Who? Dino Nocivelli, a partner in the abuse department at Leigh Day, London.
Why is he in the news? Represented former dancer Ellen Elphick, who settled a legal claim against the Royal Ballet School for alleged body shaming.
Thoughts on the case: ‘This case is particularly notable in that, to the best of my knowledge, it is the first “body shaming” settlement in ballet. Ellen approached me after reflecting on the experiences she had while at the Royal Ballet School. She felt that there should have been a different approach to teaching during her time there, and wanted to raise awareness to help protect other children from experiencing the kind of psychological harm she described.’
Royal Ballet School denies liability. A spokesperson said: ‘We are pleased that both parties were able to reach a mutually acceptable agreement in this way and we wish Ellen and her family well for the future. The school continues to take the wellbeing of its students very seriously.’
Dealing with the media: ‘Ellen and I worked with the BBC to give them the exclusive story, which led to Ellen and I being interviewed on Radio 4 Woman’s Hour. This gave Ellen a prominent platform to share her story first-hand. Leigh Day’s press office also shared Ellen’s story with other media, who then published it widely.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘It might sound cliched, but it really was genuinely a case of trying to right the wrongs in the world. Coming from a working-class background and an Italian-Welsh family, I saw first-hand numerous prejudices in society and the need for justice. I cannot stand by and see those who do wrong not be held accountable.’
Career high: ‘Every time a client succeeds in a case. Not only is it a personal success for myself and the client, it also represents an opportunity to raise awareness of important abuse issues that need addressing. It’s my hope that this can help drive real change to stop and safeguard against abuse.’
Career low: ‘Seeing the long periods of time (often decades) that it takes for survivors to feel able to disclose the abuse they have suffered. We must do more as a society to break the taboo of abuse and ensure that there is better safeguarding in place, as well as a better environment for people to be able to disclose abuse.’
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