Who? Nick Gower, 50-year-old partner at Cardiff firm Dolmans who specialises in personal injury and civil litigation. He heads the team that deals with local authority defendant work.

Why is he in the news? Represented Caerphilly County Borough Council, which successfully brought an action for contempt of court against a man who had made a fraudulent claim for damages against the council. Matthew Hughes was sentenced to two weeks in jail after he tried to sue the council for £10,000, falsely claiming he had injured his knee after tripping on a pothole. He claimed the injury had stopped him from playing football, but later admitted that he had continued to play and had scored a goal on the day of the claimed incident, before being taken off injured. Two of his friends, who supported his claim in statements, were also found guilty of contempt and each fined £1,500.


Background: Law and politics degree at Aberystwyth University, followed by six months at the College of Law in Guildford and articles at Dolmans. Qualified in 1980 and made a partner four years later.


Route to the case: 'I am client relations partner for Caerphilly County Borough Council and I have been doing their work since I qualified.'


Thoughts on the case: 'I believe this is the first time a council has succeeded in bringing such an action. It is important because it is estimated that across the UK between 60-80% of trip-and-slip claims for personal injury compensation against local authorities are fraudulent - in Wales alone, this costs taxpayers an estimated £18 million a year. This case shows that the council is not prepared to accept this, but is fighting back.


It is not a one-off case - other actions are anticipated. A lot of these cases are claim-farmed, and the solicitors who end up dealing with them are outside the areas affected and never get to meet the client. I hope this case will make solicitors think more carefully about the claimants they take on. The whole method of claims farming is appalling - people are being encouraged to make claims, and the way the people in the street are paid to do this by some of the companies involved makes it too easy for them to go off the straight and narrow.'


Dealing with the media: 'This case has attracted coverage in the local and national press, which I believe will have a deterrent effect on potential fraudulent claimants. The media has been very interested and supportive and shocked by the figures involved. Journalists have understood the importance of getting the message across that fraudulent claims cost the taxpayer.'