About
The Association of Child Abuse Lawyers is a company limited by guarantee set up for the benefit of lawyers, experts and other professionals involved in the field of obtaining compensation for the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of children and adults abused in childhood, as well as the mentally handicapped and others directly or indirectly affected by that abuse. The Association began in late 1997 as a result of concerns within the legal profession that people who have been abused were either unable to find lawyers to take on their cases or were experiencing poor standards of advice and assistance from those lawyers whom they had instructed. There are also concerns about the ability of lawyers and other experts to deal effectively with these traumatic cases.
THE MEMBERSHIP
We do not hold out any of our members as “experts” in this field by reason of their membership of ACAL. Our membership is open to all lawyers (whether solicitors, barristers, legal executives, trainees, pupils or para-legals). Any type of expert associated with the field can join subject to the discretion of the committee.
ACAL is committed to the improvement of standards amongst personal injury lawyers involved in these types of compensation claim.
See our code of practice which all members must abide by.
Executive Officers
Peter Garsden (President)
Responsibilities: Press & Media, Website
Peter took over the role of President of A.C.A.L. when Nicola Harney resigned. He is the author of this Web Site. He is a Partner in Abney Garsden Mcdonald, Solicitors of Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. and a former P.I. Panel member. He heads a specialist department of Child Abuse Personal Injury Lawyers and is the co-ordinating solicitor for most Child Abuse compensation claims and group actions in the North of England, including a 5 home 300 Claimant action based in Manchester. He is Secretary and founder member of a charity called Abuse Watch. He has written and lectured on the subject of child abuse litigation and has extensive media experience on radio, television, and in the National newspapers. He can be contacted at:
Abney Garsden Mcdonald ,37, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire. SK8 5AF Tel:0161 482 8822 Fax: 0161 482 8833 DX 18605 Cheadle Hulme; Email peter@abneys.co.uk or visit the firm’s Web Site which Peter designed, and maintains. See also www.abuselaw.co.uk
Richard Scorer (Executive Officer)
Responsibilites: Newsletter, Northern Meetings
Richard Scorer is a Partner and Head of Serious Injury at Pannone LLP Solicitors, Manchester. He acted for victims in the North Wales Child Abuse Inquiry and has since been involved in many high profile cases including group actions and claims against the Catholic church. Richard acted in the cases involving Father Michael Hill which shamed the Catholic church into sweeping reforms of child protection. Richard has written widely on the law relating to child abuse cases and co-authored the book “Child Abuse Compensation Claims” (first edition 2002, updated edition published by APIL/Jordans 2011). Richard is a Fellow of APIL, a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel and a past coordinator of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ Child Abuse cases Special Interest Group. He can be contacted at
Pannones ,123, Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BU. Tel: 0161 909 3000 Fax: 0161 909 4671 Email: richard.scorer@pannone.co.uk
Web Site: http://www.pannone.com
Malcolm Johnson (Co-ordinator)
Responsibilities: Training Planning, Company Secretary, Treasurer, Administration
Malcolm is a former chairperson. He ably took over the Chair in February 2005 when Lee Moore retired. He qualified as a solicitor in 1995. He is a member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He set up his firm, Malcolm Johnson & Co. on the 1st May 2002 and practices from Surbiton in Kingston upon Thames. He is a co-author of “Child Abuse Compensation Claims” published by the Law Society and has lectured for ACAL. Malcolm is a founder member of ACAL. From the 1st November 2004, he has taken on the role of co-ordinator to run our referral and membership service two days a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
ACAL (Association of Child Abuse Lawyers)
Suite 13, Claremont House, 22-24 Claremont House, Surbiton KT6 4QU
Telephone: 020 8390 4701
Email: info@childabuselawyers.com
Website: www.mjsol.co.uk
Jonathan Wheeler (Treasurer)
Responsibilities: Treasurer, Panel Membership, Membership Strucutre
Having joined the executive in October 2002, Jonathan is also responsible for professional development and training and represents ACAL on the Official Solicitors Users Group Committee
Jonathan is a Partner at Bolt Burdon Kemp, a specialist firm of compensation solicitors in Islington, London. He represents survivors of childhood abuse, mainly from their time in residential or foster care, or at school, and regularly sues local authorities and religious organisations on behalf of his clients. Dealing with both group actions and stand-alone cases, in January 2008 Jonathan took a test case to the House of Lords which has since made it easier for adult survivors to sue for compensation, when previously they may have been ‘out of time’ to do so.
Jonathan is a member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel, and was elected to the executive of the the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers in April 2008.
Bolt Burdon Kemp, Providence House, Providence Place Islington, London. N1 0NT
Telephone: 020 7288 4700 Fax: 020 7288 4701
Email: jonathanwheeler@boltburdonkemp.co.uk
Web: http://www.thechildabuselawyers.co.uk
Tracey Storey (Executive Officer)
Responsibilities: Human Resources, Funding, Southern Meetings
Tracey is a Partner with National firm Irwin Mitchell working from their London office. Tracey has represented adult survivors of abuse since 1996 bringing claims in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and since 1999, has been involved in a number of claims involving social services departments in London. Most of her clients have brought claims against local authorities but Tracey has also represented clients who were abused whilst at school, in the care of voluntary organisations or in the care of national charities. Tracey joined the Executive of ACAL in October 2002 and is committed to using the civil claims procedure imaginatively – for example seeking formal apologies where appropriate and obtaining access to specialist medical and psychological input in addition to compensation.
Tracey is a member of the Law Society’s Personal Injury Panel and the College of Personal Injury Law. She may be contacted at:
Irwin Mitchell, 150 Holborn, London
EC1N 2NS
DX 87 Chancery Lane
Email: tracey.storey@irwinmitchell.com
Website: www.irwinmitchell.com
David Greenwood (Executive Officer)
David has been committed to working with adult victims of child abuse since 1997. He heads a team of lawyers and works with psychologists and barristers to obtain compensation and assist survivors to plan for their future whenthe case is over.He has worked closely with clients throughout the country and has great success with co-ordinating a number of large and small group actions. David works mainly on actions against local authorities, church organizations, foster carers, and the Irish Residential Institutions Redress Board.
David is a member of the Law Society’s Specialist Personal Injury Panel and is a member of ACAL’s Executive committee.
David can be contacted at Jordans Solicitors, Neil Jordan House, Wellington
Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, WF13 1HL. Tel: 01924 457171. e mail
david.greenwood@jordanssolicitors.co.uk
website: www.jordanssolicitors.co.uk
Alan Collins (Executive Officer)
Alan Collins is a solicitor-advocate, and is a director of Verisona, who are solicitors based in Portsmouth with offices in neighbouring towns.
He is also a fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and specialist in complex cases including historic sexual abuse cases. He has represented many victims of childhood abuse both in this country and overseas, and has successfully obtained compensation from abusers, and institutions such as, for example, religious and educational bodies.
Alan can be contacted at Verisona Ltd, 64 West Street, Havant, Hants, PO9 1PA. Tel: 02392 492472 Fax: 02392 492462 email:alc@verisona.com
website: www.verisona.com/you/historic-abuse
David Lane (Executive Officer)
David Lane spent the first eight years of his career working in residential child care and since 1992 as a senior manager in local authority Social Services, finally as Director in the City of Wakefield. Since 1993 he has been an independent Consultant, and in recent years he has been involved as expert witness in about seventy cases, mainly involving former children in care seeking redress from local authorities. In addition, he has been a Board member, Fellow, Trustee, Chair or Vice President of CCCF, CCETSW, CCHN, CfC, CSP, FICE, ICSE, LCD, LHT, NCB, NCMA, NISW, SCA, SSLG and the Editor of Children Webmag.
David can be contacted at 26 Marriott Grove, Sandal, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 6RP
Tel: 01924 251 160 e mail: dcl@davidlane.org
Lee Teresa Lott (nee Moore) (Former Chairman)
Lee was the Founder / President of ACAL until she retired in 2006. A former maritime lawyer, Lee became a pioneer within the field of child sexual abuse as a result of personal experience which informed her professional work in designing and presenting training for professionals working with sexual and ritual abuse.Lee’s career grew exponentially, keen to bridge the gap between fear and integrity [' blindeye syndrome," ]
Lee has created a programme for Self Mastery, which she delivers to professionals wishing to acquire the tools to deal effectively with any life challenge with courage, compassion and integrity. For more details go to: http://www.truepowerstrategies.com/ Email: lee@truepowerstrategies.com
Nicola Harney (Former President)
Nicola took over the chair of ACAL in the summer of 2006 from Malcolm Johnson. She joined the Executive in October 1999 and was until the summer of 2006 a personal injury solicitor at Stewarts in London. When in practise she was one of the solicitors steering the Multi-Party action against Buckinghamshire County Council, which arose out of allegations of abuse at the Longcare homes. Until Stewarts solicitors, whom she used to work for closed down their abuse department, she used to handle a variety of cases involving the abuse of adults and children with learning disabilities. She has written articles on the subject for the national learning disability newspaper “Viewpoint” and for the National Association For The Protection From Sexual Abuse Of Adults And Children With Learning Disabilities, “The Ann Craft Trust”. In December 2007 Nicola left the post of President in view of a possible conflict of interest with her new role as a solicitor working for the Treasury Solicitors department of government in London. The executive wishes her well and extends heartfelt thanks for her work as President during her term of office.
