[1]Twambley: market “getting worse for small players”
A personal injury “knowledge hub”, backed by a board of industry experts, has been launched by solicitor and due diligence specialist Zoe Holland.
Ms Holland said the hub would be the first to allow live debate with leading figures including Andrew Twambley, managing partner of Amelans and director of InjuryLawyers4U, and Professor Dominic Regan, a leading authority on costs.
“The purpose of the knowledge hub is to allow practitioners to collaborate in an easily accessible format,” Ms Holland said.
“I had a vision of bringing together some of the industry’s leading figures to share their knowledge and technical know-how in a ‘live debate’ format. There’s nothing like being able to share your thoughts as they arise.”
Ms Holland, managing director of risk and due diligence specialists ZebraLC, said the hub was already available to the first few clients and would be offered to others in the next few weeks.
By the end of the year, she said the PI Knowledge Share hub (PiKS) should allow access to non-clients in return for an annual subscription.
“Nobody in our sector has a platform which enables live debate in this way. It can be accessed on an iPad or Android or any other format – a bit like having Facebook for a business. We know the platform works – we use a similar system internally.”
Ms Holland said that among the information shared would be risk trends from ZebraLC and market trends such as M&A or funding issues. The hub will draw on the knowledge of the technical advisory board set up by Zebra’s new personal injury offshoot, ZebraTD.
Mr Twambley, who attended the board’s first meeting last month, said: “Everyone on the board has practical knowledge of part of the industry, and when you put it all together, it’s an experts’ hub. I think it’s a great idea.
“Generally the market is getting worse for small players and better for the big firms who can use bulk processes and have good-quality employees. A profit can be made.”
Mr Twambley said the platform allowed the board to support practitioners with technical and costs issues or risks on an urgent basis.
“The board can also use its experience and foresight to help create strategies that can help practitioners in the future.”
Along with Professor Regan, the other board members include Kevin Latham, a barrister at Kings Chambers specialising in costs litigation, Chris Fry, managing partner of Unity Law, and Tracey Graham, director of industrial disease at Your Legal Friend.
They will be joined by costs lawyer Claire Green, a Zebra consultant, and Vicki Acres, chair of the board and head of technical and risk consulting at Zebra.
Ms Holland added that she did not want the hub to be “exclusive”, but it was not about the public’s views on the personal injury market.
“People will have to be privately invited into the space. They will have to be in the personal injury world. They are sharing experiences of a market in difficult circumstances.”