Leading claims and risk management provider Gallagher Bassett’s (GB) recent acquisition of Caytons Law LLP (Caytons) has expanded its litigation offering, complementing the existing services provided by GB’s in-house law firm, Strata Solicitors.
Together, the two legal firms bring decades of litigation experience in the UK and being part of the GB family allows them to leverage the extensive claims management expertise and resources available to them.
With this latest addition, GB now offers a holistic portfolio of legal services; including recovery and subrogation, coverage, niche and complex pre-and-post defence litigation services available to clients including corporates, captives, carriers and MGAs.
Sam Moore, Managing Partner of Caytons and Chris Sturridge-Packer, Director of Strata Solicitors sat down to discuss their career journeys, what GB’s expanded legal solutions will mean for the market and what they plan to achieve in 2025.
Q: Can you share your experience in the legal claims industry?
Sam: I’ve worked in the insurance industry for about 15 years, getting my start in a niche professional indemnity firm as a claims handler. I then moved to Caytons where I trained to become a qualified solicitor, and eventually the managing partner.
Chris: I had a very similar career journey to Sam. I also started off in claims handling with another law firm who specialised in corporate motor and liability claims following a period of work experience. I joined Strata Solicitors in 2011 where I became a qualified solicitor and have worked in several operational roles since. Both Sam and I were the first trainee solicitors at our firms.
Q: What do you find most interesting about the legal claims management industry?
Sam: I enjoy professional indemnity litigation because every case is different. Whether I’m working on claims from architects, engineers, building contractors, solicitors or insurance brokers – each insured client and their insurer has their own unique needs and ways of interacting with us.
Chris: Coming from a background of motor claims, with motor vehicles everywhere and high volumes of claims, you think it’s the centre of the insurance world. But after joining GB, I realised there’s a huge insurance world out there with many complex, diverse areas and it was – still is – fascinating to get that exposure daily.
Q: From your perspective, what matters most to clients?
Sam: Our clients expect service excellence and in joining the GB team, we will have access to the resources and knowledge to continue to deliver outcomes that matter most. This acquisition is an exciting time for our continued growth, and we’re proud to be backed by a stable, expert partner with a strong presence in the UK market.
Chris: The key thing clients are looking for from us is deep expertise in their chosen area. They want us to understand the nuance of their business and really get into the detail with them so that we can provide them customised solutions that fit their priorities.
Q: What advice would you give to early career professionals?
Sam: As a trainee solicitor or young legal professional looking to become a solicitor, a career in the insurance market will offer you many opportunities. Insurance claims is an exciting and constantly growing industry. It’s important to develop your career somewhere which gives you real responsibility from day one. If you’ve had that real responsibility dealing with claims during your development then, once you’re qualified, you’re already a specialist. That is the opportunity we give to people.
Chris: This is something Sam and I agree won’t change following the acquisition. I’m a big believer in giving responsibility to new starters as soon as they’re comfortable and empowering our people to make decisions. If you’re in your early career, you need to seek out an environment that’s going to give you that exposure, but also have the right supervision and controls in place so you’re in a position to reach your aspirations.
Q: Following the recent expansion of GB’s legal solutions, what are you planning to achieve in 2025?
Sam: The Caytons team has felt very welcomed from day one, genuinely. I think we can learn a lot from each other, lean on our different areas of expertise, and enhance our service offering. GB is a growth business – forward thinking and entrepreneurial – and I’m excited to see Caytons continue to grow as ‘A Gallagher Bassett Company’.
Chris: We’re always looking for where we can deliver greater value and outcomes to our clients, and the expansion of GB’s legal solutions is an exciting step for the range of what we can deliver. The goal is to always provide excellent service, claim after claim, year after year. In 2025, we’re set to go beyond the standard our clients expect.
