Partners

Expertise

Stephen is a partner in the Healthcare team at Hayes solicitors. Stephen specialises in the defence of medical and dental negligence claims taken against hospitals as well as individual medical and dental practitioners. Stephen has an extensive caseload touching on all aspects of medical and dental law and works as part of our team on a number of catastrophic injury claims.

Stephen has been involved in defending clinical negligence claims for public hospitals, private hospitals and clinics. He provides advice to healthcare providers on all aspects of healthcare law including consent to treatment, the management of clinical trials and risk management issues.

Experience

• Stephen’s caseload includes orthopaedic-related claims, ophthalmic injury claims, Erb’s palsy claims and claims relating to the failure to diagnose carcinomas. He also manages claims for a medical malpractice insurer. These claims predominately relate to cosmetic procedures and plastic surgery and the insured being advised can vary from doctors and private hospitals to cosmetic clinics.
• Professional Liability - Stephen has gained experience in both Ireland and England working for professional liability insurers, and as a result, has worked in an environment with an emphasis on alternative dispute resolution and case management
• Catastrophic Injury Claims - Stephen has also gained experience working as part of a team on catastrophic injury claims both in Ireland and England. These have included both cerebral palsy claims and brain injury claims. He has been involved in assisting with complex investigations into breach of duty, causation and quantum
• Stephen’s previous experience includes for two years in a medical defence firm in London. He defended claims for the National Health Service Litigation Authority and medical malpractice insurers
• Effective claim and litigation management - While practising in England, Stephen gained valuable experience working within the Civil Procedural Rules. Working in a system which incorporates Pre Action Protocols, Court Case Management and which has an emphasis on Alternative Dispute Resolution has helped Stephen develop an efficient and cost effective approach to defending clinical negligence claims.

Qualifications/Education

• Bachelor of Civil Law Degree, University College Dublin
• Professional qualification as a solicitor, Law Society of Ireland, 2008

Memberships

• Law Society of Ireland
• Law Society of England and Wales
• Dublin Solicitors Bar Association
• Medico-Legal Society of Ireland

Other

• Stephen is a French speaker.

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