Orla Scanlan

Orla is a Partner in our Police team based in our London office and is a nationally recognised specialist lawyer in this sector with over 25 years’ experience. Prior to joining Weightmans, Orla was head of BLM's National Police Team and the Misfeasance Practice Group lead, representing Police forces and their insurers nationally.

The established record gives Orla an in-depth knowledge of the requirements, pressures and concerns surrounding Police Forces and their insurers and identifies her as a go-to practitioner in complex, high value claims, many with national media interest.

Orla has been a Band 1 Lawyer in Chambers & Partners’ Directory in “Police law – mainly defendant” for over 10 years.

Example instructions:

• Represented a police force further to a terrorist attack outside Fishmonger’s Hall, London Bridge in 2019;
• Represented a layer insurer in the Hillsborough Disaster Group action involving over 600 claimants;
• Represented police forces in Terrorism Act claims – she has the requisite security vetting to accept instructions involving issues of National Security; and
• Represented a Chief Constable Police in a multi-million pounds catastrophic injury claim further to an altercation between Police officers and a Bedford University student.

Orla is also a regular speaker in the police circuit. She:

• Was guest speaker at The Association of Police In-house Lawyers conference, made up of all Police in-house lawyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland;
• Was invited to present a Horizon Scanning session to senior underwriters and senior large loss and complex claim handlers in a national insurance company;
• Has provided in-house training to the complex team of an insurer; and
• Has provided online training during lockdown to over 40 people, including claims handlers for Police Forces on behalf of a national insurance company.

Orla has acted for both Kent Police and the City of London Police for over 20 years. She also acts for Bedfordshire and Dorset Police and has received instructions from Devon & Cornwall, Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, the NCA and South Yorkshire Police Forces in recent years.

Orla has relationships with the decision makers and influencers within numerous Police Forces and is known to many Forces nationally.