Phillips secures wide recognition

Sep 28 2007 by Karen Wilson, The Journal

SAMUEL Phillips Law Firm is again recognised by Legal 500 for its expertise in a number of areas of legal practice for which it has gained national and local prominence. The firm which was established in 1920 has grown substantially, particularly since the move to the impressive Gibb Chambers in 1998.

Legal 500 recognises that the firm is well known for its strength in clinical negligence, family and employment and describes Senior Partner Barry Speker as “high profile and respected”.

Managing Partner Robert Gibson heads the employment unit. Sally Lomas Fletcher and Kathryn Rowe also specialise in employment law and Barry Speker is a part-time Chairman of the Employment Tribunal.

The unit produces a monthly employment law newsletter online and deals with many high profile tribunal cases and Robert Gibson is a national leader in relation to NHS equal pay claims. The department has attracted many new employer clients during the year including Northumbria Police. The unit offers an employment protection scheme for employers which has been particularly successful.

This gives members full insurance cover against all tribunal claims and awards, as well as keeping members regularly updated on frequent changes in employment law and practice.

Robert Gibson describes the firm’s employment protection scheme as “the best on the market”. The unit provides a variety of seminars and training course on the many changes in employment law including most recently the introduction of age discrimination and changes in disability discrimination.

The family department is led by Jennifer Goldstein “who has a real eye for detail,” with family law specialists Elizabeth Gallagher, Claire Hunter, Caroline Mercier and Ruben Sinha handling all aspects of family law. Jennifer has particular interest in high value divorce and resolving pension disputes.

The unit also has expertise in pre-nuptial agreements and deals with all aspects of children cases including adoption. The firm is the recommended local contact in dealing with child abductions. With five solicitors specialising in family work, the firm is recognised as in the top five in the North-East for family law.

The nationally regarded clinical negligence team is again highly rated by Legal 500 and is one of the largest in the area. It is headed by Barry Speker and Helen Routledge. Christina Cummins has recently joined the department.

Legal 500 refers to “the respected and well known” Barry Speker who is a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel. The firm has secured substantial damages awards in numerous complex clinical negligence actions and produces a regular publication Health Law Update. It is also known as an expert unit in relation to medical law, advising The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on various complex medico-legal issues and inquests and also offering advice to the Strategic Health Authority.

Barry Speker gives a wide variety of training to Health professionals including consultants, general practitioners and dentists and writes widely on medico legal subjects. He also acted on behalf of the organisers of the Great North Run in the inquests into the fatalities in the 2005 and 2006 events.

The merger with Edward J Pybus in 2005 has led to strengthening of property and private client work. Edward Pybus, formerly a partner in Eversheds, is a highly regarded property lawyer, with expertise in wills, inheritance tax planning and trusts.

Anna McClean specialises in commercial property and Michael Storey heads the residential conveyancing team. Ingrid Forshaw is a new arrival specialising in wills and probate. The firm has fully refurbished the basement at Gibb Chambers to accommodate the enlarged non contentious department.

In the criminal section Stuart Grant is recommended by Legal 500 for all types of criminal cases in particular white collar crime.

Legal 500 2006 also refers to work done by the firm in personal injury (Alan Stobart), civil litigation (Lyndsey Martin) and in the public sector.

The firm has maintained its Law Society Lexcel accreditation as well as its Investors in People award demonstrating the firm’s commitment to providing the highest quality of personal service and promoting everyone in the firm to fulfil their ambitions. These have been spearheaded by the firm’s chief executive David Laud.

Senior Partner Barry Speker commented: “We are very pleased at the recognition which the firm has again received from the Legal 500. Our continued aim is to provide expert specialist legal advice and representation coupled with excellent personal service.”