Meet our legal costs experts
At Carter Burnett we believe we’re only as good as our people.
With decades of extensive experience to draw upon, our team of legal costs experts are well equipped for the challenges of costs budgeting.
From commercial litigation and personal injury cases to complex clinical negligence claims, we handle every aspect of the Costs Litigation process.
Discover more about our experts
JON-PAUL BURNETT
Jon-Paul commenced work as a Costs Draftsman after leaving the College of Law in York in 1997. Initially specialising in Costs Claims arising out of complex child care proceedings, Jon-Paul moved into Clinical Negligence. Since 2000 he has almost exclusively dealt with Costs Claims arising out of complex clinical negligence disputes.
Prior the inception of the Jackson reforms, Jon-Paul played a pivotal role in ensuring clients were ready to meet the challenges of Costs Budgeting. Since April 2013, Jon-Paul has specialised in the preparation of costs budgets in multi-million pound claims including attending at CCMC’s and negotiating highly favourable settlements following conclusion of the claim.
Jon-Paul also advises Barristers on a consultancy basis as to challenges to fees. Jon-Paul is also an accredit Mediator having trained at the London School of Mediation.
Notable cases include Lownds v Home Office, FACT v MOD and Havenga v Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust & Anor.
Away from work, Jon-Paul loves spending time with his family and being kept busy with two young daughters. He has been known to attempt marathons, half marathons and long-distance cycling events. Jon-Paul prides himself on his long-standing relationship with clients who have placed their trust in him over the years.
LEE CARTER
Lee completed his Business Management with Law degree in 2005 and began work in a busy and successful personal injury firm of Solicitors eventually working as an in-house Costs Draftsman managing a team and helping navigate through some challenging changes to the legal landscape in early 2013.
Lee then moved to Pryers Solicitors in 2013 to team up with Jon-Paul and dealt with Legal Costs in complex Clinical Negligence litigation including attending Costs Case Management Conferences and Detailed Assessment hearings.
Notable cases include Threlfall v Hull City Council, Martin v Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, G v Kingston Upon Hull City Council and Steven Owen v Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.
Lee spent a lot of his life travelling and living abroad including lifeguarding in USA to working in Marbella. Lee has a real passion for football and still plays for his beloved Hornsea Town albeit now in the Veterans League. He has two young boys to keep him busy which includes managing his son’s football team.
ANDREW RUSSELL
Andrew started work in the Law in 1990 after serving in the Merseyside Police for almost 12 years, where, as can be imagined, he dealt with a wide range of incidents both in uniform and in plain clothes. His career was brought to a premature end due to an injury on duty.
In 1996 he took a position at Langleys Solicitors, York, where he continued to develop his skills in handling a significant and varied case load of injury claims, ranging in value from modest fast track claims up to high value, Multi-Track cases where the issues, both legal and medical, were complex and involved.
In 2003, Andrew moved to a newly established Firm, Pryers Solicitors, effectively joining from the commencement of trading, and enjoyed being involved in assisting in the development of the firm from employing just 5 members of staff to one employing in excess of 50! As well as managing his own heavy caseload, Andrew was also responsible for supervising the entire Personal Injury Department, ensuring that it reached targets and maintained a good level of profitability.
Andrew has a first class understanding of running Multi-Track cases to Trial and therefore his knowledge on Costs Management and budgeting makes Andrew a fabulous addition to the team at Carter Burnett. Andrew has great advocacy skills and regularly attended Costs Case Management Conferences to deal with case management, so he understands the pressure on Solicitors during the budgeting process and intends on making this as easy as possible for his Solicitor clients.
Andrew has always had a hands-on approach to the legal costs recovery on his own files and it was whilst working at Pryers, he first met and worked with Jon-Paul and Lee. When he retired from full time work at Pryers in December 2018, Andrew joined Carter Burnett and hopes to add his experience to the office.
Away from work, Andrew enjoys spending time with his family and socialising with friends. He is a life-long motorsport fan and enjoys cycling in the Yorkshire countryside.
CAROLINE WALMSLEY
Caroline has long experience in the legal industry. Having obtained an LLB with Honours from Nottingham University, she took her Solicitors’ Qualifying Exams in Chester, before training with a large Manchester city centre firm. She went on to work as a solicitor in general litigation for a number of years, latterly specialising in high value matrimonial litigation.
Following a career break, Caroline joined a local legal costs firm in 2002, where she first worked with Jon-Paul. She specialised in family cases, but also worked on clinical negligence and personal injury claims.
Caroline subsequently moved to join Jon-Paul again in 2015, where she also worked with Lee. She broadened her experience, including preparing between the parties Bills of Costs in civil matters, preparing costs budgets, phased and new format Bills. Caroline has over 16 years of experience in the Legal Costs industry and was delighted to begin working for Carter Burnett in January 2019.
Outside of work, Caroline enjoys learning jazz piano and running a book group.
RAEGAN BUTLER
Raegan recently graduated from The University of Hull with a First Class Honours degree in Criminology. During her time at University, Raegan also worked as part of a retail management team in which she helped manage a team of over 40 people.
Raegan spent much of her final year in retail leading her colleagues through a full company restructure. Her positive attitude, knowledge and training abilities meant that she was able to successfully lead her team through these changes, whilst ensuring she supported and assisted her colleagues throughout.
After graduating in 2018, Raegan was ready to take the next step in her Legal career. She began working for Carter Burnett in January 2019 and is currently training to become a Law Costs Draftsman.
Although she is at the start of her career, she is very excited to be training alongside the highly experienced and knowledgable team members at Carter Burnett.
STEPHANIE WATTS
Steph commenced her legal career in 2011 by joining a legal costs firm in her home town in the North East. She has recently qualified as a Costs Lawyer after three years of study.
Steph’s work involves the preparation and negotiation of between the parties Bills of Costs in civil matters. Steph is experienced with phased bill drafting and has drafted Bills of Costs for numerous high value clinical negligence and multi-track claims.
She first dealt with costs in a full spectrum of personal injury matters, predominantly on behalf of the receiving party and has now expanded her knowledge in the areas of clinical negligence.
Steph worked with both Jon-Paul and Lee previously and was delighted to begin working for Carter Burnett in October 2018.
Outside of work, Steph is kept busy by her home renovation project and her puppy, Bear.
LAURA CARTER
Laura was delighted to start working with Carter Burnett in January 2019. Prior to this, Laura spent 5 years working at the University of Hull within their busy Human Resources Department. It is Laura’s skills with working with people and her understanding of Human Resource matters that make her an asset to the team at Carter Burnett
Before having children, Laura spent nine years working for a charity that assisted vulnerable people in times of need and her kind nature helped her clients with their education, rehabilitation and promoted the mental and moral improvement of offenders, or any other persons in need. The areas that Laura worked with was towards rehabilitation and resettlement, advice, information and guidance, education, employment and training, housing related support, client involvement, positive use of time and integration into the wider community.
Outside of work, Laura loves spending time with her family and 2 young boys who keep her busy with all their activities. She is also a member of a local running club, helps out with her sons’ football teams and loves to shop.
BELINDA BURNETT
After graduating from University in 1996 with a 2:1 Honours degree in Contemporary Studies, Belinda embarked on a career in Human Resources with Yorkshire Electricity. Belinda moved into the rail industry in 1998 to develop her career, taking up an HR post with Thrall Europa/Trinity Rail in York. Belinda progressed her career further by becoming Office Manager at the Holgate facility, with Network Rail later taking over the Company in 2007, where she remained until 2011.
Belinda is also a qualified Youth Worker and alongside her full-time role, spent many years working with young people in the evenings and at weekends, offering opportunities to many disadvantaged and vulnerable young people to take part in positive activities and attend residential trips away, allowing new experiences.
Belinda was a natural with the young people which influenced her decision to leave Network Rail after returning from maternity leave in 2011, to work for East Riding of Yorkshire Council as a Youth Advisor, a more specialized role to offer advice, support and guidance to young people needing support and counselling.
After restructuring within the council, Belinda made a hard decision to leave all this behind, embarking upon a new opportunity to reutilise her skills in Office Management and HR and take on a new challenge into the world of accounts, to help build a new business working alongside Jon-Paul and Lee with the birth of Connect Costs in 2014.
Following the creation of Carter Burnett in 2018, Belinda is now delighted to be able to use her extensive skills and vast experience to help the Company grow and is looking forward to new adventures ahead with Jon-Paul, Lee and the rest of the team at Carter Burnett.
Outside of work, Belinda loves spending time with her family. Her two daughters aged 12 and 8 years keep her especially busy, along with their 10-month-old Cockerpoo pup Charlie who loves going for walks! Belinda also enjoys socializing with her friends and keeping fit! She often helps out at the local youth club.
ALICE DEAN
Alice recently graduated from the University of Lincoln with an Upper Second Class Honours degree in Mathematics which has been extremely useful in making the transition into Legal Costs.
She has been working in the retail industry for a number of years which has helped her develop great communication skills. Alice also worked as a teaching assistant in a school working with children from 11 to 16 years old which she found very rewarding in helping the children develop and also very eye opening relating to the level of hard work that goes into becoming a teacher.
Alice has had a great start to Legal Costs and is excited at what the future may bring in her new career.
Outside of work Alice enjoys reading, playing video games and listening to music, specifically BTS and Bastille.
STEPHEN JOHNSON
Stephen was delighted to start working with Carter Burnett in June 2019, this was an opportunity to start a new career learning from a highly skilled company.
Prior to this Stephen was offered a scholarship at Bishop Burton College where he completed a BSc Hons Degree in Sports Coaching Development and Fitness alongside a full-time rugby union schedule.
After University Stephen had the opportunity to work with a law firm dealing with Personal Injury Claims following accidents on the road. After this he worked mainly in the coaching sector for both paid and voluntary work, working with people from all different backgrounds and communities to help increase their involvement in sport, whether that be on a social or competitive level.
Outside of work Stephen plays Semi-Professional rugby union for Hull RUFC. When he’s not playing rugby he enjoys getting out and about staying social, as long as the weather is nice! Stephen has found over the years of playing rugby and other sports that he has developed the confidence and social skills to fit into most situations in building a good rapport with people.
DARCY CLARK
Darcy recently finished studying for her postgraduate degree in History at The University at Hull.
Darcy has experience of working for a Law Firm which involved meeting the clients and assisting with the preparation of key documents. Having joined Carter Burnett in December 2019 and moving to Beverley from the North East, she is enjoying learning about the complicated and complex world of legal costs. She especially enjoys exploring the local area and sights Beverley has to offer.
At her time at university she was the Vice President of the Women’s Lacrosse team. Darcy recently joined Hull City Lacrosse Club to continue playing the sport she loves.
SEAMUS KELLY
Seamus joined the Carter Burnett team in March 2020. He completed his Law Degree in 2006 and has remained within the legal sector ever since.
He worked for the NHS legal department in Northern Ireland for almost 4 years before relocating to England in 2011. The experience of dealing with costs from a Defendant perspective paved the way for his transition to Claimant costs.
Seamus is now a qualified solicitor who practices exclusively in costs, specialising in Clinical Negligence and high value Personal Injury claims. He is conversant in all aspects of the costs process, from drafting high value budgets and bills, to negotiating favourable settlements, and attending court. Seamus can often be found attending CCMCs or detailed assessments across the country. His keen eye for detail, combined with his pragmatic and commercial approach, ensure that he always achieves the best outcome for his numerous loyal clients.
Outside of work, Seamus enjoys long distance running, and has completed a number of marathons and half marathons. He is also a regular at the Great North Run.