Everyone should have access to justice, especially when they need it the most.
For lawyers, the monetary value of a claim shouldn’t be the most important thing, rather the life changing potential a successful claim can have on a client’s life.
Get to Know Rachel
Rachel joined Hudgell Solicitors as Chief Executive in 2020 and has successfully overseen the expansion of the firm’s legal teams in both the Hull and Manchester city centre offices, enhancing her established record of business development and executing transformational growth.
During her time with the firm its clinical negligence, personal injury and serious injury teams have been strengthened in both depth of expertise and with an increased number of associates. The firm has also been listed in The Times 200 Best Law Firms for consecutive years.
Rachel has also cemented the firm’s national reputation for awarding winning customer experience and continues to support and prioritise client services through a period of fixed-costs reforms and implementing and developing a change-strategy.
Previously at Minster Law, Rachel ran the firm’s serious injury teams across offices in London, Wakefield and York as Head of Serious Injury and was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2018. Rachel started her career at Irwin Mitchell in Leeds.
For the majority of her fee-earning career Rachel specialised in catastrophic and industrial accident work, running and supervising neurotrauma and serious orthopaedic/amputee cases, with her own cases settling for damages reaching £10 million.
Career Highlights
Hudgell Solicitors represents more than 150 injured survivors of the 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing, people who were left with serious, life-long physical and psychological injuries.
Many struggled to access long-term NHS treatment and we recognised they were going to be left without vital assistance, so it was a huge privilege to lead a team to find solutions.
We approached a number of specialists in rehabilitation and finance – urging them to come together to ensure our clients received the support they required. Partnerships were established with rehab specialists Proclaim Care and independent financial advisors Frenkel Topping, agreeing a way to jointly fund and provide access to urgent rehabilitation treatment and financial matters.
We were determined not to leave our clients in limbo for years and I’m immensely proud to have found a way of providing help and support. We also pledged to offer legal support at zero cost to all we represent, pledging not to take any deductions from clients’ eventual compensation settlements.
Our response, I believe, established us as a dynamic firm with outstanding customer service which is fiercely committed to doing the right thing and standing up for the vulnerable.
I’m also a firm believer in a firm creating opportunities to let talented colleagues grow and contribute to how it evolves, and it has been an enormous pleasure to watch our trainee solicitors develop.
We established a new scheme at Hudgells enabling them to earn and learn as I’m passionate advocate of finding ways to make qualification more affordable and meaningful. Juggling studying alongside a need to continue earning and raising a family is something I have had first-hand experience of; it’s now my job to ensure that others get this opportunity.
Perhaps the most memorable case in my career was acting for a young girl who had suffered an injury at school that developed into chronic pain, rendering her unable to walk and suffering from seizures.
It was an extremely complicated case and I remain in contact with her family almost 20 years later. What it taught me was, never give up and to back yourself no matter what obstacles arise, focusing on the one important person whose life depends on the outcome, your client.
Recognition
Solicitors Regulation Authority – Approved Compliance Officer
Managing Partner of the Year, Modern Claims Award 2021 – Highly Commended
Managing Partner of the Year, Yorkshire Legal Awards 2023 – Finalist
Giving More
Manchester Arena bombing survivor Martin Hibbert has been inspirational with the challenge he set himself to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a pleasure to climb Mount Snowden to help raise the £100,000 which Hudgell Solicitors pledged to his ‘Martin’s Mountain’ appeal, which will support the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).
