Pogust Goodhead cuts ties with founder as office quietly closed

Group claims firm Pogust Goodhead has severed any remaining link to its founder Tom Goodhead.

The firm’s parent company PGMBM Ltd filed an update with Companies House yesterday saying that Goodhead’s appointment as director was terminated this week.

The termination came around a month after it emerged that he had been replaced as chief executive of the heavily indebted class action firm.

Alicia Alinia, former managing director with national firm Slater and Gordon, was today confirmed as the new chief executive, having served as chief operating office since 2022.

Howard Morris, chairman, said: “I can confirm that Tom Goodhead has left his role as CEO and director.

‘With Alicia Alinia now appointed as CEO, we are entering a new chapter of strong and capable leadership. The firm has been through a challenging period, and we are now more focused than ever on stability, clarity, and the future direction of the business.

‘The firm is well-positioned to deliver future success, strengthen trust with our clients and partners, and continue our core mission: holding corporates to account and ensuring fair access to justice.’

Huw Dolphin, former head of DLA Piper’s Birmingham office and now a consultant, is a ‘person with significant control’ of PGMBM. He holds 75% or more of the shares.

The accounts for 2023, due to be filed by last year, are still overdue. The last published accounts, covering the 2022 calendar year, showed that the firm suffered an operating loss of £51.8m and owed more than £522m to creditors within the next year.

It has also been reported in Australia that Pogust Goodhead has shut its Sydney office, which had only been established in February 2024. Tom Goodhead explained at the time it was designed as a base to launch new claims against Australian corporations, including the mining giant BHP against whom it has brought hundreds of thousands of claims relating to the Brazil Mariana Dam disaster.

Concerning the Australian operation, a spokesperson for the firm said: 'Any entities named Pogust Goodhead in Australia were established by Tom Goodhead. It had no legal or contractual relationship with Pogust Goodhead UK entities.'

The Gazette understands Pogust Goodhead UK  has no operational responsibility for the Australian office and should not be conflated with its activities or closure.