Lorna Badham

Lorna practices in personal injury, clinical negligence and employment law. She has particular specialisms in international illness and accidents, cosmetic negligence claims and complex discrimination work.

Incisive, personable and pragmatic, Lorna works overwhelmingly by repeat instruction and is entrusted with highly sensitive cases, including those for and against vulnerable individuals. Instructing solicitors praise her holistic approach to litigation and ability to identify and push legal and commercial pressure points to ensure the best outcome for her clients. She is often instructed above her call date, appearing against more senior opponents including KCs.

Prior to joining the Bar, Lorna studied at Exeter College, Oxford. Lorna remains an international Li and Fung Scholar and has received the Tancred Studentship, Lord Haldane Scholarship and Hardwicke Scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn. She marshalled for Justice Barma at the High Court of Hong Kong.

Expertise

Lorna is experienced across the full spectrum of personal injury work including road traffic, employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, fatal accidents, Highways Act and Animals Act claims. She has a further specialism in international accident and illness claims- this is detailed under the “travel” section of Lorna’s profile.

Curious by nature, Lorna loves deep-diving into different industries, factual scenarios and medical specialisms. This allows for precise pleadings, early identification of risks and thorough testing of expert evidence. Lorna has particular experience representing vulnerable Claimants, and pursuing and defending allegations of fundamental dishonesty.

Recent instruction has included high value spinal stenosis and fatal dependency claims, criminal assaults at work and industrial accidents resulting in serious damage to limbs and lifelong impact upon earnings.

Instructions on a Conditional Fee basis will be considered even for hotly contested and complex claims, provided Lorna is afforded an early and full consideration of the papers and kept informed of significant developments.

Lorna has a rounded public-sector practice including delayed diagnosis of cancer, surgical negligence, consenting failures and alleged negligence in end-of-life care.

Recent actions have included a dependency claim after a failure to diagnose prostate cancer, a claim for periodic orthopaedic replacements for life following a negligent failure to investigate a hip slippage and a claim arising out of poor end-of life care when a patient in a care facility developed severe pressure sores.

In the private healthcare and contractual fields, Lorna has a particular specialism acting in cosmetic negligence claims. She is often instructed to identify likely defendants through nebulous treating and commercial arrangements. Her practice includes all forms of cosmetic treatment including lip fillers, breast augmentation and both surgical and non-surgical facial treatments.

Lorna also accepts instructions in cosmetic negligence claims where treatment took place abroad.

Lorna is frequently instructed in accident and illness actions where negligence, breach of contract or breach of statutory duty occurred abroad. She is instructed in claims arising out of accidents on planes, cruise ships, oil rigs, luxury and/or all-inclusive hotels. Her practice encompasses large group actions, such as those arising out of infectious outbreaks and coach crashes.

Recent instructions include a crash resulting in multiple serious injuries and concrete burns, large gastroenteritis outbreaks, carbon monoxide poisoning, legionellosis and an acanthamoeba infection.

Lorna advises and acts for families and other interested persons at inquest. Her calm and considered approach commends her to clients in highly emotive situations or where there is particular reputational sensitivity.

Inquests of note include acting for the family of a young man who died of an aggressive but highly treatable form of cancer. It was found that neglect by the treating hospital contributed to his death. Lorna also acted in the inquest arising out of a Salmonella outbreak in the northeast of England. The deceased had each consumed contaminated foodstuffs purchased from a butcher’s shop in County Durham.

Lorna is instructed by Claimants and Respondents across the breadth of employment law matters. She has a particular specialism in discrimination and harassment claims.

Solicitors instruct Lorna particularly for her ability to deal persuasively yet sensitively with complex claims involving historic allegations, vulnerable witnesses and parties. She is regularly commended for her tactical advice and drafting at a claim’s early stage, in addition to her ability to “get inside” the working practices and requirements of a business and to help witnesses feel informed and at ease.

Experienced in high value personal injury and fraud from her personal injury cross-specialism, Lorna is excellently placed to act in cases of high value personal injury and injury to feelings, where a litigant-in-person requires adjustment(s) for serious disability and/or where there are allegations of dishonesty or forged documents.

Recent instructions include whistleblowing claims brought against a public body in the financial sector, the justification of direct age discrimination concerning a retirement benefit and the (successful) application to strike out a subsequent action on the basis it had been sufficiently contemplated within a prior settlement agreement.

Related updates

Lorna Badham is regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. If you are not satisfied with the service provided, please click here.

‘Lorna is the epitome of an outstanding barrister, a shrewd tactician in pre-trial strategies and cross-examination, and a phenomenal advocate in court.’

Personal Injury, Legal 500 2025

“Lorna can get to the heart of the matter quickly. She builds a strong rapport with the client from the outset and is measured, calm and clear in her approach. She goes above and beyond to ensure the best outcome.”

Legal 500 2023

“Lorna is adept at running difficult cases and doing so with compassion. She can present a difficult argument to the court and is commercially and tactically intelligent, and can be trusted to present complex advice to clients in simpler terms.”

Legal 500 2023

“Lorna is respectful, professional and very responsive. She is approachable and very well-liked by clients. She is very thorough in her assessments of cases and goes above and beyond to ensure the best outcome. She is a credit to her profession.”

Legal 500 2022

“Lorna has fantastic attention to detail, a good understanding of case law, strong communication skills, and is able to work to very tight deadlines.”

Legal 500 2022

“Very experienced and knowledgeable. Lorna is liked and trusted by clients.”

Legal 500 2021

“She is conscientious and well-prepared but also has a very human element to her. She is clearly very passionate about the responsibility of being instructed to represent either party and gives her full and unadulterated attention to the task at hand. She is an excellent advocate and where a point is to be made she will make it.”

Legal 500 2021

To find out more, contact Paul Barton on +44 (0)207 427 4907 or Harry Gamble on  +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential discussion.

  • Personal Injury Bar Association
  • Employment Lawyers’ Association
  • Lincoln’s Inn – Hardwicke, Tancred and Lord Haldane Scholar
  • International Scholar – Li and Fung Foundation
  • Member of the Law Reform Committee of the Bar Council

  • English
  • Romanian (conversational)

  • Legal 500 “Rising Star” in Personal Injury and Employment since 2021

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