Browne Jacobson expands growing healthcare employment practice with key partner appointment | Browne Jacobson LLP

Law firm Browne Jacobson has appointed specialist employment partner Bridget Prosser to its national healthcare employment practice. 

Bridget’s appointment will support the further development and growth of the firm’s public and private healthcare practice both regionally and nationally with her work and client base cutting across both employment and healthcare.

Bridget, who joins from Capsticks, where she had partner responsibility for leading the Birmingham employment team and regularly advised on senior and strategic issues for healthcare clients in the midlands region. She has over 20 years of experience advising NHS organisations, national healthcare practices and blue chip clients in the commercial sector on various aspects of employment law. This includes carrying out employment investigations for the public sector, defending highly sensitive and complex employment tribunal claims, TUPE (including out-sourcing and re-tendering), restructuring and redundancies and doctor disciplinary and performance issues.

Bridget will work closely with Browne Jacobson’s flagship health and social care team who act for more than 50 NHS bodies including NHS England, 150 local authorities, and major independent sector providers. She will have a national role but because of her longstanding relationship with health clients in the South West she will also have a focus on the South West healthcare market.

Highly rated by leading independent legal directories Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, the Browne Jacobson team is widely acknowledged to have one of the country’s leading health and social care practices, with particular expertise in Court of Protection, especially deprivation of liberty, and general advisory matters. It also has the largest healthcare inquests team in the country and a large clinical negligence practice acting for NHS Resolution and the Medical Protection Society.

Bridget will also work with the firm’s 35-strong national employment practice. The team provides full employment legal services to its private and public sector client base, including, restructures, redundancy exercises, mergers, acquisitions, managing change and senior executive exits. Clients include many well-known blue-chip and FTSE companies and public sector bodies including those in health, local authority, and the education sectors.

Commenting on her appointment Jacqui Atkinson, partner and head of healthcare employment at Browne Jacobson, said: 

“Having previously worked with Bridget, I know that she is an exceptional lawyer who brings with her a refreshing approach to both the healthcare and employment sectors with her trusted extensive knowledge in both areas as well her ability to offer real forward thinking insight into the future landscape of both. 

“It is this approach that is a great fit with the Browne Jacobson culture and will be a real boost for our growing practice and a real support to healthcare clients who regard Bridget as a trusted advisor. In the last three years the firm has demonstrated its investment in the healthcare sector with the appointment of Gerard Hanratty, who is now our Head of Healthcare, Christian Dingwall, Commercial Partner, myself and now Bridget. I look forward to working with her again.”

Bridget Prosser added: 

“The healthcare sector remains an exciting and challenging area to work in. I am delighted to join Browne Jacobson, a firm with high quality healthcare work and one that is full of ideas and applies the best practice and learning from its diverse practice in the public sector and its enviable private sector client base. The quality of work is first rate and I am looking forward to the next phase of my career at a time of continuing significant change and opportunity in healthcare.”