Parnalls Solicitors Katherine Flashman Kitson attended Womble Bond Dickinson UK LLP Plymouth office to speak at the Event celebrating the work and retirement of Senior Consultant Jon Cooper. Jon’s practice encompasses all aspects of contentious and non-contentious health, safety and environmental issues and extends throughout the UK and including Scotland. He is described by Chambers as “he is generally acknowledged to be the leading Health & Safety Solicitor in the Country … a star individual”. Katherine says “Jon was my first principal when I started my Articles at Bond Pearce in Plymouth, too long ago for me to be willing to admit the correct date! I started work with him in the then personal injury department but he encouraged my work during that time in criminal litigation employment and other areas. After qualifying I went back to his department and worked with him until my career began here at Parnalls. Jon is ridiculously intelligent and that intelligence is applied to all areas of his legal work. He taught me that nothing less than the standard of excellence would ever do. He is a fearless and fearsome advocate and taught me by example. He is genuinely interested in people as well as the complex legal issues they face and his ability to cut through a case to the issues that really matter, is unparalleled. I was privileged to be invited to speak at Jon’s retirement as a part of his past, and I acknowledge that even today the majority of how I practice is based on how and what he taught me. I described Jon as a true legal maverick. His standards are uncompromising; he does his own thing; he gets the best for his clients and everything he is does is just brilliant. I concluded my speech with the observation that he is not only the first Lawyer I worked with, he is the best Lawyer I have ever worked with, and I remain eternally in his debt. We had a great after party taking in the Barbican, some of my old hunting ground, and his, and some japes. It was a night to remember. But more importantly I wish Jon all the best for the future, how he will keep himself engaged in retirement after the career he has had, is a mystery to me, but I am sure he will find something to amuse him and will regularly be found fishing. All the best Jon”
