Alison Ainsley
Director & Clinical Negligence Solicitor
Boasting a law career which now spans across four decades, Alison’s vast experience and excellent knowledge is a major asset to our Clinical Negligence department.
A senior Litigator with the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Alison is also a member of the Law Society’s specialist clinical negligence panel, and much of her Case work is of a high-value and complex nature.
In recent years, she has successfully settled Cases ranging in value from £15,000 to £17m with settlements often including annual lifetime payments so clients can receive the professional care they need.
Having achieved solicitor status in 2002, Alison was appointed as a director with us in 2010 after initially qualifying as a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 1994.
After a long and varied law career, which includes a 25-year spell specialising in Personal Injury, she still gets great satisfaction from representing individuals and families and enjoys getting a good result which can help improve their quality of life.
Whilst Alison likes to adopt a very straight-talking approach, she treats every case with a sensitive hand and is great at building a rapport with clients, often working closely with people for several years to reach the best possible settlement.
Away from work
Originally from Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, Alison now lives in Whitley Bay and can often be found walking her French Bulldog, Nero, along the seafront and sand dunes near Spanish City.
What are your main interests or hobbies?
If I’m not out with my dog, you’ll probably find me running along the North East coast as I love to be active and keep fit. I’m a member of the North Shields Poly running club and regularly run in 10k and half marathon races. I also own and ride an eight-year-old Arabian horse called George, who enjoys competing in shows and dressage competitions.
What music do you like – any specific genre or artists?
I’m a bit of an ageing Punk wannabee so I still like music from that era, like Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Clash, Sex Pistols. I’m also partial to a bit of Jamaican reggae, Prince, Jamiroquai and New Order. An eclectic mix!
How would you describe yourself in 5 words?
Straight talking, honest, caring, hard-working and meticulous.
What’s your favourite food?
One of my favourite restaurants is El Torero in Newcastle because I absolutely love Spanish food, especially tapas. I also love their Dátiles con beicon, which is basically dates with an almond centre wrapped in streaky bacon. Delicious!
What film or boxset would you recommend to others?
When my husband is out, I do like to sneak a look at The Crown and I have also recently watched Wednesday on Netflix. I’m equally happy with a bit of Countryfile or Strictly Come Dancing.
Do you have a favourite book and why?
To relax, I enjoy picking up a good crime mystery or thriller. Ann Cleeves, who is native to the North East, is a great writer and I do like to read her books, especially the Shetland Series. LJ Ross is another great author and I do like her DCI Ryan series and the Dr Alex Gregory series.
Is there a smartphone App you could not live without?
Strava is a great app when you want to go running or cycling. I recently bought myself a Hybrid bike and I’ve used this App to find nice routes in and around Whitley Bay.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
I treated my school years with a quite flippant approach, and had to study later on in life to get where I wanted to be, so I would definitely tell myself to place more value on education.
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