One of the UK’s leading niche law firms has announced the appointment of a Chartered Legal Executive Director as part of the firm’s efforts to recognise and reward alternative routes to qualification.
Daniel Fitzsimmons, who qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2016, joins solicitor Kevin Donoghue as a director of Donoghue Solicitors. The firm specialises in compensation claims and is especially well-known for its work in civil actions against the police, for which it has won the Niche Law Firm Award in Liverpool Law Society’s Legal Awards.
Mr Fitzsimmons has over a decade of experience in police misconduct compensation claims. He frequently brings high-profile, complex cases on behalf of members of the public as the lead lawyer. His expertise is also called upon by his fellow legal professionals, including solicitors, who rely on Daniel for sage advice and fearless representation.
Kevin Donoghue said, “I started Donoghue Solicitors in 2010 with a focus on five founding principles. One of those was to recruit “the brightest and best” with a strong commitment to the highest legal, professional, and ethical standards. Daniel embodies those values.”
Mr Donoghue continued, “Daniel and I have worked together for over 15 years. He was my firm’s first recruit and helped me grow the firm to what it is today. Daniel is rare in legal circles. He has a modest, friendly, and caring manner which his clients love. And he is a proven winner, despite operating in a highly contentious, specialised field. I wanted to reward his loyalty, as well as safeguard the future of the firm. Appointing Mr Fitzsimmons as a director means he will continue to serve our clients brilliantly for years to come.”
The appointment is unusual for a law firm in that Daniel Fitzsimmons is a Chartered Legal Executive, not a solicitor. This alternative route to full legal qualification is increasingly popular as it enables those from different backgrounds and ambitions to seek a career in the law.
As Daniel explained, “My first job after school was in a law firm working in civil litigation. I realised that I had found my calling and decided to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer while continuing to work full-time. As my appointment as a director proves, financial, geographical, and other barriers to traditional legal qualification did not obstruct my ambitions. I hope my story will inspire others to join the profession.”
Find out more about civil actions against the police, and how you can instruct Daniel Fitzsimmons to help with your claim, here: https://www.donoghue-solicitors.co.uk/actions-against-the-police/