Thompsons Solicitors—Victoria Gofton

Social justice law firm Thompsons Solicitors has appointed a new head of clinical negligence with more than 20 years of legal experience.

Victoria Gofton has joined Thompsons to head up its clinical negligence team of over 40 staff. The team has decades of experience in supporting injured patients with a range of claims, including those negligently operated on by Paterson and other ‘rogue’ surgeons in the private healthcare sector and the hundreds of people who have suffered life-changing injuries as a result of mesh surgery.

Ms Gofton, a graduate of the University of Brighton, started her career as a trainee in 2001, working at a number of Brighton-based law firms with a focus on personal injury. She joined Fentons—which later merged with Slater and Gordon—in 2009, rising through the ranks to become the national head of clinical negligence in 2018, before working as a legal director for Lime Solicitors.

Commenting on her appointment, Ms Gofton said: 'For the majority of my legal career I have specialised in serious injury and clinical negligence claims. These injuries are life-changing, not just for the injured person, but for their family and friends too, and I get huge satisfaction in helping them navigate the physical and psychological challenges they face.

'Thompsons’ longstanding reputation as a social justice law firm championing those who have had their lives turned upside down goes before them and this role was a perfect fit for me.

'I’m excited to bring my experience to lead Thompsons’ clinical negligence teams fighting exclusively for injured patients, never those who cause harm or their insurers, holding negligent healthcare providers to account.'

In addition to her role at Thompsons, Ms Gofton holds the Law Society Clinical Negligence Accreditation, is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), and volunteered for a number of years for Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA).

Clare Mellor, chief executive of Thompsons Solicitors, said: 'Victoria brings to us a wealth of expertise, not just in clinical negligence and serious injury litigation, but also in strategic planning. Her experience will help us to ensure the most effective delivery of clinical negligence services for our clients across our 19 offices.

'Thompsons has led the litigation for hundreds of women who were butchered by breast surgeon Ian Paterson and is representing many more who have suffered because of mesh implant surgery, but our teams also cover the whole range of clinical negligence actions and have a reputation for championing their clients and recovering impressive sums in compensation.

'Under Victoria’s leadership I know that our clinical negligence teams will have the support they need to force medical providers to face up to the consequences of their mistakes whether in or out of the private sector.'