Introduction
Louis has an extensive legal background, having been admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in 1990. He has served as a Partner and managed his own practice for many years, focusing on civil and commercial litigation. His expertise includes handling Landlord and Tenant matters, addressing complex issues related to forfeiture concerning Freehold reversions, and managing commercial leases. Louis has provided counsel on numerous intricate Landlord and Tenant issues, both residential and commercial, and has represented clients at the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. He holds an LLM in Employment Law from the University of Leicester and has significant experience in employment matters, including discrimination cases, unfair dismissal, and various employment-related issues.
His proficiency extends to Personal Injury, particularly in dealing with complex Clinical Negligence cases. Louis also advises on Wills, Probate, and jurisdictional issues pertaining to Inheritance Tax. He has addressed Insolvency matters for both individuals and corporations and has provided guidance on business acquisitions, partnership issues, and shareholder agreements.
Louis has defended Medical Practitioners in prosecutions brought by the General Medical Council and has represented them in Clinical Negligence cases.
Since 2005, Louis has served as a Judge of the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) in the Midlands region, continuing to fulfill this role on a part-time basis.
“I have sat approximately 2,700 days since 2005, hearing cases of Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (including overpayments on Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance), fraud cases relating to Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit. Since COVID-19 restrictions, cases have included face to face, telephone and video cloud hearings, preparing considerable numbers of Decision Notices, and many hundreds of Statements of Reasons over the years, which have been scrutinised successfully by the Upper Tribunal.”
Notable Cases
Regularly instructed on a variety of high-profile cases, including:
- Obtaining more than £1.8m for a brain damaged child through a medical negligence and complex personal injury case.
- Secured substantial damages in a 5-day Employment Tribunal relating to disability discrimination.
- Won a case where children were being excluded from schools and were being asked to sign Good Behaviour contracts. A case that attracted national radio and television media attention.
- Engaged in a 3-week trial appearing in a Medical Practitioner’s Disciplinary Tribunal, representing a Consultant Physician.
- Acted for a jobbing Groundworker who worked on a building site. The claimant lost a leg in a catastrophic injury and obtained substantial damages, notwithstanding one of the parties not having indemnity insurance.
- Advised on a complex Probate issue of a Jurisdictional nature, whereby complex and specialist advice needed to be obtained to ascertain where the deceased was domiciled for tax purposes, and if inheritance tax needed to be paid in the UK.
- Dealt with complex Offshore Tax issues relating to properties situated in the United Kingdom.