Neil Hudgell
Hudgell Solicitors’ [1] continued growth and success has been rewarded with the firm today named as one of the UK’s top 200 law firms by The Times newspaper.
Established by sole director Neil Hudgell [2] in 1997, it is the firm’s first inclusion in the prestigious Best Law Firms list which is compiled by researchers contacting thousands of lawyers and asking them to recommend the best firms across 26 areas of law.
Those with the most nominations make the final top 200, and Mr Hudgell says such recognition from industry peers reflects continued development and progress over recent years, achieved against a backdrop of challenges facing many in the legal sector.
Over the past two years in particular, Hudgell Solicitors has emerged a major player in legal cases of national significance.
It has done this by developing a strong presence of experienced lawyers in London and the South whilst maintaining a clear focus on retaining, and building upon its long-established market position in the north, where its headquarters remain in Hull.
A growing team in Manchester has further expanded the firm’s work into the North West.
“We are delighted by this recognition from our peers in The Times. It is a testament to the hard work, dedication and great results we have achieved across the business over the past couple of years, and the quality of work we have secured,” said Mr Hudgell.
“When I initially started the business I did so with the motivation of creating a legal firm which truly looked after the best interests of its clients and would look to right wrongs for those it represented, no matter how difficult that challenge may be.
“That is a pledge we have honoured as we have expanded from clinical negligence and personal injury into civil liberties, travel, abuse and employment law. We’ve recruited strongly in terms of the legal talent and experience across the business and completed a high number of strategic and considered acquisitions which have strengthened our position.
“We’re currently looking to complete further acquisitions in the coming months as some law firms leave the market ahead of new reforms scheduled for next year, so we expect further growth over the coming 12 months.”
Hudgell Solicitors has acted on behalf of clients in some of the UK’s most high-profile legal actions. These have included;
- Representing 33 former sub-postmasters and clearing their names through the Court of Appeal as their convictions related to the Post Office Horizon scandal [3] are to be overturned, many having stood for decades.
- Being instructed by nine Core Participants in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
- Representing victims of the Windrush Scandal who were wrongly classed as immigrants and faced deportation due to a Government error.
- Acting on behalf of families of victims at the Manchester Arena Bombing Inquest.
- Representing former residents of various children’s homes who suffered physical, sexual and emotional abuse between 1948 and 1990 in homes run by Lambeth Council, under the Lambeth Redress Scheme.
- Supporting a group of women who suffered life changing injuries as a result of vaginal mesh surgery, a procedure which was subject to an Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review.
- Representing the family of former Welsh Cabinet Secretary Carl Sargeant through a successful judicial review into a planned independent inquiry which was going to exclude the family from participating effectively, and at an inquest which criticised the Welsh Government’s handling of the matter.
- Making representations on behalf of prisoner Steven Gallant who was one of those who confronted and stopped the London Bridge terrorist when on day release last year, resulting in the Royal Prerogative of Mercy being approved by the Queen, enabling him to apply for release from prison early.
- Securing a string of six and seven-figure damages settlements for clients with life-changing injuries, with many ongoing cases focus on providing a complete package of rehabilitation.
In April, a partnership with independent financial advisors Frenkel Topping was announced, creating Hudgell Financial Management Services, which provides long-term financial advice and support to injured clients. An in-house Professional Deputy was also recruited to provide support to those managing the finances of those left without mental capacity.
Mr Hudgell says being named in The Times Best Law Firms 2021 can help the firm gain further momentum, and he expects to complete more acquisitions of cases from those looking to exit the personal injury and medical negligence markets ahead of new reforms next year.
“The Government is planning to implement new rules that means most of those injured in a road traffic accident will not be able to instruct a lawyer to make a claim of £5,000 or less. For some law firms who handle large volumes of smaller claims, it will make it very difficult for them to carry on offering personal injury services, so they are already talking to us about either transferring their personal injury work to us or in some cases, about us acquiring their firm,” he said.
“As a large national firm, we have the ability to seamlessly take on large volumes of claims whatever their size, ensuring that clients are well supported and that their claims, for which they need and deserve legal support, are run successfully.”
The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2021’ list can be found here [4]