Vincents’ PI team triples in a year
Solicitors still looking to add to the team
An upsurge in work over the last year has seen Vincents Solicitors triple the size of its RTA department with nine new hires. The team, which helps victims of road traffic accidents make personal injury claims, has appointed three new fee earners, five support staff, and a new apprentice to service the growing workload.
The upward trajectory shows no sign of slowing and the team is already on the lookout for more experienced para-legals and PI solicitors. Cath Pearson, head of the PI- RTA department, said the firm’s growing reputation and a focus on building strong relationships was paying dividends. She said: “We have grown and are still growing. We bring in new people and almost immediately we need more. It’s a great position to be in and it means we’re getting the pick of some excellent, highly experienced candidates.
“The nature of personal injury work is that it is not limited by location, and we have clients from all over the country, in particular from the Eastern European and Bangladeshi communities with whom we have built some very strong relationships. Our local Lancashire-based business is also increasing as word spreads about the team’s success rate in securing compensation for our clients”
Sara Kirwan is a newly qualified solicitor who has come to Vincents from Clearwater Solicitors in Burnley where she worked as a paralegal in the PI running RTA cases.
Paralegal Anthony Harrison has joined from Zest Legal in Manchester where he worked for four years. A litigator with more than 15 years’ experience is used to handling complex fast track and multitrack cases.
Tasneem Shaffa, a paralegal who joins Vincents from DWF where she worked on the defence of PI claims, experience which is assisting the team in the successful presentation of claims cases.
Other recent recruits include three experienced RTA litigation executives: Rachel Varrie, formally Bromley Holcroft in Southport; Michelle Mitchell, from Slater and Gordon in Blackpool; and Simon Walker from Keoghs Solicitors in Bolton. Holly Nihill has been brought in to support the team as administration assistant together with Alison Smith who has transferred in to the RTA department from another department within the firm.
Ben Greensmith was also been taken on as an apprentice, providing admin assistance to the fee earning team, learning the procedures and processes needed to successfully secure compensation for the firm’s clients, with a view to progressing to a fee-earning position within two years.
Cath Pearson added: “Everyone in this team has learned their trade from the ground up, myself included, which means we all understand all aspects of the job and can all help to train our new recruits. While we have brought in some highly experienced solicitors and paralegals, we also have a ‘grow our own’ policy which has an excellent track record in training and retaining some brilliant candidates. This department has long benefitted from that approach and counts two former apprentices among our best and brightest. Now they will be key in supporting the professional development of the junior team members.”
The new recruits join newly promoted former apprentices Adam Cottam, now litigation executive, and Ellis Mason, recently promoted to litigation assistant, along with senior litigation executive Eva Slater, department head and solicitor, Cath Pearson, and administrator Gail Rawcliffe.
Phillip Gilmore, Vincents managing partner, said: “Under Cath’s leadership this department is going from strength-to-strength. Where there are results, so follows investment and we are happy to continue to support the team’s growth. She is developing some excellent junior executives and attracting some great senior heads. We’re hoping the next round of recruitment will continue in that vein and will be looking to appoint new fee earners to the team within the next few months.”
ENDS
Picture The Vincents PI – RTA team (L-R)
Back row: Ben Greensmith, Ellis Mason, Adam Cottam, Simon Waller and Anthony Harrison
Middle Row: Michelle Mitchell, Gail Rawcliffe, Eva Slater, Sara Kiran and Rachel Varrie
Front Row: Tasneem Shaffa, Cath Pearson, Holly Nihill and Alison Smith.