Stephen is a partner in the Healthcare team at Hayes solicitors.
He specialises in the defence of complex and sensitive medical and dental negligence claims taken against public hospitals and individual medical and dental practitioners.
He specialises in the defence of complex and sensitive medical and dental negligence claims taken against public hospitals and individual medical and dental practitioners.
Stephen is a partner in the Healthcare team at Hayes solicitors.
He is a highly experienced specialist in the defence of complex and sensitive medical and dental negligence claims taken against public hospitals and individual medical and dental practitioners. Stephen advises on all aspects of medical and dental law with a significant focus on high value obstetric, orthopaedic and spinal claims. He is an experienced adviser on medical product liability litigation, dealing with novel, complex and repercussive claims.
Stephen has represented clients in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He has represented clients without Counsel at the Coroner’s Court and in the District and Circuit Court.
Stephen is experienced in using alternative dispute resolution, and particularly mediation, to resolve cases for his clients.
Prior to joining Hayes, Stephen worked in a leading medical negligence defence litigation firm in London, gaining significant relevant experience and knowledge of pre-action protocols and case management.
Stephen has an extensive track record including orthopaedic-related claims, ophthalmic injury claims, Erb’s palsy claims and claims relating to the failure to diagnose carcinomas.
Professional liability – advising professional liability insurers in Ireland and England, gaining significant experience in alternative dispute resolution and case management.
Catastrophic injury claims – leading teams on catastrophic injury claims, including cerebral palsy claims and brain injury claims.
International perspective – defended claims for the National Health Service Litigation Authority and medical malpractice insurers while working in a medical defence firm in London.
Claim and litigation management – manages the defence of clinical negligence claims efficiently and cost-effectively, transferring knowledge and experience gained while working in England – a system which incorporates pre-action protocols, court case management and emphasises alternative dispute resolution. Stephen has significant experience in resolving claims using mediation.
Stephen regularly tutors students at the Law Society of Ireland on all aspects of medical negligence claims, including practice and procedure, consent and capacity and fatal injury claims.
He contributes articles to professional publications on areas of healthcare law, often addressing issues of future reform, such as case management and pre-action protocols. His work has outlined the benefits to Ireland of the introduction of tort reform.
Stephen has a keen interest in knowledge management within the Healthcare team at Hayes solicitors, ensuring that the team is kept abreast of developments and has easy access to precedents and case law.