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Rachel Donovan is a highly experienced medical negligence solicitor with more than 25 years of specialist expertise.
She represents clients in complex clinical negligence claims involving catastrophic injuries, missed diagnoses, group litigation, and sensitive high-profile cases.
Rachel is known for her compassionate, client-focused approach and for securing life-changing results for individuals and families affected by substandard medical care.
Areas of Expertise
Rachel specialises exclusively in medical and clinical negligence and has extensive experience across a wide range of complex and sensitive cases. Her particular areas of expertise include:
- Brain injury claims involving adults and children, such as cerebral palsy
- Birth injury claims
- Failure to diagnose stroke
- Failure to diagnose hip fractures
- Genetic negligence claims, including failure to screen families for HNPCC (genetic bowel cancer)
- High-profile hospital negligence investigations, including involvement in the Alder Hey organ retention case
- Group litigation, including actions against Liverpool Women’s Hospital involving the George Rowlands case
- Transvaginal mesh claims and other women’s health negligence cases
Her background in physiology and pharmacology gives her a strong foundation for understanding complex medical evidence, enabling her to build robust cases for her clients.
Education and Professional Qualifications
Rachel completed her BSc in Physiology with Pharmacology at the University of Sheffield between 1995 and 1998. Building on her scientific background, she went on to obtain a Master’s in Law between September 1999 and June 2000.
She has also undertaken a range of CPD and specialist training throughout her career to remain at the forefront of developments in clinical negligence law.
Memberships and Accreditations
Rachel was admitted to the Law Society in 2003 and is registered and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). From 2007 to 2017, she served as a Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel Member, recognising her significant expertise in handling complex medical negligence claims and her commitment to upholding the highest professional standards.
Career History
Rachel began her legal career in 1999 when she joined Goodmans, where she spent a decade developing her skills in complex medical negligence litigation. In 2009, she moved to John Pickering & Partners, continuing to build her reputation as a dedicated and meticulous solicitor.
In 2012, Rachel joined Simpson Millar as a partner, taking on a senior leadership role and managing a broad portfolio of high-value and sensitive clinical negligence cases. She remained there until 2016, before taking a short career break between 2017 and 2019.
Rachel returned to practice in September 2019 with SPG, where she continued to act for clients in challenging medical negligence claims. In March 2021, she joined JF Law, where she now brings more than twenty-five years of specialist experience to the firm’s clinical negligence team.
Other Languages Spoken
Rachel is also fluent in French
Why Did You Become A Solicitor?
During a year off after university I worked in Range High school scribing for children who had physical disabilities.
One of the children I met was pursuing a claim and I became fascinated in what had happened to this poor family and the legal battle they had embarked on, feeling like very much a David and Goliath situation.
I then did work experience at Leigh Day during summer 1999 and my passion for this area of the law blossomed and from then on, I wanted to help in some small way in making a difference to people’s lives who had been impacted by medical negligence.
25 years later I still find myself wanting to help people as much as I did when I first started a career in the law in 1999.
Over the years I have assisted my clients by obtaining much needed answers and life changing financial settlements.
I have met some wonderful courageous people during my journey, and it has been an honour to have been allowed into people’s lives during the most difficult of times.
I always remember a quote from a client who said you came in as a stranger and left as a friend.
This quote has stayed with me throughout the years, and I hope to provide a service that gives the client total trust in the fact that as their lawyer I strive to do my best for them.
