Areas of Expertise

• Bills of Costs
• CCMS Bills
• Claim 1 and Claim 1A forms
• Costs Budgeting and Management
• Costs Negotiations and Advice
• Costs Training and Seminars
• High Costs Case Plans
• Points of Dispute
• Post Assessment Claims and EX80 Forms
• Replies to Points of Dispute

Profile

Vanessa has worked for over twenty years in Legal Costs, having started her career with Elite Law’s predecessor company, HM Law Costs Draftsmen.  Vanessa became an Associate Member of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen in 1997 before qualifying as a Costs Lawyer in 2011.

Vanessa has a wealth of experience across a broad range of costs work; both complex and routine.  She undertakes preparation of Bills of Costs (both traditional and electronic), Costs Budgets and Replies to Points of Dispute.  She has experience in clinical negligence, asbestos related disease, abuse, RTA and other personal injury, and commercial claims. Her experience in Legal Aid work extends to preparation of Legal Aid claims, to include Bills of Costs, CCMS claims, CCFS High Costs Events Case Plans and VHCC High Cost Cases Plans in complex publicly funded matters.

She has an eye for detail and an analytical mind, with a particular strength in dealing with complex and unusual matters; both Inter Partes and Legal Aid.

Vanessa has been involved in design and creation of Costs Budgets for complex and unusual matters, including a media sensitive multi-million pound Group Litigation when she designed and helped implement a bespoke Costs Budget and was instrumental in formulating a Budget Control Process to enable the client to be fully appraised at agreed intervals to ensure that the costs remained within the approved costs budget.

Outside of work Vanessa enjoys walking and swimming outdoors, even during winter.  As a New Zealander, Vanessa is a keen supporter of rugby and is often to be seen at the edge of a rugby field supporting her sons or even cheering on the All Blacks (to the annoyance of her English family).