Who? Damian Crosse, 40-year-old commercial litigation partner at DLA Piper in Leeds.


Why is he in the news? Mr Crosse represented 78-year-old Mrs A, who successfully appealed in the House of Lords for the right to sue for damages the man who attempted to rape her almost 20 years ago. There is normally a six-year limitation period for such actions.



The man who attacked her, serial rapist Iorworth Hoare, was subsequently sentenced to 16 years in prison. While on day release in 2004, however, he bought a lottery ticket and won over £7 million. He has now been freed.



Mr Hoare's new-found wealth gave Mrs A the opportunity, in the words of Mr Crosse, 'to take her claim for compensation forward against a man who had shattered her life.'



Background: Mr Crosse read law at the University of Kent, moving on to the College of Law at Lancaster Gate. He completed his articles at City firm Herbert Smith in 1991, where he stayed for a further three years post-qualification. There followed a three-year spell at the now-defunct international firm Coudert Brothers before he joined DLA Piper in 1997. He was made partner in 1998.



Route to the case: Mrs A contacted the Yorkshire Evening Post when she heard that Mr Hoare had been released. The newspaper is a client of Mr Crosse and contacted him with her story. He said: 'We knew it would be a tough legal battle, but decided to take it on pro bono nonetheless.'



Thoughts on the case: 'Mrs A is a remarkable lady who is not only very brave but also determined. Whenever we reached a crossroads in the case, her determination inspired us to try and find a way to take her claim forward. At the outset, the legal obstacle posed by her suing outside the limitation period appeared to represent a very serious hurdle. However, as the case went through the various appeals, we became increasingly optimistic and the legal importance of the case began to hit home. It's been an uphill struggle, but the law lords have now decided to exercise their discretion to extend the time limit, and now Mrs A and the other victims can sue.'



Dealing with the media: 'The media interest has been incredible. On the first day of the hearing, I did interviews with the BBC, ITV and Sky. It was pretty nerve-racking, but I enjoyed it and was confident because I knew so much about the case.



'It was important to engage with the media and maintain the profile of the case because, at some point, we may have needed their support in helping Mrs A with, for example, an adverse costs award. Mrs A, while wishing to maintain her anonymity, also wanted to maintain the publicity around the case. There has been a lot of interest locally in Leeds and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been a big support throughout.'



Jonathan Rayner