Claimant lawyers set up public law and human rights firm

Three leading claimant public law solicitors have launched a specialist firm with a focus on education, health and social care, Court of Protection and judicial review.

Anne-Marie Irwin, Polly Sweeney and Alex Rook said their new law firm, Rook Irwin Sweeney, will be based in London and Bristol but accessible nationally across England and Wales.

The firm said: “With ethics and expertise, we will fight for the rights of every person. Always ready for the challenge, we aim to be the voice for the ignored and empower those who feel under-represented. We will give back by donating 10% of our profits to charitable initiatives who share our vision and values.

“Each of us are experienced public law and human rights lawyers and have acted in many of the leading public law, human rights, education, Court of Protection and community care cases over the last decade. We have taken cases to secure our clients’ rights to the High Court, Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice. Our depth of knowledge and invaluable expertise means that we can support our clients to affect positive change where it matters.”

It added: “We believe passionately that where legal rights have been breached, legal remedies should be accessible for all. With the generous support of an anonymous donor our ‘EHC Social Justice Fund’ will be available for applications to support families and individuals with issues relating to education, health and social care, who cannot otherwise access and pay for legal advice. This annual fund will be in addition to our ongoing commitment to traditional pro bono work.”

The firm said it would also maintain the founding lawyers’ commitment to legal aid. It will work in partnership with Scott Moncrieff and Associates to ensure it continues its publicly funded work.

Polly Sweeney, founding partner, said: “We’re really excited to be launching Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP. Now more than ever, we believe that there’s a need for specialist and personalised advice, particularly for those who are often under-represented. We’re passionate about putting legal knowledge in the hands of those who need it most, and we’re looking forward to bringing cases which bring about positive change in peoples’ lives.”

On the coronavirus outbreak, the firm said: “We understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for the country, and especially for children and adults who are disabled. The emergency Coronavirus Act 2020 and other government measures significantly weaken the fundamental legal rights of our clients. As a firm, we are extremely well placed to support our clients through the challenging times that we will face in the weeks and months ahead.”