Advocacy Department

Before joining Express, Nyssa spent just short of 6 years working as a vital cog in a small in-house advocacy team at a Defendant law firm. Whilst there she assisted with growing the same into a much larger Chambers-esque unit, and obtained her practising certificate along the way. In December 2016 Nyssa joined Express Solicitors as their first in-house Barrister, gaining vast experience in working on the opposite side of the table as well as achieving a promotion to Partner in September 2019. Nyssa is also Head of the Advocacy Team, which she has developed so as to meet the increasing demands of the ever-expanding business.

As is perhaps evident from the above, Nyssa has over a decade of experience in civil litigation (particularly personal injury, e.g. road traffic, EL, PL, OL, fraud, disease, catastrophic injury, etc) and costs. She is also regularly called upon to assist with all manner of complex procedural disputes.

Nyssa prides herself on her fiercely conscientious work ethic and personable personality. She strives to make a difference by working to make life easier for file handlers when problems arise, offering a calm and reassuring approach whilst trying to resolve matters to the best possible outcome. She enjoys being the fresh pair of eyes that can often bring a new perspective on a case.

Nyssa receives excellent feedback from the lay clients she represents at court, who recognise her efforts to put them at ease and guide them seamlessly through what could otherwise be a confusing and stressful experience.

Steven is an In-House Barrister who joined Express Solicitors in January 2023 and is a part of our dedicated advocacy Department.

Steven was called to the bar in 2006 and before that was a Senior Solicitor at a leading North West Law Firm (Called as a solicitor in 2000).

As such Steven brings a wealth of experience (both as an advocate and as a case handler) to his role with Express Solicitors.

Steven has a vast experience of dealing with all aspects of civil litigation and has practised in most areas of personal injury litigation. He regularly appears in County Court on both Multi Track and Fast Track matters and has been involved in several High Court appeals.

Steven prides himself on his ability to communicate effectively with his instructing solicitors and lay clients and to provide clear, pragmatic advice.

Steven consistently receives positive feedback from his clients for his ability to put them at ease and to guide them through the entire court/trial process.

Steven will always go the extra mile to ensure that his clients achieve the best possible result.

Prior to undertaking Pupillage, Ross Cronie had spent several years as an advocate; specialising in contentious costs litigation with several notable cases to his name.

Ross was called to the Bar in 2011 thereafter undertaking Pupillage at a Liverpool Set, where he covered all areas of crime and civil litigation including hearings in the high court. He remains a door tenant within Chambers, most recently undertaking commercial and intellectual property work for several high-profile names.

Before joining Express Solicitors in 2023 Ross worked in an international law firm as a senior In-House Barrister practising in civil litigation, costs, risk and compliance with over a decade of experience.

Ross regularly deals with all aspects of litigation including interlocutory applications, injunctions, CMCs, JSMs, trials, detailed assessments and appeals. Ross’s Court practice is augmented by his advisory and drafting work. Ross is tactically astute and described by his clients and colleagues as providing pragmatic and commercially focused advice.

Ross is well known in the Northern Circuit, renowned for meticulous preparation, robust cross examination and ability to simplify complex issues and provide succinct advice that achieve results that matter.

Leah attended The University of Manchester with the benefit of the Manchester Advantage Scholarship, which she was awarded on the basis of outstanding academic achievement. She then attended The University of Law, where she completed her Graduate Diploma in Law. Following that, Leah attended BPP University, where she completed the Bar Professional Training Course, achieving the grade of Outstanding in exams for Examination-in-Chief and Cross-Examination. She is a member of The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and was Called to the Bar in 2020.

Whilst studying for the Bar Professional Training Course, Leah worked closely with the Compliance Officer, Directors and Senior Partners at a law firm in Manchester. There, in her position as Auditor, she gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience in personal injury and clinical negligence matters.

Following the completion of her studies, Leah accepted a role as Senior Advocate in a company providing services for people with complex health needs who required funding for their care. Leah was the preferred advocate for higher level appeals and often appeared before panels at NHS England.

Leah then began taking instructions as a County Court Advocate. In this role, she gained a wealth of experience in personal injury matters, as well as landlord and tenant disputes and commercial disputes.

Leah joined Express Solicitors in 2021. She is regularly praised for her personable manner and her straightforward and direct approach in presenting issues and solving problems.

Louise is a Associate Solicitor-Advocate experienced in Costs, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence.

Having specialised in costs litigation for almost two decades she has considerable experience advising on highly complex catastrophic injury cases to portal disputes. Louise deliver’s practical clear advice both written or orally in conference, she provides tenacious advocacy with technical capability coupled with a personable approach in order to achieve the best results.

Louise is also experienced in attending all types of hearings within civil litigation, CCMC’S, interlocutory hearings, trials and any type of inter partes costs hearing.

Having attained the LLM in Medical Law and Bioethics, she has retained a keen interest in clinical negligence with experience in relation to various interlocutory hearings e.g. CCMCs, applications in relation to expert evidence/relief from sanction and applications for specific disclosure.

Louise’s favourite phrases are:

“Knowledge is power” and “If you don’t push yourself outside your comfort zone you will never reach your potential”

She thoroughly enjoys being able to provide help and guidance to fee earners, on hand to offer support and sometimes a different perspective. She takes the time to listen and prides herself on being easily accessible if required.

Louise Strives to get the best possible results, ensuring advice is given in relation to risks and fundamentally keeping one eye on the ‘bigger picture’.

James Haslam is a Pupil Barrister in the Advocacy Department. A science graduate who previously worked in clinical research James decided to undertake a career change in 2019 to fulfil his ambition of working as a barrister. James completed a, GDL, LLM and the Bar Course at Manchester Metropolitan University graduating in 2022. James has worked with the Crown Prosecution Service and also has two years’ experience as a civil advocate working throughout the North West on a wide range of civil matters, bringing not only this experience but his clinical research experience to his role at Express.

James brings a meticulous and client centred approach to each case, working to ensure the best outcome whilst remaining approachable and offering clear, common sense advice.

In 2018 Kieran graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a first in Law (LLB). He then worked as a Graduate Paralegal for a year at a large solicitor’s firm, before then studying the BPTC full time at BPP Manchester. He obtained the grade of ‘Very Competent’ for this course and was also awarded the BPP Excellence Scholarship for his studies.

Kieran has always been interested in law and once he began to study the subject at college, he realised just how much it affects every aspect of our lives and thus how important it is. He enjoys advocacy in particular because it’s where the stakes are highest, and it requires you to think of the most persuasive way to set out a case so you can achieve a favourable outcome for the client.

Clients can be confident that if Kieran is representing them, he will use a friendly and down-to-earth approach whilst working tirelessly to try to achieve the best possible outcome for their case.

Eduard was called to the Bar of England and Wales in October 2021. Before joining Express in May 2022 as an Advocate, he started his career as a Legal Drafter in the Advocacy Department of another law firm, where he had to draft pleadings and provide formal advices.

During his undergraduate years, Eduard was awarded with a certificate of top performing student for the academic year 2019/2020, he participated in Mooting assessments, and was involved in various Pro Bono activities for the National Justice Museum. In addition, Eduard completed his Master of Laws (LLM) by submitting a dissertation in a complex area of Commercial Litigation, in relation to issues surrounding jurisdiction and enforcement of judgments in cross border disputes following Brexit, on which he achieved a distinction.

Eduard is highly committed to the legal profession, and extremely motivated to succeed in his work. Hence, he always strives to provide an excellent service of work and client care.

Outside of work, Eduard enjoys working out, meeting with his friends on a Friday night for dinner, and participating in different sports, particularly extreme sports, such as skydiving and bungee jumping. He is all about socialising and he particularly enjoys improvising when cooking.

Evita joined Express Solicitors as a Litigation Assistant in February 2021 in the Consumer Claims Department. Since then, her hard work within the department has been acknowledged and rewarded. She was promoted to a Litigation Executive in December 2021 and began her role as an Advocate in the Advocacy Department in September 2022.

Evita completed and obtained First Class undergraduate law degree at the University of Liverpool. She completed and obtained Distinction in her LLM Legal Practice (Barristers) Course at the BPP Leeds. She was called to the Bar in 2021 and is a member of The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.

Evita aspires to help people by using the skills and knowledge she has gained throughout her legal studies and work experiences. She works hard and strives to provide an excellent service, client care and to obtain good results for each individual client.

For Evita, being part of the legal profession is a true privilege. She looks forward to developing her legal skills further and to applying her existing skills and legal knowledge to good use.

Sam joined Express Solicitors as an Advocate in January 2024. Before joining Express he worked as a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution department of another law firm.

Sam completed his undergraduate law degree at the University of Cambridge in 2021 before completing his LL.M in Human Rights Law at the University of Bristol in 2022, where he led a research team assisting the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa. Sam completed his Bar Practice Course at the University of Law (Liverpool) in 2023 and is due to be called to the Bar in March 2024 as a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.

Sam is committed to the legal profession and looks to use the skills and knowledge developed during his legal studies and work experience to succeed in his work. Sam looks to provide a valuable service and strives to achieve the best possible result for each client.

Emily obtained an Undergraduate Law Degree from Durham University. During these years, she participated in various advocacy competitions, notably winning the inaugural Durham v Oxford Mock Trial in 2022 and was named Durham’s Best Advocate. Emily achieved a Distinction on the Barrister Training Course at BPP Holborn, supported by the Cunningham Middle Temple Scholarship.

In October 2023, Emily was called to the Bar of England and Wales and is a member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Before joining Express in February 2024, she started her career as a County Court Advocate in London, where she gained excellent experience attending a variety of hearings.

During the past few years, Emily has volunteered with children with disabilities and young offenders. She worked with Durham & Darlington’s Rape and Sexual Abuse centre leading seminars on the importance and meaning of consent to university students.

Emily is eager to use and develop her legal knowledge and skills to provide excellent service and client care.