Leigh Day’s Manchester medical negligence team announces new hires and promotions

Bryony Doyle, an associate solicitor who qualified as a solicitor in 2017, joins Leigh Day with 12 years of experience of clinical negligence. She represents clients in cases involving a delay in diagnosis, avoidable limb amputation, and with birth injury concerns. She has assisted families at numerous inquests and conducted a number of claims involving fatal injuries.

Zoe Donohue also joins as an associate solicitor with 11 years of experience in medical negligence claims having worked as a paralegal for several years before training as a solicitor and qualifying in March 2019. 

She handles a range of complex cases on behalf of adults and children who have suffered serious or fatal injury following negligent medical care. Zoe has experience in a wide range of claims and has particular expertise in fatal injury claims, mental health, delayed diagnosis of cancer and orthopaedic injuries.  

The medical negligence legal team has also announced two internal promotions in the Manchester office.  

Stephen Clarkson has been promoted to a senior associate solicitor. Stephen has worked at Leigh Day since July 2019 and has 10 years’ experience in clinical negligence. He has a varied caseload including catastrophic injury cases and claims where patients’ injuries have resulted in death.  

Recently he settled a six-figure claim on behalf of a widow whose husband died aged 71 following revision knee replacement surgery.  

Rebecca Ridgeon also becomes senior associate solicitor. She joined Leigh Day as a trainee solicitor in September 2016, qualifying as a solicitor in September 2018. She assists with clients in a range of cases including people with brain, spinal, orthopaedic and other life-changing injuries.  

Last year she achieved a six-figure settlement for a man who lost his vision in one eye after Specsavers faxed a referral for an emergency eye surgery to the wrong hospital.  She also assisted on a claim for a client whose claim for a delay in diagnosing her cancer after a CT scan was not acted upon allowing her cancer to progress to stage IV settled for £160,000.

Bryony Doyle said:

“I am thrilled take on my new role at Leigh Day. I look forward to helping clients with concerns on the care that they have received.”

Zoe Donohue said:

“I am really pleased to join such a dynamic and progressive firm and being part of the growing team in Manchester. Leigh Day takes on an array of cases and has shown a strong commitment to a client-first approach and I look forward to being a part of that.”

Stephen Clarkson said:

“I am glad to be a part of this growing team and look forward to what this next chapter at Leigh Day brings.”

Rebecca Ridgeon said:  

“I’m immensely proud to be a part of this team. Together we can support clients in a such a diverse range of cases.”

Head of the medical negligence team in Manchester, Stephen Jones said:  

“I am delighted to see our team go from strength to strength. Zoe and Bryony bring to Leigh Day a wealth of experience, which will be immensely valuable to the support that we can offer to clients.

“Our expanding team will have better reach to clients with clinical negligence concerns in Manchester. I am excited to see our department continue to thrive with such talented solicitors.”

Other team members are partners Brendan Hope, Lauren Tully, and senior associate Julie Struthers.