CEO, Hilary Meredith Solicitors Ltd.
Visiting Professor of Law and Veterans’ Affairs, University of Chester.
Chair, Royal British Legion Solicitors Panel.
Trustee, St James’s Branch of the Royal British Legion.
Trustee, Royal British Legion Poppy Ball (Patron, Princess Eugenie).
Trustee, Veterans for Britain.
Parliamentary Select Defence Committee Expert Witness.
Hilary Meredith-Beckham is a solicitor, lobbyist and campaigner best known for her work on behalf of UK service personnel, veterans and their families.
Hilary has acted in thousands of cases against the MoD, recovering hundreds of millions of pounds in compensation.
Hilary’s career in protecting the welfare of the armed forces spans cases from Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Gulf War 1, Afghanistan and Iraq including incidents on manoeuvres and in training in countries from Belize to Hong Kong and Canada.
In 1987 Hilary represented the first claim ever on behalf of a widow whose husband had died on manoeuvres in Canada (Green v MoD). Hilary has had success in the US courts on behalf of the British military, winning an appeal to the US 11th circuit in Whitley and Others v US Government. Other cases of note include Sharpe v MoD and Birch v MoD in the Court of Appeal.
During her 37-year legal career, Hilary has acted in a range of precedent setting cases, worked closely with Parliamentary Inquiries and Government Ministers and successfully campaigned for changes in the law. She provided evidence to the Select Defence Committee on the Iraq historic abuse cases, which ultimately contributed to the closure of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team. Hilary gave evidence at the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Brecon Beacon fatalities, Beyond Endurance, recommending that the MoD should be subject to the Corporate Manslaughter Act where there has been a reckless disregard for life - a recommendation which the Inquiry upheld.
Hilary has represented a large number of bereaved families at Inquests, largely on a pro bono basis. Recommendations made as a result of the issues she has raised have had a direct life-saving impact on the future safety of our servicemen and women.
Hilary is chair of the Royal British Legion Solicitors Panel, a group she helped to establish in 1989 after being approached by the Legion’s Pensions Group to set up a free legal service for beneficiaries. The Royal British Legion Solicitors Panel is made up of a select number of senior military solicitors from leading law firms who work collaboratively to assist our armed forces. The panel has grown to represent 4,000 beneficiaries in war zones around the world. Over the last year, Hilary has personally provided hundreds of hours of pro bono support, ensuring service personnel and veterans can access rehabilitation and a pathway back to civilian life. Hilary has also championed the protection of state benefits under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and the ability to utilise disabled trusts.
Hilary become a Trustee of the St James’s Branch of the Royal British Legion in 2024, driving forward a series of rehab-focused initiatives for disabled members of the armed forces community. She also provides free training to the pensions team and is a prolific fundraiser as a member of the Poppy Ball Committee – an event that has now raised over £1.4 million.
Hilary is currently working to improve veteran welfare after commissioning a major piece of research. Hilary’s Life After Service project underlined veterans’ selfless commitment to service, while also raising a number of concerns over housing, healthcare, employment, mental health, accident and injury.
In her role as Visiting Professor of Law and Veterans’ Affairs at the University of Chester, Hilary is supporting the military community through innovative and high-quality research, educational provision and community engagement.
Having previously been named as the most influential female solicitor in the UK, Hilary won the Lawyer of The Year award at the Personal Injury Awards 2024. It is the first time any solicitor has won the Lawyer of the Year award on three separate occasions. The judges praised Hilary for securing successful outcomes and positive settlements, working to promote unity and collaboration in personal injury law, championing client care and making a positive difference in the wider community.
Hilary was also shortlisted for a prestigious Law Society Legal Heroes Award. Legal Heroes are solicitors who have made a demonstrative, lasting and tangible difference to the life or lives of others, their local community or society and brought distinction to the legal profession. The Law Society paid tribute to Hilary’s “groundbreaking work on behalf of the Armed Forces”.