Michael Monaghan Bsc, LLB
Costs Lawyer | Director

Michael graduated with a Bsc from the National University of Ireland and subsequently graduated with a LLB from London Guildhall University. Michael has in excess of 20 years experience in dealing with legal costs, and regularly practices in the England & Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland jurisdictions. Michael was a Fellow of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen, and was also among the first Costs Consultants to qualify as a Costs Lawyer in September 2007.

Michael has extensive experience in both justifying and opposing claims for costs in a wide range of civil and commercial matters, and has particular expertise in dealing with claims for costs in the VAT Tribunal, as well as opposing claims for costs in medical negligence matters on behalf of the Medical Protection Society. Michael also has extensive expertise in dealing with costs claims against government departments in Ireland, having acted as the Principal Legal Costs Accountant to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (‘The Ryan Commission’) in Dublin from 2005.

Nick Portch
Costs Lawyer | Director

Nick has been working in the field of legal costs for over 30 years. He qualified as a Fellow of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen in England & Wales in January 2001, and was among the first Costs Consultants to qualify as a Costs Lawyer in January 2008.

Nick has extensive experience in dealing with costs in commercial and civil litigation and has dealt with many complex and high value matters, both justifying and opposing, for numerous large firms of solicitors based in Central London and the City. Nick regularly provides advice on costs matters to major insurance companies as well as to one of the leading firms of solicitors in the City of London specialising in insurance work. In this regard, Nick dealt with the recovery of costs arising from the Buncefield disaster, which included complex claims for generic costs of the issues of liability and quantum.

Nick also deals with opposing Bills of Costs in medical negligence matters for a major London firm on the NHSLA solicitors panel, and regularly provides seminars to clients on the ever-changing field of legal costs.

Kevan Hackett
Costs Lawyer

Kevan is a former Fellow of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen and has been involved in legal costs matters for over 36 years, having started his legal career in the Office of the Treasury Solicitor. Kevan has extensive experience in all areas of legal costs, including justifying and opposing claims for costs in substantial commercial litigation and multi-jurisdictional matters, as well as matrimonial matters. Kevan has particular expertise in dealing with detailed assessments under the Solicitors Act 1974, and regularly attends detailed assessment hearings in the SCCO and County Courts, as well as frequent attendances at hearings in the Privy Council.

Gail Doherty LLB, MA
Costs Lawyer

Gail was a practising solicitor for over 24 years and a Partner in a Nottingham Practice for 13 years. After a career break she retrained as a Costs Draftsman, working initially for a firm of Costs Draftsmen in Nottingham before joining a large Costs Consultancy in London in November 2006. Gail joined the Abacus team in August 2008.

Gail deals with all aspects of legal costs, both justifying and opposing, and has particular expertise in opposing claims for costs in clinical negligence matters, as well as the preparation of Bills of Costs involving complex apportionments.

Keith Bintley
Costs Lawyer & Consultant

Keith has been dealing with costs for over 29 years, and in that time has gained a wide range of experience in all aspects of legal costs, but has specialised in Solicitors Act matters, high value Ancillary Relief claims and complex commercial litigation.

Keith was previously employed by one of the largest independent firms of Costs Draftsmen, where he was responsible for overseeing the technical training of staff and presenting seminars to clients. Keith has served on the council of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen where he was also Chair of the examination sub-committee. Indeed, Keith has the distinction of being one of only two Costs Draftspersons to qualify at both Associate and Fellowship level of the Association of Law Costs Draftsmen with the highest examination marks on both occasions.

Keith regularly provides costs advice to several City of London firms of solicitors, as well as to government departments and to the legal departments of FTSE 100 companies.

Charlie Portch
Costs Lawyer

Charlie graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in June 2012, and joined the Abacus team shortly thereafter, qualifying as a Costs Lawyer in September 2019.

Charlie is valuable member of the Abacus team, with a forensic attention to detail and a strong ability to analyse, manipulate and condense data for the provision of clear and concise advice to clients on costs matters.

Charlie has experience of dealing with all aspects of costs matters, with a particular specialism of documents in electronic form, including the preparation of detailed electronic Bills of Costs, Precedent H Costs Budgets and Budget Discussion Reports.