Kelly Buckley

Ranked as a ‘Next Generation Partner' in the Legal 500, Kelly is a partner in our health and litigation department and leads our specialist maternity team. Kelly is our ‘Mediation and (A)DR Champion’ and is an advocate for empathetic and collaborative dispute resolution.

Kelly is a recognised expert in maternity cases, with extensive experience working at the forefront of society’s biggest issues defending high value, complex and high-profile maternity and clinical negligence claims for NHS bodies including NHS Resolution, NHS Trusts and NHS England along with GPs, privately insured doctors, and other major government departments.  

Kelly leads a specialised maternity division where as well as supporting the NHS and its staff following devastating maternity incidents (including where mothers or babies have died, or where women have suffered severe injuries as a result of childbirth), the team support the work carried out by NHS Resolution’s Early Notification (EN) Scheme. This is an innovative national programme for improving safety in maternity care through the early investigation of maternity incidents where babies are born with a potentially severe brain injury. Working closely with NHS Resolution and NHS Trusts since the inception of the EN scheme, Kelly has helped to drive improvements for both families and Trusts.  

Kelly regularly arranges collaboration events to share learning between Trusts and delivers training on maternity and dispute resolution related topics. Kelly also has a wealth of understanding of the legal landscape regarding consent and maternal choice following her involvement in the leading Court of Appeal case of Shaw v Kovac. Working with a variety of NHS Trusts and clinical groups, Kelly has provided an insight into this important and developing area of law and medical ethics. Consent for clinicians.

Kelly has also worked closely with NHS Resolution on its response to the Ministry of Justice’s Call for Evidence on Dispute Resolution and has provided support and guidance to Trusts and clinicians. Capturing data about the drivers of engagement and resolution, Kelly has collaborated with mediation providers on how the future of mediation and (A)DR can be improved.