Law firm Browne Jacobson has appointed partner Paul Wainwright as Head of Counter Fraud Services.
Paul, who qualified as a solicitor in 1999, joins from Greenwoods Solicitors in Milton Keynes where he was Head of Liability Fraud. Prior to joining Greenwoods in 2011 Paul was Team Leader of the Claims Investigation Team for law firm Berrymans Lace Mawer.
Paul specialises in all aspects of complex multiparty motor fraud and has valuable experience of liability fraud including employers liability, public liability and public sector fraud and recovery.
Paul will lead a counter fraud legal team based across Browne Jacobsons two sites in Birmingham and Nottingham. He will be tasked with developing and delivering the firms counter fraud offering and will report to Nick Parsons, Head of the Insurance & Public Risk Team at Browne Jacobson
Fraud is aperennial issue for both the public and private sector. According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) fraudulent general insurance claims cost the industry £2.1billion a year adding on average of £50 to individual premiums. Whilst the insurance industry is taking a £2 billion hit each year public sector fraud is estimated at £25 billion each year.
Commenting on the appointment Nick Parsons, said:
"Assisting our public and private sector clients to combat fraudulent activity is a key component of the service we provide and Pauls appointment is a sign of our continued investment in this area. He has an impressive track record having worked closely with the fraud divisions of the countrys leading national insurers. His expertise will be a major asset to the team as we continue to build on the innovative and highly effective quality advice we provide to our clients. A validation solution developed for clients has for example produced savings in the region of £2m over the last 18 months."
Paul Wainwright added:
"To successfully tackle fraud there has to be a greater emphasis on detection and prevention through co-operation and intelligence sharing, the use of data analysis, and profiling. The recent pilot initiative between the IFB and a handful of London boroughs through NAFN to share intelligence on fraudsters is a positive step in the right direction but much more needs to be done. Browne Jacobson has an established counter fraud practice and I am looking forward to working with colleagues to develop further its innovative counter fraud offering to both its public and private sector clients."