Welcome to  Absolute Right which is the portfolio for Lancastrian solicitor Paul Darlington.

Since he qualified in 1984 Paul has mainly practised in grievous claimant personal injury, although with some interesting derivatives.

He has been appointed to  the Law Society's personal injury and accident line panels, holds affiliation to the Institute of Traffic  Accident Investigators and has membership of APIL, Headway and the Spinal Injuries Association. The injury department that Paul leads was in October 2006  granted Law Society Accident Line enhancedmember status, placing the team in the top 20% of law firms holding the prestigous Accident Line accreditation.

Paul's professional specialisms are complemented by membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the CTC, his accreditation as a Cycling  Instructor to the new (2006) National Standard and full motorcycle and MSA competition licences. Successful completion of a coast-to-coast charity ride of 149 miles in eleven hours in June 2007 establishes Paul's cycling credentials.

He is a panel solicitor to the National Pharmacy Association in which capacity he  successfully represented the pharmacist, from whom the infamous Harold Shipman had acquired many of his illicit drugs, in professional disciplinary proceedings brought by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

This case was heard in London. Its preparation demanded mastery of a huge amount  of detailed history, technical terminology and conflicting expert opinion. The systems that are routinely applied in his injury department permitted the identification and retention of two of the most eminent specialists in pharmaceutical ethics and practice. A formidable team was assembled and achieved the desired result.The professional opponent was represented by a City firm with little limit on resources.

Paul is the founding force behind Cycle-Aid, the Cyclists' National Helpline. (www.cycle-aid.co.uk)  His niche marketing and practice development experience has meant that the litigation department that he now heads has been isolated from the effects of the rise and fall of the claims brokers and expects that any diversification in the supply of legal services after Clementi and the Legal Services Act will be weathered similarly.

The development of cycling assisted with public money through Cycling England and the Cycling Demonstration Towns has presented further opportunities to advance the Cycle-Aid brand. The concept of workplace travel planning in which cycling prominently features enables Cycle-Aid to develop partnerships with public and private sectors as employees' schemes are implemented.

Outside his professional life, Paul has organised and led a 10,000 mile trans Africa expedition and trekked in the Zanskar valley of North India.  His spare time is currently devoted to grappling with his garden,  young daughters and two exceedingly boisterous collie dogs.