Katherine Allen—Hugh James

Hugh James has appointed Katherine Allen as a partner in its growing claimant division, bolstering the firm’s expertise in the area of personal injury litigation.

Bringing nearly 20 years’ experience in handling accident and illness claims, Katherine is a legal specialist in acting for individuals who have been injured abroad. 

Expert in navigating the complex jurisdictional laws that arise when dealing with injuries that have occurred abroad, Katherine has represented those who have suffered significant injury from road traffic accidents, when staying at hotels and holiday resorts, or while travelling on coaches, aeroplanes and cruise ships. She has also acted for victims of major incidents and terrorist attacks that have taken place abroad.

Katherine, who will be predominantly based at the firm’s central London office, joins from Slater & Gordon where she was practice group leader of its Birmingham office, responsible for the operational management of the personal injury team there. Prior to this role she headed up the travel litigation team at Fentons, which was acquired by Slater & Gordon in 2013 and also held a role as partner at Irwin Mitchell.

A member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Katherine is accredited by the organisation as a specialist in dealing with claims arising from accidents and illness abroad. She is also a member of the Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers (PEOPIL), chairing its Road Traffic Accident & Whiplash European Exchange Group. In addition, she is also a member of both the Travel and Tourism Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice.

Mark Harvey, a partner and head of the claimant division at Hugh James, says: “Katherine has a proven track record not only for successfully litigating complex international claims, but also growing the departments she has previously headed up. We are very pleased that she has joined the personal injury team here.”

Katherine says: “I am extremely excited to be joining the team at Hugh James. Having dealt exclusively with foreign accident and illness claims since 1999, my experience will complement the existing international work that Mark and his team already handle and which Hugh James already has a strong reputation for.  I look forward to contributing positively to the team for the benefit of our clients.”