North West law firm Stephensons Solicitors LLP has promoted two Wigan-based partners to the equity partnership.
Clinical negligence specialist, Louise Griffiths, and regulatory and motoring expert, Sean Joyce, have become equity partners. Both are long-standing solicitors at Stephensons and have developed reputations as leading professionals in their fields of law.
Louise Griffiths leads the firm’s growing Clinical Negligence department based at Wigan Investment Centre. She joined Stephensons 12 years ago and has specialised in Clinical Negligence cases ever since. Louise’s team handles a wide variety of complex clinical negligence cases and has grown to become one of the largest in the North West.
Louise’s successes involve cases which take several years to settle, often for multi-million pound sums. Many of her cases involve children with cerebral palsy who have been injured during birth. Louise’s involvement in assisting these people and their families with their claims against medical professionals enables them to provide the right environment for their disabled children.
Her work in this area has been recognised by the Chambers UK Guide to the legal profession, which says: “Louise Griffiths is a popular figure with clients due to her 'straightforward and down-to-earth approach.' She predominantly concentrates on high-value brain injury claims, but is well versed in a range of clinical negligence matters, including orthopaedic issues, failures to diagnose cancer and mismanaged surgical procedures.”
Sean Joyce heads the Regulatory, Serious Fraud and Business Crime department and has developed a team around these specialities which now consists of six qualified solicitors and higher court advocates and brings together a number of niche areas of white collar crime. As a Magistrates Court and Police Station Duty Solicitor and a Higher Courts (Criminal) Advocate, Sean represents clients throughout the entire criminal process, from interviews under caution through to the Magistrates and Crown Court.
Sean has more than 14 years’ experience in defending allegations brought by a variety of enforcement agencies including the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, Customs and Excise, HMRC, Health and Safety Executive, Environment Agency, Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Vehicle Operator Services Agency and a range of professional regulators. He has developed a particular interest in defending motoring prosecutions and representing professionals at fitness to practice hearings.
Ann Harrison, chairwoman of Stephensons, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Sean and Louise to the equity partnership. Both Sean and Louise have been with the firm for many years, showing dedication and loyalty and have developed teams which now have national reputations in the areas of business crime and clinical negligence. I am certain that both will have huge contributions to make to the future development of the firm.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
Stephensons is one of the largest regional law firms in the North West, with more than 350 staff across a network of eight regional offices in Wigan, Leigh, St Helens, Bolton, Altrincham and Manchester city centre. The firm provides legal services to individuals and businesses.