Mary Duncan, partner and head of personal injury department
Specialises in handling substantial high value cases, and has particular expertise in clinical negligence, fatal accidents, and brain injury cases.
Mary trained at Henmans and qualified in 1983. She spent two years at Greenwoods and rejoined Henmans in 1985. She has been a partner since 1989. Mary is accredited by the Law Society as a personal injury specialist and is a member of Oxford's Medico-Legal Society. Chambers ranks her in its top tier for personal injury.
She is joint author of Fatal Accident Claims, author of a chapter in Trauma Care, A Team Approach, joint author of Health and Safety at Work Essentials and Professional Negligence, A Second Bite at the Cherry?
Mary's reported cases include:
Cecily Cameron, partner and head of clinical negligence team
Cecily specialises in clinical negligence claims. She has considerable experience of cerebral palsy, Erbs palsy and maternal birth injury claims, in addition to high value fatal cases. She has a particular expertise in neurological and neurosurgical claims, such as acquired brain injury and cauda equina syndrome. Her team undertakes a wide range of cases, including advising on complaints to professional disciplinary bodies and claims arising from breach of confidence in the patient context.
Cecily's cases include:
Cecily joined Henmans in October 2000 from Irwin Mitchell in Leeds, and became a partner in 2003. Before training as a lawyer, she was Head of Information & Education Services for Wakefield Health Authority for eight years. This has given her an invaluable insight into the workings of the NHS and the clinical content of her work. Cecily qualified as a solicitor in 1995.
Cecily is a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel, the AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents) Clinical Negligence Panel, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Oxford Medico-Legal Society. Cecily has completed the Spinal Injuries Association Advanced Training Course for Personal Injury Lawyers and regularly does pro bono work, conducting seminars for organisations in the advice and patient support sectors, such as Citizens Advice Bureau and ICAS. She is co-author with Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel QC of 1 Crown Office Row of Clinical Negligence: a practitioner's handbook, published in October 2007 by Oxford University Press.
Irvin Thobourne, associate litigation executive
Has over 15 years' experience in dealing with all types of personal injury claims, including workplace accidents, road traffic accidents (RTAs), occupier's liability and public liability claims. He has particular expertise in claims involving the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) and Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). Irvin has particular experience in claims involving severely injured claimants and catastrophic injuries involving amputation.
Irvin worked for four years at Shoosmiths, specialising in personal injury. He joined Henmans in 1997 and was made an associate in 2002. Irvin is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Oxford Medico-Legal Society. Irvin's reported cases include:
Carolyn is experienced in all aspects of clinical negligence claims. She has a particular interest in complex brain injury cases, gynaecological claims, children's claims and claims for the elderly. She also has wide experience in fatal accident and oncology cases, particularly the misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of cancer. Her recent cases have included:
- Several complex orthopaedic injury cases, one of which settled for in excess of £80,000
- A record damages award for a CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) case
- Karen Saunders v Luton & Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust. Carolyn acted for a claimant who suffered severe complications following negligently performed foot surgery. The operation was carried out by a surgeon brought over from France to cut waiting lists.
Specialises in clinical negligence claims. She handles a wide variety of cases, specialising in fatal claims, orthopaedic and birth injury cases, including Erb’s palsy. She has particular expertise in claims involving several defendants and cases where calculating the value of the claim is particularly complicated.
Susan trained at Henmans and qualified in 2000. She is accredited by the Law Society as a clinical negligence specialist and is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and the Oxford Medico-Legal Society. She undertakes regular pro bono work at Oxford Citizens' Advice Bureau.
Specialises in personal injury work for claimants including employer's liability, road traffic accidents (RTAs) including motorcycle and pedal cycle claims, public liability and occupiers liability. Julie also has experience in handling claims for industrial disease including noise-induced deafness, repetitive strain injury, vibration white finger, diseases related to exposure to asbestos and claims for work related stress.
Julie trained at Thompsons, qualified in 1991 and was made a partner in 1993. She spent a period working as an in-house solicitor at the National Union of Teachers and latterly worked for Russell Jones & Walker in London and Sheffield. Julie is a member of APIL, the TGWU and the GMB. She speaks French, Spanish and Italian and has a Diploma in Translation (French to English) from the Institute of Linguists, of which she remains a member.
Jane handles personal injury claims arising out of road traffic accidents (RTAs), accidents at work and in public places and accidents abroad. Jane's recent cases include:
- Successful trial in which the claimant was awarded over £1million following a road traffic accident abroad;
- Out of court settlement following an accident in which the claimant fell on uneven ground in a pub garden and suffered a broken elbow;
- Claim against restaurant following accident in which a block of wood fell from above a toilet cubicle causing the claimant to suffer a crush injury to the foot. Settled out of court.
Jane trained at Henmans and qualified in 2003. She was made an associate in 2009. Jane is a member of the Law Society specialist personal injury accreditation scheme and the Oxford Medico-Legal Society. Jane also provides regular pro bono advice at the Citizens Advice Bureau and has given seminars to the CAB.
Joanne handles all types of personal injury claims including accidents at work, public liability matters and road traffic accidents (RTAs). She specialises in employer’s liability claims and she has experience of dealing with disease claims. Joanne has assisted Mary Duncan with a number of fatal accident claims.
Joanne trained at Everatt & Co and qualified in 2006, joining Henmans the same year. She provides regular pro bono advice at the local Citizens Advice Bureau. She is a member of the Oxford Medico-Legal Society, and the BB&O Law Society.
Sarah specialises in clinical negligence; she has a particular interest in Erb's palsy cases and in clinical negligence claims that arise out of fatal injuries. Sarah trained at Withy King and qualified into their clinical negligence department in 2007. She joined Henmans in 2008. She is a committee member of the Oxford Medico-Legal Society.
Sarah specialises in clinical negligence and assists Cecily Cameron on a wide range of cases including maximum severity claims arising from injuries at birth and in childhood, fatal claims and cases involving cauda equina syndrome. Sarah trained at Henmans and qualified in 2009. She is a member of the Oxford Medico-Legal Society and undertakes regular pro-bono work as a volunteer for the Action against Medical Accident (AvMA) helpline.
Julie handles motor claims. She worked with Irvin Thobourne to develop the department’s bespoke case management system.
Our clients also have the benefit of advice on protecting and managing their damages from two specialist practitioners in our private client department:
Zandra Houston, consultant
Zandra advises on trusts and probate, Wills and inheritance tax planning. She also deals with the affairs of the elderly and incapacitated, and she is a Court of Protection Panel Deputy. She is regarded as one of the most experienced and expert lawyers in her specialist field and deals with a diverse client base of domestically based and international clients.
Zandra trained in London and qualified in 1972. She joined Henmans in 1990 and became a partner in 1991. Zandra is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Law Society Probate Section.
The Chambers directory has ranked Zandra as an expert on private client matters in the region for many years. The Legal 500 Legal Experts directory ranks Zandra among its top experts for private client work outside London.
Veronica Cowdrey, associate
Veronica Cowdrey heads the financial management team that handles wills and other financial matters for clients who are themselves disabled or who wish to make the best possible financial arrangements to provide for a family member with a physical or mental disability.
Veronica has particular expertise in assisting with day to day financial management for clients with disabilities, including those who have received damages for personal injuries. Clients with personal injury awards need tailored advice to enable them to maximise the benefit of their funds. This may involve setting up a personal injury trust (sometimes known as ‘special needs’ trust) to prevent loss of state benefits; Veronica can advise on the best form of Trust to meet the client’s individual requirements and also on the appointment of Trustees.
Veronica also acts for clients whose damages are to be managed under the authority of the Court of Protection and is able to handle applications to the Court of Protection and deal with the appointment of a financial Deputy and allied matters, such as the making of a statutory will on behalf of a client who lacks capacity. She handles the preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney and the management of financial affairs under Enduring Powers of Attorney and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Veronica qualified in 1979. She trained at Wedlake Bell where she also worked after qualifying. She joined Henmans in 1995 and became an Associate in 2001. She is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and is the student liaison officer for the Thames Valley Region.