Solicitor Michelle Tebbutt
By Legal Futures Associate Hudgell Solicitors
Solicitor Michelle Tebbutt says she feels ‘immensely proud’ of her appointment as President of Hull Incorporated Law Society and intends to use the role to support the continued development of legal expertise across East Yorkshire.
Michelle is a medical negligence specialist at Hudgell Solicitors having joined the firm in 2015.
Over the past 12 months she has secured recognition for her work both internally at Hudgells, where she was promoted to the role of senior associate, and externally, as she was named ‘one to watch’ in the leading legal guide Chambers and Partners, and secured Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) Senior Litigator status.
Now, she is keen to use her role as the recently appointed President of Hull Incorporated Law Society to support and encourage others to keep developing and progressing their careers, adding to and strengthening the ‘exceptional legal talent’ in East Yorkshire.
Michelle has seen first-hand how her own firm, Hudgell Solicitors, has risen to prominence not only locally, but nationally in recent years, leading representation in cases of major national significance.
These have included Public Inquiries and investigations relating to the Post Office Horizon scandal, the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, and into widespread failings in cases at the Met Police.
‘Exceptional’ legal talent
Michelle says Hudgells’ recent success story reflects the excellent legal talent in Hull and the East Riding, matching that at other firms across the UK.
“My involvement with Hull Incorporated Law Society has been extremely rewarding,” she said.
“As a region we have many leading law firms and exceptionally talented lawyers who can offer legal support to clients that more than matches that provided in the cities and regions of the UK which are commonly assumed to be the legal hotspots.
“We have to shout out more about the work being done by legal teams across Hull and the East Riding, and the opportunities there are for people to have excellent legal careers here.
“Hudgells is a great example. We have teams of locally trained lawyers who are now leading on cases of huge national significance, and as a business we look to inspire and train the next generation of lawyers through work experience, apprenticeships and training.
“The key for our local firms is to keep investing in and developing local talent, and to give them the opportunities of enjoying a career in law, which can be so rewarding.”
Access to justice a key priority
Michelle has excelled in her own clinical negligence case work over the past 12 months, securing a damages settlement totaling more than £13 million in lump sum and periodical payments for one of her clients, in a case relating to delay in diagnosis and treatment which was highly complex both medically and legally.
As the new figurehead of Hull Incorporated Law Society, she will help shape its direction over the coming 12 months, with a focus on enhancing the reputation of solicitors, barristers, and legal professionals across the region and promoting continuous learning among members.
In the role she is also able to lobby for legal reforms, advocate for access to justice, address issues affecting the legal community and urged to collaborate with other legal bodies, government agencies, and stakeholders to promote positive changes.
“The roles and responsibilities of President very much mirror what we do day to day at Hudgells, given that we are committed as a firm to making justice accessible to all, and that we often campaign for change alongside partners and charities,” Michelle added.
“I’m very much looking forward to the 12 months ahead. It’s going to be a period of further change, and some new challenges for all involved in the legal sector, so to be part of a collective voice for our sector is something I am immensely proud of.”
Hull Incorporated Law Society is one of 12 local law societies which falls under the umbrella organisation of the Yorkshire Union of Law Societies, a group which brings solicitors in Yorkshire together with a collective stronger voice.
Its main role is to support the profession locally by offering training and information services, social events and representing members’ interests with the Law Society, the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) and other bodies.
The Society holds an annual dinner providing the opportunity for lawyers to network and promote growth, and to fundraise and contribute to charities, with Michelle’s charity of choice to support this year being Women’s Aid.
