She largely deals with costs recovery for the receiving party in high-value personal injury and clinical negligence claims. Victoria also has experience in paying and receiving party costs relating to commercial disputes, contentious property litigation, employment claims, family disputes and housing disrepair.

Her work encompasses all aspects of costs management, including drafting cost budgets, preparation of budget discussion reports and negotiations, monitoring and advising on costs beyond the CCMC, and dealing with budget revisions. Victoria’s work also includes preparation of large and complex N260s, and specifically, she has vast experience of drafting and negotiating substantial bills of costs on settlement to include preparation of points of dispute and reply. She also provides ad-hoc advice on a variety of costs related issues. Victoria began her career in costs in early 2011 and has over 13 years’ experience.

Her costs career commenced in 2010 following a secondment to an in-house costs team. Natalie has gained experience in various aspects of the costs process including the preparation and negotiation of high value bills of costs and costs budgets. She regularly advises on costs issues, the preparation and submission of legal aid bills and the preparation of public inquiry bills on high profile matters.

She maintains regular communication with the firm’s client-facing lawyers to ensure the costs process runs as efficiently as possible. The costs team is recognised in the latest edition of the Chambers Litigation Support Guide where it is described as ‘very comprehensive’.

She also drafts, varies and negotiates budgets, and carries out advocacy at costs and case management conferences (CCMCs), as well as assisting instructing solicitors with keeping budgeted costs within the amount set by the court. Rebecca provides advice on informal queries on all costs issues, from retainers to Part 36. She also regularly defends claims for costs in housing disrepair and travel claims, including drafting points of dispute and reporting to client insurers.

Rebecca’s career in costs began in 2005, dealing with claims on unsuccessful cases for an ATE insurer. Since then, she has worked at both claimant and defendant firms, giving her excellent experience on both sides of the line and insight into how either party’s lawyers may approach costs. She continues to expand her knowledge in the field, having commenced the Costs Lawyer Professional Qualification course in September 2023.

Where a costs claim cannot be settled through negotiation, Katie has experience in preparing detailed points of dispute and points in reply dealing with points in principle, including retainer/funding issues, and arguments over the time claimed. Her costs experience began in 2013, following three years spent as a personal injury claims handler and after working as a County Court advocate dealing with a variety of case types including approval hearings in personal injury and medical negligence claims.

Katie joined the firm in 2023, having previously worked in-house as a costs draftsperson and costs team manager at a firm dealing predominately with medical negligence, actions against the police and high-profile public inquiries. She also has experience in dealing with defendant costs, particularly in relation to cross-jurisdictional claims, and with group litigation. A key part of her role has been advising on costs issues and tactical points, with a focus on case progression.