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Made in Coventry: Clearing changed my life and led me to the top of my profession
Despite going on to become one of the UK's leading personal injury solicitors, Mark never planned a career in law.
Alumni news
Thursday 06 August 2026
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Mark Howarth is one of the UK's leading personal injury solicitors – and his journey began with a call to Coventry University's Clearing hotline.
After his Economics A level result didn't go as planned, Mark secured a place at Coventry University to study Geography and Economics, later staying on to complete a law conversion course.
More than 30 years on, he is a partner at national law firm Simpson Millar, specialising in personal injury claims and securing millions of pounds in compensation for seriously injured clients.
For Mark, who grew up in Billinge, between St Helens and Wigan, the journey began with Clearing, a love of football and a decision that would change the course of his life.
Now, as students prepare to receive their results, he is encouraging young people to approach the day with an open mind.
The A level that went wrong was actually on my 18th birthday – so I was probably slightly distracted!
Things hadn't gone the way I'd planned but if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have gone to Coventry and my whole life would have turned out differently.
The Sky Blues Factor
Results day looked very different in 1990. While students today can access their results online, Mark had to drive to school to collect his grades before heading home to consider his next steps.
One thing, however, has not changed in more than 30 years - a friendly, reassuring voice on the end of Coventry University's Clearing hotline helping students navigate their next steps.
I didn’t expect the result and at the time it felt disappointing but it lit a fire in me and I was determined to go to university and not to make the same mistake twice.
I can remember sitting in the hallway of my parents' house ringing universities through Clearing. It took days.
I got offered places at Coventry University and a couple of other universities. I'd never visited any of them, so I looked at the options and thought 'Coventry has a top-flight football team’.
I chose Coventry University because of Coventry City. It sounds ridiculous but I've never regretted it.
What started as a football-inspired decision became a lifelong connection with Coventry. Mark still returns to the city several times a year to watch the Sky Blues and catch up with friends he made during his university days.
Finding his calling
Despite going on to become one of the UK's leading personal injury solicitors, Mark never planned a career in law.
I fell into law completely by chance. I was part-way through my degree and realised I probably needed to think about what I wanted to do next.
I knew somebody at a local law firm back home who offered me some work experience and I remember thinking 'Actually, this makes sense to me, I can do this’.
That work experience and a 2:1 led him to Coventry University's Law Conversion Course, followed by the Legal Practice Course and, ultimately, a training contract.
That course at Coventry University was the foundation of everything that followed. It was hard work, but I loved it. From that point onwards, I never looked back.
Making his Mark
Mark qualified as a solicitor in January 1998 and built his career in personal injury law in the Northwest.
His progression was rapid; he became an associate in 2007, a partner in 2008 and a full equity partner in 2010 at Linder Myers Solicitors.
During his time there, he helped transform the firm's Chester office into a multi-million-pound operation. He believes studying Geography and Economics before converting to law gave him a broader skill set that proved invaluable throughout his career.
University taught me how to research properly, build structured arguments and communicate clearly but it also gave me broader thinking.
The economics side proved incredibly useful when I moved into leadership and business roles, and I've always believed that understanding people and business is just as important as understanding the law.
Law is a people business. I enjoy building relationships and understanding what clients are trying to achieve. Ultimately, people want to work with someone they trust.
Helping people rebuild their future
Today he is a partner at national law firm Simpson Millar, specialising in personal injury claims, particularly motorbike accident cases.
From securing adapted homes for vulnerable clients to winning major settlements for people seriously injured in road traffic collisions and, most recently, a woman injured at a trampoline park, Mark has spent his career helping people rebuild their lives after serious accidents.
Personal injury law is about helping people through some of the most difficult periods of their lives. You can't undo what's happened, but you can help them rebuild their future by giving them access to the support, security and independence they need.
When you see the difference a successful outcome makes to somebody's life, that's incredibly rewarding. That's what has motivated me throughout my career.
A different route to success
With results day approaching, Mark's advice to students is to embrace the unexpected.
In five years' time, those results will be largely insignificant and sometimes what feels like a setback becomes the opportunity that changes your life.
If I'd got the grades I wanted, I wouldn't have gone to Coventry University. If I hadn't gone to Coventry, I might never have discovered law.
Everything that followed came from that one unexpected decision.
Every exam result is simply a step to the next stage. If one route doesn't work, there's always another way to get where you want to be.
New plan? No problem. Contact our Clearing team.
