Ontime Group, a Manchester-based provider of specialist services to personal injury and clinical negligence lawyers in England and Wales, has appointed Alex Summerscales as its new assistant director of costs.
Reporting to director of costs, Sharon Denby, Alex will deal with advocacy, cost budgeting and high value or complex technical cases, while assuming management responsibilities including growing the team and expanding its skills sets.
Ontime Group was launched to optimise case outcomes for clients and maximise their fee income by providing a unique, seamless service of medical and non-medical reporting, pagination and costs services.
A rapidly growing business, it appointed Alex as part of its ambitious expansion plans to double its size to 50 employees, and double its profits, over the next 12 to 18 months.
A highly experienced lawyer, Alex has over 10 years’ industry experience including seven years at DLA Piper working on a wide variety of RTA, employers’ liability and public liability cases, as well as complex high-value industrial disease, marine, aviation and commercial cases up to £5m.
His last position was head of costs at Ford & Warren in Leeds and Alex has relocated to Manchester to join Ontime Group, based on Palatine Road in Northenden.
Operations director at Ontime Group, James Molloy said: ‘Ontime Group is going from strength to strength, particularly our ever-busy costs department, which needed somebody who could hit the ground running. Alex was the perfect candidate as he has a full range of skills and expertise in areas such as negotiation, advocacy, drafting, appeals and management.
‘He also has the experience to get up-to-date with cases as quickly as possible and ensure our clients continue to receive the accurate, first-class costs service they’re promised.”
Alex said: ‘This is a confident business that has enthusiasm, clear direction and a great management structure. It’s fantastic to be joining a forward-thinking business which is investing so heavily in its costs team – I look forward to the challenges ahead.’
