Costs Department

Sharon has dedicated her career to helping individuals after serious injury. In particular she has specialised in brain injury and the devastating effect this can have on the individual and their loved ones.

She has brought many actions for clients against the Ministry of Justice and the Police. Her area of expertise is Employment liability. She was part of the legal team on the case of Ziemniak v ETPM Deep Sea Limited [2003] EWCA Civ 636 bringing a right of action under the Merchant Shipping (life Saving Appliances) Regulations 1980, SI 1980/538 for a brain injured client.

Sharon is a skilled negotiator and has a reputation for getting things done. As a partner at Express Solicitors, she has headed various Departments and supervised over 30 lawyers.

Sharon currently heads up the Costs and Budgeting Department at Express, where she manages a team of skilled lawyers in this complex area of law that is now a main feature of civil ligation. Sharon trains, mentors and develops her team to a very high standard in this growing area of legal practice. Sharon cites her keen eye for detail as one of her strengths as a solicitor and her motto is “always be prepare for the worst, and then nothing can take you by surprise in this unpredictable area of legal practice”.

In-keeping with the whole ethos of Express, Sharon takes training and development very seriously. When asked for her favourite quote, Sharon recalls the classic Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw who famously said “progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”.

With 20 years experience in civil litigation, she is very well placed to lead the firm forwards to expand and grow their practice area in costs. She additionally consults with other partners on complex case decisions and has an active role in the management of the Firm

Sarah Fowden is a Partner and one of the supervisors within Costs department at Express Solicitors.

Her job involves drafting bills, drafting replies to ‘Points of Dispute’, and preparing legal bundles and court forms. Sarah has worked on the preparation of summary assessment schedules, breakdown of costs at case conclusion and negotiating the settlement of costs in litigated and non-litigated claimant personal injury cases.

Passionate about Personal Injury Law, Sarah believes this is crucial to achieving results. Indeed her favourite quotes comes the German theologian Albert Schweitzer who said ‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful’. Sarah studied Law at Lancaster University before returning to Manchester to undertake her Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test.

Alex Summerscales is a Partner (Non-Lawyer) working in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in February 2014. He deals with a wide range of costs areas such as the drafting and variation of retainers, negotiations, budgeting, drafting of points of dispute and replies, skeleton arguments, appeals, advocacy at CCMCs, interlocutory applications, and detailed assessment and tackling complex technical challenges on retainers and bills.

Alex is a very organised individual, and cites this as one of his keys to success in costs. “I pride myself on meticulous attention to detail and an excellent understanding and interpretation of case law, the Civil Procedure Rules and Practice Directions,” says Alexander. “I believe in very careful and considered planning and preparation and keeping on top of your time, deadlines and documents.”

In the past Alex has worked on some extremely high profile cases. He assisted in the leading cases of Richards v Davis [2005] EWHC 90014 (Costs) (25 November 2005) and Oyston v The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc [2006] EWHC 90053 (Costs) (16 May 2006), and also acted in the multi-million dollar and multi-jurisdictional case of Sharman Networks Limited v Claria Corporation (Commercial Court) (2008) which took place across several US states, European countries and the High Court in London.

Prior to joining Express Solicitors, Alex gained over 10 years of experience in costs, including over 7 years at a leading international practice, bringing excellent perspective having acted on the side of claimants and defendants and within Solicitors Act 1974 assessments. He has furthered his knowledge of costs by attending many conferences, seminars and lectures on the subject throughout the UK and Europe in addition to drafting and delivering seminars both internally and externally.

Throughout the constantly changing legal landscape, Alex has developed an excellent understanding of the changes and impact of the Jackson reforms, both within the fundamental changes to the CPR and Practice Directions and the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. In addition, Alex keeps abreast of the constant developments in costs law and practice, which have become all the more crucial in the days post Jackson.

Carly Schofield is a Partner at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in October 2018.

When asked what she likes best about her role, Carly commented “I enjoy the diversity that cost law brings. I have worked on a wide range of cases, ranging from mesothelioma to clinical negligence to sexual abuse cases and gained a wide knowledge of all aspects of the law, given that costs are now an integral part of the civil litigation case from the outset.”

“I have mainly worked on catastrophic injury/clinical negligence cost cases from cradle to grave and am experienced at dealing with all aspects of cost budgeting from budget preparation to CCMC advocacy.”

“I genuinely want the best result possible for the fee earners and the firm, I think the burden is on me to ensure the costs recovered reflect the hard work done on the case.  I make a difference by always engaging a personable approach with Defendants.”

Carly has worked in costs for 10 years and is a qualified Costs Lawyer regulated by the Costs Lawyers Standards Board. A personal achievement for Carly was advocating in the Royal Courts of Justice on a high value/ high media profile case.

Paul is a qualified solicitor who has specialised in the area of legal costs since 1996. He was involved in the so called costs wars, initially acting for Defendant insurers, but has been acting on behalf of Claimants since 2000. He was involved in the costs Court of Appeal test cases of Callery v Gray, Sarwar v Alam and Hollins v Russell (Dunn and Ward), where the Court found in favour of the Claimants in all of these cases.

Paul also successfully ran a test case in the Senior Court Costs Office called Ahmed v Powell, which lead to unregulated cost negotiators being denied rights of audience in Court.

As part of working in the area of legal costs, he enjoys doing his own advocacy and has attended hundreds of detailed assessment hearings.

As a former British Judo Champion, Pauls enjoys keeping fit. He likes walking in the countryside and practising yoga and Qi Gong.

Joe Bernhardt is an Associate Senior Costs Draftsman at Express Solicitors, having joined Express Solicitors in June 2018.

Joe specialises in preparing and negotiating Costs Budgets, drafting Bills of Costs and preparing Replies to Points of Dispute on high value serious injury claims.

When asked what he likes best about his role, Joe commented “I am really passionate about what I do and try to always go that extra mile to obtain the best results for my client/the instructing Solicitor. I have an eye for detail and always look to address potential issues at an early stage whilst they are still minor issues”.

Joe went on to say “I have a keen interest and a passion in costs budgeting. I enjoy the challenge of estimating the future costs on a Precedent H which requires you to attempt to predict the future course that the case will take and the various costs that may arise as a result of this. This keeps me on my toes especially when it comes to high value complex cases with many disciplines of experts and many potential Witnesses.  What I really enjoy about this, is that every case is unique which means that you are constantly required to think out of the box and use your knowledge and experience in order to ensure that the cost budget prepared is of top quality. I also really enjoy negotiating with Defendant’s and feel a great amount of satisfaction when I have achieved a good result on settling a case.”

“My General achievements to date are gaining confidence and experience in drafting bills of costs, Costs Budgets and Replies to Points of Dispute on high value complex serious injury cases and adapting quickly to the many changes that have taken place to costs in the last five years.”

Colin Campbell is a Senior Costs Draftsman in the Costs Department, having joined Express Solicitors in December 2021. Colin has worked in Costs and Litigation for over 24 years and is a qualified (non-practising) Solicitor.

Colin has dealt with all areas of Costs Law, but particularly in the last 5 years has specialised in preparing Bills of Costs, preparing and negotiating Costs Budgets and preparing Replies to Points of Dispute on high value Clinical Negligence, Catastrophic, Industrial Disease and Commercial Litigation matters. Colin has also mentored and trained junior members of the team to aid their development and skill sets in Costs. Colin has also provided training to external clients on a variety of cost related matters.

When asked what he likes best about his role, Colin commented “I have always enjoyed the challenges that the ever-changing landscape of Costs has put in my way, which means you always have to be open to new ways of working and developing new skills.”

Colin went on to say “I have always enjoyed preparing Bills of Costs in high value complex litigation and using my skills to obtain the best result for the client/the instructing Solicitor to reward their hard work in obtaining the best possible result for the underlying injured client. Every case is unique, and you have to use your knowledge and experience to produce a Bill of the highest quality to achieve the required result.”

“My general achievements to date are dealing with all areas of Costs Litigation, adapting to the changes that have taken place in costs and being involved in the training and development of staff from administration roles to progressing to qualified Costs Lawyers.”

Hannah Buswell is a Senior Associate Costs Lawyer in the Costs department, having joined Express Solicitors in January 2020. Hannah Specialises in drafting high value Bill of Costs and Costs Budgets. Hannah has a particular interest in Clinical Negligence matters having historically worked on multi-million-pound claims for birthing injuries, drawing Bill of Costs in excess of a million pounds, undertaking negotiations, preparing replies and attending a JSM to achieve settlement.

When asked what she likes best about her role, Hannah commented, “I like the variety that comes with a full costs case load, so that no two tasks are the same. I can either be heads down in a large Bill or Budget or getting to grips with technical disputes whilst preparing replies and undertaking negotiations. I like that Costs is evolving and changing as it keeps me on my toes to ensure I am on top of changes to legislation and rules.”

“My keen eye to detail and my experience of having dealt with a vast variety of cases from clinical negligence, dental negligence, commercial disputes, EL, PL, catastrophic injury etc. affords me a great understanding of the workings of litigation which helps me to work alongside the fee earners to map out the future of the case at the budgeting stage. It is a team effort and I like to think I make a difference in ensuring the budgeting process goes smoothly for the fee earners whilst ensuring no stone is left unturned.”

Hannah has worked in costs since 2010, she qualified as a Costs Lawyer in 2015 and gained accredited status through the CLSB in December 2019.

Philip Bradbury is a Senior Associate in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in July 2019.

Phil highlights, that the variety of cases that he gets to deal with on a day to day basis is one of many factors that contribute to what he likes best about his role. Phil went on to say “Every case is bespoke, which requires you to think outside the box and use all your previous knowledge and experience, especially when predicting the future development of the case lifespan. I enjoy being able to sit down and plan how cases will come to fruition with clients / acting Solicitors.”

Phil specialises in Cost management, with experience within Commercial Litigation, Clinical negligence, High Value Catastrophic and Claimant Personal Injury.

Phil has over 12 years Costs Drafting experience, and comments how he is very organised and is always willing to go that extra mile for a client or instructing Solicitor. Phil is always keen to building excellent relationships and client management skills across a variety of different areas as well as being a team player within the Firm and Costs department.

Prior to joining Express Solicitors, Phil managed a team of up to 8 Fee Earners in a Manchester office which solely worked on Costs Budgets. And has also published a number of articles in a number of respected legal publications- from the Litigation Future to The Law Gazette.

Deepa Patel is a qualified Solicitor in the Costs department.

It is her role to recover the costs of a claim. These are the costs that have been incurred in recovering compensation. In order to advise the file handler of the substantive matter, risk assessments are prepared, detailed file reviews are conducted and research of the Civil Procedure Rules and case law is undertaken to ensure the best outcome.

Another aspect of her role is to prepare a Budget. This document includes all the costs we estimate we will spend in order to conclude the claim. Upon a detailed review of the claim history it is her job to consider all the likely circumstances which may arise, discuss with the file handler and then estimate the time and disbursements which are likely to be incurred. In addition, we prepare Assumptions which explain the steps taken and costs incurred to date. The Assumptions go on to explain the steps still required along with the disbursements which are to be anticipated.

As part of her job role, She prepares Court documents and instructions to Counsel, she also attend Court hearings.

Millie Dawber is a Solicitor within the Costs Department at Express Solicitors.

When asked about what she enjoys most about her role, Millie mentioned the fact that no two days are the same. Each case requires a bespoke approach to the problems faced, and the need to constantly adapt to the way in which you approach a problem is one of the main reasons why Costs disputes are so interesting. There is always something else to learn in Costs.

Millie has over 4 years of experience within Costs and is very keen to learn new skills and develop her role within the Costs Department, both Drafting Bill of Costs and fee earning.

Millie comments that she is always willing to do what is needed to help a Client or instructing Solicitor. Millie finds it important to develop solid relationships with Clients and has developed skills over the years to maintain excellent relationships.

Rebecca Curzon is a Solicitor at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in July 2018. Rebecca’s role focuses on undertaking a lot of budget work, including preparing the incurred count and currently preparing more bills and handling her own cases, which mainly involve disbursement disputes.

When asked what she enjoys most about her role, Rebecca said it is the people. She explained that the costs department are very welcoming and are what makes working at Express Solicitors enjoyable. In Rebecca’s own words “they have made it a lovey place to work”. Rebecca is always getting involved with training new people that come into the Costs department and enjoys being included in all training whether it be on Budget, bills and or risk assessments.

Due to Rebecca’s continuous success and achievements, she has been promoted to Litigation Executive in the Costs department. In addition, Rebecca has recently graduated with a Law degree at the University of Liverpool.

Ujala Mahreen is a Costs Draftsperson in the Costs department at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in August 2019.

Ujala specialises in Drafting Formal Bills for Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence cases and occasionally assists with drafting without prejudice statements when needed.

When asked what she likes best about her role, Ujala mentioned “The opportunity to draft Bills for high value/complex injury cases because it is interesting to see how these claims have progressed from start to finish compared to the normal fast track cases.”

Ujala has over 6 years’ experience in drafting bills, and pays close attention to detail, Ujala went on to explain, “whilst drafting the bills if I spot any problems/inconsistencies I don’t hesitate to approach the fee earners and flag it up.”

Ujala is work driven but believes team morale is important too, she is always available for other team members if needed and enjoys working within the Costs department.

Having started with the firm in August 2019, Ujala’s biggest achievement was drafting a Clinical Negligence Bill which was over £800,000.00 and won the Winter Incentive for the best biller in the Costs department.

Ana Joined the firm in March 2022. She specialises in drafting formal bills for personal injury and clinical negligence cases. Ana says her favourite part of her job is that no two days are the same.

Whilst working at Express Ana has had to deal with a variety of complex cases, from both fast track and high value cases. Ana finds it very interesting seeing how a case develops and always achieving the best result for a client. She says there is always something new to learn whilst working in costs.

Ana has 7 years of experience working in costs and is always keen on developing new skills. She loves working within a team and is always happy to assist junior members of staff.

Lee Harper is a Costs Draftsperson in the Costs department at Express Solicitors. Lee has worked in the costs industry for 10 years.

Lee specialises in Drafting Costs Budgets on a range different case type, at both low and high value multi-track level and occasionally assists with drafting detailed Bills of Costs for assessment when needed.

Lee has specialised in Costs Management for the majority of his professional career and states that “Costs Management is a crucial period in the lifetime of a case, an area that requires you to think about all aspects of a case from receiving initial instructions through to final trial.”

Lee has over 6 years’ experience in drafting Costs Budgets and pays close attention to detail when drafting and uses his experience to steer file handlers in the right the direction when it comes to predicting the future development of the case lifespan.

Salma first experienced the legal cost sector in 2011 initially undertaking legal aid work. Salma has since gained vast experience in dealing with a multitude of different matters including clinical negligence, personal injury and industrial disease.

Salma is a very confident bill drafter and enjoys preparing detailed bills and budgets which will ensure a high recovery.

Salma enjoys the daily challenges of bill drafting in that no 2 cases are the same so each one requires an individual tailored approach.
The favourite part of the job for Salma is the team she works with and the support that is available to her

Ella Ryan is a Trainee Costs Draftsperson in the Costs Department at Express Solicitors. She graduated from the University of Law with a First Class Honours Degree in Law before joining the team at Express Solicitors.

When asked what she enjoys most about working at Express Solicitors, Ella answered “The team that I work with are supportive and encouraging in achieving goals and progressing. The work can be challenging at times but this makes it more exciting an interesting to come into work every day. Working in such a dynamic and fast paced environment means that no two days are the same.”

Luke Rimmer is a Costs Litigation Executive/Trainee Costs Lawyer at Express Solicitors, having joined the firm in November 2018.

Luke has received training on budgets as well as Red Line Bills. His day to day tasks includes drafting incurred budgets, Red Line Bills for Detailed Assessment & working on his caseload.

When asked what Luke likes best about his role he commented, “Having a great team of people is a massive part of the job, they help keep you sane when busy! I enjoy learning about different case law and applying the same to current cases to get the best settlement for costs. However, one of my favourite things is the fact that each case is different and challenging.”

“I make a difference to the team by completing my tasks on time and helping others when urgent work comes in. I will go out of my way in order to achieve the best outcome on a case, whether that be my own or somebody else’s. I also like to think I put a smile on the people’s faces around me (whether that be laughing with me or at me).”

Luke previously worked at a law firm which specialised in Industrial Disease claims for over two years.  “This helped me gain a good knowledge of costs, which gave me a good opportunity to start working with Express and further my knowledge.”

Aida Chibok is a Trainee Solicitor in the Costs Department. Aida graduated with a Bachelors of Law Degree from Sheffield Hallam University and underwent her Legal Practice Course at the University of Law.

Before joining Express, Aida worked in a number of different litigation roles, including Personal Injury, Fraud and Consumer Claims Litigation giving her a breadth of experience of litigation knowledge which she uses on a daily basis to obtain the best results for her clients.

In her spare time she enjoys playing on the Express Netball team and loves to experience live music.