Our People

Laurence Pipkin

Laurence started at Temple Legal Protection in 2006 where he was IT Manager until 2017, when promotion to Operations Director saw him join the board of the company. This was followed in June 2019 with his appointment as Managing Director to succeed Chris Wait, the founding MD. Following in those footsteps was a challenge relished by Laurence, and one with the full support of Chris, who became Chairman of the board of directors.

Laurence’s hands-on experience at the heart of the business running the IT systems over many years and his proven expertise in a fast-moving ATE/litigation insurance market has contributed to the respected position in the market place Temple now occupies.

Resting on laurels is not Laurence’s style. His passion and determination to provide market-leading legal expenses insurance products and a total commitment to customer service for partner law firms and brokers put him in the ideal position to lead the business.

Prominent litigators, contemporaries and colleagues speak of Laurence’s sound commercial judgement, technical excellence and agility in product development – all backed by a commitment to robust underwriting principles. This has led to Temple building long-term commercial relationships with leading law firms in the commercial litigation, clinical negligence and personal injury sectors.

Laurence is a Chartered Insurance Underwriting Agent, and associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Joanne Lane

At the heart of Temple Funding, Joanne has a deep understanding of a law firm’s funding requirements in litigation and is committed to delivering access to justice solutions for their clients that otherwise might not have been available. In the wider funding arena she is committed to transparency in funding litigation and responsible lending practices.

Through her work at Temple Legal Protection – where she is a shareholder, director and Underwriter since 2000 – Joanne has gained vast experience underwriting different areas of litigation. She played a key role in developing the delegated authority framework for law firms utilising the insurance and funding solutions offered by Temple.

A particular belief of Joanne’s is that all litigators should undertake more detailed research when selecting third party funders. With this in mind she encourages law firms to use providers that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority – a process that gives truly effective protection to solicitors and their clients.

Lee Crane

Lee joined Temple in 2024 as Head of Funding & Process following a variety of operational and management roles within the legal expenses and general insurance industry since 2009.

He was originally involved in setting up Temple Funding in 2015 and more recently worked for a well-known data analytics company to support insurance customers with capturing, analysing and understanding their claims data to improve strategies and operational efficiency, augmented by automation technologies.  Lee oversaw and implemented systems and processes to enable customer facing teams to deliver an excellent customer experience.

Lee’s role as Head of Funding & Process will focus on the development of the Temple Funding business whilst using his experience of systems, processes and data analytics to help enhance the Temple group of companies’ strategy for continuous improvement.

Matthew Best

Temple Legal Protection provides ATE insurance and funding to leading specialist clinical negligence and serious injury law firms. Matt Best – who joined Temple in 2011 – is in close dialogue with many of these firms, often on case-specific or scheme-related matters.

Matt’s day-to-day role involves managing a large number of ATE insurance schemes for their clinical negligence and personal injury claims. In addition he uses his experience to ensure that their Temple disbursement funding facilities are set up and run smoothly.

Matt is often to be seen at APIL, AvMA and SCIL conferences sharing his expertise about the benefits that Temple Legal Protection and Temple Funding can offer law firms and their clients.

He is also a regular presence at law firms’ offices, assessing Temple’s delegated ATE insurance schemes. This face-to-face presence helps ensure we provide a first-class service and appropriate use of our ATE insurance and disbursement funding solutions to our partner law firms.

Matthew Pascall

Barrister Matthew Pascall is the latest addition to the expanding commercial team at Temple Funding, joining as Senior Underwriting Manager from November 2017.

Matthew was called to the Bar in 1984 and joined Guildford Chambers two years later. Spending more than 30 years in practice there, he has comprehensive knowledge and experience of the commercial legal sector and he is listed in the current Legal 500 as a Tier 1 barrister.

Matthew has been providing ongoing consultancy services to Temple Funding for some time and therefore has prior insight into the company and has already established productive relationships with our clients. His knowledge of the commercial legal sector and litigation practice will be invaluable to the business, providing specialist experience to lead the commercial litigation insurance team.

Alex Kaye

Alex joined Temple in 2014 as an IT Support Technician. As the head of IT scheme support for Temple Funding, Alex carries responsibility for implementing new schemes through the Temple Online Policy system.

This involves roll out, implementation support and customer training on our online policy system, as well as ongoing assessment of its usability and identifying future enhancement.

Alex, who has a strong customer focus, recommends IT strategies, policies and procedures by evaluating user outcomes and identifying problems.

Alex’s previous career experience included working with one of the UK’s largest insurance brokers.

Matthew Best

Temple Legal Protection provides ATE insurance and funding to leading specialist clinical negligence and serious injury law firms. Matt Best – who joined Temple in 2011 – is in close dialogue with many of these firms, often on case-specific or scheme-related matters.

Matt’s day-to-day role involves managing a large number of ATE insurance schemes for their clinical negligence and personal injury claims. In addition he uses his experience to ensure that their Temple disbursement funding facilities are set up and run smoothly.

Matt is often to be seen at APIL, AvMA and SCIL conferences sharing his expertise about the benefits that Temple Legal Protection and Temple Funding can offer law firms and their clients.

He is also a regular presence at law firms’ offices, assessing Temple’s delegated ATE insurance schemes. This face-to-face presence helps ensure we provide a first-class service and appropriate use of our ATE insurance and disbursement funding solutions to our partner law firms.

Mandy Dimmer

Mandy is closely involved in the administration of Temple’s funding facilities provided to our partner law firms. Working specifically with leading Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence litigators she is a familiar voice that is in regular contact with them.

Mandy has nine years of experience with a previous ATE provider. Her work for Temple Funding is combined with her role for Temple Legal Protection, Temple Funding’s parent company. Much of this is through the Temple ‘TOPS’ online system – the platform that administers both the funding facilities and the delegated authority ATE insurance schemes. For Mandy this includes issuing quotations, policies and endorsements. She also works closely with colleagues on other projects such completing internal reviews.

Meeting with partner law firms is another part of her role – organising and attending external reviews to get that important feedback on topical issues; all of which helps to ensure they receive – and provide their clients with – a seamless service.

Mandy has recently gained her Certificate in Insurance and is now Cert CII.

Alex Kaye

Alex joined Temple in 2014 as an IT Support Technician. As the head of IT scheme support for Temple Funding, Alex carries responsibility for implementing new schemes through the Temple Online Policy system.

This involves roll out, implementation support and customer training on our online policy system, as well as ongoing assessment of its usability and identifying future enhancement.

Alex, who has a strong customer focus, recommends IT strategies, policies and procedures by evaluating user outcomes and identifying problems.

Alex’s previous career experience included working with one of the UK’s largest insurance brokers.