Cynthia joined the expanding Casualty Public Sector team at Keoghs as a Partner in 2023. Since qualifying in 1992 her practice has been dedicated to defending public bodies, initially the health sector. Working in bespoke teams defending a wide spectrum of civil claims brought against local authorities and the police, she has dealt with inquests and other advisory work. Her civil claims experience spans personal injury, Human Rights Act, Equality Act, abuse, claims against social services departments and schools, misfeasance, wrongful arrest or detention, and malicious prosecution claims against the police. Together with her team, she has provided services to public sector clients across the UK, creating an enviable record of success at trial as well as resolving disputes to the satisfaction of public sector and insurer clients where proceeding to trial was not the appropriate course.
Cynthia’s wealth of experience in supporting and working alongside public sector clients and their insurers has given her a deep understanding of their unique perspective and requirements so she is able to deal with claims in a fair and empathic manner.
Taking seriously her responsibility as a role model and developing junior team members, she matches that commitment in her own self-development and practice area knowledge, also recognising the importance of increasing her knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusion. Cynthia is part of a team that is not only highly knowledgeable about their subject area, but a cohesive unit that gets quickly to the heart of issues and achieves excellent outcomes at proportionate cost for our public sector clients.
Presenting regularly at forums on a range of topics, Cynthia is a regular contributor to Keoghs Public Sector Aware publication which focuses on areas of law and updates to our public sector clients. One area in which she is keen to be involved is facilitating open discussion with local authority claims managers to enhance the dissemination of ideas and keep abreast of emerging legal issues.
The teams she has been part of have been involved in some of the highest profile and sensitive social care and other claims brought against public bodies alleging negligence and breaches of human rights that have attracted extensive local, national and international media coverage.
Consistently recognised in the Legal 500, statements about her work include that she is “experienced on the social care side” [2016], and “very thorough” along with recognition of her “skilful handling of highly sensitive child abuse claims” [2017]. Comments from 2018 note her “adept handling” of the “the sensitivities and emotions around social service and abuse claims” and that her team provided an “exceptional level of quality and service”. In 2021 her “wealth of experience” was again noted when dealing with the “tricky area of Social Service claims”, being “reassuring when dealing with front line social care employees” and being able to gather information “in a caring manner”. More recently in 2022, it was recorded that Cynthia “is a key member of the social care and abuse practice”.