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Hudgell Solicitors’ chief executive Rachel Di Clemente says she is delighted to welcome the clinical negligence team from HH Legal following negotiations to take over their entire clinical negligence offering.
This further strengthens the firm’s position as a leading clinical negligence claims specialist, having acquired high value work and a talented team of lawyers from HH Legal who had recently acquired Heptonstalls Solicitors, an established Yorkshire firm.
The deal will see a caseload including high-value clinical negligence claims taken over by Hudgells, with a nine-strong team of specialists also joining from Heptonstalls Solicitors.
Heptonstalls has supported people in clinical negligence cases for more than 30 years and has developed a team particularly experienced in handling claims relating to birth injuries, spinal injuries and brain injuries.
However, having become part of the Shrewsbury-based HH Group earlier this year, its owners Shane Hensman and Dominic Weir have decided to focus on other areas of legal expertise, specifically personal injury and industrial disease, and Mrs Di Clemente feels the move has proved perfect for both parties.
“This is a perfect acquisition for us at Hudgell Solicitors as we are taking on an established clinical negligence practice with many synergies to the work we do here at Hudgells,” she said.
“Crucially, we are adding yet more experienced and talented legal specialists to our team who come with a reputation of not only being very good at their jobs but also for providing excellent client care. Their addition will ensure we can expand our reach much further and represent more clients each year.
“This acquisition has worked well for both Hudgells and HH Group; we are both looking to grow in different areas of expertise and we have worked together to help each other move forward. In the current climate each and every law firm has to carefully assess its work areas and identify which are the most beneficial to them. HH Group is working alongside Call Brian to develop its personal injury offering post Reforms and clinical negligence is no longer their focus.
“This obviously differs from firm to firm dependent on their setup and sometimes it means ending work in a certain specialism. Our desire and ability to further strengthen our market position in clinical negligence made this a perfect fit for both parties.”
“Why the deal was done: Neil Hudgell said: “This deal came about as we were looking to expand upon our areas of work in and around London, and as Josie was looking for an exit from running her own practice and seeking an opportunity to help the growth of an ambitious firm. Her knowledge of running her own practice, and the specialist areas of work her firm handled, were a great fit and a deal was quickly agreed, bringing benefits to both parties. And also with a focus and established reputation in niche areas including acting for sports men and women who have their careers cut short due to negligent treatment of sports injuries, and handling mental health related cases.”
“Why the deal was done: Steven Hinchliffe was keen to ensure the smooth transfer of all ongoing cases into new hands having taken the decision to retire and close the business he had established in 1999.
He said: “Hudgell Solicitors have an excellent track record not only in personal injury and RTA claims, but also importantly in taking over case files from other firms in recent years and ensuring a smooth and successful transition. It was of paramount importance to us that we found a firm to take on the cases which we knew would provide a first-class service to our clients.”
Neil Hudgell said: “We are delighted that Steven saw us as a ‘go to firm’ when considering the best place to transfer his clients to, knowing our track record of ensuring a seamless process for both selling firm and its clients.”
“Why the deal was done: John Hurley, one of two partners at Williamson Hill, said the decision to sell the files had been prompted by a need to restructure the firm’s caseload due to both health reasons, and Government squeezes on the personal injury market. He said: “This move makes sense at this difficult time. It enables Williamson Hill to continue to develop their private client work whilst knowing that the cases transferred to Hudgell Solicitors will be dealt with in a professional manner and clients will continue to receive a high quality service.”
“Why the deal was done: Jeff Zindani, Forum Law managing partner said: “The sale is one of the outcomes of a pre-Jackson review of personal injury based work and a new focus on boutique legal services. Hudgell Solicitors is the ideal purchaser as the practice has national coverage and expertise. The Jackson reforms gave us a window of opportunity to exit before it was too late.”
Why the deal was done: Geraldine Kennedy, Managing Director of HRJ Law, said: “This move enabled us to develop our commercial and private client work whilst knowing that the cases transferred to Hudgell Solicitors would be dealt with in a professional manner and clients would continue to receive a high quality service.”
“Why the deal was done: Leigh Ganderton, Managing Director and founder of Ganderton solicitors, said: “It was no longer profitable for us to operate in this sector. It was a very straightforward and unbelievably smooth process.”
“Why the deal was done: Followed Harris Cartier going into administration. Neil Hudgell said: “The acquisition from the administrators of Harris Cartier was part of our wider and on-going growth strategy, and thanks to our advisers, who carried out the auditing, we were able to make this deal happen in a very short window of time, and establish a full time base in London.”
“Why the deal was done: Keith Gordon, Founder and Managing Partner of Gordons Solicitors LLP, said: “Following a strategic review and the advent of the Jackson Reforms we felt that our resources should be concentrated around our core strengths and accordingly were delighted that an agreement was reached with Hudgell Solicitors. The transfer of work was extremely smooth.”
“Why the deal was done: Sukh Saini, Pictons’ Managing Partner, said at the time: “Although our clinical negligence department was very successful, the length of time that a case can take meant that we had to review whether we should continue to invest in this area of the law or focus our expertise on the other areas.”
“Why the deal was done: Neil Hudgell said: “Having established a sizeable personal injury and medical negligence specialist firm, we became aware of Rapid Solicitors as one of the biggest personal injury solicitors in the north of England.”