LAWYER IN THE NEWS

Who? Simon John, 56-year-old partner and catastrophic injury specialist at 12-partner Norfolk law firm Cunningham John.Why is he in the news? Acted for the Coman family, which recently sued the former East Norfolk Health Authority for damages 38 years after a doctor's negligence resulted in Richard Coman being born with brain damage.

A settlement was reached on the morning of the hearing awarding 3.15 million compensation.

It is believed the case is the longest-running clinical negligence claim arising out of a maternity blunder.Background: Went straight from Ampleforth College to undertake the old five-year articles regime at Leicester firm Stone & Co.

Qualified in June 1969 and moved to Thetford-based TE Rudling & Co, but left when the firm de-merged in 1973 to set up present firm, Cunningham John.Route to the case: 'In 1995, I represented a family in a similar case against another Norwich hospital, 23 years after the event, where 1 million compensation was paid.

The Comans only realised they could bring an action when they read about the case and they contacted me.'Thoughts on the case: 'The case took a long time to reach its conclusion as there was a great deal of difficulty obtaining the medical records from nearly 40 years ago.

The irony is that if the Comans had brought the proceedings in the 1960s, they would almost certainly have been unsuccessful due to the lack of legal expertise on the subject in the UK at the time.'Dealing with the media: 'In cases where there is about to be a trial, it helps the client enormously to have guidance with regard to the media.

Otherwise, when they go to court they can be totally unprepared for the attention reporters give them.'Andrew Towler