Partner in the Clinical Negligence department at Express Solicitors Limited.
Paul brings over 25 years experience of handling injury claims since qualifying as a Solicitor and specialises in complex and life changing injuries arising from treatment provided by the National Health Service and private treatment providers.
Paul deals with claims in excess of £1 million and has particular expertise in injuries arising from stroke, birth related injuries, delayed diagnosis of cancer and spinal injuries.
Paul has recently represented individuals including:
1. A lady who suffered a Cauda Equina Syndrome injury due to delayed treatment resulting in permanent bowel and bladder injury and restricted mobility.
2. A gentleman with a pacemaker whose anticoagulant medication was changed without good reason leading to an avoidable stroke and compromised ability to care for himself. Claim settled for £2.4 million.
3. A gentleman whose kidney condition was treated but not followed up correctly whose claim was settled on Provisional Damage basis ensuring that he would be able to recover damages in the future should his condition deteriorate.
When asked about what he likes most about his role as a Clinical Negligence solicitor:
"I find helping my clients win difficult claims to be hugely satisfying and experience has taught me that involving clients in the process from the outset is crucial for the success of a claim. I spend time understanding the impact and injury has had upon their personal and working lives and I have found time and again this results in the best outcome for a claim"
Paul's has almost always acted for injured Claimants but has also worked for the NHS Litigation Authority (now NHS Resolution) giving a valuable insight into how Defendants will handle and defend claims and has hands on experience of a wide range of claims that can be brought against the NHS. He has also studied for and obtained a distinction in Claims Management and Clinical Disputes which is a dedicated qualification in Clinical Negligence that very few Claimant solicitors have obtained.
Petal Peters joined Express Solicitors in November 2021, with a remit to recruitment lawyers across our five departments. This of course presents challenges; given our plans for growth. Petal has made good progress directly placing everything from newly qualified solicitors to Partners and is a highly experienced recruitment professional with over 15 years' of experience working in legal, procurement and healthcare sectors. Responsible for the full life cycle delivery of best-in-class experience for candidates and internal stakeholders. Petal prides herself on ensuring candidates have an excellent customer journey and the hiring managers receive a high quality of service. Petal enjoys all aspects of her role, her favourite being interaction with all her candidates, talking about Express's exciting plans and goals for the future. If you are interested in joining us, please feel free to get in touch with Petal Peters at petal.peters@expresssolicitors.co.uk
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate in the Costs Department
Philip Bradbury is a Senior Associate in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in July 2019.
Phil highlights, that the variety of cases that he gets to deal with on a day to day basis is one of many factors that contribute to what he likes best about his role. Phil went on to say "Every case is bespoke, which requires you to think outside the box and use all your previous knowledge and experience, especially when predicting the future development of the case lifespan. I enjoy being able to sit down and plan how cases will come to fruition with clients / acting Solicitors."
Phil specialises in Cost management, with experience within Commercial Litigation, Clinical negligence, High Value Catastrophic and Claimant Personal Injury.
Phil has over 12 years Costs Drafting experience, and comments how he is very organised and is always willing to go that extra mile for a client or instructing Solicitor. Phil is always keen to building excellent relationships and client management skills across a variety of different areas as well as being a team player within the Firm and Costs department.
Qasim is currently a Trainee Solicitor in the Consumer Claims Litigation Department, more specifically the Debt Recovery Department working under Ryan Postlethwaite and Robert McKenna.
Qasim found his passion for Law from early when he completed 2 week work experience in year 10 and felt like he knew what he wanted. He has since completed his Law degree, as well as his LPC from the University of Central Lancashire.
Qasim specialises in Debt Recovery and enjoys recovering Debts for the Client. He has 3 years previous experience prior to joining Express in February 2022, however under the guidance of Ryan and Rob he is honing his skills and improving every day and started off as a Litigation Assistant to now Trainee Solicitor.
During his time at Express, Qasim has undertook many interesting tasks i.e Mediation appointment, drafting witness statements, small claims work and dispute resolution and continues to develop his Legal skills and maintain a professional relationship with staff and Clients.
During his spare time Qasim enjoys playing and watching football and has attended football with Express Solicitors as well as team night outs. He is very much enjoying my time at Express.
Job Titles:
- Partner - Head of Professional Support
- Solicitor With Express Solicitors 10
Raana Lowery trained as a solicitor with Express Solicitors 10 years ago before returning as a consultant solicitor and now a Partner and Head of Professional Support. With a breadth of experience practising in civil litigation and personal injury law alongside almost a decade of freelance law school lecturing, she brings to the firm an understanding of how to expand knowledge in order to get the best results for clients.
Raana has carried many positions of responsibility with legal organisations including the Manchester Trainee Solicitors Group; Manchester Law Society; and Junior Lawyers Division and is a keen mentor of junior lawyers. Raana was awarded Trainee Solicitor of the Year at the ‘2014 Manchester Legal Awards' and was runners up Legal Professional of the Year at the ‘Manchester Young Talent Awards' the same year.
When asked about her role at Express Solicitors Raana said: ‘helping people was the reason I became a solicitor, unoriginal but true. Working at Express Solicitors means I am working for a leading firm who are genuinely committed to helping their clients and looking after their staff. I feel incredibly appreciated and valued here. The focus on developing staff with training and support is proof that the firm wants everyone to be doing their very best for injured people'.
Manchester born and bred, Raana completed her Law Degree and Legal Practice Course in Manchester and has lived in leafy Didsbury for 15 years. She has two young daughters and when she's not running around after them, she enjoys swimming and DIY.
Rebecca Curzon is a Solicitor at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in July 2018. Rebecca's role focuses on undertaking a lot of budget work, including preparing the incurred count and currently preparing more bills and handling her own cases, which mainly involve disbursement disputes.
When asked what she enjoys most about her role, Rebecca said it is the people. She explained that the costs department are very welcoming and are what makes working at Express Solicitors enjoyable. In Rebecca's own words "they have made it a lovey place to work". Rebecca is always getting involved with training new people that come into the Costs department and enjoys being included in all training whether it be on Budget, bills and or risk assessments.
Due to Rebecca's continuous success and achievements, she has been promoted to Litigation Executive in the Costs department. In addition, Rebecca has recently graduated with a Law degree at the University of Liverpool.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Health & Safety Operations Assistant
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner - Head of Employer 's Liability
Richard Lowery has been a Partner at Express Solicitors since May 2012.
Richard is head of the firm's Employer's Liability Department dealing with complex cases, overseeing a team of Solicitors specialising in cases involving Personal Injury sustained in the workplace. Regarded as an empathetic and considerate solicitor, Richard invests time to foster a strong rapport with every individual and family he represents. He has a meticulous eye for detail, effortlessly examining the fine detail within each individual case, identifying the potential strengths and weaknesses of a claim from an early stage.
Richard deals with serious and catastrophic injury claims suffered in all circumstances, with experience of claims involving spinal injury, brain injury, pain conditions and claims involving amputations. Richard is also our training principle and devotes a lot of time bringing on Trainee Solicitors and those looking for a career in the law.
Richard is Accredited by the Law Society Personal Injury Panel.
Richard was also named within the 2017 Legal 500 as a recommended Lawyer Legal 500 said of RichardTop_tier_firms
Express Solicitors Ltd has a ‘very professional and caring team' that includes the ‘knowledgeable' Richard Lowery .
Robert is currently a Associate Solicitor in the Consumer Claims Litigation Department. He completed his Law degree, master's in criminal justice and LPC at Liverpool John Moore's University.
In August 2018 Robert joined Express Solicitors in the New Client Team, after joining OL/PL he became Ryan Postlethwaite's litigation assistant. They have worked on cases such as: Equality Act, slips and trips, food poisoning, defective product, dog bite and non-PI/ small claims matters.
During this period, Robert undertook a broad range of advocacy: applications for pre-action disclosure, Infant approval hearings, penal notice applications, alternative dispute resolution hearings, mediation appointments, allocation hearings and small claims trials. He continues to develop his legal skills, communication skills and professional relationships with clients.
In March 2020 Robert began his training contract, during this period he has taken a proactive role with his client care skills, presenting options to clients in clear understandable manner that avoids complex medical and legal terminology, advising of the next steps in their case, developing good working relationships, being approachable and managing client expectations.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Principal
- Principal Partner - Road Traffic Claims and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration
Robin Patey is a Principal Partner at Express Solicitors, having been with the firm for nearly 20 years Robin specialises in serious injury claims and has vast experience and an impressive success rate in complex, high-value Personal Injury claims of all kinds.
As a Principal Partner in Express Solicitors since 2002, Robin has been instrumental in shaping the firm's vision over the past ten years as it steadily grew to become one of the UK's leading specialist Personal Injury Law firms.
He points to the understanding he fosters with his clients as one his personal strengths. "A good understanding of my client's needs when they face very difficult time following severe injuries is important", says Robin. "Often this is the most difficult time in a client's life they may have lost or face losing their job, experience relationship difficulties or breakdown, be in severe or even unmanageable pain, not be able to play with their children or follow hobbies they have spent their life enjoying".
Robin uses his vast experience to empathise and sympathise with clients who find themselves victims of Personal Injury and does the utmost to assist them in by pursuing their rightful compensation from the responsible party.
Robin has recently take on a role as a Member of Independent School Appeals Panel.
Robin was also mentioned in the 2017 Legal 500 with Legal 500 giving him a Recommended Lawyer accolade Legal 500 said of Robin Patey.
Partner Robin Patey is also singled out for his handling of cases.
Robin is also a member of the North West Insider's '42 under 42' which is a group comprising of 42 members from the North West who are all under the age of 42. The North West Insider describes members of the group as "successful and inspirational individuals who run their own businesses or work high up in a large organisation.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Prior to undertaking Pupillage, Ross Cronie had spent several years as an advocate; specialising in contentious costs litigation with several notable cases to his name.
Ross was called to the Bar in 2011 thereafter undertaking Pupillage at a Liverpool Set, where he covered all areas of crime and civil litigation including hearings in the high court. He remains a door tenant within Chambers, most recently undertaking commercial and intellectual property work for several high-profile names.
Before joining Express Solicitors in 2023 Ross worked in an international law firm as a senior In-House Barrister practising in civil litigation, costs, risk and compliance with over a decade of experience.
Ross regularly deals with all aspects of litigation including interlocutory applications, injunctions, CMCs, JSMs, trials, detailed assessments and appeals. Ross's Court practice is augmented by his advisory and drafting work. Ross is tactically astute and described by his clients and colleagues as providing pragmatic and commercially focused advice.
Ross is well known in the Northern Circuit, renowned for meticulous preparation, robust cross examination and ability to simplify complex issues and provide succinct advice that achieve results that matter.
Job Titles:
- Head of Consumer Claims Litigation
- Partner - Head of Consumer Claims Litigation
Ryan Postlethwaite joined Express Solicitors in August 2013 and is head of our Consumer Claims Litigation Team specialising in housing disrepair and tenancy deposit cases.
Ryan started in our new client team, before quickly being promoted to the role of Litigation Executive and then Trainee Solicitor in September 2014. Ryan qualified as a Solicitor in September 2016.
Ryan enjoys advocacy and attained his higher rights of audience in 2016, allowing him to practise as a Solicitor Advocate. He believes that court advocacy is an extremely important skill that can often make or break a case and he relishes the opportunity to put persuasive arguments before judges on behalf of his clients.
Ryan has advised Express solicitors on a number of high value transactions and has astute commercial awareness. When acting for clients in housing disrepair and tenancy deposit claims, this allows him to stay one step ahead of Defendants and provide excellent tactical advice in relation to their claim.
Ryan has a particular interest in enforcement of debts and tries to think outside of the box when trying to recover debts on behalf of clients. He says "winning a case and obtaining an order that someone must pay you compensation is only half the battle. Where a person or company is uninsured, actually recovering money can be extremely difficult. Every single attempt at enforcing a court order is individual and particular regard must be had in relation to the person that owes the debt. In disputes involving landlords, a particularly important tool to employ can be that of applying for a charging order over a property owned by the landlord.
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Sarah Fowden is a Partner and one of the supervisors within Costs department at Express Solicitors.
Her job involves drafting bills, drafting replies to ‘Points of Dispute', and preparing legal bundles and court forms. Sarah has worked on the preparation of summary assessment schedules, breakdown of costs at case conclusion and negotiating the settlement of costs in litigated and non-litigated claimant personal injury cases.
Passionate about Personal Injury Law, Sarah believes this is crucial to achieving results. Indeed her favourite quotes comes the German theologian Albert Schweitzer who said ‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful'. Sarah studied Law at Lancaster University before returning to Manchester to undertake her Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor
Sarah Smith is an Senior Associate Solicitor in our Clinical Negligence Claims Team having joined in November 2021.
Sarah was admitted as a solicitor in 2000 having obtained an LLB in Law and Italian at the University of Cardiff, and attending The College of Law, York.
With more than 21 years' experience, Sarah takes pride in treating her clients with empathy and compassion at a time of extreme upset and uncertainty. She believes it is essential to build strong working relationships from the outset. She also strives to maximise compensation on behalf of clients and ensures that claims are dealt with efficiently.
Away from work, Sarah spends time with her family. She enjoys cooking and keeping fit.
Scott joined Express Solicitors in May 2022. Having worked in law firms around Greater Manchester and Lancashire he has gained some 27 years of experience dealing with personal injury claims including RTA, Employers and Public Liability, and Clinical Negligence.
The majority of Scott's time over those years was spent acting as a Defendant for many of the large insurers and large logistics companies who were either self-insured or insured with a significant deductible.
His most recent Fee Earning role was acting for Claimants including a catastrophic injury claim. Scott feels that it is now time to utilise the experience he has gathered in a compliance capacity where his knowledge will benefit others and the firm.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Sharon has dedicated her career to helping individuals after serious injury. In particular she has specialised in brain injury and the devastating effect this can have on the individual and their loved ones.
She has brought many actions for clients against the Ministry of Justice and the Police. Her area of expertise is Employment liability. She was part of the legal team on the case of Ziemniak v ETPM Deep Sea Limited [2003] EWCA Civ 636 bringing a right of action under the Merchant Shipping (life Saving Appliances) Regulations 1980, SI 1980/538 for a brain injured client.
Sharon is a skilled negotiator and has a reputation for getting things done. As a partner at Express Solicitors, she has headed various Departments and supervised over 30 lawyers.
Sharon currently heads up the Costs and Budgeting Department at Express, where she manages a team of skilled lawyers in this complex area of law that is now a main feature of civil ligation. Sharon trains, mentors and develops her team to a very high standard in this growing area of legal practice. Sharon cites her keen eye for detail as one of her strengths as a solicitor and her motto is "always be prepare for the worst, and then nothing can take you by surprise in this unpredictable area of legal practice".
In-keeping with the whole ethos of Express, Sharon takes training and development very seriously. When asked for her favourite quote, Sharon recalls the classic Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw who famously said "progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything".
With 20 years experience in civil litigation, she is very well placed to lead the firm forwards to expand and grow their practice area in costs. She additionally consults with other partners on complex case decisions and has an active role in the management of the Firm.
Job Titles:
- Officer
- PA to Chief Executive
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Solicitor
- Associate Solicitor in the Professional Support Department
Stephanie Warlow is an Associate Solicitor in the Professional Support department at Express Solicitors. Stephanie initially joined the firm's New Client Team in July 2014, transferring to assist Daniel Slade for 3 and a half years before qualifying as a Solicitor in the Occupier's Liability Department in July 2018. Stephanie transferred to the Quality and Progression team in January 2020 to take up a role in compliance.
Stephanie's role in the Quality and Progression team is to ensure that cases are quickly progressing in compliance with legal, regulatory and internal requirements. Her experience as a file handler has helped prepare her for the current role and she helps file handlers ensure that the best level of service is provided to our clients whilst achieving a swift and favourable conclusion in their claims. Stephanie also assists our Data Protection Officer in investigating data protection matters within the firm.
Before joining Express Solicitors, Stephanie achieved a 1st Class Honours Law degree at Manchester Metropolitan University and subsequently achieved a Distinction Diploma in Legal Practice at the University of Law. She has also worked voluntarily as an advisor at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Wigan.
With over 20 years accounting experience in the Financial Services sector, Stephen is a qualified Chartered Management Accountant.
Stephen Postlethwaite started working for Express Solicitors in the Consumer Claims Department in February 2021 as a Litigation Executive under the supervision of Ryan Postlethwaite. His primary role is to provide expert legal advice to those unfortunate enough to be living in poor housing conditions.
When asked what he likes best about his job, Stephen replied ‘'As a private renter myself, I understand the frustrations of having a Landlord ignore or otherwise fail to act on your reasonable requests of repair, which can lead to a feeling of helplessness and anger. Fortunately, those living in poor housing conditions are able to advance a Housing Conditions claim against their Landlord. I take pride in being able to obtain justice for tenants who have been wronged by the Landlords in allowing their homes to fall into disrepair''.
Stephen specialises in Civil Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Business and Property Law, Intellectual Property Law and Offences Against the Person.
Stephen was asked how he makes a difference in his role and shared ‘' I am a very empathetic person which allows me to build a strong rapport with the people I represent. I am also very pragmatic which allows me to build a rapport with my fellow professionals. I am driven to succeed and will stop at nothing to achieve my goals''.
Academically, Stephen achieved his bachelor's degree in law back in 2015 and has recently completed his master's degree together with the legal practice course in 2020.
Steven is an In-House Barrister who joined Express Solicitors in January 2023 and is a part of our dedicated advocacy Department.
Steven was called to the bar in 2006 and before that was a Senior Solicitor at a leading North West Law Firm (Called as a solicitor in 2000).
As such Steven brings a wealth of experience (both as an advocate and as a case handler) to his role with Express Solicitors.
Steven has a vast experience of dealing with all aspects of civil litigation and has practised in most areas of personal injury litigation. He regularly appears in County Court on both Multi Track and Fast Track matters and has been involved in several High Court appeals.
Steven prides himself on his ability to communicate effectively with his instructing solicitors and lay clients and to provide clear, pragmatic advice.
Steven consistently receives positive feedback from his clients for his ability to put them at ease and to guide them through the entire court/trial process.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- Digital Learning Manager - Assoc CIPD L & D
- in 2016 As an ICT Trainer
Tanya joined Express in 2016 as an ICT Trainer having gained a degree in Computer Networking and previously worked as a qualified teacher in schools across Manchester.
"I am a qualified teacher with years of experience on dealing with every type of learner, when I am in the classroom I can quickly decide on the pace and adapt to my audience. I think without my teacher training and experience I wouldn't be able to deliver as well."
When asked what she most enjoys about her role, Tanya replied: "I really enjoy being able to work with every department of the firm which helps me to get to know everyone a bit better. Teaching is what I feel I do best and when I hear feedback that what I've thought is being used to improve the efficiency of their work I can't help but smile."
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Coordinator
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Ujala Mahreen is a Costs Draftsperson in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in August 2019.
Ujala specialises in Drafting Formal Bills for Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence cases and occasionally assists with drafting without prejudice statements when needed.
When asked what she likes best about her role, Ujala mentioned "The opportunity to draft Bills for high value/complex injury cases because it is interesting to see how these claims have progressed from start to finish compared to the normal fast track cases."
Ujala has over 6 years' experience in drafting bills, and pays close attention to detail, Ujala went on to explain, "whilst drafting the bills if I spot any problems/inconsistencies I don't hesitate to approach the fee earners and flag it up."
Ujala is work driven but believes team morale is important too, she is always available for other team members if needed and enjoys working within the Costs department.
Having started with the firm in August 2019, Ujala's biggest achievement was drafting a Clinical Negligence Bill which was over £800,000.00 and won the Winter Incentive for the best biller in the Costs department.
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Vivien started off as a Trainee Solicitor in January 2023 in the Consumer Claims Litigation Department. She commenced her training contract in August 2023 and is currently a Trainee Solicitor working in the Debt Recovery Department.
Vivien started off her legal journey completing Law and Business Studies at the University of Liverpool, before completing her Graduate Diploma in Law and her Legal Practice Course with an LLM at the University of Law.
Prior to joining Express Solicitors, Vivien's experience was mainly in Group Litigation Class Action claims. She strives to deliver high performance and continuously demonstrates tenacity and grit in the challenges she faces.
During her free time, she enjoys travelling, dining out and spending time with her dog.
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Yasmeen joined Express Solicitors as an IT Trainer and possesses a degree in Computing and PGCE.
"I am a motivated, commercially astute and performance driven lecturer and certified trainer, with a passion for delivering a high standard of learning. I have worked as a lecturer and corporate trainer for five years prior to starting at Express Solicitors. With excellent communication skills, I am able to deliver to a wide range of learners, adapting to suit individual learning needs, focusing on knowledge, skills and professional standards needed for the business. I thrive on feedback and enjoy seeing results from successful training sessions."
Job Titles:
- Costs Litigation Assistant
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Job Titles:
- New Client Enquiry Specialist
Zanis Zaraks joined Express Solicitors in February 2021 and is currently a Trainee solicitor in our Consumer Claims Litigation Team.
Zanis completed his law degree at Newcastle University, achieving first-class honours. During his degree, he spent one year at the National University of Singapore, studying commercial and maritime law. After graduating, Zanis further completed a Masters' Degree in law at Swansea University, achieving distinction.
Currently, Zanis is studying for SQE at BPP University with a view to qualifying as a Solicitor at Express.