As the legal profession undergoes inevitable change, so too does the role of its dedicated experts. Alex de Moller talks to 2012’s award-winning expert firm Trevor Gilbert & Associates
With the Jackson Reforms looming, practising as an expert witness may appear to be a risky, unviable route. Proposed cuts to fees have garnered a sense of audible discontent from experts, and some have vowed to return to their day-jobs if these so-called “austerity reforms” are implemented. These sentiments may be justified, but equally, they may amount to a general unwillingness to adapt to the climate.
Business sense
Is there another way? Perhaps. On 14 November, a group of leading employment experts were lauded at the Eclipse/Proclaim Personal Injury awards for their “significant contributions” to the sector (a special moment captured in the celebratory snap at the top of the next column). Weathering two recessions and 20 years, Suffolk-based firm Trevor Gilbert & Associates (TGA) have used business sense and their own field of expertise to turn a small practice
