Specialisms and expertise
Brian has over 20 years of private client practice experience, specialising in Court of Protection work since around 2004, and is head of the firm’s market-leading Court of Protection team. He works on complex personal injury and clinical negligence cases where the claimant lacks capacity and advises on the role of deputy and the likely costs involved.
Brian has particular interest and experience in administering the finances of those who suffer from incapacity due to brain and birth injuries. His experience includes:
- acting as a professional deputy appointed by the Court of Protection (the team is appointed as deputies in over 250 cases)
- undertaking expert witness work for both claimant and defendant solicitors and joint instructions
- acting as a trustee in trusts established to deal with personal injury damages
- acting for parties (both applicants and respondents) in Court of Protection proceedings, including contested and non-contested deputyship and statutory will applications.
What his clients and peers say
- Chambers UK & Legal 500 conduct independent and anonymous interviews with clients. The 2019 edition of Chambers said Brian is “widely admired for his leading Court of Protection practice. He has significant experience acting as a deputy and trustee in personal injury and clinical negligence cases. A client says: "He's excellent: he's always available, he's reasonable and he's sensible."
- In its 2016 edition, Chambers UK noted that Brian “absolutely knows what he's doing, is refreshingly pragmatic and looks at the wider picture in acting for the person who lacks capacity".
- The Legal 500 – stated in its 2019 edition that Brian is “very responsive and intelligent – he has very good judgement’; in an earlier edition, it described him as “very highly rated”.
Achievements and other appointments
- Ranked as one of only six ‘Band 1’ lawyers for Court of Protection work, UK wide, in the 2019 edition of Chambers UK.
- Director of the Thomson Snell & Passmore Trust Corporation
- Regular speaker at key industry seminars and conferences including:
- Annual Conference of the Private Client Section of the Law Society (2010 - 2012 and 2015) on Court of Protection issues
- Headway Annual Deputy’s Conference 2016
- Farrar’s Building Brain Injury seminar 2016
- Annual Conference 2011 of Headfirst (a firm of specialist brain injury case managers) on factors that can affect Court of Protection costs.
- Commissioned by various publications to write on Court of Protection practice and issues.
Profile
Brian joined the firm in 2000 becoming a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in June 2003. He went on to complete his training whilst working to qualify as a solicitor in November 2006. Brian became a partner in 2011. He is part of the firm’s corporate membership with the British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers.
