ABS and all-female board for Hilary Meredith

NORTH West personal injury law firm Hilary Meredith Solicitors has become the latest to be granted an ABS licence by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

In a further development and in what is believed to be a first for the legal sector, the Wilmslow firm’s new board is also made up entirely of women – founder and chief executive Hilary Meredith, managing director Stevie Tatton and director Clare Stevens.  

MD Stevie Tatton has worked with Hilary Meredith for 14 years. A non-lawyer, she has an extensive insurance background. Clare Stevens heads the firm’s military department and has worked with Hilary Meredith for 13 years.

Hilary Meredith said: “ABS status is a natural progression for the business.We are a niche firm dealing with high value complex cases. We don’t rule out approaches by insurers to potentially white label us as their specialist department for claimant cases and we have already had some interest.

“Our ABS licence certainly gives us options heading into the future.”

She said the make-up of the board was not a case of positive descrimination, but on merit.

“Boards are often criticised for being male dominated – with similar backgrounds, education and networks.  Our board is totally different – although we also have a number of senior, high calibre male lawyers in the business and all our appointments are made on merit.”

In the last 12 months the firms opened an office on Chancery Lane in London.

She founded the firm after leaving Donns in October 2003. She now has just under 50 specialised staff dealing with claimant complex injury and military cases with a turnover of close to £7m.