Leigh Day human rights team in Liverpool expands four-fold in its first two years

Partner Leanne Devine, who leads the Liverpool team, joined Leigh Day in 2024 as the firm’s first human rights lawyer based in the city. She joined asbestos claims specialists Kevin Johnson and Joanne Candlish, who investigate legal claims on behalf of individuals who have been exposed to asbestos and families who have lost their loved ones.  

Leanne had previously represented many clients from Merseyside, including her role in the team that represented 22 families who lost loved ones in the Hillsborough tragedy.  

Since joining, Leanne has represented multiple families in inquests including the family of 24-year-old Ryan Duffy who died in a fatal car collision in September 2021. An inquest into his death concluded that a police officer’s road pursuit contributed to the collision.  

Leanne also represented the family of Kristie Hunt, a 31-year-old who ended her own life in November 2023, in an inquest into her death. The coroner concluded that "failings” by the Department of Work and Pensions contributed to the decline in her mental state.  

Leigh Day’s Liverpool team moved offices to the Plaza building in the city in April last year to allow for further growth. The building was first used as the old Littlewoods Catalogues building, before being refurbished into a high-quality serviced office.  

Associate solicitor Emily Driver joined the team in May, with a focus on inquests and public inquiries. 

Human rights trainee solicitor Ted Richards who works primarily across inquests, also joined the team, working across Leigh Day’s Liverpool and Manchester offices.  

Paralegal Ellie Riley joined Leigh Day as a paralegal in the human rights department in Liverpool in 2024. She works alongside Leanne on human rights cases and inquests.  

Partner Leanne Devine said: 

“I am grateful to be part of such an incredible team. As our team has grown, we have become better equipped to support clients who have faced terrible hardships and adversity in their journey towards justice.  

“Being able to offer legal representation through our legal aid contract to our local community is of paramount importance to us and we strive to continue to ensure that our legal support is accessible, and high quality.”