Fletchers Group has restructured its 60-strong serious injury team as it sets its sights on significantly increasing its contribution to the firm’s ambitious growth plans.
Caroline Morris, partner (pictured), has been appointed into a new role of Director of Serious Injury, reporting to Chief Legal Officer Adrian Denson, who said: 'Our Serious injury team is 60 strong and deals with cases of the utmost severity and complexity. It is already a marquee team within Fletchers Group. As the rest of our business has grown, we want to enhance the contribution to Group revenues from our serious injury book, and it’s great news for us and our clients that Caroline will oversee our renewed focus in this sector.'
The announcement follows on shortly after the recent news that Blume will become part of Fletchers Group, after its acquisition by Sun Capital, the Group’s owners. Fletchers also acquired medical negligence experts Minton Morrill in September, and has grown its share of the cycling injury market via its investment in Cycling SOS and partnership with We Are Cycling UK.
Denson explained that the serious injury team currently accounts for around 40% of the Group’s overall legal proposition, and in 2021/22 the team recovered £45m in damages.
He said: 'Serious injury is a core competence within Fletchers Group, and I am confident that during the next two-three years we can grow the size of the team and its contribution to earnings.'
He added: 'A key focus for Caroline will be growing our share of the cycling injury sector, and we also intend to further improve our relationships with trauma centres and charities that specialise in helping people with serious injuries.'
Kirsty Thomas, who has been at Fletchers for over a decade and was promoted to Head of Charities and Partnerships in May, will act as a bridge between the legal and marketing teams; leading the networking and partnership strategy for the business. Newly-appointed Partners, Gerard Horton and Julia Eyton, and Team Manager Michelle Heyes, complete the senior leadership team.
Commenting on her new role, Caroline Morris said: 'Heading up the serious injury team is a compelling opportunity and I am confident that we can accelerate our market presence.'
'Growth also means people, and I am keen to recruit the best talent into our team, which is based in Manchester as well as our main office in Southport.'
Morris said she aimed to double the size of the serious injury team to 120 by 2024, adding: 'We have a substantial office in Manchester and whilst many of our Serious Injury Team are based out of Southport, a growing number now work flexibly out of Manchester. Building out our presence in Manchester, and simply being more vocal about the size of team that we have there, will be a big help in attracting talented fee earners to the group.'
She concluded: 'Throughout my career as a lawyer I have been driven by my passion for justice. I want to bring that passion to my leadership of the serious injury team, instilling in all our fee earners a deeper understanding of the impact of catastrophic injury on the lives of our clients and their families, and the importance of ensuring they get justice.'
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