We are proud of our achievements and have worked hard to gain some of the most prestigious awards and standards in the legal profession. To provide the highest quality of client care, we subject ourselves to rigorous external audits. In addition, we have maintained a consistently high rating in both Chambers and the Legal 500, two of the legal profession’s own benchmarks for excellence, which are re-assessed every year.
Bolt Burdon Kemp has maintained its rankings in the independent guide Legal 500, with the firm’s clinical negligence, personal injury and legal costs teams all ranking in Tier 2. The Legal 500 guide, which has been running for more than 30 years, ranks law firms based on extensive research, interviews and feedback from clients and peers.
Bolt Burdon Kemp’s clinical negligence lawyers are described by the guide as ‘very knowledgeable in their field’ and client testimonials describe the caring, friendly and ‘first class’ team. The team also attracts praise for being ‘extremely thorough, very personable and approachable’, and that ‘they do not shy away from taking on some very complex and difficult clinical negligence cases.’ The team is noted for its dedicated Women’s Health team, complex adult and child brain injury cases and spinal injury work.
Our personal injury team, which encompasses adult and child brain injuries, spinal injuries, military claims, abuse, bullying and harassment, and complex injuries is noted for its ‘excellent quality fee-earners who work in specialist teams, bringing real expertise to the most complex areas of personal injury.’ Another client praised the team for going ‘above and beyond to help me achieve a successful claim.’ Our specialist military team is commended for its expertise and committed approach: ‘You will not find a better department that understands the military and all its nuances than the one at BBK.’
Our abuse team is singled out for its ‘enormous experience’, ‘excellent service’ and ‘highly motivated, knowledgeable, committed solicitors.’
Our costs team is also highly praised: ‘They are very much at the cutting edge of costs litigation. They are absolutely fearless in taking bold or novel points and fighting them all the way.’
Clinical Negligence: Caroline Klage – leading partner, Alex Dabek – leading associate, Claudia Hillemand – next generation partner
Personal injury: Ahmed Al-Nahhas – leading partner, David McClenaghan – leading partner, Joshua Hughes – next generation partner
Costs: Sam Hayman – leading partner
To see a full list of our ranked lawyers, click here.
Bolt Burdon Kemp is recommended by Chambers & Partners 2025, with both personal injury and clinical negligence ranked in Band 2. Of the firm’s personal injury expertise, the guide states: ‘Bolt Burdon Kemp has unparalleled knowledge, commitment to the client and a real feel that they care about the individual.’ Our ‘above and beyond’ approach, dedication, hard work and ‘professional excellence’ is all commended. Our clinical negligence team receives similar plaudits, with an interviewee noting that, “everyone I have dealt with has been excellent in their craft, knowledgeable and easily contactable.”
Jonathan Wheeler Managing Partner at Bolt Burdon Kemp, is cited as an Eminent Practitioner and is ranked for the 14th year by Chambers & Partners. The directory describes Jonathan as ‘hugely committed to client service’ with ‘a wealth of knowledge and experience in catastrophic personal injury work.’
Caroline Klage appears in the guide for the 14th year and is ranked in Band 2. Caroline is noted for her strength in birth and child brain injury cases, with additional experience of psychiatric injury and delayed diagnosis claims. Testimonials call Caroline a ‘brilliant solicitor’ and ‘excellent and really approachable.’
Claudia Hillemand, is ranked as an ‘Up and Coming’ partner with ‘amazing client care skills and a fantastic grasp of the medical issues.’
Cheryl Abrahams is ranked in Band 4 and is described by the latest guide as ‘approachable, professional and dedicated to high service provision.’ Another testimonial states: “Cheryl goes above and beyond for her clients and the professionals she works with. She is sophisticated and has excellent commercial awareness.”
Ahmed Al-Nahhas is ranked in Band 5 and is described as ‘an exceptional lawyer’ and ‘a charming velvet glove encasing an iron fist. He never loses his even temper but simply will not permit his clients to be pushed around.’ The guide praises Ahmed’s knowledge as ‘absolutely fantastic’ and describes him as ‘very empathetic and good with clients.’
Gaggan Mawi ranks for the first time as an ‘Up and Coming’ partner, with the guide noting that she is a ‘brilliant lawyer’ and ‘absolutely meticulous and forensic.’ Another testimonial states: “Gaggan will fight your corner and provide a much needed personal touch and empathy. She is very knowledgeable and draws on relevant experience to get results.”
Victoria Oliver is ranked as an ‘Up and Coming’ partner again in her field. The guide describes Victoria as ‘excellent, very confident and able to make strong decisions.’ Another testimonial focuses on Victoria’s ‘good strategic focus’ and how she is ‘very sympathetic to her clients.’
Rhiannon Daniel is ranked as ‘Up and Coming’ partner this year. Rhiannon is praised by the guide for being “excellent and very knowledgeable.”
The firm’s Costs team have been ranked in Band 2 of the Chambers and Partners 2024 Costs Lawyers rankings, which forms part of their UK-wide Litigation Support guide. The guide notes that ‘Bolt Burdon Kemp have consistently demonstrated for many years they are a leader in dealing with complex and sophisticated matters.’ The team is praised for its ‘great knowledge and expertise… to get the best possible outcome for clients within a reasonable timeframe.”
Sam Hayman is ranked in Band 2 and the guide describes his ‘loyal following of clients thanks to his user-friendly, responsive and knowledgeable service’. The guide goes on to describe Sam as an ‘exceptional lawyer who has proven himself to be at the forefront of litigation costs. He has real depth of knowledge rarely seen and an unbelievable passion for what he does.”
Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents (AvMA) is a registered charity supporting people affected by avoidable harm in healthcare; helping achieve justice for them and advocating for better patient safety.
Claudia Hillemand, Partner and Head of our Child Brain Injury team, is a member of the AvMA specialist clinical negligence panel. The AvMA clinical negligence panel ensures that patients and their families continue to have access to practitioners who are committed to providing specialist clinical negligence services which focus on the client’s needs.
As members of AvMA’s Lawyer’s Service, we have access to a range of specialist services and benefits for solicitors who work in the field of clinical negligence including their panel of medical experts and cutting edge training.
Headway is a UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury. It has branches and groups nationwide, providing support, services and information to brain injury survivors, their families and carers.
We are listed in the Headway Head Injury Solicitors Directory 2025. In order to be included in this directory we have been thoroughly assessed on our expertise in the field of brain injury and our commitment to this area of work. We support Headway’s work across a number of their branches in the Home Counties and London.
Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) are the expert guiding voice to 105,000 people living with spinal cord injury in the UK. It is their aim to reach everyone with a spinal cord injury, to tackle whatever barriers they face, and to connect them to all the help and support they need to live a fulfilled life. As specialist spinal injury lawyers, Bolt Burdon Kemp are delighted to be a Trusted Legal Partner of the SIA and to be able to use our expertise to support its aims and mission.
The Association of Child Abuse Lawyers (ACAL) is an association set up for the benefit of victims, lawyers, experts and other professionals involved in the field of obtaining compensation for the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of children and adults abused in childhood. ACAL was set up by the leading solicitors in this field and has expanded over the years to include solicitors, barristers, legal executives, trainees, pupils, expert, and paralegals. ACAL is committed to the improvement of standards amongst personal injury lawyers involved in these types of compensation claim. David McClenaghan and Rebecca Sheriff have both been appointed to the Legal Panel.
Bolt Burdon Kemp is ranked as one of The Times Best Law Firms 2025 for personal injury and clinical negligence law in England and Wales. The list consists of 250 firms, solely nominated by solicitors based on the high standard of work and contribution of each firm to their area of practice.
Lexcel is the Law Society’s international practice management standard. It is a scheme for any type of practice to certify that certain standards have been met following independent assessment.
The Lexcel practice management standard is only awarded to solicitors who meet the highest management and customer care standards. Lexcel accredited practices undergo rigorous independent assessment every year to ensure they meet required standards of excellence in areas such as client care, case management and risk management.
The Personal Injury Accreditation Scheme covers all work undertaken by solicitors and suitably qualified Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives (FILEX) on behalf of victims and their dependants arising out of any alleged act of negligence or breach of statutory duty as a result of which the victim has sustained personal injuries or fatal injuries.
Members will have shown, to the satisfaction of the Law Society, that they have and will maintain a high level of knowledge, skills, experience and practice in the area of personal injury.
The Clinical Negligence Accreditation Scheme covers all work undertaken by solicitors and suitably qualified Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives (FILEX) arising out of any act of negligence, breach of contract and/or statutory duty as a result of which the victim has sustained injuries in the course of medical or dental care.
Members will have shown, to the satisfaction of the Law Society, that they have and will maintain a high level of knowledge, skills, experience and practice in the area of clinical negligence.
Many of our Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Military and Child Abuse lawyers are accredited by Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. An Accredited Specialist is a person who has achieved APIL Senior Litigator status or higher and has demonstrated further competence in their specialist field.
He or she is able to manage and progress a claim so as to establish, assert and enforce, in an effective and efficient manner, the rights of a client damaged or disadvantaged by negligence. He or she is competent to take, without supervision, key decisions on accepting cases, assessing risks, evaluating offers and issuing proceedings.
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) is the UK’s only dedicated national support service for adult survivors of all forms of childhood abuse. They provide specialist, confidential support that empowers survivors to heal and thrive. BBK are proud to be a member of NAPAC’s legal panel.
SurvivorsUK provides a national online helpline and individual and group counselling for boys, men and non-binary people aged 13+ who have experienced sexual violence at any time in their lives. The charity also offers emotional support through the justice system, support for friends and families of survivors, and training for professionals and organisations.
Our partnership is borne out of a common goal – to ensure boys, men, and non-binary people in the UK receive support to navigate the impact of sexual violence. We work together in numerous ways including funding one of their Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, based in London, who directly supports abuse survivors; advising members directly through a legal clinic, and supporting the SurvivorsUK team through a legal hotline.
The Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT) is the leading voluntary sector organisation providing emotional and practical support, information and learning opportunities for families and professionals affected by childhood acquired brain injury across the UK.
Bolt Burdon Kemp is a member of CBIT’s London Legal Support Service, providing proven expertise in complex children’s brain injury cases alongside the very best law firms in the UK.
Cheryl Abrahams is a special ambassador to CBIT supporting them to expand their service by having a dedicated representative at every major trauma centre and children’s hospital in the country, as well as community teams in every region.
Bolt Burdon Kemp is a member of the legal panel of the charity PEEPS-HIE, effective from 1 August 2023. We are also a Corporate Friend supporting the important work that they do for families affected by Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (H.I.E) in London and the Southeast. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our commitment to supporting children and families affected by H.I.E and other brain injuries.
Child brain injuries, particularly H.I.E, can have devastating and lifelong consequences. The impact on the child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development can be profound, affecting their ability to lead a fulfilling life. Families are often left grappling with the emotional and financial burden of caring for a child with a brain injury, unsure of where to turn for help and support.
We are members of the Birth Trauma Association’s Trusted Legal Partner panel. Founded and run by women who have experienced birth trauma, the Birth Trauma Association is the only charity in the UK solely dedicated to supporting women and families who have experienced traumatic birth.
Part mental health charity, part campaigning charity, the Birth Trauma Association works to support parents and families, and improve parents’ experience of birth – engaging and educating health professionals and taking part in research to identify failings in maternal care.
BBK was chosen as a legal partner for providing a service that is compassionate, caring and of a high standard.
The Silverlining Brain Injury Charity aims to improve the quality of life of all those affected by brain injury, by engaging them with the wider community to discover a sense of purpose, social structure, and added meaning to their lives. To ensure the brain injury community has the best support available the Charity created the Silverlining Affiliated Solicitors Scheme. This serves as a point of reference for brain injured individuals looking for legal representation,
Bolt Burdon Kemp is proud to be affiliated to the Silverlining Solicitors Scheme, having met strict inclusion criteria and in recognition of being truly committed to supporting our clients throughout their lifetimes. The charity offers membership of its scheme only to those few firms recognised to be leaders in brain injury law, with exceptional recommendations and accreditation.
The Brain Injury Group (BIG) provides a network of dedicated brain injury lawyers & professionals. They offer a gateway to information, support & advice for brain injured people & their families by giving access to a complete package of support specialist services.
As members of BIG, we have been thoroughly assessed on our expertise in the field of brain injury and are recognised as experts in our field. Having helped numerous individuals and families, we continue our work with BIG to help improve the lives of brain injured people.
United Kingdom Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF) was created to promote a better understanding of acquired brain injury in adults and children. UKABIF promotes education, information and provides networking opportunities for professionals, service providers, planners and policy makers, campaigning for better services in the UK.
We are members of UKABIF and listed as one of their Approved Lawyers. In order to become an Approved Lawyer, members will have been assessed to show their high level of understanding of the affects of an acquired brain injury and have demonstrated their skill obtaining compensation for their clients.
Forces Law is a network of independent civilian lawyers who specialise in advising our Armed Forces community including those who are serving, veterans and their families. BBK advise on AFCS, personal injury and clinical negligence matters and are closely involved in the running of the network, with Ahmed Al-Nahhas elected as President in 2023 and Natasha Mason holding an active role, as well being a former Chairperson.
PAS UK is a user-led charity with a central focus on spinal cord injury and beneficiaries across the entire sphere of disability. Their place within the Armed Forces arena is well-established and recognised. We sponsor a peer support advisor to assist PAS UK in supporting injured service personnel from the forces community adjust and rebuild after acquiring life-changing injuries.
Want to talk to one of our experienced lawyers? We can call when it suits you for a no-obligation, strictly confidential chat.
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