Leigh Day expands in the North West with new partner and senior associate

Gerard (Ged) Horton joins as a partner in Leigh Day’s personal injury department. He has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector and will be working across Leigh Day’s Liverpool and Manchester offices.

Ged qualified as a solicitor in 2011 and is ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. He is an APIL accredited senior litigator, specialising in representing claimants who have suffered life-changing injuries.  

Across his career, Ged has recovered tens of millions of pounds in compensation for his clients. He has recently secured a £6 million settlement for a motorcyclist who suffered chronic pain and irreparable nerve damage to his arm, and a £4.5 million settlement for a woman who suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury.

Ged lives in Southport and is the current President of the Southport & Ormskirk Law Society. Working across both Leigh Day’s Liverpool and Manchester offices, Ged is enhancing Leigh Day’s serious injury offering across the North West.

Lisa Gormley joins as a senior associate in Leigh Day’s asbestos and industrial disease team within the firm’s personal injury department. Lisa has over 29 years’ experience in industrial disease claims, and more than 14 years’ experience as an asbestos litigator.

Lisa has secured significant settlements for those affected by asbestos-related diseases, including almost £0.5m for a self-employed business owner with asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.  

Lisa has been an APIL accredited senior litigator, and an occupational illness and asbestos disease specialist. She specialises in representing claimants diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related conditions. Lisa joins Liverpool partner Joanne Candlish’s team and will be working from the firm’s Liverpool office.

Ged and Lisa will strengthen the support available across the North West to individuals and families who have been affected by serious injury and industrial disease.

Their appointments follow the expansion of Liverpool’s human rights department in May, which will be welcoming its second trainee solicitor later this month.

Partner and joint head of Leigh Day’s personal injury department, Sally Moore said: 

“Ged and Lisa join will be incredible assets to our personal injury teams in the North West and, with them on board, we will be in an even stronger position to provide support and representation to families when they need it the most.”

Asbestos partner and head of the Leigh Day’s Liverpool office, Kevin Johnson said:  

“We are delighted to welcome both Ged and Lisa to Leigh Day. Lisa is highly regarded in asbestos-related personal injury claims, and it’s fantastic that we have been able to add her expertise and experience to the team in Liverpool.  

“Ged brings a wealth of legal experience within Liverpool and the surrounding area, which will no doubt aid the firm in its efforts to improve access to justice for those suffering serious and life-changing injuries in the North West.”

Ged Horton said:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Leigh Day, a firm with a strong reputation for putting vulnerable individuals first and delivering exceptional results in complex serious injury cases. With my years of experience in the serious injury sector, I look forward to contributing to the firm’s continued success and advocating tirelessly for those who need it most.”

Lisa Gormley said:

“I am looking forward working with Leigh Day’s asbestos team whose reputation is second to none. They are leading the way with groundbreaking cases for those exposed to this highly toxic substance.  I am passionate about ensuring local people have access to specialist legal representation in the heart of the city.”