Lucy Hodgkins

Associate Costs Lawyer

Lucy started working in costs in 2008. Since then she has been lucky enough to have been exposed a variety of work types and to act for both paying and receiving parties. Being able to obtain this broad knowledge whilst she was training has given Lucy the ability to see the wider picture when looking at costs and to pass her knowledge and experience on to her clients.

Having begun her career working in-house, Lucy also has a sound understanding of the commercial needs of her clients and can readily adapt her advice to account for their current needs. She has a keen eye for detail and always aims to take a proactive approach.

A former chair of the Bristol Women Lawyers Division, Lucy remains on the committee and is an active member of the local legal community and is also a member of Bristol Law Society.

Over the last few years Lucy has taken over primary responsibility for much of the training provided by Paragon Costs and regularly provides in-house training to clients and non-clients alike, on a number of costs related subjects. She has been a guest speaker at both Bristol Law Society's Dispute Resolution Conference and their Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Conference. The highlight of Lucy’s training year is Paragon’s own annual conference, run in conjunction with Guildhall Chambers.

Expertise

Acting for both paying and receiving parties, Lucy is highly skilled in drafting bills and statements of costs but now focusses the majority of her time on preparing complex costs budgets, undertaking high value paying party work, and providing bespoke advice to clients.

Lucy primarily undertakes commercial litigation, professional negligence, and banking and finance work but she also enjoys taking on high value and complex personal/injury clinical negligence work when the need arises.

Commerciality and strategy is key to Lucy’s practice and whilst she is skilled in negotiating settlements, but also in recognising when negotiations are no longer effective and the court's input is required. Her sound understanding of accounts means that Lucy is able to assess the commercial implications of settlements for her clients.