Patrick Allen set to receive lifetime achievement award

Patrick Allen, senior partner at Hodge Jones & Allen is to be awarded a lifetime achievement award by the world’s longest-running legal publication, Solicitors Journal.

The award recognises Patrick’s contribution to the profession and coincides with the firm’s 40th anniversary year.

Speaking about the award, John van der Luit-Drummond, deputy editor of Solicitors Journal, says: “During a lifetime of legal practice, Patrick Allen has been a tireless campaigner for social justice with the simple aim of making people’s lives better. He has taken on cases that others wouldn’t and used the law as a tool to effect change.

“After 40 years of practice, the editors of Solicitors Journal felt it right to honour a solicitor who has been described as a ‘titan’ and a ‘senior statesman’ by his contemporaries and who has done so much for the profession. His achievements speak for themselves, however, what is truly remarkable is that despite running an extremely successful law firm for four decades, Patrick shows no signs of slowing down and he is rightly seen as an inspiration to young solicitors rising through the ranks of the profession. The SJ team look forward to celebrating his lifetime of achievements at the Solicitors Journal Awards in May.”

Patrick Allen qualified as a solicitor in 1977 and founded Hodge Jones & Allen in the same year with Henry Hodge and Peter Jones. He was managing partner from the day the firm opened and combined that role with that of senior partner following Henry Hodge’s retirement in 1998.

For the last 20 years, Patrick has specialised in complex personal injury and multi-party cases, leading the HJA team that managed the Gulf War illness claims for UK veterans and the New Cross fire inquest. He also managed the MMR and Sheep Dip multi-party actions and played a lead role in the King’s Cross Fire and Marchioness litigations.

From 2003 to 2005 Patrick also acted for a number of the women who had been incarcerated as slave labour workers in the so-called Magdalene laundries and who have since been awarded compensation by the Irish government. He was also instructed by the Bridgewater Four in their miscarriage of justice claim against the Home Office.

Today Hodge Jones & Allen is renowned for being at the forefront of some of the UK’s most important legal cases particularly in multiparty actions, medical negligence, housing, civil liberties, family, human rights and criminal law. The firm employs over 230 people and is one of the largest ‘personal law’ providers with ten departments and an annual turnover of £16m.

Upon hearing news of the award, Patrick Allen said:

“After seeing a friend wrongfully arrested and charged by the police at a demo in 1971, and later acquitted in courts, I realised that there was a political and socially useful side to the law. I decided on a career to help people, especially disadvantaged and vulnerable clients, assert or defend their rights against powerful opponents.

“I take great pride in the development of Hodge Jones & Allen, which after 40 years employs well over 200 people and still goes from strength to strength. Over the years, we have helped over 200 lawyers to qualify in our field of work, and it has been my privilege to act for so many amazing clients and work with dedicated and brilliant colleagues.

“We have seen the importance of both legal aid and the Human Rights Act, but although both are under threat, giving up is not an option. Injustice is not going to disappear. I still have the same passion that the law and the courts can be a creative force for good.”

The awards ceremony will be held on 17 May 2017 at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London.

Ends

Notes for Editors

Hodge Jones and Allen

• Hodge Jones and Allen is one of the UK’s most progressive law firms, renowned for doing things differently and fighting injustice. Its managing partner is Patrick Allen.
• For almost 40 years’ the firm has been at the centre of many of the UK’s landmark legal cases that have changed the lives and rights of many people.
• The firm’s team of specialists have been operating across: Personal Injury, Medical Negligence, Industrial Disease, Civil Liberties, Criminal Defence, Court of Protection, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Family Law, Military Claims, Serious Fraud, Social Housing, Wills & Probate and Property Disputes.
• Co-founder Patrick Allen is still at the helm of the firm he co-founded in 1977.
• In 2016 the firm launched Hearing their voices – a campaign to raise awareness and build conversations around the issues and the injustices we might all face.