Spotlight on: Karl de Loyde

As part of our Spotlight On series to find out more about the people behind the firm, we had a chat with Thompsons’ serious injury specialist, Karl de Loyde, to discover more about his role.

A father-of-two, Karl supports clients across the Midlands from our offices in Birmingham and Nottingham. He is also a keen traveller – although the pandemic has, obviously, brought that to a temporary halt.

What is your specialism?

Since I joined Thompsons 19 years ago, the vast majority of cases I have worked on have been for people who suffer serious and often life-changing injuries. This has included babies injured at birth as well as adults who have suffered catastrophic injuries because of road or workplace accidents. I supervise a nine-strong team of serious injury specialists to ensure survivors and victims get the best possible outcome in their claims.

What inspired you go into law?

I studied law at A Level and found it fascinating – the idea of fighting to help those who need it really resonated with me. I went on to study for a law degree and was lucky enough to get a paid work placement out of it, which was the foundation of my career. I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

What do you enjoy most about working at Thompsons?

Thompsons caught my eye as it was a unique law firm – championing social justice and genuinely only fighting for those people who need it, not the employers or insurers.

I’ve spent close to two decades at Thompsons and I can honestly say this ethos hasn’t changed one bit. The firm continues to push the boundaries to challenge the law and ensure those responsible for serious injuries are held to account. This client-focused approach is something I take pride in, in my own work, so Thompsons has always felt like a perfect fit to me.

How have you found lockdown and working from home?

It’s certainly meant my team and I had to adapt – and adapt quickly. But beyond the initial teething problems that all home workers faced during the first lockdown, I feel we have taken the new methods of working in our stride. In fact, I would say that I see many of my colleagues – albeit virtually – more than I used to in the office.

Tell us something surprising about you that most people don’t know?

I hold black belts in both Aikido and Karate. I picked up Aikido when I was in university, as I had become bored with student nights out and wanted to try something different. It became a hobby from there and I was awarded a black belt in 2002.

I picked up Karate a bit later in life, getting my black belt in 2019. I’ve continued my training through the pandemic virtually – it’s a great way to unwind after a busy day of work.