Fiona Ross

Year of call:

2004

Education:

1999 - University of Edinburgh, MA (Hons) History (2:1)

2000 - University of Cambridge, PG Cert in International Business Practice (First)

2003 - The College of Law, PGDip Law (‘very competent’)

2004 - Manchester Metropolitan University, BVC (‘very competent’)

Career:

1999 - British American Chamber of Commerce, marketing & special events assistant, New York

2000 - Finance Professionals, London, recruitment consultant (investment banking)

2001 - Firefly Communications, London (PR consultant)

2004 - Pupil at Sovereign Chambers (civil/family)

2005 - Tenant at Sovereign Chambers

2015 - Sovereign Chambers becomes Park Square Barristers

Appointments:

Freelance lecturer/examiner on the BPTC (BPP College of Professional Studies, Leeds) since 2005 Accredited to teach advocacy by the IATC since 2005.

2005-2009 - Management Board Member. Sovereign Chambers

Memberships:

Personal Injury Bar Association (since 2004)

Awards:

2005 - North Eastern Circuit Louise Godfrey QC moot finalist

2003 - Hardwicke Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn

1999 - Mountbatten Scholarship

Languages:

French

Ranked as Tier 1, Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (2024) for Personal Injury.

Fiona is an excellent advocate with a calm presence and eye for detail.” – The Legal 500 (2024)

“Fiona is a very thorough advocate and a tough cross-examiner. She combines a down-to-earth manner with pragmatic advice.” The Legal 500 (2023)

“She gets to the crux of the issue without drama, and argues her cases in a no-nonsense style.” – The Legal 500 (2022)

“Approachable and thorough, with a great depth of knowledge.” – The Legal 500 (2021)

Fiona has been ranked as a leading junior in The Legal 500 since 2015. She maintains a broad personal injury practice but specialises increasingly in serious life-changing injury claims at home and abroad. Fiona represents seriously injured claimants, insurance companies, health trusts and local authorities. She is instructed in claims arising out of injury or death at work, in public places as well as serious road traffic accidents (including MIB claims). She is also experienced in dealing with cases involving chronic pain conditions, including Chronic Pain Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Somatoform Pain Disorders.

Fiona is known for her thorough preparation, robust cross examination style and her sensitive and sympathetic approach when communicating the issues to clients.

Fiona also has a wealth of expertise in representing both Claimants and Defendants in claims under the Package Travel Regulations and is increasingly sought-after in high-value, large scale and group claims.

“Approachable and thorough, with a great depth of knowledge.” – The Legal 500 (2020)

“Highly recommended for personal injury matters.” – The Legal 500 (2019)

“Very experienced in personal injury claims.” – The Legal 500 (2017)

“She is personable, approachable and excellent with clients.” – The Legal 500 (2016)

Her forensic attention to detail and unflappable manner mean that she is highly sought after by insurers to act in road traffic claims involving serious allegations of fraud, both in relation to liability and in relation to the injuries suffered. She has successfully represented insurers in committal proceedings relating to fraudulent claims.

She is involved at each stage of the claims process from advisory work, drafting pleadings, schedules of loss and Part 35 questions, attending conferences with clients and experts, through to attending CCMCs, JSMs, trial and approval hearings. Fiona is also regularly instructed to advise on and/or represent parties at contentious and substantive applications.

Fiona is currently a contributor to Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service. She regularly throughout the year provides lectures, and occasionally mock trials, to her instructing solicitors, insurers and others within the industry on case law updates and procedural developments. Alongside a full time practice, she taught for many years (from 2005) on the part time BPTC course at BPP Leeds and is a fully qualified advocacy trainer for the North Eastern Circuit.

Recent examples from the last 12 months:

  • Fatal Accidents Act claim on behalf of three children following the death of a Father in a high speed road traffic accident. Fiona settled pleadings and advised throughout, resulting in a substantial settlement and apportionment was approved by the Court.
  • Representing the Defendant tour operator in a claim where the Claimant sustained serious bruising and other injuries which became infected when she returned to the UK resulting in very severe necrostings fascititis which caused significant trauma. The Claimant was left with extensive disfigurement to her left leg. Fiona settled pleadings and advised throughout.
  • Representing the Defendant insurer in a claim where the Claimant had sustained severe burns to 20-29% of his body surface in an electrical explosion at work. The Claimant has been left with restricted limb use, nerve palsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. Settled at JSM.
  • Acting for the insurer defending a severe traumatic right-sided brain injury sustained during a fall at work. Exposed, with the use of detailed surveillance footage, as fraudulent. The claim was valued in excess of £750,000.

Public Access

Fiona may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Fiona’s clerks

Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

Ranked as a Leading Junior in The Legal 500 (2023) for Personal Injury.

“Fiona is a very thorough advocate and a tough cross-examiner. She combines a down-to-earth manner with pragmatic advice.” The Legal 500 (2023)

“She gets to the crux of the issue without drama, and argues her cases in a no-nonsense style.” – The Legal 500 (2022)

“Approachable and thorough, with a great depth of knowledge.” – The Legal 500 (2021)

Fiona has worked at the forefront of fraudulent personal injury claims since the early 2000’s. She has been ranked as a leading junior in The Legal 500 since 2015. She has substantial experience of the numerous forms of suspicious/fraudulent claims in employer’s liability, public liability and travel insurance fraud cases. For many years Fiona worked exclusively on behalf of insurers in motor fraud cases involving fabricated, staged and induced (‘slam-on’) accidents, bogus passengers and phantom witnesses, low-velocity impacts (LVIs), exaggerated personal injury and damage claims and rehabilitation fraud. She is also often asked to advise in cases involving organised fraud rings and has acted in many credit hire claims ranging from low value to complex high value claims. Fiona continues to deal with cases of this nature on a weekly basis and is instructed on a repeat basis by most of the country’s leading firms specialising in civil insurance fraud and many of the UK’s insurance companies.

She is well known for her strong trial advocacy, particularly her forensic cross-examination style and down to earth approach when communicating the issues to clients and solicitors.

She is involved at each stage of the claims process from advisory work, drafting pleadings, schedules of loss and Part 35 questions, attending conferences with clients and experts, through to attending CCMCs and trials. Fiona is also regularly instructed to advise on and/or represent parties at contentious and substantive applications.

“Approachable and thorough, with a great depth of knowledge.” – The Legal 500 (2020)

“Highly recommended for personal injury matters.” – The Legal 500 (2019)

“Very experienced in personal injury claims.” – The Legal 500 (2017)

“She is personable, approachable and excellent with clients.” – The Legal 500 (2016)

Fiona is currently a contributor to Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service. Fiona regularly throughout the year provides lectures, and occasionally mock trials, to her instructing solicitors, insurers and others within the industry on case law updates and procedural developments. Alongside a full time practice, she taught for many years (from 2005) on the part time BPTC course at BPP Leeds and is a fully qualified advocacy trainer for the North Eastern Circuit.

Recent examples from the last 12 months:

  • The Claimant had an extensive, complex history of back, neck and knee pain, chronic pain and fibromyalgia. The Claimant sustained minor whiplash injuries in a low-speed road traffic accident however claimed to have suffered a severe life-limiting exacerbation of pre-existing injuries. Successfully settled the pleadings and represented the Defendant at trial disputing causation against this complex background of medical and psychiatric issues. The claim which was pleaded at over £300,000 was dismissed.
  • The Claimant claimed for injuries he sustained whilst travelling in a vehicle that was stolen and driven by someone who was disqualified and therefore driving without insurance. The impact was a head-on collision with the oncoming vehicle. Successfully defended the claim on behalf of the MIB achieving a finding of Fundamental Dishonesty and a costs order against the Claimant.
  • Acted for the Defendant insurer in one of the first cases to be successful in using Strava to successfully defend a claim on the basis that there had been gross exaggeration of a genuine injury. Despite fault for the road traffic accident not being contested the Claimant claimed impaired ability to walk due to the chronic regional pain syndrome exacerbated following a low velocity impact. Successfully used Strava entries to seek a finding of fundamental dishonesty.
  • Successfully acted on behalf of the Defendant insurance company in exposing a fraud ring involving non-existent Cognitive Behavioural Therapy/physiotherapy treatment providers and therapists. Exposed the Claimant solicitors for issuing false invoices for treatment not undertaken and/or providing inflated invoices. The Claimant admitted to not having undertaken any CBT/physiotherapy treatment and denied authorising any Statement of Truth. A costs order against the treatment provider was sought.
  • Acting on behalf of numerous Defendant insurers in claims which formed part of a concerted approach taken by multiple insurers to reveal that a particular credit hire company fraudulently misrepresents during telephone calls that it is the Claimant’s insurer, the Defendant and/or their agents and/or falsely represents that it provides cars free of charge.

Public Access

Fiona may accept Public Access work, where she can be instructed directly by a member of the public rather than a solicitor.

Contact Fiona’s Clerks

Andy Reeves on 0113 213 5252

Talia Webster on 0113 202 8609

Joshua Duree on 0113 213 5246

Mike Alexander on 0113 2135268

Ben Ellison-Tope on 0113 2135207

The Legal 500 2017 leading individual logo Legal 500 Leading individual 2019