Strategic partner hire boosts Penningtons Manches Cooper's medical negligence practice. By News desk Published On: 5 March 2026 Leading law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper is delighted to announce the appointment of Robert dransfield as a partner in its nationally recognised personal injury and medical negligence team. Based in the London office, he will focus on complex and high value medical negligence claims, further strengthening the firm's well established reputation in this area. Robert joins from Stewarts where he was a medical negligence partner between 2007 and 2025. He has particular expertise in major spinal cord injury and cauda equina syndrome claims, and is also very experienced in brain injury, oncology, infection and amputee claims, particularly those valued at in excess of £1 million. Widely respected by both clients and his peers, Robert is a specialist panel member of Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), the UK charity for patient safety and justice, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and an Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) practitioner. He is recommended by both Legal 500 and Chambers UK, where he is described as 'an exceptional individual' and 'a master tactician, always one step ahead'. Led by partner Philippa Luscombe, Penningtons Manches Cooper's team of over 40 personal injury and medical negligence specialists is known for a combination of high quality technical expertise and client focused service to individuals and their families across the UK. It consistently achieves band 1 rankings in both the leading legal directories and is also commended in The Times Best Law Firms list. For the 2025/26 financial year, the team is expecting to see a 10 per cent increase in turnover. Commenting on Robert's arrival, Philippa said: "This is an important strategic appointment as we look to further enhance the capability of our London medical negligence practice, particularly in high value work and the delivery of exceptional client care. "Robert is exactly the individual we hoped to find - not only because of his unquestionable expertise, but also his commitment to his clients and his thoughtful, meticulous approach. "He is an excellent fit for our team - in terms of his personality, technical ability and reputation - and we are thrilled to welcome him." Robert added: "It is a privilege to join such a well-regarded national practice. "My work will remain centred on advocating for clients who have suffered catastrophic injuries, with particular emphasis on complex cauda equina syndrome claims and life-changing brain and spinal cord injury cases. "Penningtons Manches Cooper has strong specialist teams in all my key areas of focus, and I have long been genuinely impressed by its reputation in the sector. "I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the team so far and feel that the firm's collegiate and collaborative culture aligns extremely well with my own approach."

U.S. law firm Reed Smith has hired Etelka Bogardi as a partner in its financial industry group in Asia, recruiting her from Norton Rose Fulbright where she served as Asia head of fintech and financial services regulatory.