Meet our Team

Emma Holt - Head of Department

The majority of Emma's work involves representing people in clinical and medical negligence compensation claims. Her caseload is varied and includes a substantial number of cases of maximum severity, cerebral palsy and birth injuries.

Emma has significant experience in cases involving amputation, spinal injuries and failure to diagnose cancer. Her work also embraces negligence in private hospitals including cosmetic surgery claims. She handles many fatal accident compensation claims and has represented her clients at Inquests. Emma also has a specific interest in health law generally, including medical treatment cases. Emma represented the mother in the well known case of Re: T in 1996 relating to a dispute over the medical treatment of a child.

Emma handles a number of cases involving alleged breaches of human rights in relation to medical treatment both in this jurisdiction and in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg; Emma represented one of the Appellants in the case of JD and Others -v- East Berkshire Community Health NHS Trust and Others, which proceeded to the House of Lords in 2005 and to the European Court of Human Rights where in 2008, Emma's clients, RK and AK, were successful in establishing a breach of Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to an effective legal remedy). Emma also has experience of medical disciplinary work.

Emma is a member of Solicitors Regulation Authority Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel, the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel, and the Association of Disciplinary and Regulatory Lawyers (ARDL). She is also a Senior Litigator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). Emma is a recognised "Leader in her Field" in the Legal 500 and Chambers, where she is described as "really top notch". Emma lectures regularly on medical ethical and human rights issues and other matters relating to her legal practice. She studied Law at Manchester University and also lectured in Law before qualifying in 1994. Emma joined the Clinical Negligence Department at Pannone in 1995 and became a Partner in 1998.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Gill Edwards - Partner

Gill's current caseload consists of a full range of clinical negligence compensation cases including maximum severity paediatric and adult brain injuries, amputations, spinal injuries, cancer, meningitis and fatal claims involving inquests. She has settled a number of cases with damages in excess of a million pounds and has also advised on 'best interests' cases involving issues of medical law and Advance Decisions including the right to die and the right to refuse treatment. Gill has specialised solely in clinical negligence work since 1996. Gill is a member of the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel and she is a lecturer for BPP Training providing advanced Clinical Negligence courses to practitioners in the field. She also lectures to the British Pain Society.

Gill originally trained as a Registered General Nurse at Manchester Royal Infirmary and specialised in vascular surgery after qualifying in 1990. Gill then studied law and trained at a specialist clinical negligence practice where she qualified as a solicitor in 1997. Gill joined the Clinical Negligence team at Pannone in 2001 and was made a Partner in 2005.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

John Kitchingman - Partner

John's present case load mostly comprises compensation claims on behalf of children and adults who have sustained neurological injury at the time of birth or in the newborn period. John has achieved numerous multi million pound settlements on behalf of his clients and is amongst the most experienced and highly respected clinical negligence solicitors in the country.

John has had a number of high profile cases, none more so than that of Mary and Jodie, the conjoined twins born in Manchester in August 2000 to Maltese parents. The case divided opinion across the world when the Court of Appeal authorised surgeons to undertake an operation to separate the twins, the inevitable consequence of which would be the death of one of the twins.

John has specialised in clinical and medical negligence claims since the mid 1980s. He is on the Solicitors Regulation Authority panel of specialist Clinical Negligence Solicitors and the AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents) panel.

John was born and educated in Yorkshire. He graduated in Law with upper second class honours from the University of Hull, and subsequently attended The College of Law, Guildford and Manchester Polytechnic.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Laura Morgan - Partner

Laura's case load includes compensation claims of maximum severity and matters that are of particular importance to the claimant though significantly lower in value, such as fatal infant and still birth cases. Her cases of maximum severity include Cerebral Palsy arising from birth and neonatal mismanagement, amputation, fatal cases and surgical injuries. Laura has developed a particular expertise in cases arising from the mismanagement of paediatric cardiac conditions and has achieved a number of large settlements for clients in those cases.

Laura was appointed to the Solicitors Regulation Authority's panel of specialist Clinical Negligence Solicitors in 2005. She is a member of the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel. Laura has Senior Litigator Status within the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). Laura is recognised as a 'Leader in the Field' of Clinical Negligence by Chambers, an independent clients' guide to the legal profession.

Laura regularly lectures to Salford University Department of Healthcare Professionals on Clinical Negligence and Medical Law issues. She has lectured to a number of health professionals within that department including Neonatal Nurses, Midwives and Ultra sonographers. Laura has also lectured to the Doctors and Physiotherapists at the Football Association.

Laura has co-authored a 'How to Guide' addressing the issues arising in Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence compensation claims resulting from amputation. Laura joined Pannone's Clinical Negligence department as a newly qualified solicitor in September 1997, having trained as a specialist niche personal injury and clinical negligence practice in London.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Julia Hurstfield - Partner

Julia deals with all types of claims arising out of medical accidents but has particular expertise in dealing with claims of maximum severity and especially for children and adults who have sustained significant brain injury at birth due to obstetric and midwifery negligence as well as children and adults who have suffered an amputation together with families who have lost a child or parent due to negligent medical treatment. She also deals with cases where there has been a failure to diagnose cancer or delay in diagnosing cancer.

Julia acted for the parents (along with John Kitchingman) of the conjoined twins born in Manchester in 2000 and has since developed an interest in Medical Law issues together with Human Rights claims and has acted for a number of people where the right to receive or withdraw medical treatment has been challenged. Julia also acted for the Claimant in the 2007 Court of Appeal case of Crofton v NHSLA, an important case on the entitlement of a Defendant to take into account future Local Authority provision when paying damages. After being remitted to the High Court the case settled for the sum of £2.85m.

Julia is recognised as 'a leader in her field' by both of the leading legal publications Chambers and the Legal 500. Julia is a member of APIL and its Clinical Negligence Special Interest Group. She has been a personal injury lawyer for more than 30 years and has spent her last 21 years dealing solely with Claimant clinical negligence compensation claims.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Chris Gawne - Partner

Chris is a specialist clinical and medical negligence compensation solicitor. He deals with Clinical Negligence compensation claims, 'best interests' treatment decision cases and Inquiry work. In his Clinical Negligence practice he deals with a full range of claims arising from deaths and serious injury following negligent medical treatment including birth injuries, surgery claims and Inquests. As well as his core practice in Clinical and Medical Negligence litigation, Chris has gained wide experience acting in treatment disputes and cases on the withdrawal of life support.

He acted for the parents in the widely publicised case of Re MB [2006], which concerned a hospital trust's application to withdraw life support from a child. The Court was persuaded that withdrawal of life support was not in MB's best interests and the parents successfully resisted the application.

Chris has also had a significant involvement in work relating to independent inquiries, both public inquiries and private inquiries. Chris is currently advising on the Redfern Inquiry into Human Tissue Analysis at UK Nuclear Facilities. In 2004 and 2005 Chris acted for the families in the Everall Inquiry, a public inquiry into the deaths of two young people in social services care.

As a trainee solicitor Chris assisted in representing the families of the victims of Harold Shipman at the Shipman Inquiry. Chris was recommended in Chambers 2009, an independent guide to the legal profession, as a "rising star" in Clinical Negligence. In the 2008 edition he was noted to have an "intelligent and savvy approach to a case". Chris is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Chris trained at a niche firm specialising in clinical negligence, winning an award at The Lawyer's Trainee Solicitor of the Year Awards in 2000. Chris qualified as a solicitor in 2001 and joined Pannone LLP in the Clinical Negligence department in 2007, and was made a Partner in 2008.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Brendan Hope - Partner

Brendan's caseload consists of a large variety of clinical negligence compensation claims including those of high value and maximum severity for both adults and children; GP negligence; misdiagnosis of cancer; amputation and spinal and other orthopaedic injuries. He also deals with claims arising from the deaths of patients following medical treatment through Fatal Accidents Act and Humans Rights Act claims.

A number of Brendan's cases have been reported, particularly in Lawtel Personal Injury Quantum Reports and also in the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Personal Injury Focus. Brendan is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.

Brendan has specialised solely in Claimant Clinical and Medical Negligence claims since qualification in September 2002 and became a partner in May 2008.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Stephen Jones - Partner

Stephen has specialised in medical litigation since qualification in 1986. He is a member of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel and the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel.

He has a specific interest in mental health issues and represented over 100 patients on the Personality Disorder Unit at Ashworth Hospital in connection with the Fallon Inquiry which was reported in January 1998. He was solicitor to the Alder Hey Inquiry into the retention of children's organs following post mortem examination which reported in 2001. Stephen is presently acting as the Solicitor to the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis in UK nuclear facilities.

He has secured a number of million pound plus awards including £3.4million for a 7 year old with cerebral palsy and £3.25million for a 19 year old with cerebral palsy. He acted for the family of England footballer Robbie Fowler and for Denise Hendry, wife of former Scotland football captain Colin Hendry, for whom he obtained the highest damages award ever made in this country in a cosmetic surgery case at the time.

Stephen is recommended as a Leader in the Field in the Legal 500 and Chambers Directory.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Kris Inskip - Partner

Kris handles a variety of clinical and medical negligence compensation claims, including serious injury cases such as brain injury and spinal cord damage. He has a particular interest in ophthalmic, cosmetic surgery and fatal claims and has represented a large number of clients at Coroner's Inquests. He is also head of the department's nursing care negligence team.

A number of Kris' successfully concluded cases have been reported in legal journals including the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Personal Injury Focus, Lawtel Personal Injury Quantum Reports and Clinical Risk.

Kris is a member of The Solicitors Regulation Authority's panel of Specialist Clinical Negligence Solicitors and a Senior Litigator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He joined Pannone LLP in 1998 and qualified into the Clinical Negligence department in 2000 and became a Partner in 2006.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Jenny Urwin - Partner

Jenny has specialised in claimant medical negligence litigation since her qualification in 1995. She handles a varied caseload but with particular expertise in claims which are of maximum severity and high value, in particular, concerning adult and child brain injury, cerebral palsy, amputation and blindness.

Jenny's work also encompasses claims ranging from delays in diagnosing cancer to fatal medical accidents, wrongful birth claims to spinal injuries, and paediatric and obstetric accidents. In a 12 month period Jenny has secured compensation in excess of £16.5m for her severely injured clients. She achieved an award in excess of £7m for a 13 year old child with cerebral palsy and in excess of £5m for a 7 year old boy with cerebral palsy, both of whom suffered their brain injuries at birth.

Jenny has also successfully handled a considerable number of claims for compensation for patients who contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood products. She undertook the responsibility of coordinating part of the successful generic litigation which was pursued against the National Blood Authority for compensation. She has a particular interest in Medical Law and ethics, advising clients in respect of medical law issues. She also has an interest in judicial review cases. Amongst others, she represented six haemophiliac children at the Royal Courts of Justice in their successful claim against their health authorities for Recombinant Factor VIII treatment denied to them.

Jenny is a member of the specialist Solicitors Regulation Authority Clinical Negligence Panel, the AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel and is a Senior Litigator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. She regularly lectures on medico legal issues. She obtained First Class Honours in her BA in Law and a Masters in Law at The University of Cambridge. She lectured in Law at the University of Manchester before completing her Professional exams at Chester College of Law. She joined the Clinical Negligence department in 1995 as a newly qualified solicitor, becoming a Partner in 1999.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Helen Balshaw - Associate

Helen handles a large variety of clinical negligence claims. Her current caseload includes nerve injuries, GP negligence, cancer and fatal claims. Helen works closely with Partners in the department on behalf of clients with injuries of maximum severity including brain injury cases.

She is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and studied law at Oxford University before joining Pannone LLP where she qualified in September 2005. Helen joined the Clinical Negligence department on qualification.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Julia Hamilton - Senior Associate

Julia handles a variety of clinical negligence claims including those involving adult and paediatric brain injuries, obstetric and gynaecological injuries, cancer, spinal injuries, orthopaedic injuries, plastic surgery and fatal claims. She also assists Partners in the department on maximum severity cases such as brain injuries and amputations. Julia lectures on Clinical Negligence practice on behalf of BPP Professional Education. She is also a volunteer working on the North West AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) helpline providing advice and assistance to callers on a wide range of issues arising from medical accidents.

Julia is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers and joined Pannone LLP as a trainee solicitor in 2001 having studied law at King's College London and the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Chester. She qualified as a solicitor in the Clinical Negligence Department in 2003 and has specialised solely in clinical negligence claims since.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Lisa Hardy - Solicitor

Lisa deals with a wide variety of cases including claims involving injuries suffered as a result of orthopaedic surgery, obstetric and midwifery care and delays in diagnosis as well as fatal claims, ophthalmic claims and cases where foreign bodies have been left inside patients following surgery. She assists Partners on a number of maximum severity cases such as amputation and brain injury claims as well as Human Rights cases, in which she has a particular interest.

Lisa joined Pannone LLP as a trainee solicitor in 2005, having completed her law degree and Legal Practice Course at the University of Sheffield. As a Trainee she spent a year in the Clinical Negligence department before qualifying there in 2007.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Ashley Dee - Solicitor

Ashley conducts a varied case load of clinical negligence claims (arising from both NHS and private treatment), including claims arising from delayed diagnoses of cancer, substandard orthopaedic surgery, failed sterilisation/wrongful birth and fatalities, as well as assisting on a number of maximum severity cases such as brain injury claims (adult and paediatric, including cerebral palsy), obstetric and midwifery claims, spinal injuries and inquest cases. Ashley has a particular interest in claims which proceed under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Ashley is currently heavily involved in providing legal support to the Redfern Inquiry into human tissue analysis at UK nuclear facilities, together with Stephen Jones (Solicitor to the Inquiry) and Chris Gawne.

Ashley is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and has won a number of academic awards, including the Oxford University Press Award (2003) and the Lancaster & Morecambe District Law Society Award (2004). Ashley graduated with a First in Law from Lancaster University and completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Chester before joining Pannone LLP in July 2005. Ashley qualified into the Clinical Negligence Department in March 2008.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Julianne Maclennan - Senior Associate

Julianne specialises in clinical negligence and handles a varied caseload including paediatric brain injury (cerebral palsy) and adult brain injury. She also has significant experience in handling claims involving delays in diagnosing cancer, cosmetic surgery claims, surgical accidents and fatal cases. Julianne also acts on behalf of families at Inquests. Julianne also assists Partners on maximum severity cases such as brain injuries and amputations.

Julianne regularly lectures on clinical negligence to other firms of solicitors and is a volunteer on the AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents) helpline which provides help and advice to victims of medical accidents. She is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

Prior to becoming a Solicitor, Julianne was a Senior Operating Department Practitioner at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and has extensive medical and surgical experience. Julianne has also represented the General Medical Council in regulatory proceedings against doctors.

She qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 and joined the Clinical Negligence department at Pannone LLP in 2003.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Helen Budge - Associate

Helen undertakes all types of clinical negligence work, including cases involving delays in diagnosing cancer, orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmics, brain and spinal injuries and fatalities. She also has a particular interest in cases which raise Human Rights Act issues. Helen also assists Partners on maximum severity cases such as brain injuries and amputations.

Helen studied history at the University of Durham before completing her legal qualifications. She joined Pannone LLP in January 2001, working initially as a paralegal in the clinical negligence department before undertaking her training contract and qualifying as a solicitor in March 2005.

Helen is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and regularly lectures for BPP Professional Education on clinical negligence practice.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Jane Whitaker - Professional Support Lawyer

Jane has specialised in clinical negligence claims for Claimants for 17 years, during which time she has successfully pursued a wide range of cases in many areas of medicine for adults and children alike. Before joining Pannone LLP in 2008, she was a SRA Clinical Negligence Panel member, an APIL Senior Litigator and a Peer Reviewer for the LSC. She has lectured extensively to members of the legal and medical professions.

She has now taken a change of direction as the department's Professional Support Lawyer and Manager of the New Cases Team. In this role she uses her experience and expertise to assess new cases. Her team is often the first point of contact for potential new clients approaching the clinical negligence department.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Susan Curley - Registered General Nurse

Susan has worked at Pannone LLP since November 1999 and her main specialities are orthopaedics, ophthalmology and cosmetic surgery, although her work also regularly covers other specialities including oncology, renal, neurology and at times psychiatric.

Susan qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1980 at The Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing in Birmingham. Following her qualification she worked in many specialities including Medical and Surgical Wards, Anaesthetic and Operating Departments and she has also worked in a Dental Hospital.

Susan has seven years experience working within a Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Hospital during which time she covered all aspects of this speciality including clinic, ward and theatre/anaesthetic work.

She has also worked within a specialised hip and knee clinic for several years where she was involved in both clinic and administrative work.

Susan's work at Pannone includes assisting in the assessment of new cases, reviewing medical records and advising on medical and nursing issues arising on cases.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Sue Austin - Registered General Nurse & Midwife

Sue has worked at Pannone LLP since September 2000 and her main specialties are all aspects of midwifery care and gynaecological issues. She also assesses new gynaecology and birth injury cases and provides input on active cases relevant to her areas of expertise.

Sue qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1981 at Royal Oldham Hospital and practised mainly in general theatres, followed by 2 years working as an Air Ambulance nurse in Scotland caring for medical and surgical patients.

Sue gained her Midwifery qualification in 1985 and her Advanced Diploma in Midwifery in 1990. Her midwifery experience involved working in both a hospital and community setting covering all aspects of midwifery care, in particular working at a senior level on the labour ward.

Sue has also practised in a private clinic giving early pregnancy advice and general women's health care specifically related to gynaecological issues. In order to maintain her midwifery registration she undertakes clinical practice in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines.

Call 0800 0 382 382 or email us. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.