Our Committee

Amy Crundwell is an Associate Solicitor at DAC Beachcroft in Leeds, specialising in representing the NHS in against claims for clinical negligence. She acts on behalf of NHS Resolution across Yorkshire covering all aspects of clinical risk. Amy has worked for DAC Beachcroft since the start of 2021, prior to which she spent 11 years working for a Claimant firm dealing with a wide range of clinical negligence issues including birth injuries, wrongful birth and neurological injury claims.

Nigel is Head of Law (North East) at BPP University in Leeds

Georgia is an Associate Professor (Learning & Teaching) and Director of Student Education at the University of Leeds

Abigail is a Solicitor in the Clinical Risk Team at DAC Beachcroft LLP. Abigail specialises in handling clinical negligence claims on behalf of NHS Resolution for NHS Trusts and General Practitioners across Yorkshire. Abigail joined the Committee in 2022.

Fay is a solicitor at Switalskis who specialises in medical negligence.  She has considerable experience representing bereaved families at Inquest, has acted for many clients following substandard maternity care, resulting in birth trauma, psychiatric injury, stillbirths and neonatal deaths and has experience in dealing with family claims involving primary victims.

Sabrina is a solicitor at DWF Law specialising in healthcare law including clinical negligence and medical malpractice. Sabrina runs a varied caseload of medical and dental claims representing medical indemnity organisations as well as insurers and their insurers.

Jack is an Associate in the Claims Department at Capsticks LLP. He specialises in handling clinical negligence claims on behalf of NHS Resolution for NHS Trusts and General Practitioners. Jack also has experience in inquests, clinical advisory work and with the Getting It Right First Time improvement programme. Jack collaborates with numerous Yorkshire universities on employability projects, and participates in Capsticks’ corporate social responsibility initiatives. He became the society’s Membership Secretary in March 2023.

Ross is a Partner at Irwin Mitchell LLP in Leeds. He helps clients recover compensation for injuries caused as a result of medical negligence including those caused by failures in obstetric, neonatology, paediatric care. Ross also deals with cases involving delay in diagnosis of cancer, hospital acquired infections, substandard abdominal and orthopaedic surgery and amputations. Ross joined the Leeds and District Medico-Legal Society as a member in 2009 and joined the committee in 2015. He is an APIL Accredited Clinical Negligence Specialist.

Abeezar was appointed to the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as a Consultant in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery in 2003. He trained in Bombay, London, Leeds and New York. His clinical practice comprises surgery for cancers of the oesophagus and stomach, bariatric surgery, and surgery for acid reflux, gallstones and hernias, with strong emphasis on laparoscopy. He is passionate about academic medical law, and has been awarded a PhD on the ethics and law of consent for medical treatment from the School of Law, University of Leeds.

Charlotte is a Senior Associate at Capsticks LLP, having worked there since 2016.  Charlotte specialises in clinical negligence, supporting NHS Resolution and a range of Trusts across the UK, dealing with a range of high value and complex injuries. Charlotte joined the committee in 2019.

Paul Cowling has been a consultant shoulder and elbow surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals since August 2016.  He was previously a trainee in the North East, and completed fellowship level training at both Leeds and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.  His main areas of interest are keyhole surgery to the shoulder, and both primary and revision shoulder replacement surgery.  He works at a major trauma centre in Leeds, and specialises in the treatment of complex upper limb trauma.  He has published extensively on shoulder replacement surgery, and is involved in research at Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, and Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, Leeds University. He is a national panel member for ODEP for shoulder replacements, and the ’Beyond Compliance’ committee for the introduction of new shoulder replacement implants into the UK.  He teaches Medical Ethics at the University of Leeds, and holds a position on the Ethics and Law Management Team (ELMT) Committee for the university’s medical school.

Almas Khan has been a consultant in Complex Spine Surgery at the Leeds General Infirmary since 2011. Following undergraduate Medicine and Surgery at Newcastle, he rotated through specialist training in the North East in Trauma and Orthopaedics, with a focus on spine surgery. He moved to Leeds for an Advanced Fellowship in Complex Spine Surgery. His current clinical practice encompasses the range of spine surgery, including spinal deformity correction in adults and children, as well as complex and minimally invasive reconstruction techniques and revision spine surgery. His medico-legal practice focuses on complex problems of the spine and is based, along with his private practice, at Nuffield Leeds Hospital.

Leila is a specialist clinical negligence and personal injury barrister practising from Parklane Plowden Chambers in Leeds. She conducts cases for private clients, public authorities and government departments, representing both Claimants and Defendants. Leila has a particular interest in coronial law and fatal accidents and regularly represents interested persons in inquests including Article 2 jury inquests. Leila joined the Leeds and District Medico-Legal Society committee in 2009 and was President of the Society from 2015-6 and 2018-20. Leila is also a member of Action against Medical Accidents, (AVMA) and the Personal Injury Bar Association, (PIBA).

Anna is a specialist clinical negligence, personal injury and employment barrister practising from Parklane Plowden Chambers in Leeds. Anna joined The Leeds and District Medico-Legal Society committee in 2010 and became Hon. legal secretary in 2014. Anna is also a member of the Personal Injury Bar Association, (PIBA) and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, (APIL).

Mary is an Associate Solicitor at Leigh Day specialising in complex and high-value catastrophic injury claims. Mary has experience assisting with claims representing clients who have sustained life-changing injuries, for example, severe brain injury, complete or incomplete spinal cord injury, upper and/or lower limb amputation, complex orthopaedic injury, and brachial plexus injury.

Simon was appointed to Leeds Teaching Hospitals as a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon in 2002, having completed surgical training in Bath and Bristol and following fellowship training in the Ilizarov method at the Ilizarov Scientific Centre in Kurgan, Siberia.  Formerly an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he gained experience in mass casualty and disaster management while serving with British Gurkhas Nepal at British Military Hospital, Dharan at the time of the Nepal Earthquake, August 1988. As a House Surgeon at RAF Wroughton he was involved in the surgical care of servicemen evacuated from the First Gulf War. His practice includes the treatment of severe lower limb fractures and post-traumatic limb reconstruction including non-union, mal-union and deformity, limb length inequality, bone loss, bone infection and amputation. In May 2018 he was awarded the degree of Master of Laws with Distinction in medical law and ethics by De Montfort University Leicester. He is currently President elect of the British Limb Reconstruction Society and Chair of the British Orthopaedic Association Medico-legal Committee.

Abigail is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence barrister practising from Parklane Plowden Chambers in Leeds. Abigail regularly conducts cases for both Claimants and Defendants. Abigail joined the Leeds and District Medico-Legal Society committee in 2018. Abigail is also a member of the Personal Injury Bar Association (PIBA), the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and AVMA (Action against Medical Accidents).

Rachel is an Associate Solicitor at Ramsdens Solicitor LLP. She helps recover compensation for clients who have suffered injury as a result of medical negligence and personal injury. Rachel deals with a wide range of clinical negligence claims including those caused by failings resulting in birthing injuries, orthopaedic injuries and amputations together with delays in diagnosis of cancer and injuries leading to fatalities.

Rachel joined the Leeds and District medico-legal society as a member in 2018 and joined the committee in 2021.