Lawyer in the news

Who? Harold Immanuel, 50-year-old sole principal at London-based niche personal-injury firm Immanuel & Co.

Why is he in the news? Acted for 36-year-old nurse Angela Knott, who sued east London's Newham NHS Trust for negligence over crippling back injuries brought about through lifting heavy patients.

Her ward had 28 patients and only one hoist, which it had to share with another ward.

Ms Knott, who was forced to leave her job as a result of the injuries, was awarded 414,000 in damages after the court found that the trust had failed in its duties to both staff and patients.

Background: Degree in politics from Manchester University (1970-73), then a spell teaching.

Following a master's degree in economics from London University (1976-78), he moved on to become an anti-nuclear-power campaigner before signing up at the College of Law in London in 1986-88.

Qualified with McKenna & Co (now CMS Cameron McKenna) in 1990, and worked in the family business until he set up his own law firm in 1993.

Route to the case: 'I got on the case through a referral based on my expertise in personal injury.'

Thoughts on the case: 'This is a landmark case because Sister Knott's injuries were not caused by a specific accident - they were sustained over a period of time.

The court found the cause was the regular lifting of heavy patients, which is how most nurses' back injuries have come about.

But this goes beyond nurses; it could equally apply to other emergency workers, ambulance staff being the most obvious example.

We hope that the case will encourage other nurses to secure justice for past injuries, and will serve as a warning to the NHS that it must put proper risk assessments in place and can't just throw its nurses on the scrap heap.'

Dealing with the media: 'We welcomed the media interest because the client was anxious that other nurses would be helped by the case.

I had some dealings with the media before, when I was an anti-nuclear campaigner protesting against Sizewell.

If I had any advice for other solicitors dealing with the press, I would say, be prepared and don't get all legalistic on them.'

Paula Rohan