Bevan Brittan LLP’s Bristol office has ‘a national presence involved in some of the highest value litigation in the motor sector’, and is valued by insurer clients for its knowledge of relevant indemnity issues. Paul Taverner, who heads up the offering across the South West, is particularly adept at handling complex brain and spinal injury claims. Claire Jones is the name to note for employers’ and public liability cases, while Adrian Neale is a key contact for industrial disease work. Litigation, advisory and regulatory department head Adam Kendall lends support from Birmingham.

The catastrophic and large loss department at Clyde & Co has ‘unbeatable experience in this sector’, and is overseen by Rebecca Shafto, who ‘runs a very effective team‘, and the ‘unflappable and relentlessly thorough’ Andrew Lawson in Bristol. The firm fields a wealth of specialist sub-groups, including insurance costs, motor, public sector, occupational disease, and fraud. Emma Palmer is noted for her expertise in brain injury cases, while Vanessa Brooks is adept at handling employers’ and occupiers’ liability claims.

Browne Jacobson LLP enjoys a particularly strong reputation for its public sector work, and the Exeter-based insurance and technical claims team shows a similar focus. Joanne Pruden takes the lead on mandates relating to social care, and has developed extensive expertise in claims for false imprisonment under the Mental Health Act. Mark Barnett is another key name for issues relating to mental health, while Angela Williams is noted for handling complex employers’ liability cases.

Kennedys has a significant track record of defending catastrophic and serious injury cases, spanning the employers’, public and product liability spheres. Recently, the firm has been cementing its presence in the South West, with seasoned expert Antony French now splitting his time between London and the firm’s newly opened Bristol office. Mark Skinner and Catherine Canham remain the key contacts in Taunton.

In February 2023, Cynthia Watts – described as a practitioner of the ‘highest calibre’ – moved to Keoghs LLP’s Bristol office from Browne Jacobson LLP in order to lead the specialist public sector casualty team. Sarah Swan is highly regarded for her expertise in defending complex historic and recent abuse claims. Michael Davies’ broad practice spans motor accidents, occupiers’ liability, and employers’ liability cases.

The Bristol-based team at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP is best known for defending complex claims, ranging from employers’ liability to catastrophic injury cases, on behalf of major players in the manufacturing, transport and public sectors. David Brown heads up the practice, focusing on brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations and fatalities. David Brown leads on occupational stress and industrial disease work. Sally Brock typically handles cases with a regulatory element.