Local News 11
Weightmans Partner Mike Grant, listed in Hot 100
Mike Grant, Head of
Professional Risk at national law
firm Weightmans LLP has been
announced as one of the most
influential litigation and
regulation legal professionals in
the UK, as part of The Lawyers
Hot 100 feature.
The list names the lawyers who
will shape the profession in
2014 and features transactional
lawyers, litigators, in-house
lawyers and the non-lawyer
figures in the industry who have
made a difference to the legal
world over the past twelve
months. Mike is the only lawyer
outside London named in this
category.
Mike Grant, who specialises in
professional negligence disputes
in the construction sector, has
had many highlights over the
past 12 months, with a long list
of mediation successes and a
trial win at the TCC arising from
the successful defence of a
substantial claim against an
engineer arising from the pre
purchase survey of listed ex-mill
property in Leeds worth £16m.
In a judgment which was highly
critical of the approach adopted
by the Claimant in negotiations
and the stance taken by its
experts, the Judge made a
substantial partial indemnity
costs order against the Claimant.
Mike has also been heavily
involved in the development of
Weightmans’ consultancy
service for law firms, Compli,
delivered through its Legal
Services Group, which among
other things helps law firms to
deal with the whole range of
issues thrown up by the
changing regulatory landscape
and the increasing pressures
caused by claims and
complaints against lawyers.
Mike said “Whilst I am delighted
to receive this recognition for
the work I’ve been doing over
the past year this accolade is
underpinned by the support and
hard work of the excellent team
of talented people I have the
pleasure to work with.
Compli has been a huge success
for Weightmans and we look
forward to achieving even
greater success in 2014, as it
evolves to meet the constantly
changing needs of our clients
and the increasing challenges
faced by lawyers - with the
second wave of external
investment in law firms
expected this year and
continued interest in the ABS
model.
Weightmans recently embarked
on the largest transformation
project it has ever undertaken in
its 180 years in response to the
dramatically changing
landscape of civil litigation. It
incorporated new management
structures, processes and
technologies, driven by a desire
to continually enhance the
client experience, and looks to
continue this project in 2014,
building on its reported growth
success in 2013. Last year saw
the creation of new business
line, Solving Disputes, a 7%
growth for the first six months of
the financial year, and a move
up to the UK’s Top 50.
Mike Grant