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Capital growth sees Hudgell Solicitors buy new London offices and add to legal expertise

Amanda Stevens [1]

Amanda Stevens joins the clin neg team at Hudgell Solicitors

Expanding medical negligence and personal injury specialists Hudgell Solicitors [2] has further underlined its ambition to grow its work in the capital by moving into new offices in London’s Fleet Street – and adding a another leading legal figure to its team.

The move comes three years after the firm first established a presence in the capital, and reflects its confidence in the London market, where it has already made an impressive impact.

The purchase of the new premises, just minutes from The Royal Courts of Justice, are part of a long-term strategy aimed at becoming firmly established as a national leader in the industry, placing an increased focus on high-value work in which it represents clients who have suffered life-changing injuries.

Last year the firm recruited one of the country’s leading clinical negligence specialists, Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp, and today it has confirmed the arrival of former Irwin Mitchell partner Amanda Stevens, who has an established reputation as an eminent practitioner in both clinical negligence and personal injury.

Mrs Stevens plays a hugely significant role within the clinical negligence claimant sector, and is currently the Chair of the Civil Procedure Rule sub-committee, which is tasked with drafting court rules for fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence cases.

She was the claimant spokesperson responsible for drafting the 2007 National Rehabilitation Code, used by solicitors and insurance claims handlers, and Chair of the Project Steering Group overseeing the publication of the much revised 2015 Rehabilitation Code.

She was President of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers in 2008/2009, is an APIL Fellow and an assessor for APIL’s specialist brain injury and clinical negligence accreditation schemes, as well as being a Law Society Accredited clinical negligence panel member.

Recently she was appointed as a Deputy High Court Master (a junior judicial appointment), and was the only solicitor to be appointed, alongside three barristers

Managing director Neil Hudgell says the focus in London remains on securing high-value work and offering the very best legal expertise.

“This is a significant step forward for our business in London, as the purchase of these new premises has come on the back of a successful first three years based in the capital,” said Mr Hudgell.

“In those three years we have been able to establish a reputation in London as serious personal injury and medical negligence specialists, who importantly not only have a track record of securing high-value settlements, but also importantly provide a rehabilitation led service to all clients.

“We have worked hard to raise the profile of the firm in the capital over the past 12 months, which we are certainly now seeing the benefits of, but the key to further establishing ourselves in the market is retaining and attracting the very best legal talent.

“That is something we will continue to do as we look to further strengthen our position in London. The fact that we have bought these premises is an indication not only of our confidence, but also our commitment to becoming recognised in as one London’s leading players, as we believe we bring something extra to the market in terms of our client care.

“This of course comes on the back of the success we have enjoyed in the north of the country, particularly in Hull and Leeds, where we also have more ambitious plans for further growth in the years to come.”

Hudgell Solicitors enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2015, representing more than 10,000 clients across offices in Hull, Leeds and London and being named by The Legal 500 guide as a ‘UK leading firm’ for handling clinical negligence and personal injury cases.

The London office has secured a number of seven-figure settlements for clients over the past 12 months and worked on many high-profile cases, including representing the victims of paedophile doctor Myles Bradbury, who was jailed for 22 years after admitting years of abusing young boys who were his patients at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

The firm’s Clinical Negligence department was also highly commended in the 2015 Modern Claims Awards.