Taking last year’s successes into 2025

As we come to the end of the first month of the new year, we’re reflecting on a remarkable 2024. From winning client cases to celebrating milestone work anniversaries, we can safely say we made every moment count.?

After a well-deserved rest over the festive period, our dedicated solicitors have hit the ground running. We have all returned together to keep pushing for success in our 18th year of operation, and keep supporting our clients to achieve optimal outcomes.

Looking back on 2024

• We continued to be a beacon for legal advice – Last year we processed 11,376 personal injury, family, and civil enquiries.
• Our clients achieved life-changing compensation – Jeff Sparke supported a claimant following a serious road accident, securing ￡466,000 in compensation after a three-year legal process. Similarly, we won a landmark ￡2.75m settlement in a road traffic accident case.
• We collaborated across borders – Back in October, we attended the British-Polish Business Insights event at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London. This unique opportunity allowed us to collaborate with solicitors across the Channel.
• We celebrated double-figure milestones – Legal Director Chris Germaine officially marked 10 years at Optimal Solicitors, while Head of Marketing Edyta Sliwinska celebrated her 11th work anniversary.

Legal briefing?

Campaigners say NDA ban in university law should spark wider change

The government has confirmed that it will implement the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 after the general election delayed its completion. The legislation included a complete ban on the use of non-disclosure agreements, with one campaigner saying that this is a ‘landmark decision’, but also calling for the business secretary to echo these provisions in the Employment Rights Bill.

Scottish MP bids to reverse legislation which increased complexity in workplace injury claims

Prior to the introduction of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, injured workers had the statutory right to claim compensation if their employers had breached health and safety regulations. However, the Act means that injured workers have to rely almost exclusively on the common law and must demonstrate that negligence has taken place. Dundee Central’s Chris Law MP has now tabled an amendment to reverse this legislation, to help people who suffer harm in the workplace establish a claim.?

The Optimal pulse

• Accounts and Operations Manager Charlotte Porter qualified as a Mental Health First Aider after completing a 4-day training course – huge well done!
• Jacek Zawieracz celebrated a well-deserved promotion to Service Quality and Business Improvement Lead.
• Our Multi-Track Team Leader, Susan Phelps, celebrated her 50th birthday in the office.

Employee of the month

Congratulations to Ricky Jones who has been named as the first Employee of the Month for 2025! In the words of our team, Ricky has been ‘an absolute lifesaver’ over the past month, jumping to resolve countless issues beyond his station, no matter how tricky the problem is,? and making sure everything runs smoothly. His positive attitude makes him a pleasure to work with and he’s made a huge difference to the team. A well-deserved winner for January!

This month’s work anniversaries?

Two members of team Optimal are celebrating another year with us this month…

?? Zuzanna Klodka – 4 years

?? Karolina Bobinska – 3 years

Congratulations to you both!?

Latest blog – Achieving a ￡5,500 payout for a client after a workplace accident

Rubina Chowdhury is no stranger to employers’ liability cases – in fact, it’s her speciality. So when a claimant approached Optimal after an unfortunate accident on his first day of work, she was able to reach a fair settlement without even taking the matter to court. Find out how the case unfolded in our recent blog.

(Re)Introducing… Stephanie Matthews

Steph has been at Optimal for six years and has just returned from maternity leave. Initially coming from a personal injury background, which she practiced for over seven years, she always wanted to delve deeper into family law. So, she retrained at Optimal – starting as a paralegal and working her way back to Solicitor, and now Team Leader.?

“The reason I got into family law is because I like helping people and problem solving. As cliché as it sounds, I feel like I make a real difference to our clients in this area.”

Outside of work Steph is an early bird, getting to the gym most mornings for 6am before juggling a busy family home and twin 16-month-olds: “They keep me on my toes, so getting to a live music gig to unwind is one of my favourite things to do!”

Prioritising a professional service

We’re always happy to receive positive reviews – but more importantly, we’re happy that we were able to help our road traffic accident clients move past the accident and claim the compensation they deserve. Thanks to Natalia for the kind words sharing their experience ??

Looking for legal support? Make the Optimal choice

We know the prospect of taking legal action can be stressful. That’s why, at Optimal, we’re committed to supporting you throughout the process, making sure every stage is handled with care, empathy, and sincerity on the path to a resolution. Get in touch with our team today by calling 0161 250 7771 or completing ouronline contact formto see how we can help.