MY HISTORY
The diagram below shows the history of my life as a lawyer/solicitor
I joined Scott-Moncrieff solicitors as a Solicitor Consultant
I found an ideal platform to continue my career as a solicitor with many campaigns to help the victims/survivors of abuse still to fight.
I left Simpson Millar
This could have been my retirement but I have many things to do before I finish work, still have my health, and energy.
Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year Eclipse PI Awards
Peter Garsden picked up the coveted Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year at the 2018 Eclipse Personal Injury Awards held at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester. For more awards click here
Awarded a Life Time Achievement Award at the Claims Management Awards
This article from the Macclesfield Express explains the Award and how I came to be honoured for over 30 years hard work on behalf of the victims of child abuse
I sold Abney Garsden to Simpson Millar. solicitors, Manchester
After many years of hard work, I decided to create some succession for my business, and sold it to a large national firm who were prepared to continue to employ all my staff.
Solicitor of the Year (Law Society Excellence Awards)
I was given this award in the presence of my daughter Vanessa at a glittering ceremony in London. For more awards click here
Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (Manchester Legal Awards)
On this date we picked up a hattrick of awards including Small Firm of the Year, and one of our paralegals won Legal Executive of the Year. For more awards click here
AbuseLaw Website launched
This was the launch of the original Abuselaw Website which we had bought from Stewarts Solicitors. We donated the money to an Abuse Charity in Derby. It was intended be a useful resource for any victim/survivor of abuse who was interested in seeking justice for their abuse but needed information before deciding to break their silence.
I helped found ACAL (Association of Child Abuse Lawyers)
At a meeting between myself, Malcolm Johnson, Lee Moore, and Andrew Grove, it was decided that a specialist Association of Lawyers acting for abuse victims/survivors should be set up. It did not come to fruition, however, until the following year.
My First Child Abuse Case
An old criminal client of mine told me that he had been abused at a Children's Home in Warrington called Greystone Heath. This was the first of many cases which became firstly a Group Action supported by the Legal Aid Agency and secondly became one of the largest Group Actions in the country covering 300 victims of child abuse at 5 Children's Homes.
2nd Office Opens in Poynton Cheshire
Buoyed up by the success of our first office in Cheadle, Cheshire, we opened a second office in Poynton, and employed two solicitors to run our Cheadle Office. I remained there until 1996 when I returned to Cheadle in order to provide it with some firm management. It was quite a responsibility as by then I had a large Child Abuse caseload
Abney Garsden McDonald opens its doors in Cheadle, Cheshire
My partner and I set up in business as Abney Garsden McDonald as a general practice doing all types of work.