Who? Sandra Baker, 31-year-old commercial litigation associate at DLA Piper in Leeds.


Why is she in the news? Represented Mrs A, a woman subjected to a brutal assault who won a landmark victory in the House of Lords this week. The ruling could enable her to sue her attacker for compensation despite the expiry of the six-year limitation period. Mrs A was sexually assaulted in 1988 by Iorworth Hoare, dubbed the 'lotto rapist' after he won £7 million on the National Lottery. He served 16 years of a life sentence for attempted rape and bought the winning ticket while on day release from prison in 2004. Hearing Mrs A's and five other test cases, the Law Lords ruled that courts will in future have discretion to extend the six-year time limitation for claims arising out of deliberate assault. Mrs A's case will now go back to the High Court for a decision on whether to extend the time-limit. Thousands of other claims from abuse victims are expected to follow the decision.



Background: Law degree at Manchester University followed by the legal practice course at the University of Northumbria. Qualified at DLA Piper in 2002.



Route to the case: 'When it came out in the press that Hoare had won on the Lottery, Mrs A's daughter contacted the Yorkshire Evening Post, which is a client of DLA Piper.'



Thoughts on the case: 'Mrs A's case is fairly exceptional and the ruling will allow her to take action against the man who ruined her life all those years ago. More widely, the case will pave the way for thousands of victims of intentional assault, such as child abuse, to seek justice notwithstanding the passage of time. However, it's important to point out that they can only do so with judicial discretion; the decision doesn't give carte blanche to everyone to start proceedings.'



Dealing with the media: 'This was a completely new experience for me and one which I found to be incredibly positive. There was a tidal wave of enthusiasm for Mrs A, while the media remained very respectful of her anonymity. It was important that we engaged with the media, as we may have needed their help to mount a campaign had we lost the case.'



Any career highlights? 'This case. I don't think you can beat going into the House of Lords with all its pomp and ceremony. It was a very exciting experience and an interesting case to do, then I emerged from the House of the Lords to face the awaiting media - it was a surreal, but brilliant day.'



Catherine Baksi