Member Article

Clarion’s costs and litigation funding team strengthens its team

Clarion’s growing costs and litigation funding team is continuing to develop with three promotions.

Stephanie Kaye, who leads Clarion’s court of protection costs service, has been promoted from senior associate to legal director. Over the last eight years with Clarion, she has been instrumental in the practice’s growth and continued success. Having progressed through the CILEx qualified route, Stephanie has helped the team gain recognition as a standout provided for Court of Protection costs work in the UK. As well as helping to manage numerous client relationships, she oversees seven of the firm’s apprentices.

Stephanie also uses her market and technical knowledge to enhance the firm’s reputation by speaking at numerous national conferences and regularly presenting seminars. She was recently appointed to the Working Group of the Professional Deputies Forum (PDF), a national not-for-profit body which acts as the ‘voice’ of professional deputies and campaigns for positive change in Court of Protection matters. Stephanie was also recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ in Chambers and Partners 2020.

Paralegals in the costs and litigation funding team, Tanya Foran and Bridie Sanderson, have both been promoted to associates (non-qualified lawyers). Tanya specialises in Court of Protection Costs with a focus on increasing recovery rates. She deals with general management bills, statutory wills and applications, and is skilled in preparing succinct and accurate bills of costs for assessment. Her colleague, Bridie Sanderson, has experience of preparing bills of costs for general management, deputyship applications and statutory will applications. She also assists with providing Office of the Public Guardian breakdowns and advises on Court of Protection billing related queries.

Ella Wilkinson, who joined the team in 2018 as a non-qualified paralegal, has finished her paralegal apprenticeship with Damar and is now a qualified paralegal. Andrew McAulay, partner and head of the costs and litigation funding team, said: “With our legal costs services continuing to go from strength to strength, I am pleased to see key members of the team progressing in this way.

“There’s no doubt that Stephanie has been an important driver in our success, she’s a great all-rounder as well as being recognised as a national expert in the field of Court of Protection Costs. Her career route makes Stephanie an inspiring role model and she has taken on a valuable mentoring and management role with more junior colleagues, helping them to enhance their skills.

“It’s also satisfying to see two of our talented legal services team, Tanya and Bridie, being rewarded for their important contribution to the team – we look forward to them continuing to develop their careers with Clarion.”

Clarion’s 24-strong Costs and Litigation Funding team specialises in the areas of court of protection, commercial litigation and personal injury/medical negligence costs claims. It deals with the full spectrum of legal costs work, including costs management and detailed assessments. The team acts for both the paying or receiving party and is regularly instructed directly by lay clients. It supports over 200 law firms across the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .