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Strengths: ‘They have genuine strength in depth and are really down to earth, committed, and true specialists in their field.’
‘The team were efficient, organised and showed me respect throughout.’
‘I cannot speak highly enough of the level of expertise shown by the team at Penningtons.’
Notable practitioners
Alison Appelboam-Meadows: ‘Alison has an encyclopaedic knowledge of her cases which are of maximum severity.’
Emma Beeson: ‘Emma has forensic attention to detail; she is a fighter who is really committed to her work and her clients.’
Stephanie Code: ‘Stephanie is an impressive lawyer.’
Alison Johnson: ‘She gets fantastic settlements on really difficult cases.’
Victoria Johnson: ‘Victoria is excellent; her guidance led us to settlement and she took so much time to ensure I was happy with the whole process.’
‘John Kyriacou is always on hand to answer any queries and makes sure I understand what is going on. He is also always realistic with me, which I really appreciate.’
Philippa Luscombe: ‘Philippa is a star and a very skilled, astute technician.’
Chambers UK - 2023 edition
‘Exceptional team, undoubtedly specialists in this area. They are well trained, diligent, intelligent, have excellent client handling skills, provide thorough and well thought out briefs. Some of the best of the best.’
‘The breadth of knowledge and depth of experience held by the team is a joy to behold. The cases are always well prepared, and the best experts instructed.’
‘The team at Penningtons Manches Cooper is one of friendly, loyal lawyers. Nothing is too much trouble and they always update me and try and make me feel as relaxed as they can.’
‘Alison Appelboam Meadows is a superstar, with knowledge second to none in birth injury claims, she’s tenacious, bright and hugely sympathetic.’
‘The standouts in the team are: Lyndsey Banthorpe, who is driven, hard-working, clever and strategic and Emily Reville, who is shrewd, sensible and extremely driven.’
‘Emma Beeson is hugely dedicated to her clients and leaves no stone unturned – a future star in the making.’
‘Elise Bevan was always very professional but always friendly as well. Every stage of my claim she kept me informed and always asked for my opinion and never did anything without asking for my opinion.’
‘Andrew Clayton was a real workhorse who was very clear exactly what he needed and by when. And, fully prepared, he delivered on the day.’
‘Alison Johnson is a joy to work alongside, brilliant with her client care, has superb judgement and time again conjures terrific settlements for her clients.’
‘John Kyriacou is a fount of experience and guides the junior members of his team well.’
‘Philippa Luscombe inspired confidence from the first meeting I had with her (which had been preceded by a phone call which I had also found helpful). Very experienced; reassuring; straight down the line, and to the point; not flashy.’
‘Rosie Nelson is outstanding in all aspects of her work. Throughout my claim Rosie was professional, understanding, compassionate and thorough.’
The Legal 500 - 2023 edition
Distinguished practice that possesses a well-respected team with a depth of expertise, in addition to a sizeable bench of junior lawyers. Handles birth injury claims including cerebral palsy cases and delayed diagnosis claims. Other areas of strength include orthopaedic cases and negligent gynaecological and cosmetic surgery matters. Regularly acts on claims concerning ophthalmic-related mandates.
Strengths: Sources appreciate the fact that the solicitors ‘have been very responsive and communicative’.
‘The team handle an impressive breadth and depth of claims, across all levels of value and all levels of medical specialities,’ according to an interviewee.
Notable practitioners
Alison Appelboam-Meadows: ‘Alison is a meticulous practitioner and works very hard.’ ‘She has huge, amazing knowledge; she's a genuine heavyweight in terms of knowledge and has a workload of maximum severity cases.’
Emma Beeson: ‘Emma shows great empathy and has a great eye for detail, and she achieves impressive results for her clients.’
Stephanie Code: ‘Stephanie is formidably intelligent and incredible at commitment and relationship with the client. She is absolutely top of her game.’
Alison Johnson: ‘She handles a range of high-value and challenging cases with great skill and tact.’ ‘Alison is an amazing partner, one of the best settlers of cases.’
John Kyriacou: ‘He is very approachable. We were very happy with the care and the exceptional level of detail that was used in scrutinising the evidence and in finding the best medical experts for us.’
Philippa Luscombe: ‘If someone asked me whom I would recommend as a clinical negligence solicitor, she's at the top of the list.’ ‘Philippa is brilliant, truly a standout lawyer with a clear high-profile experience.’
Chambers UK – 2022 edition
At Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, the 'impressive', 'experienced' and 'talented' clinical negligence and personal injury team focuses on a wide range of complex and high-value claims. In addition to handling individual claims, the firm is also sometimes seen in group actions. Alison Appelboam Meadows is a 'first rate litigator', who leads the specialist cerebral palsy and stillbirth team. Another key individual is Philippa Luscombe, who specialises in neurosurgical cases, as well as fatal claims and matters arising from delayed diagnosis. Stephanie Code and Alison Johnson are other names to note, as are senior associates Emma Beeson and Emma McCheyne.
John Kyriacou leads the 'very experienced and expert team' [in London], and advises on a substantial caseload of high value cases including surgical complications and delayed diagnoses. The firm also fields a strong offering at associate level; Rosie Nelson brings her 'excellent instincts' to a wide range of cerebral palsy matters, orthopaedic injuries and claims involving elderly care; Lyndsey Banthorpe is noted for her expertise in spinal, sepsis and adult-acquired brain injury claims; while Emily Reville is regularly instructed by families to represent them in complex coronial proceedings.
‘Alison Appelboam Meadows, Alison Johnson and Emma Beeson are star practitioners. Alison Appelboam Meadows has an encyclopaedic knowledge of birth injury claims and is a first rate litigator, highly respected by clients and opponents alike with excellent judgment. Alison Johnson is a delight to work with: a great team player, she achieves extremely successful outcomes in the most complex of cases. Emma Beeson is a future star with a brilliant eye for detail, great dedication and first-rate client handling skills.’
‘Most of my work has been with Lyndsey Banthorpe and Emily Reville. Each is truly excellent. Each prepares cases beautifully and identifies all the relevant issues and then works to resolve any problems. They are just a joy to work with.’
‘Stephanie Code, leading our case, has been extremely supportive, appreciating our concerns and providing expert guidance to both us and our son, for whom the case was being undertaken.’
‘John Kyriacou and Lyndsay Banthorpe are both very approachable and professional with a lovely sympathetic human touch, which was much appreciated by us. We were both very happy with the care and the exceptional level of detail that was used.’
‘Philippa Luscombe leads the team from the front. She is a first rate PI and clinical negligence partner who is always across all issues in her cases. She is well-prepared, client-focused and a delight to work with.’
‘Rosie Nelson has been compassionate, considerate and understanding from my initial enquiry and right through the claim process.’
The Legal 500 - 2022 edition
Well-known name in the clinical negligence field. Significant expertise in neurological and birth injury claims, including cerebral palsy. Also advises on mental health-related negligence claims.
Strengths: Sources say: 'They are good not just at the practicality of the claims, but they provide guidance and reassurance to their clients.'
A client describes the team as 'sympathetic yet determined to seek and achieve positive results.'
Notable practitioners
Philippa Luscombe is described by sources as a 'leader in her field' who 'gets life-changing results for her clients.' She possesses significant experience with claims involving delay in diagnosis and negligent treatment and surgery, as well as fatalities. She also handles matters concerning consent.
Alison Appelboam-Meadows is highly regarded for her notable expertise in complex clinical negligence cases. She is adept at handling claims involving neonatal injuries, including cerebral palsy, and delay in diagnosis as well as surgical negligence. A commentator describes her as an 'excellent and meticulous practitioner.'
Emma Beeson focuses on birth injury and delay in treatment cases. A client reports: 'Her communication has been excellent during the whole process and I feel very involved in any decision-making,' adding: 'For the first time I felt that someone actually understands, cares and is on my side.'
Stephanie Code is a prominent clinical negligence lawyer with notable experience in cerebral palsy claims. She also focuses on severe injury cases stemming from surgical negligence. 'I was kept updated and well informed as the case progressed,' an appreciative client reports.
Alison Johnson is acknowledged for her ability in handling cases concerning delay and misdiagnosis of cancer. She also represents clients in ophthalmic, gynaecological and PTSD-related claims. Clients say: 'Alison has a gift for explaining everything in layman's terms.'
John Kyriacou is particularly active in brain and spinal injury claims, with further strength in delayed diagnoses of cancers and stroke. He also provides representation at inquest. 'He is easy to communicate with and explains everything very well. He is brilliant.'
Chambers UK - 2021 edition
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP’s ‘fantastic' practice is known for handling complex claims across the serious personal injury and clinical negligence space. Led out of Guildford by 'class act' Philippa Luscombe, the team is skilled in birth injuries, surgical issues and delayed diagnosis on the medical negligence front. Alison Johnson deals exclusively with clinical negligence matters and is recommended for her insight on birth injury and oncology. Over in Basingstoke, Alison Appelboam-Meadows has a specialism in obstetric and paediatric negligence, as well as heading up the firm’s cerebral palsy team. Stephanie Code is recommended for fatal claims and inquest work. The core team also comprises senior associates Emma Beeson and Emma McCheyne. The group is also experienced in product liability matters.
According to one client, [London] practice head John Kyriacou is 'very brave with cases and gets results'. He is supported by associates Sarah Hibberd, who has a particular interest in claims involving an element of psychological injury, and Rosie Nelson, who has a key focus on orthopaedic injuries.
This team is excellent. They are exceptionally hard-working. They have detailed knowledge and experience of clinical negligence practice, but they combine this with a friendly and open manner which makes them very easy to deal with. Clients feel they are very well supported.
The Legal 500 - 2021 edition
Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP's clinical negligence department has 'serious legal firepower'. The practice, which is led in Guildford by Philippa Luscombe, handles a range of matters relating to brain and spinal injuries, as well as cerebral palsy. In addition, the 'tenacious and tactically shrewd' Alison Johnson has expertise in obstetric cases. Alison Appelboam-Meadows, who leads the practice in Basingstoke, also heads up the firm’s cerebral palsy team. Other core members of the team include Stephanie Code in Guildford and senior associate Emma Beeson, who is noted as 'a star of the future.'
John Kyriacou has over 25 years of experience in the field of medical negligence litigation and leads a team [in London] that demonstrates strength across brain and spinal injury cases, gynaecological claims as well as delay in diagnosis of medical conditions. The 'meticulous' Rosie Nelson has specialist knowledge in cerebral palsy claims and orthopaedic injuries, while the 'hard working' Sarah Hibberd is the main point of contact for maternal injuries and cosmetic surgery claims.
The Legal 500 - 2020 edition
I want to thank you and your colleagues for all your hard work and effort to reach such a positive outcome. Your support has been a major part in helping us survive the last four and a half years.
Mr J
The outcome of the claim is fantastic news. I am very grateful that you worked so hard on my case - the result has exceeded my expectation!
Ms L
A highly professional service with a personal approach. Honest and realistic of our prospects throughout the course of the case.
Ms J
Without all your support, advice and recommendations we would never have got to this stage. As a result, we no longer need to worry financially about our son's future.
Mrs F
I'd like to thank you for all your support. My family always had great faith in your ability. I know that this case has been extremely frustrating with the lack of response from the NHS Litigation team and thank you seems so inadequate for all the hard work entailed.
Mrs H
I would again like to say how grateful we are to you for all the sterling work you have done for us - we could not have had a nicer or more hard-working solicitor.
Mrs B
You combine the highest level of professionalism with a very human touch for your clients, and a personable interaction with your experts.
Mr I
Feel you are a fair, trustworthy and honest practice with solicitors who care about the individual
Mr N
This is what your hard work and commitment is all about, and why we stuck with this ... Just to let you know how worthwhile your job can be when we see this sort of result.
Mrs S
I am so thankful for having such great people on my side. All your dealings with me have always been with care and compassion.
Mr H
It feels like a weight has been very subtly removed from my shoulders. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to take on my case and I will wholeheartedly recommend you and your team.
Mr V
You and your staff have done an incredible job. I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for us. It will enable me to enjoy life more.
Mr M
Thank you very, very much for your hard work and kindness. Your work changes people's lives and opens new doors to a better life.
Mrs T
A huge thank you for all your efforts with my claim. It would be easy to dismiss such gratitude and say you were merely 'doing your job' but I know from experience how much it means to have trust in others and for that to make a tough time a little easier. I sincerely doubt I could have found better representation.
Ms S
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