Sam Stone

Sam works across the commercial and advisory teams, assisting clients with a broad range of disputes relating to the commissioning, purchase and provision of health & social care services. Sam consistently provides pragmatic and commercial advice targeted to client needs and priorities, and is able to assist at all stages of a dispute from commencement through to Trial, including by way of alternative dispute resolution processes.

Sam joined Hempsons in July 2013 as a paralegal in the litigation team and subsequently completed his training contract with the firm across the advisory, commercial, and employment teams, qualifying as a solicitor in September 2016. Before starting at Hempsons he worked as part of a team carrying out independent investigations into homicides within the mental healthcare system, as well as investigations into more general issues of poor performance across the health and social care sectors. Sam brings this experience and insight into challenges to health and social care providers when advising on any matter with a clinical dimension.

Significant cases

• acted for a north-east charity in a construction dispute regarding inadequate performance of works, retention sums and contractor insolvency
• advised a clinical commissioning group regarding alleged defamatory comments made in a public statement
• acted for two NHS foundation trusts in a successful procurement challenge to a decision by a local authority to award a public health contract to a private provider

Main areas of expertise

• commercial dispute resolution
• commercial contracts
• procurement challenges
• defamation & malicious falsehood claims
• adjudication, mediation and expert determination procedures

The clients he works with

• NHS trusts
• commissioners
• private & third sector healthcare providers
• social care organisations

Qualifications

• Post graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LPC) 2012
• BA (Hons), Law 2010