7BR

7br.co.uk

Barrister specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquest work. Adam's clinical negligence practice involves claims of substantial complexity and severity, ranging from iatrogenic injury and missed/delayed diagnosis cases through to injuries during childbirth. His personal injury practice includes employer’s, occupiers’ and public liability claims as well as claims brought by members of HM Armed Forces as a result of injury resulting from the provision of inadequate equipment or training and noise-induced hearing loss claims. He also appears at coroners’ inquests in respect of deaths arising from clinical errors and other accidents.

Adam Clemens

Barrister specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury, police malfeasance, judicial review and bailiff law. Experienced in data protection, freedom of Information and human rights. Key cases include R v Chief Constable of Norfolk (a supergrass’s Article 2 rights), R ex parte Brian Haw (CA: the right to demonstrate in Parliament Square), Power-Hynes (2009: legality of search warrants), Re Ward (2010: anonymity of paediatricians in family proceedings), Russell v West Sussex (CA 2010: responsibility for edge repairs to A roads).

Adam Korn

Barrister specialising in product liability, clinical negligence, personal injury and public childcare law. Recent and ongoing product liability cases include group actions involving blood infected with the HIV virus, infected porcine heart valves, Parkinson’s’ disease medication and the Pertussis vaccine. Recent and ongoing clinical negligence actions include cases arising out of the debacle ?in paediatric cardiac services in Bristol in the 1980s and 1990s (see ?Telles v South West Strategic Health Authority [2008] EWHC 292 ?(OB)) and cases involving birth injuries of maximum severity (Canning-Kishver v Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust [2008] 2384 (QB).

Adam Weitzman KC

Adam Weitzman KC is a very experienced barrister in all fields of personal injury litigation. He works with the leading solicitors firms and handles cases in all parts of the country. Professional clients find him responsive, commercially minded and willing to work as part of a team. They praise him because he is decisive, able to make tough decisions and happy to take cases to trial. Lay clients find him approachable and sympathetic. Most of all he is valued for his advocacy and ability to win in court. Adam is ranked in the directories as a leading barrister in both personal injury and clinical negligence. He is described by clients as, “incredible and brilliant with clients. If there is a way through a case he will find it. His advocacy is second to none“. Starting as a mixed practitioner Adam had both a civil and criminal practice until 2009 when he chose to specialise in all types of personal injury work. His criminal background (Attorney General’s B panel prosecuting fraud, tax evasion and drug importation) has given him a wealth of advocacy and courtroom experience. His practice now includes personal injury claims, involving injuries of the maximum severity and fatal cases, clinical negligence, inquests and historic abuse cases. He also has a specialist knowledge and wide experience of claims involving local authorities.

Adrian Langdale KC

Barrister specialising in crime and business crime.

Alex Young

Barrister practising in employment, commercial, general common law, personal injury, general crime and complex business crime and fraud. Grade 2 Crown prosecutor. Employment: to date Alex has twice appeared in the EAT (winning both times): Bailey v R&R Plant (Peterborough) Ltd UI Career: Called 2008; Lincoln’s Inn. Languages: Member: Midland Circuit; South Eastern Circuit; Employment Lawyers’ Association. Education: Worth Abbey; University of Oxford, Oriel College (2005 BA (Hons) (Oxon); 2006 MSt (Oxon); City University, London (2007 PGDL), barrister (2008). Leisure:

Andrew Wheeler KC

Andrew Wheeler KC is joint head of the Financial Crime and Offshore and International Dispute Resolution Teams at 7BR Chambers, London, and is ranked in financial crime/fraud by the Legal 500 and by Chambers & Partners. Andrew has extensive experience in relation to offshore & international criminal investigations, and in the UK of the defence and prosecution of serious fraud, associated money laundering and proceeds of crime restraint/confiscation, and compliance/regulatory matters – and has a detailed knowledge of evidence gathering from, and asset tracing through, multiple jurisdictions. Andrew is regularly instructed by leading defence firms, both offshore/internationally and in the UK, and by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Insolvency Service & Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). His experience extends in particular to Bribery & Corruption, Sanctions, Company Investigations, Insolvency and Tax fraud, and to issues of Insider Dealing. He regularly advises the UK and offshore & International sectors in respect of financial crime including sanctions, anti-money laundering and associated regulatory & compliance issues. Andrew has also conducted seminars in respect of Money Laundering/AML – in the UK, including specifically for the UK Serious Fraud Office & UK Insolvency Service – and also for a number of offshore and international jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, Hong Kong, Cyprus, the Channel Islands & the Isle of Man. He has also conducted seminars in a number of jurisdictions in respect of key aspects of digital fraud investigations, cyber – crime and cryptocurrency, and internal/corporate investigations. In addition to his financial crime work, Andrew has had significant involvement in general crime, and has been instructed as leading counsel to defend in cases involving, in particular, complex murder/homicide investigations. Andrew is qualified to accept instructions direct from clients under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme. This means that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.

Anita Guha KC

Specialist in child & family law with expertise in international cross border movement of children and jurisdictional disputes including child abduction cases, relocation, overseas surrogacy, forced marriage and honour based violence cases; care and adoption proceedings and private law proceedings. Reported cases include Re O(Abduction: Settlement) [2011] EWCA Civ 128; Re 5 (Contact Order) [2012] EWCA Civ 6.17; M v M [2010] EWHC 3350 (Fam); G v B [2010] EWHC 2630 (Fam); Fam Div (Sir Nicholas Wall (President Fam)) 25/10/2010; ReS (Abduction: Custody Rights) [2002) EWCA Civ 908.

Anwar Nashashibi

Anwar Nashashibi practices in all areas of serious crime, with particular emphasis on fraud, money laundering and corruption. He is frequently instructed at an early stage of complex investigations, asked to conduct compulsory interviews of senior executives, and to advise public and private clients in relation to international co-operation. He is an expert upon the use of trust and corporate structures to launder the proceeds of crime, from corruption to tax evasion. Recent cases: AG v Peter Michel (extensive money laundering and tax evasion by financial service provider); AG v Justin Michel (perverting the course of justice by Jersey Advocate); a major ongoing corruption investigation into a leading African public figure; R v Varty – defending a director accused of embezzling funds; and R v O’Toole (manslaughter; shaken baby syndrome).

Ashley Underwood KC

Ashley Underwood KC is a hugely experienced public lawyer. He routinely conducts judicial review work for and against public bodies. He is on the Attorney General’s panel of Special Advocates for national security work and regularly appears in SIAC and the High Court in relation to terrorism cases. He is also a member of the Bar of Northern Ireland and is instructed in many of the major ‘legacy’ cases concerning allegations of State collusion in torture and murder. He is instructed on highly confidential matters of national security. He has extensive experience of international sanctions work, on behalf of significant foreign institutions and individuals. This work has inevitably involved very sensitive materials and is unreported. His clerks may be able to provide more information on request. He is a prominent practitioner in inquests and inquiries, having acted as Counsel to a significant number of important investigations and also as Counsel to Interested Parties and Core Participants in others. Ashley’s current instructions include: Representing family members in the inquests into the deaths of Shukri Abdi and Dylan Freeman. The challenge in Grand Cayman to the decision to remove two prisoners serving life sentences for murder to prisons in the UK. As Special Advocate, in challenging the failure to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh bombing. Ashley has extensive experience in commercial and regulatory work for companies and for local government, which has included drafting standard terms of business and policies, arbitrating in disputes and acting in relation to licensing disputes. He has also appeared in many of the leading housing cases in the Appellate Courts. Ashley’s regular clients include the Government Legal Department, local authorities, coroners, police services, NGOs and individuals seeking to vindicate their human rights. Inquests & Inquiries Ashley is one of the most experienced practitioners at the Bar in this field. He was, successively, Counsel to the Robert Hamill Inquiry, the Azelle Rodney Inquiry and the Inquest into the death of Mark Duggan. He was Counsel to the Coroner for the In Amenas Inquests, dealing with intelligence issues. In addition he has advised Government departments and Coroners in relation to investigations. He has been retained to train Coroners in relation to the use of Counsel and to the treatment of sensitive materials. He has advised on and acted in, a number of high-profile judicial reviews relating to inquests and inquiries, such as Re Officer L and the R (on the application of Pamela Duggan) v HM Assistant Coroner. Ashley was instructed by the families of victims in the Birmingham Pub bombings and secured the Coroner’s decision to conduct inquests into those deaths. He acted for two Core Participants in the IICSA. He is presently acting for family members of Shukri Abdi and Dylan Freeman in relation to their inquests. He acts for a number of victims in “legacy” cases in Northern Ireland, including those concerning the Omagh bombing and the Kincora Boys’ Home. Ashley’s experience has resulted in an ability to manage large and difficult investigations which include the handling of intelligence materials, the examination of planned covert operations, the need to deal with PII and anonymity. Public Law and Judicial Review Ashley regularly represents the interests of claimants in national security cases and of local authorities in regulatory cases. He advises local authorities on issues as diverse as finance, equalities, and housing allocation. Commercial and Regulatory Ashley has considerable experience in advising and drafting in relation to commercial contracts as well as regulatory compliance. He is a lead lawyer for “The Uhuru Project” initiative on modern slavery. He was the leading Special Advocate on behalf of Bank Mellat in its claim against HM Treasury for damages for infringing its Article 1 First protocol rights to conduct business in the UK. Family Law Ashley has extensive experience in dealing with disputes concerning children in both private and public law proceedings, financial remedies and cases in the Court of Protection involving both welfare and financial issues. This has resulted in him being instructed numerous occasions for the local authority in relation to Wardship matters. Which has extended into contested adoption work, including interventions in adoptions on behalf of the Central Government. Ashley has recently been involved in parental disputes over children as a Special Advocate because sensitive material was involved. He has trained Special Advocates in family work. He has done considerable PII work on behalf of local authorities, where social service records have been the subject of witness summonses in other proceedings. Ashley has recently been involved in public inquiries on behalf of core participants, namely in IICSA and the Northern Ireland Historical Child Abuse Inquiry. He has also acted on behalf of claimants for damages for abuse sustained when children. He has considerable experience of Article 8 Human Rights claims arising out of family life. Most recently, he succeeded in obtaining entry clearance for a self-confessed Iranian secret agent on that basis. Ashley is leading the team (including Jennifer Carter-Manning KC) on behalf of one of the English girls who went to Syria and had her citizenship revoked, where the claim rests on her family life with her children here. Those claims involve complex issues of the jurisdiction of the HRA and the tests the Courts should adopt. More broadly, Ashley has advised many local authorities over financial disputes about financial responsibility for looked-after children. He has recently acted in the Court of Appeal, on the leading authority on local government responsibility for the provision of secure children’s homes. This case is awaiting permission for appeal to the Supreme Court. Ashley regards this as an extension of his wardship work, involving similar skills. He has acted for, and advised, local authorities in cases concerning welfare but also damages claims for unlawful detention. Ashley has done a vast amount of ancillary relief cases over the years and as a silk has been involved in a number of cases which have high-net-worth individuals.

Barbara Connolly KC

Barbara Connolly KC has been a specialist in Child and Family Law for over 25 years. She undertakes work in all areas of disputes concerning children (including public and private law, adoption, surrogacy and assisted reproduction), and cases in the Court of Protection involving both welfare and financial issues. Having spent many years practising across all areas of family law, mixed common law and crime, Barbara’s civil cases involve allegations of child abuse, particularly historic claims against local authorities. She is also experienced in judicial reviews, public inquiries and the Care Standards Tribunal. Barbara has extensive experience in international family law. She speaks regularly at international conferences and seminars around the world on a variety of subjects affecting family law. She is a past Chair of the Family Law Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA) and continues to sit as an officer on the Family Law Committee’s advisory panel. She was a member of the IBA Presidential Task Force on Refugees and Migrant Children, and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). She is also a member of the IAFL Parentage Committee (surrogacy and assisted reproduction). Additionally, Barbara is a member of the Family Law Bar Association and Association of Lawyers for Children. Barbara is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to her via her clerks. In addition, she welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. For more information, please visit our Direct Access page here. Family Law Barbara has extensive experience in extremely sensitive and highly complex care proceedings, representing local authorities, parents, children and intervenors, ranging from the most serious cases of non accidental injury involving the death of a child, to intra familial sexual abuse and fabricated illness. She has considerable experience and skill in both representing and cross examining children, including victims of abuse as well as alleged child perpetrators. She has developed particular expertise in dealing with extremely complex medical evidence, both in the family courts and the Court of Protection. She has appeared in cases involving cases of alleged radicalisation, honour based violence and forced marriage, requiring special measures, heightened confidentiality and sensitivity, including the use of “closed hearings”. She has also acted for abandoned / stranded spouses, forcibly abandoned overseas and separated from their children. In private law children cases, Barbara is instructed in applications for specific issues/ prohibited steps orders, child arrangements (residence and contact), removal from the jurisdiction and relocation cases. She regularly acts in cases involving cross border issues involving the movement of children from international child abduction including the unlawful removal from the jurisdiction of children in care, to international adoption. She regularly advises in family cases on issues concerning publicity and the media, representing both local authorities and individuals in high profile cases in applications for, and lifting of Reporting Restriction Orders. She provides guidance and advice to local authorities and others and acts in judicial review hearings in respect of decisions relating to local authority responsibilities towards children and families, and vulnerable / incapacitated adults. Barbara has advised and acted in cases involving issues of medical treatment, both in the family courts and the Court of Protection, including withdrawal of life sustaining medical treatment. She also undertakes other best interests / welfare, and financial and property applications in the Court of Protection. Barbara has a specialist interest in cases involving surrogacy and assisted reproduction (including issues of parenthood and disputes following separation) particularly those with an international element. In addition to advising and representing clients in court, she has lectured extensively on these issues in the UK and internationally and written a number of articles. She is a member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers Parentage Committee (surrogacy and assisted reproduction). Personal Injury Barbara Connolly KC has extensive experience of medico legal work, particularly in the Family Courts and Court of Protection. Having conducted public law children work for over 20 years and regularly advised local authorities on child protection issues and their statutory duties towards children, their families and vulnerable adults, she is well placed to deal with claims arising from these issues. Abuse (Claimant) Barbara Connolly KC has been involved in a number of leading cases in this area, both in the Court of Appeal, see Durham CC v Dunn regarding the duty of disclosure by a public authority, and at first instance. Her many years experience in public law children cases and advising local authorities on child protection issues and statutory duties towards children, their families and vulnerable adults, makes her particularly suited to this work, especially in relation to claims for failure to remove. In one such claim involving a sibling group, she negotiated what was at the time the highest damages settlement. She also has experience of very large group actions, in one case involving hundreds of claims of historic child abuse spanning several decades. Public Law Barbara Connolly KC has extensive experience in dealing with public authorities, particularly local authority social workers and other professionals involved in child protection roles arising from over 20 years practice in the area of public law children cases. She also represents claimants in child abuse claims, principally against local authorities and other public bodies, including church run establishments. She has represented a senior social work manager in a lengthy public inquiry into management failures to identify widespread physical and sexual abuse in a local authority’s children’s homes over 20 years. Court of Protection Barbara is a formidable advocate with a wealth of experience in cases involving individuals who are considered to be lacking in capacity. She has advised and acted in cases involving issues of medical treatment, both in the family courts and Court of Protection, including withdrawal of life sustaining medical treatment. She also undertakes other best interests/welfare and financial and property applications in the Court of Protection. Barbara has longstanding relationships with a number of local authorities but is also regularly instructed to represent protected parties.

Ben Isaacs

Benjamin Isaacs is instructed by individuals, businesses and various investigative and regulatory bodies to advise on complex financial crime cases. Benjamin has particular experience in advising on Deferred Prosecution Agreements, having been instructed by the SFO on one of its largest investigations into corporate bribery and corruption to date and represented the companies in two of the DPAs to have been approved so far. In 2022, he successfully represented the SFO in a £400 million fraud trial. He also advises businesses conducting internal investigations and often acts for financial service providers facing regulatory action, whether in the UK or offshore. Benjamin’s experience extends to civil and public law cases and he is often asked to advise clients from different jurisdictions on matters governed by English law, frequently in the context of arbitration. Benjamin also maintains a busy Crown Court practice prosecuting and defending major organised crime, with a particular focus on fraud and money laundering allegations. Benjamin has acted in a number of cases involving senior public officials with complex jurisdictional issues and has a particular interest in bribery and corruption. He has prosecuted cases requiring consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions and he has advised victims on applications for such consent. He also advises on matters to do with extradition and mutual legal assistance and repatriation. Benjamin is well placed to advise on judicial review proceedings where the public law intersects with the criminal law and is praised for his drafting. He has acted on behalf of individuals and agencies in the High Court on cases concerning a range of topics from search powers to offender repatriation to decisions to prosecute (or not). Benjamin is ranked in The Legal 500 and Chambers UK Bar and is described as a “go to corporate crime junior” with “excellent analytical skills,” as well as “a very articulate and bright individual and an extremely good barrister.” He is fluent in Hebrew. Benjamin is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.

Brendan Roche KC

Brendan has a high profile in family law. He regularly appears in the Family Division, especially in public and private law children’s cases involving complex medical evidence and cases with an international element. Ranked as a leading junior in personal injury law, Brendan is regularly instructed in high value personal injury claims. He has particular expertise in group litigation, local authority children’s services negligence cases and tort actions involving the church. Brendan specialises-in clinical negligence cases, including cases of obstetric negligence causing cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy.

Camini Kumar

Camini Kumar’s practice focuses on the financial consequences of relationship breakdown and private children law. She is frequently instructed on concurrent proceedings between the same parties. Camini is a qualified Arbitrator (MCIArb) and available to conduct arbitrations in both financial and children matters and, where appropriate, both together. Camini also conducts private FDRs.

Caroline Lody

Barrister.

Charlene Henderson

Charlene Henderson’s practice covers all aspects of private and public children’s law work. Charlene began her practice in both crime and family, equipping her with knowledge of the crossover between the criminal and family jurisdictions. She accepts instructions in the following areas. Care Proceedings & Adoption Court of Protection Forced Marriage Protection Orders International Family Law International Abduction Private Law Children Proceedings Surrogacy, Assisted Reproduction & Same Sex Parenting Charlene is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to her. In addition, she welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.

Chris Canning

Chris Canning practises in clinical negligence, personal injury, and employment law. His clinical negligence and personal injury work features claims of medium and high value, and he is currently instructed in several claims valued in excess of £1 million. In employment work, Chris frequently appears in multi-day and multi-week trials and has acted in cases of national significance. He is also authorised to act for HM Government as a member of the Attorney-General’s ‘C’ Panel of Counsel.

Christina Lyons

Barrister specialising in personal injury, clinical negligence and employment law. Christina’s practice incorporates all aspects of personal injury work including road traffic accidents, occupier’s liability, employers’ liability, public liability and fatal accidents. She is regularly instructed in claims arising from allegations of historic abuse in institutional care, including group actions. Christina acts on behalf of Claimants in clinical negligence cases. Her work includes fatal clinical accidents and birth-related injury claims. Christina’s employment and discrimination practice incorporates unfair and wrongful dismissal, redundancy and discrimination in respect of sex, race, religion/belief and disability discrimination. Christina represents Respondents and Claimants in fields such as banking, healthcare and government.

Collingwood Thompson KC

Collingwood Thompson KC has specialised in both civil and criminal fraud, since taking silk in 1998. Collingwood has acted in some of the most high profile fraud cases, both on behalf of the Crown and the defence. Both prosecution agencies and defence solicitors regularly instruct him. Concerning the prosecution, he works closely with SFO, CPS and NCA. Regarding defence matters he represents individuals and corporate clients in large fraud investigations. While being in silk and through his fraud practice he has developed an expertise in legal professional privilege, particularly in connection with search warrants and production orders. Also, his practice over the past 20 years has become increasingly international, where he has appeared in the courts and advised in a number of jurisdictions including; Caribbean, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Thailand and Jersey. Some of the matters he has worked on recently are as follows: Advising the Attorney General of Jersey on fraud-related investigations; Representing CITIC Group concerning an LPP issue; Representing a large well established institution on the Isle of Man, which has been accused of Money Laundering and regulatory issues. His work also includes advising offshore clients, in particular trust structures in relation to breach of sanctions regulations. Collingwood is ranked in both Chambers & Partners 2025 and Legal 500 2025 as one of the leaders at the London Bar for Financial Crime/Fraud: Crime. In addition to representing parties in Court, since taking Silk, Collingwood has regularly delivered in-house training for Members, as well as being engaged by external solicitors for training, particularly in relation to new legal developments in the fraud and regulatory sphere. Financial Crime Collingwood is a leader at the Bar for Financial Crime and specialises in high value claims involving both private and public bodies. His practice areas include: asset recovery; bribery and corruption; criminal fraud litigation; extradition & mutual legal assistance money laundering; and sanctions. Offshore & International Disputes Collingwood is regularly instructed in both advisory work and litigation in offshore jurisdictions, especially in Hong Kong and the Caribbean. His range of work covers: bribery and corruption, commercial fraud, regulatory work; and international criminal law. He has twice appeared in the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong acting for the successful appellants in criminal cases. He has also appeared in one of the leading cases on legal professional privilege in Hong Kong: Citic Pacific v Secretary of State for Justice & another, in the Court of Appeal. The case concerned the doctrine of limited waiver of privilege in Hong Kong law. Regulatory & Professional Discipline A significant part of Collingwood’s practice involves financial regulatory work in both the UK and offshore jurisdictions. He has acted for both regulators and financial institutions, especially in the context of systems and controls operated by financial institutions. He has been instructed by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to report on the money laundering controls of offshore banks, the failure of split capital investment trusts based in Jersey and the operation of European Property Investment Funds by regulated entities in Jersey. He has also represented trust companies and financial institutions under investigation and successfully acted for the promoters of investment funds that the Jersey Financial Services Commission was seeking to wind up. In the UK he has represented clients at the RDC facing disciplinary action from the FSA (now the FCA) and has acted for a listed company facing allegations of breaching the UK Listing Rules in related party transactions, instructed by a leading City law firm.

Conor Dufficy

Conor Dufficy has a broad civil law practice and advises and acts in court for both claimants and defendants on a range of high value clinical negligence, personal injury, product liability and commercial matters. He regularly appears at Inquests having experience in medical, product, alleged suicide and unlawful death cases. He has been instructed in complex multi-jurisdictional and group actions. He has considerable experience in advising regarding fraudulent claims. He has contributed to relevant publications, in addition to providing seminars for solicitors and other organisations. He has sat on internet and sports bodies’ regulatory panels. He has appeared as an advocate before sports regulatory panels. Conor is qualified as an Accredited Mediator and has mediated many commercial, personal injury, probate and other disputes. He is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme. He had a previous career in finance and was European Head of Foreign Exchange at Bank of America.

Craig Carr

Personal injury, clinical negligence, professional negligence.

Daniel Bishop

Crime, personal injury, employment, family.

David O"Mahony

David O’Mahony specialises in cases in which international issues arise. He has particular experience in offshore issues. His practice has ranged across this field of the law being instructed in cases involving money laundering and criminal fraud, civil and commercial law (particularly fraud), arbitration (both commercial and investment arbitration), domestic and international financial regulation and international crime. He advises on public and private international law and international criminal law. He has deep knowledge of the law of bribery and corruption. He has acted for and against companies as well as individuals in corruption cases. He has also acted in parallel civil and criminal proceedings. He has acted for a number of developing world governments in corruption investigations and negotiated a settlement agreement with one of the world’s largest companies. David also advises on sanctions related issues (including in an offshore context). He has advised on a number of the sanctions regimes including in relation to Russia/Ukraine, North Africa and Iran. He has advised on historic sanctions issues. He has acted on both the government and corporate side of sanctions issues. In the field of International Criminal Law, he was instructed in a major, in country, crimes against humanity investigation and wrote the major report on both fact and law.

David Matthew

General crime: David’s practice includes all types of serious crime, ranging from complex and ditlicult fraud, to murders, rapes, drug otTences, serious violence, Explosive Substances Act offences, firearms and all lesser offences. He is at a stage where he frequently appears against Silks, he leads other juniors but the last time he was led by others was 2007. Fraud: he is recognised as a leading junior tor criminal fraud by both The Legal500 (2012) and Chambers & Partners (2013). Restraint and confiscation: does the full range of restraint and confiscation on a regular basis, both prosecuting and defending. Privilege: frequently instmcted by the Metropolitan Police to read exhibits seized from journalists and others for privilege or ‘special procedure material’. Inquiries and inquests: Robert Hamill Inquiry; one of the Northern Ireland Cory Collusion Inquiries. Prui of the team preparing the material for counsel to the Inquiry. Hospital and car accident deaths; appeared at inquests for the family and for insurers.

Deirdre Goodwin

Deirdre has vast experience of handling catastrophic injury claims with especial expertise in perinatal asphyxia and paediatric neurology cases, as well as neurosurgical, orthopaedic and oncology claims. She is recognised as a skilled advocate who quickly distils the issues in the most complex of cases and is adept at making causation arguments. She is a strong negotiator with a keen intuition for an opponent’s position and is proactive in maintaining momentum in cases, with a speedy turnaround of paperwork, including meticulously pleaded schedules of loss. Reported cases include Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority [1998] A.C. 238 HL , Murphy v Wirral Health Authority (1996) 7 Med LR 99 CA and AC v St Georges Healthcare NHS Trust [2015] EWHC 3644. Approved settlements for claimants and defendants include claims where damages are in the high millions. Deirdre also has extensive experience in all areas of personal injury practice, in particular catastrophic head injury, spinal trauma and Fatal Accident claims.

Derek Sweeting KC

Barrister whose practice is focused on contentious civil litigation and advisory work in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as arbitration. It includes cases relating to commercial contracts, insurance, construction, information technology, professional negligence and civil fraud. He also retains a keen interest in maximum severity personal injury and clinical negligence work. He is regularly instructed by the Attorney General in this field. A regular and popular lecturer on his areas of practice, he is co-author of the chapter dealing with the overlap between civil and criminal claims in ‘Fraud; Law, Practice and Procedure’. He also deals with financial services and product liability.

Elaine Banton

Elaine acts for employees and employers in all areas of employment law, focusing on complex and protracted litigation at all levels. Often appearing in high profile matters her practice includes long running multi-characteristic discrimination matters and advises global and national businesses. Elaine appears in all discrimination claims including public functions and services matters. Elaine’s practice also includes disciplinary, regulatory, sports law, human rights, harassment and stress at work claims including health and safety and Covid-19 related matters. Appearing in high profile, impactful cases and exemplifying her Senior Executive/City practice, Elaine was The Times Lawyer of the Week in March 2023 as a result of the pre dismissal remedy judgment of £300k in the long-running litigation involving a retrial of sex discrimination, harassment and maternity claims in Rajput v Commerzbank AG. The case is a continuation of Commerzbank AG v Rajput [2019] ICR 1613. See the ET remedy judgment here, FT report here, and the Reuters report here. Elaine was featured as The Lawyer’s Barrister of the Week in November 2021 following a widely reported direct discrimination case, Tesfagiorgis v Aspinalls Club Ltd. Her success in the Court of Appeal in O’Brien v Bolton St Catherine’s Academy [2017] ICR 737 CA, which resulted in guidance on s15 EqA claims. In 2022, Elaine obtained a finding of disability by way of menopausal symptoms in the ongoing matter of Maria Rooney v LCC ET 2600242/19 in the ET (previously remitted from the EAT). International work includes acting for Smith in the substantial $1.4 billion sex discrimination group action Smith & Ors v Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Lead Counsel for the family of former key worker Belly Mujinga in her workplace inquest. Recent expertise in equality law includes being instructed as a junior counsel for Federation of Ethnic Minority Healthcare Organisations (FEMHO), a Core Participant, in the Covid-19 Public Inquiry and in a High Court, Unfair Prejudice matter. Elaine successfully represented 4 New Square Chambers as junior Counsel. Other notable and reported appellate cases may be found in the Employment section below. Elaine has considerable experience encompassing cross-territorial complex and wide ranging investigations and domestic reviews of employment practice and procedure. Elaine also Chairs internal disciplinary and complaints panels. Elaine is a CEDR Accredited Mediator. Experienced in complex conflict and dispute resolutions both pre and post litigation. Elaine frequently appears as an advocate in mediations (including international matters) of all description acting for various parties in all types of complex employment and discrimination disputes. Elaine has extensive experience in professional disciplinary cases before various regulatory bodies. More information may be found in the Regulatory and Professional section below. Elaine has given evidence in Parliament to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (Select Committee) to the Inquiry on Human Rights at Work. Elaine speaks, writes and broadcasts regularly on her specialist areas of the law for various practice publications. She is a contributor for Harvey Industrial Relations and Employment Law, co-author of Division J Family Matters and co-author of the chapter on Human Rights and Employment Law for Tolley’s Employment Law. An active member of the Discrimination Law Association, she was Treasurer of the DLA for 6 years. In 2009 Elaine was named a ‘Pro Bono Hero for 2009’ by the Attorney General’s Office. From 2011 to 2014 Elaine was a Barrister member of the Bar Standards Board’s Complaints Committee. Accepted onto the delegation as a UN Women UK delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67), in 2023. Elaine is featured in the September 2023 edition of Counsel Magazine. Finalist in the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2023 in 3 categories; Advocate of the Year, Mentor of the Year and DE&I Champion of the Year in a Legal Role Elaine is a member of IBA, ELA, IFSEA, DLA, ELBA, ILS and Justice. Elaine is the Co-Chair of the Bar Council’s EDSM Committee and is an elected member on the Bar Council’s GMC. Elaine is a member of the Committee for the Inns of Court Alliance for Women. Elected Bencher at Middle Temple March 2019. Member of Middle Temple’s Appointment Committee and Bencher Selection Committee and Former Co-Chair of Middle Temple’s Race Equality, Inclusion and Anti-Racism Working Group. Head of 7BR’s Employment Team. Member of Sadler’s Wells Development Council. Chair of the Board of Talawa Theatre. Finalist for Barrister of the Year 2022, Next 100 Years, Inspirational Women In Law Awards. Elaine was Finalist for the ‘First 100 Years Inspirational Woman of the Year Award’, Barrister of the Year 2019. Elaine featured on BBC One’s Panorama episode “Belly Mujinga: Searching for the Truth” on 12th October 2020. She discussed the importance of the Employer’s responsibility during the COVID -19 pandemic. You can view the episode here.

Gareth Weetman

Gareth has spent more than ten years specialising in crime and personal injury. His criminal work spans both defence and prosecution of the most serious offences including murder, manslaughter, rape, child abuse, class A drug supply, money laundering and fraud. In relation to personal injury, he advises and represents claimants, defendants and insurers in all aspects of civil litigation including cases of brain injury, permanent disability, fatal accidents and psychological trauma. He has experience of a wide range of issues, including employers’ and occupiers’ liability, local authority liability, clinical negligence and breach of duty. The combination of these specialities mean that he is well placed to advise parties involved in cases that span both criminal and civil liability, such as health and safety prosecutions, road traffic accidents and disciplinary tribunals. His approachable style and considerable experience in trial advocacy have earned him a reputation for dealing effectively with difficult cases involving child vulnerable witnesses or serious sexual allegations.

Gina Allwood

Barrister. Family (international parental child abduction, Brussels II (revised); forced marriage; application for leave to remove from the jurisdiction; public law child proceedings; S8 Children Act Orders; ancillary relief; financial relief after overseas divorce; interim periodic payments/maintenance pending suit occupation and non-molestation orders; committal proceedings. Public law judicial review / Immigration (High Court Judicial Review; reconsideration appeals). Reported cases: Re F [2008] EWCA Civ 842; R (on application of Ayoub Khan) (Claimant) v Election Commissioner for the Aston Ward of Birmingham City Council (Defendant) and (i) Mohammed Afsal (ii) Birmingham City Council (iii) Secretary of State for Justice (interested parties) [2009] EWIIC 1757 (Admin).

Gordon James Aspden KC

Barrister specialising in criminal law. Recent cases include: R v Hart (Selby rail crash); R v Gibson (largest cigarette smuggling case prosecuted by HM Customs & Excise); and the Lincoln Prison riots.

Graham Huston

Barrister practising prosecution and defence in all types of serious criminal work.

Gregory Burke

Barrister.

Hanisha Patel

Hanisha Patel is a barrister at 7 Bedford Row and is also the chair of the Association of Asian Women Lawyers. Hanisha is a family practitioner who has experience of both public and private law family proceedings. Hanisha has a particular interest in forced marriage cases and has been instructed on behalf of the police, local authorities and applicants themselves in respect of Forced Marriage Protection Orders and appears regularly in the High Court. Her ongoing multi-party forced marriage caseload includes complex issues involving mental capacity of vulnerable adults and criminal allegations on behalf of child victims of forced marriage. Hanisha has published numerous articles on this topic together with Rachel Langdale QC, Anne-Marie Hutchinson (Dawson Cornwell) and Jasvinder Sanghera (Karma Nirvana) and has provided training to the police, local authorities and charitable organisations including Women’s Aid. In addition, through her role as chair of the Association of Asian Women Lawyers, Hanisha has been instrumental in organising ‘awareness-raising’ events nationally on forced marriage. Hanisha’s profile appears in the publication ‘Black Letter Law’ acknowledging achievement in the law.

Hari Kaur

Hari is particularly sought after for family cases, both public and private law, which have an international element due to her extensive immigration law background (‘Chambers and Partners’ recommended her, over a number of years, as a leading junior for immigration work). Such instructions include unlawful retention and removal of children from the jurisdiction. Her manner and handling of vulnerable clients also makes her a popular choice for representing people via the Official Solicitor or women who have been the subject of significant abuse such as forced marriage. Hari also has great experience with cases involving sexual abuse, extremely serious non-accidental injuries/attempted murder of the child, fabricated illness and serious neglect. She is also regularly instructed by National Youth Advocacy Service and on behalf of CAFCASS to represent children in complex residence and contact proceedings. The complexity of her practice is such that she has been led by Queens Counsel in several cases and also regularly appears, without Queens Counsel, in cases where one or more parties have instructed leader. An example, of a recent such case has been TE v SH and S [2010] EWHC 192 which received extensive media attention.

Helen Compton

Helen is a common law practitioner focussing on employment and family (care work). Helen has successfully appeared alone in the High Court, EAT and the Court of Appeal. In her employment practice, Helen is instructed in legally complex and challenging cases. She provides strategic insight at all stages and gives clear and tactical advice. She has undertaken work involving all aspects of equality legislation and is attune to equality and diversity issues. In her family practice Helen is regularly instructed in the most serious cases, involving traumatic injuries and allegations of FII. Her clinical negligence experience makes her comfortable approaching and challenging complex medical evidence. Helen often represents very vulnerable clients and is sensitive and re-assuring.

Hugh Preston KC

Hugh Preston KC is a leading silk in the fields of Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Consumer Law and Product Liability. He has particular expertise in all aspects of group litigation. Hugh’s clinical negligence practice involves complex and maximum severity claims on behalf of claimants. He is currently instructed in over 20 ongoing obstetric and/or neonatal brain damage claims and is regularly instructed in complex birth injury claims involving all aspects of antenatal and neonatal care including failures to respond to CTG indications, excessive bilirubin levels leading to kernicterus, chronic partial and acute asphyxia cases and all aspects of obstetric, midwifery and neonatal management. He also has particular expertise in clinical negligence claims involving medical devices and is currently instructed in the TVT/TOT/TVM Mesh Implant (Consent) litigation arising from allegations of inadequate advice when obtaining consent to vaginal mesh implantations. Hugh’s product liability practice includes instructions in the highest profile medical device group actions in recent years, including the PIP Breast Implant litigation, the Pinnacle Metal Hip Implant litigation and several other metal hip group actions. He is currently instructed in a large group of vaccine damage claims arising from thrombosis related injuries following administration of the Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine, and by Leigh Day in a group of claims arising from BIA-ALCL cancer caused by textured breast implants (the lead cases were settled in 2022). He is also instructed in infected blood products claims and personal injury and/or property damage following major fire damage incidents (including Grenfell Tower), and for claimants in a group litigation arising from defeat devices used in VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Mercedes motor cars. He has longstanding wide experience of all aspects of personal injury litigation including historic sexual and physical abuse (particularly group actions involving child abuse and claims against religious and state institutions), claims arising from overseas accidents in the private security industry involved in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the full range of maximum severity claims. More recently he has been consulted in respect of claims arising from the administration of Covid-19 vaccines to vulnerable persons/children. Hugh is also instructed in a wide variety of commercial and consumer law disputes including consumer credit, sale of goods, supply of services and claims under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR). He is currently instructed in a number of representative actions under CPR 19.6, following the 2021 Supreme Court decision in Lloyd v Google, and has particular expertise in all aspects of group litigation including opt-out consumer law class actions in this rapidly emerging field. He is currently instructed by Kennedys in a number of Covid-19 related multi-party claims including wedding cancellation claims and a variety of Covid-19 related consumer and Human Rights Law group actions. Hugh is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. For more information please visit our Direct Access page here. Clinical Negligence Hugh is currently instructed in over 20 ongoing obstetric and/or neonatal brain damage claims and is regularly instructed in complex birth injury claims involving all aspects of antenatal and neonatal care including failures to respond to CTG indications, excessive bilirubin levels leading to kernicterus, chronic partial and acute asphyxia cases and all aspects of obstetric, midwifery and neonatal management. He is also instructed in cases involving novel legal and complex legal issues, e.g. in 2017 a ground-breaking HIV misdiagnosis claim involving an alleged duty of care to wider family members (F S & D v University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust [2017]). More recently he has been consulted in respect of claims arising from the administration of Covid 19 vaccines to vulnerable persons/children. He has particular expertise in clinical negligence claims involving medical devices and is currently instructed in the TVT/TOT/TVM Mesh Implant (Consent) litigation, a large group of claims arising from allegations of inadequate advice when obtaining consent to vaginal mesh implantations for treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Hugh also receives instructions from overseas in clinical negligence claims including the Isle of Man and further afield. He has a particular strength in putting clients at ease and explaining the issues arising throughout the case, at a pace and in terms that are appropriate to the client. Personal Injury Hugh has longstanding wide experience of personal injury litigation involving maximum severity claims, head injuries, and the full range of health and safety litigation resulting from industrial accidents including fatal accidents and complex amputation injury claims. He is also instructed in stress at work and other psychiatric injury claims including those resulting from sexual and physical abuse. Hugh has particular expertise in overseas claims and matters giving rise to jurisdictional or applicable law disputes. He has been instructed by defendants in a number of employer’s liability claims arising from complex head injuries sustained by private security personnel employed by private security companies operating in Iraq and Afghanistan, brought under overseas applicable law. He has appeared in the leading case concerning the applicable law arising in cross-border product liability claims. Product Liability Hugh has longstanding expertise in product liability litigation having been involved in some of the highest profile group actions involving medical devices in recent years. He represented the claimants in the PIP Breast Implant Litigation (concluded in Supreme Court 2019), the DePuy Pinnacle Metal on Metal Hip Litigation (14-week trial in 2017-18) and several other metal hip groups including Adept, BHR Resurfacing and combination hip prostheses. He is currently instructed in a large group of vaccine damage claims arising from thrombosis related injuries following administration of the Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine, and by Leigh Day in a group of claims arising from BIA-ALCL cancer caused by textured breast implants (lead claims settled in 2022). He is also instructed in claims arising from fire damage causing personal injury and/or property damage (including Grenfell Tower), and for claimants in group litigation arising from defeat devices used in VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Mercedes motor cars. He is regularly instructed in individual product liability claims. An example of his current work in a single product liability case is a continuing fatality claim arising from a helicopter crash in the North Sea, involving complex jurisdictional and applicable law issues. Hugh has a particular interest in cross-border product liability litigation having been involved in two recent landmark decisions in this field involving ASR hip claimants from New Zealand and South Africa bringing claims in England against an English defendant. Before taking silk Hugh appeared in the ECJ in O’Byrne v Aventis Pasteur, a major Product Liability ruling, subsequently returning to the Supreme Court in 2010. This was the first Product Liability claim under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 ever to have reached this level. Hugh is a former contributing editor to Miller’s Product Liability and Safety Encyclopaedia. Consumer Contract Hugh has longstanding expertise in all aspects of consumer contract law and has been involved in some of the highest profile actions in this field. He represented the claimants in the PIP Breast Implant Litigation (concluded in Supreme Court 2019) in which claims were made for damages in breach of contract relying upon statutory implied terms. He is currently instructed by Leigh Day in a large group of claims arising from BIA-ALCL cancer caused by textured breast implants, claiming damages in breach of contract relying upon statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. He is currently instructed by Kennedys in a number of Covid-19 related multi-party claims including wedding cancellation claims and a number of Covid-19 related group actions. He is also involved in litigation involving cancelled goods and services as a result of industrial strike action by university lecturers and whether a right to a partial refund arises. He is currently instructed in a number of consumer law representative actions under CPR 19.6 under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR) and other statutory and contractual causes of action, following the 2021 Supreme Court decision in Lloyd v Google. Hugh is able to give urgent advice by telephone or by video either to solicitors or to non-lawyer clients directly. Commercial Hugh has longstanding expertise in all aspects of commercial litigation. He is currently advising both commercial and consumer clients as to contractual disputes and statutory and legal rights and claims for refunds as a result of cancelled goods and services caused by the Covid-19 / Coronavirus national emergency (e.g. Force Majeure clauses and corporate events cancellations). Hugh is able to give urgent advice by telephone or by video either to solicitors or to non-lawyer clients directly. Hugh has particular experience of civil fraud and commercial contract disputes including construction disputes. Mental Health Claims Hugh specialises in complex cases involving all aspects of healthcare, including controversial mental health issues. He has a particular interest in decisions involving clinical treatment and welfare decisions on behalf of individuals who lack capacity by reason of mental capacity, thus involving the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and on behalf of children, having regard to the Children Act 1989 and the inherent jurisdiction. This includes end of life decisions and decisions regarding withdrawal of treatment. His wider practice includes the most complex brain injury cases including birth injury claims and adult brain damage cases. Data Protection Hugh has longstanding expertise in all aspects of consumer contract law and has been involved in some of the highest profile actions in this field. He represented the claimants in the PIP Breast Implant Litigation (concluded in Supreme Court 2019) in which claims were made for damages in breach of contract relying upon statutory implied terms. He is currently instructed by Leigh Day in a large group of claims arising from BIA-ALCL cancer caused by textured breast implants, claiming damages in breach of contract relying upon statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. He is currently instructed by Kennedys in a number of Covid-19 related multi-party claims including wedding cancellation claims and a number of Covid-19 related group actions. He is also involved in litigation involving cancelled goods and services as a result of industrial strike action by university lecturers and whether a right to a partial refund arises. He is currently instructed in a number of consumer law representative actions under CPR 19.6 under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR) and other statutory and contractual causes of action, following the 2021 Supreme Court decision in Lloyd v Google. Hugh is able to give urgent advice by telephone or by video either to solicitors or to non-lawyer clients directly. Offshore & International Disputes Hugh Preston KC is a leading silk in multiple disciplines and has particular expertise in cross-border litigation, jurisdiction disputes, civil fraud and all aspects of group litigation and class actions. Cross border litigation Hugh has appeared in some of the most significant cross border product liability cases in recent years and has longstanding expertise in all aspects of jurisdiction and applicable law disputes arising in general civil litigation. In 2012-2015 Hugh was instructed in major group litigation involving metal on metal hip implants instructed by overseas attorneys in New Zealand, South Africa and various European and other jurisdictions in London-based litigation, leading to some of the leading private international law decisions in recent years. Civil Fraud & Commercial Litigation Hugh has longstanding experience in all aspects of commercial litigation including with and without notice injunctive relief/freezing order applications. He also has substantial experience in civil fraud litigation including very large cross-border multi-party actions and individual complex fraud cases. Hugh’s group litigation practice includes misleading action claims under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR) and common law deceit claims, for example, the recent VW dieselgate group actions in London against overseas defendants including deceit claims for exemplary damages. Class Actions & consumer law Hugh is ranked as a leading silk for Group Litigation by Chambers & Partners and has vast experience in all aspects of group litigation having appeared in some of the highest-profile group actions in recent years including product liability medical device litigation, historic child abuse litigation, human rights group litigation involving interference with business possessions and civil fraud group actions. Hugh has a special interest in the emerging field of opt-out class actions extending beyond competition law into broader consumer law claims and is currently instructed in a number of ground-breaking new consumer law opt-out class actions pursued under the representative action rules common to the English Civil Procedure Rules and equivalent regimes further afield e.g. Rule 20.35 of the RDC 2014 in Dubai, further to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Lloyd v Google [2021] UKSC 50.

James House KC

James has a national practice prosecuting and defending in high profile, serious criminal cases. Renowned for his approachable nature and meticulous attention to detail. James is frequently instructed in complex, multi-handed murder cases, manslaughter cases, including legally and factually challenging allegations of gross negligence, as well as high value fraud and drugs importation cases and serious sexual offences, often involving very young or particularly vulnerable witnesses or defendants. James has specialist knowledge and experience in cases involving death by arson and is particularly in demand in cases involving defendants or witnesses who by reason of age or physical or psychiatric conditions are particularly vulnerable. James has a successful appellate practice in the Court of Appeal.

James MacDonald

James Macdonald specialises in clinical negligence and product liability claims, coroners’ inquests and related aspects of public law, and offshore and international litigation. James is a recognised specialist in clinical negligence, ranked as a Leading Junior by the Legal 500. His expertise in claims arising out of fatal accidents means that he is regularly instructed by families for the deceased in both civil and coronial proceedings. He is particularly sought after in cases involving psychiatric patients where medical complexities and legal issues, typically involving Human Rights Act and Fatal Accidents Act claims, overlap. James is well-known for his empathetic and sensitive approach to client care in such cases, as well as his legal expertise. James is also a contributing author to the practitioner textbook Coroners’ Investigations and Inquests (Butterworths: 2021), having written the chapters on Scope, Article 2 ECHR, and Inquests & Public Inquiries. James’ experience in clinical negligence litigation has led to him increasingly being instructed in product liability claims involving defective medical equipment. His work includes group litigation class actions and international claims, and his is ranked as a Leading Junior in Group Litigation by the Legal 500. James also has a burgeoning practice in the Court of Protection arising out of his experience with severely injured Claimant clients. In non-clinical injury litigation, James is frequently instructed by Claimants and Defendants in medium to high-value claims. He is sought after particularly in cases requiring detailed analysis and negotiation skills. James’ offshore and international practice is centred around business and human rights law. His experience in both civil and criminal jurisdictions in England and Wales means that he is increasingly instructed to advise in complex crossover cases. To date, these have included areas as diverse as corporate fraud, breaches of Government sanctions and large-scale group actions arising out of corporate environmental disasters or breaches of foreign competition law. James remains periodically instructed by the CPS and other prosecuting bodies to assist with cases involving serious criminal offences including offshore financial crime, money-laundering, homicide, and drug-trafficking. James’ experience and understanding of complex criminal litigation during his early career mean that he is often asked to advise in crossover civil and public law cases, particularly those with an international dimension. Between 2017 and 2019, James also acted as a member of the junior counsel team to the statutory Undercover Policing Inquiry, advising and working with the Chair, Sir John Mitting. James’ experience in dealing with highly confidential material means that he continues to be instructed to review and advise in various sensitive areas of Government-related litigation, particularly in relation to counter-terrorism and national security. James is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come directly to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.

James Weston

James practices in the fields of clinical negligence, catastrophic injury and abuse / social services claims. Within his areas of expertise, he undertakes complex and high value litigation, including group actions, as well as inquests for families, local authorities and institutional clients. James has a particular expertise in cases involving birth, brain, neurological and psychiatric injury. He is adept at marshalling and cross-examining experts. James defends local authorities and other bodies in litigation involving allegations of child and adult social services negligence, abuse and deprivation of liberty. He also has a particular expertise in claims under Articles 2, 3, 6 and 8 of the Human Rights Act and stress at work cases. He is also regularly involved in representing adult and children's services at inquests where the reputation and standing of social work professionals and departments is in question. Recent cases: Grenfell Tower litigation (2022-2023) – James represented a large cohort of Claimants involved in the disaster. Multiple Claimants vs Local Authority (2023) – a group action brought by over 50 claimants in relation to abuse at a school in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, which has been widely covered in the media. James represented the local authority. H v County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (2023) - the Claimant, a young fashion designer, suffered injury during ophthalmic surgery, leaving her partially blind. Complex issues of causation and quantum are in issue. The claim is valued at over £5 million in light of the Claimant’s care needs and career prospects in the fashion industry at the time of injury. Y v London Borough (2022) - James represented the local authority in a claim brought by Y, who was seeking to recover for breach of Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition against slavery and forced labour). The Claimant alleges that social workers owed her extensive duties under Article 4 to provide services as a result of her being a victim of human trafficking. Pearl Butterworth v Rochdale Borough Council (Manchester County Court, 2022) - James successfully defended the local authority at trial in a claim relating to child sexual exploitation in Rochdale in the early 1980s, one of the earliest known reports of CSE. Professor Akay v Newcastle University [2020] EWHC 1669 – James was successful at the appeal hearing before Lavender J having applied successfully to strike out the Claimant for abuse of process/res judicata at first instance. Hankin v Saracens and others (2020 – High Court) – James acted for a former professional rugby player in relation to claim for brain injury and its management against his former club.

Jeffrey Jupp KC

Specialises in employment and commercial law. and covers all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, TUPE, bonus and share option cases. Also practises in disciplinary and regulatory tribunals, eg: GMC, CIPFA, Police, Pharmaceutical, and ICA. General commercial work, includes civil fraud, insurance law, sale of goods.

Jennifer Carter-Manning KC

Specialising in substantial cases of fraud, bribery & corruption, and money laundering. Jennifer has a significant practice in the UK and the Isle of Man. She is increasingly sought after for regulatory investigations and advice. She has particular experience of Deferred Prosecution Agreements, having been instructed in SFO v Rolls Royce (for the SFO), SFO v Serco Geografix (for Serco) and SFO v AB Ltd and CD Ltd (for the companies). Her clients include FTSE 100 companies, private individuals, the SFO, the Attorney General of the Isle of Man, the Met Police and CPS HQ. She has experience of all aspects of large investigations, international co-operation and civil forfeiture. She conducts work as independent counsel. She is public access trained. She is appointed to the UK attorney general’s list of Special Advocates.

Jeremy Pendlebury

Consistently and currently (2013) ranked as a leading junior in clinical negligence and personal injury in the Legal 500 and as a leading clinical negligence junior in Chambers & Partners. Jeremy specialises in cases of maximum severity in both fields, acting for claimants and defendants. In clinical negligence Jeremy is known for his experience in childbirth and neonatal cerebral palsy work; and is regularly conducting multi-million pound cases (Chestnutt v QEH Hospital NHST (2013), £6.5m; Furlong v UH Coventry NHST (2013), £5.5m). He also enjoys an interest and expertise in adult brain and spinal injuries and in surgical cases. In personal injury, Jeremy undertakes all areas of work (such as RTAs, sporting accidents, building site accidents and industrial accidents) and has a special interest in fatal accident cases. Jeremy continues with his niche practices in professional negligence and disciplinary work involving the medical professions. He lectures in his areas of expertise and is an accredited mediator.

Jern-Fei Ng KC

Jern-Fei Ng KC is an experienced counsel specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration, with extensive experience appearing before courts and arbitral tribunals and sitting as arbitrator in different jurisdictions, including England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and Luxembourg. Jern-Fei has acted as counsel in some 350 cases and as arbitrator in some 30 cases (as presiding, sole and co-arbitrator) pursuant to, amongst others, ICC, HKIAC, LCIA, LMAA, SIAC, PCA and UNCITRAL Rules. He is also the fourth English King’s Counsel to be admitted to the Singapore Bar and is the only English King’s Counsel to have triple affiliation in London, Hong Kong and Singapore. Described in the legal directories as “an absolute superstar of the Bar”, “simply the best”, “one of the biggest names for Asia-related arbitration” and an “absolutely brilliant advocate!” He is also described as a “highly skilled strategist and terrific advocate” with “first-class advocacy skills” that is both “smooth and persuasive”; “one of the most talented counsel I have worked with on issues of strategy, where he is always several steps ahead of the current state of proceedings”. He is “a very talented silk” who is “already in the zone of a leader in international arbitration” and who has an ability to “present practical legal solutions that not only win you the battles, but also the war.” “Extremely intelligent and tactically astute, he is one of a kind and is highly sought after.” “He shows tenacity in fighting his client’s corner and has the ability to swiftly produce forceful oral rebuttals”; “will fight like a gladiator to win the case”; “very proactive and, once instructed, takes control of a case and pushes it forward to the advantage of the client”; “super intelligent, very knowledgeable”. Described as having a “blue-chip practice”; litigation experience that is “top-class”, with “an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law”; “superb lawyer and strategist” who “can master complex facts quickly” and who “provides impeccable oral and written advocacy”. He “can eat documents for breakfast” and has a “formidable reputation in Asia Pacific as an arbitrator and counsel”. Recommended by The Legal 500 UK as a leading practitioner in five areas: Commodities; Energy; International Arbitration; Offshore; Taxation. Recommended by The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific as a leading practitioner in three areas: Commercial; Shipping and Commodities; Construction, Energy and Infrastructure; Recommended by Chambers UK as a leading practitioner in Energy and Natural Resources. Recommended by Chambers Asia as a leading practitioner in International Arbitration: The English Bar in the Asia-Pacific Region; International Arbitration; The English Bar in Singapore. Recommended by Who’s Who Legal as a Global Leader in Arbitration 2022. Named by Legal Week as one of ten Stars at the Bar for 2012, following research involving more than 200 solicitors, barristers and senior clerks. Featured in the Tax Journal’s 40 under 40: Ones to watch in tax (2011/12 edition), a guide of the 40 leading tax practitioners under the age of 40, following research involving more than 600 interviewees. Arbitration (As Arbitrator) Appointed as arbitrator in 26 cases – sole arbitrator (14), co-arbitrator (11) and presiding arbitrator (2). Appointed in ad hoc, ICC, SIAC, HKIAC, LCIA and PCA arbitrations seated in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Subject matters of appointments are diverse and cover joint venture, share sale, energy, sale of goods and disputes involving States and State-related entities. Governing law: English law, Chinese law, Hong Kong law. Published 10 awards and was effectively upheld by the Beijing No. 4 Intermediate People’s Court on a decision that turned on the application of Chinese law. Co-authored the chapters on evidence, stays of proceedings and interim relief in David Joseph QC and David Foxton QC (gen eds.), Law & Practice of Singapore International Arbitration, 2nd edition (2018). Arbitration (As Counsel) Currently acting in international arbitrations where in excess of US$2.5bn is at stake. Instructed in 23 international arbitrations since taking silk covering disputes as diverse as share sales, joint ventures and biopharma. Cases instructed as counsel include: Acting for the Chinese respondents in a US$1.5bn private equity dispute involving a failed acquisition of a company. Important point of law as to whether the doctrine of repudiatory breach applies to partnerships. Seat: Hong Kong (HKIAC Rules). Governing law: Cayman Islands law. Acting for Chinese investors in a share sale and purchase dispute involving sums in excess of US$20m relating to the non-completion of an equity investment agreement in the mining industry. The case involves allegations of bribery by the other side of public officials of an African country and misappropriation of partnership assets by the other side. Seat: Hong Kong (HKIAC Rules). Governing law: Hong Kong law. Acting for a Singapore company against a Chinese respondent in four arbitrations worth US$600m collectively. Involves a dispute arising from the sale of an oil rig. Succeeded on 8 applications against the other side, including obtaining an order for security for costs against the other side. Seat: London (LMAA Terms). Governing law: English law. Acted successfully for the Korean pharmaceutical company in defending claims for US$53m following a two-week hearing and secured a substantial costs award in the client’s favour. Seat: Singapore (ICC Rules). Governing law: English law. Acted successfully for a leading Chinese manufacturer of consumer products in resisting two arbitrations worth US$25m relating to the manufacture and sale of air-conditioners. Seat: Singapore (SIAC Rules). Governing law: PRC law. Acted successfully for a Singapore company in defeating a jurisdictional challenge by the Malaysian respondent to a US$47.5m claim arising out of a contract for the fabrication of an oil well. Dispute settled after jurisdictional hearing. Seat: Singapore (UNCITRAL Rules). Governing law: English law. Appeared for a Chinese SOE in an arbitration brought against it by one of the world’s largest commodity traders. Succeeded in defending the claim on jurisdictional grounds with costs awarded against the other side. Seat: Singapore (LMAA Terms). Governing law: English law. Acted successfully for a Thai corporation against a well-known FTSE 100 company in resisting claims of force majeure relating to a crude oil deal. Damages and interest in the sum of US$20.4m plus costs were awarded against the other side. Seat: London (ad hoc). Governing law: English law. Acted for a former Iraqi Finance Minister in setting-aside proceedings in relation a dispute concerning the construction of a liquid petroleum gas terminal in Pakistan. Instructed in the challenge proceedings but not in the underlying arbitration itself and cross-examined the former Prime Minister of Pakistan in the course of the hearing. Civil Fraud and Asset Recovery Instructed in some of the largest civil fraud actions heard in England in recent years, including the US$1 billion Fiona Trust litigation and CNA Insurance Company Ltd v Willis Ltd (both of which are referred to in greater detail in the Commercial Litigation section below). Has also acted extensively in international arbitrations involving allegations of dishonesty. Commercial Litigation and Civil Fraud Acts in an broad range of commercial and civil fraud disputes, the highlights of which include the following: Fiona Trust litigation. Successfully represented Tagir Izmaylov, the former chief executive of Novoship (the second largest shipping corporation in Russia), in defending a web of complex claims for bribery and conspiracy. The trial lasted for 76 days and the claims against Mr Izmaylov were dismissed in their entirety: see [2010] EWHC 3199 (Comm). Subsequently appeared unled in securing indemnity costs in favour of Mr Izmaylov: see [2011] EWHC 664 (Comm). CNA Insurance Company Ltd v Willis Ltd. Acted for CNA in claiming damages for deceit against Willis, the third largest insurance brokers in the world. The action was set down for a 10-week hearing in the Commercial Court and was settled a month prior to the start of trial for the sum of US$130 million, the settlement payment to CNA having been reported extensively by the financial press, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Forbes and CNBC. Ikos Litigation. Instructed by one of the largest hedge funds in Europe in proceedings brought against a number of its former employees for breach of fiduciary duties, dishonest assistance and conspiracy. PT Thiess Contractors Indonesia v PT Kaltim Prima Coal. Retained by Thiess in a US$146m claim relating to the operation of a large coal mine in Indonesia. Succeeded in defeating the Defendant’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the English courts: see [2011] EWHC 1842 (Comm). Chambers Finance Ltd v Brent and 12 others. Acted as sole counsel for the claimant in a A$23m dispute involving complex conflict of laws issues, all of which are related to the manufacture and storage of casks of whisky in Scotland. Settlements entered into with four defendants and judgments entered into against the rest. Sunico Litigation. Acted for one of nine co-defendants in a massive £40m fraud claim involving claims for unlawful means conspiracy. Concurrent proceedings in Singapore, London and Hong Kong in relation to 719 transactions. Secured summary judgment and dismissal of the claim with costs six weeks before trial: see [2012] EWHC 2892 (Ch). Energy and Natural Resources Frequently instructed in energy and commodity disputes, particularly those involving a cross-border element. Experience ranges from claims arising from the sale of coal to the construction of offshore oil platforms to disputes revolving around alternative energy sources, such as those related to the supply of PV solar modules. Recommended by Legal 500 UK (2023) and Chambers UK (2014) for Commodities and Energy. For further details, please see the Arbitration section above. Revenue Law (Including VAT, IPT, Duties & Excise) Advised and acted in a number of indirect tax cases, including: American Express Services Europe Ltd. Acted for American Express in a partial exemption special method dispute. Commissioners withdrew their case during the course of the substantive hearing. BlackRock International Ltd. Instructed on behalf of BlackRock in bringing claims for recovery of compound interest from HMRC. Birkdale School, Sheffield. Appeared successfully for Birkdale School in the High Court in a single/multiple supplies case concerning tuition fees: see [2008] STC 2002; Times Law Reports 23 April 2008. Chubb Insurance Company of Europe SA. Acted for Chubb in a dispute in which the Revenue withdrew their case following the service of witness statements. RBS Deutschland Holdings GmbH. Acted successfully for RBS as sole counsel in one of the leading abuse of right cases to be heard by the European Court of Justice [2011] STC 345. Shipping & Admiralty Advised and acted in a large number of charterparty, bill of lading, second hand ship sale and purchase, shipbuilding and shipbroking claims, including cases concerning the cancellation of charters, demurrage, employment clauses and hire (and off-hire). Appeared in the trial of the Fiona Trust action, which was described by The Times as “the shipping trial of the century” and by TradeWinds as the “trial of the decade”: see the Commercial Litigation section above. Appeared for a Chinese yard in two arbitrations involving allegations of renunciation and repudiatory breach of contract. Secured dismissal of buyers’ claims for US$23.5m in damages. Succeeded in resisting s.68 challenge to the award by the buyers: see Primera Maritime (Hellas) Ltd v Jiangsu Eastern Heavy Industry Co Ltd [2013] EWHC 3066 (Comm). Acted as lead counsel for a Korean yard in a dispute involving allegations for repudiatory breach of five shipbuilding contracts worth US$182m in total.

Jonathan Bertram

Jonathan primarily practises in the specialist fields of clinical negligence (including medical related inquest work) and product liability. He has been instructed in several major group actions in recent years including the Pinnacle Hip implant GLO and more recently the vaginal mesh litigation. His clinical negligence practice focuses on high value, complex claims, involving major, life changing injuries. He has a particular interest in cancer cases and he is adept at dealing with the complex medical and statistical issues that such claims can involve. He is also sought after for his excellent client care skills and his ability to assist claimants involved in highly traumatic and sometimes life limited claims. He also maintains a practice in the general field of personal injury and is often instructed in ‘difficult’ claims involving chronic pain or complex psychiatric disorders. He also undertakes broader professional negligence work, often involving allegations of negligence against solicitors and financial professionals and more general commercial and consumer litigation involving a variety of contractual, equitable and statutory remedies.

Joshua Yetman

Joshua specialises in employment and discrimination law, clinical negligence, personal injury and public law. The nature of his practice allows him to deploy his experience in complex areas that overlap. He has extensive experience of both multi-day trials and appellate work. He is ranked as a tier 1 Rising Star in the Legal 500 2024. In addition, Joshua has a busy inquest practice and is currently instructed in two public inquiries. He acts on behalf of Core Participants in both the UK Covid-19 Inquiry and in the recently announced Independent Inquiry Relating to Afghanistan. Joshua often advises and represents on appeal and in relation to judicial reviews. In June 2023 he appeared as second junior for the Appellant before the Court of Appeal in RN v CICA. He is currently instructed in a range of matters as sole counsel in the High Court, the Employment Appeal Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) and has appeared successfully in each. Thanks to past criminal and regulatory law experience Joshua is also adept at working as part of teams of counsel in complex and high-profile transnational litigation. For example, he has worked on document-heavy offshore matters and national security-related litigation involving international law and welcomes such instructions. Joshua was recently appointed to the Attorney-General’s London C Panel of Counsel (term commencing 1 September 2023). He has also obtained Security Clearance (UKSV). Prior to studying for his LLB, Joshua was a semi-professional cyclist. This saw him race at national and international level in the UK, France and Belgium.

Julian Matthews

Barrister specialising in personal injury, clinical negligence and product liability, acting for defendant insurers and NHSR as well as claimants. Recent cases include: Levitt v Euro Building [2019] EWHC 2926 (vicarious liability for sub-contractors); Ellis v Kelly [2018] EWHC 2031 (contributory negligence of child); Mossa v Wise [2017] EWHC 2608 (limitation of actions); Secker v Fairhill Property (extent of builder’s liability to homeowner); FM v Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust (consent to medical treatment – birth injury) [2015] EWHC 775; Shorter v Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust [2015] EWHC 614 (secondary victims); Ward v Leeds General infirmary (secondary victims); Love and Dewsbury (discount rate); Cobham Hire Services v Eeles (interim payments); Brewis v Heatherwood (Cerebral Palsy); Seroxat litigation; Organophosphate Sheep-dip litigation; Gregg v Scott (House of Lords) – (loss of chance of better outcome); Webb v Barclays Bank Plc [2002] PIQR P8 (clinical negligence/contribution between tort-feasors); Merivale Moore v Strutt & Parker [2000] PNLR498 (£8m valuer’s negligence); Roberts v Winbow [1999] PIQR P77 (clinical negligence limitation); Hardwick v Hudson [1999] 1WCr 1770 (claims for economic losses); Lane v Shire Roofing [1995] PIQR P417 (distinction between employee and sub-contractor); Singh v Parkfield Group [1996] PIQR Q110 (case settlement offers, payments into court).

Justin Slater

Justin specialises in child law with an emphasis on care and adoption, Hague and non-Convention cases, together with complex and intractable contact disputes where there is a real risk of harm to the child.

Kat Shields

Kat Shields defends and prosecutes in the Crown Court. She deals with serious general crime and financial crime. She is a Grade 3 Crown Prosecutor, sits on a number of CPS Specialist Panels including for Fraud, and is on the SFO’s “C” Panel of Counsel. Kat also practises in employment law and personal injury.

Kate Lumbers

Kate is a civil practitioner who practices in three areas: clinical negligence; personal injury and employment law. In the area of clinical negligence she is instructed by claimants in cases involving, amongst other things, delayed diagnosis, obstetric injury, negligent dental treatment and surgical injury. In connection with clinical negligence work she also represents families at inquests, where her subtantial advocacy experience is an advantage. In addition to her clinical nelgigence work Kate is also instructed by claimants and defendants in complex and high value personal injury cases, including those arising out of historic sexual abuse, road traffic accidents, workplace accidents and failures to maintain the highway. Kate is also experienced in a wide range of employment disputes including breach of restrictive covenants, redundancy, TUPE and discrimination claims.

Kate Temple-Mabe

Kate Temple-Mabe has a rapidly growing practice with a focus on crime (including general crime, financial crime, extradition, mutual legal assistance, and investigations) and areas of the civil and public law relating to criminal activity (including commercial fraud, proceeds of crime, civil claims against the police and prisons, and human trafficking & modern slavery compensation). Her work also extends to areas of information law including disclosure, privilege, data protection and the freedom of information. Her client-focussed and attentive approach to case preparation is complemented by a persuasive and compelling style of advocacy. Her practice is informed by experience across all of chambers’ areas of expertise, meaning she is well-placed to advise and act in matters which sit at the intersection of different practice areas. She is a dual UK and USA national.

Kiril Waite

Kiril Waite is a highly-regarded leading junior in the field of insurance litigation – he acts for both claimants and defendants. He specialises in large loss and technical claims and is experienced in catastrophic injuries and Fatal Accident Act claims and civil and counter fraud. Kiril is regularly instructed on behalf of national and international insurance companies to handle complex and large loss claims in both personal injury and general insurance, including professional indemnity. As part of his personal injury and insurance practice Kiril has developed a particular specialism in the field of stress at work, a niche area in which he continues to develop as a specialist. His practice is balanced between both claimant and defendant/ insurer work. Kiril is frequently involved in stress at work claims from an early advisory stage through to the conclusion of the litigation process providing detailed specialist advice as well as representation at court at every stage of the litigation process. He has a noted and sought after specialism in cases where vicarious liability and causation are in issue. Kiril is a formidable advocate, who adopts a collaborative approach when working as part of a litigation team in order to achieve the optimum outcome for the client. He is known for his attention to detail and strategic thinking and gives clear and pragmatic advice to his professional and lay clients. He is in demand from leading insurers and solicitors for his outstanding advocacy skills, in particular in cross-examination, and his robust approach to litigation. He has extensive experience of representing clients in ADR models. Kiril played an integral role in the development of the current law on credit hire litigation and civil insurance fraud and appeared in a number of leading cases in the field which form the foundation of the law in this area. Kiril also has extensive experience of representing international clients in large commercial disputes.

Kitty Geddes

Kitty has a busy mixed practice combining public and private family law with general crime. In the Family Courts, Kitty regularly acts for parents, children and local authorities. She has appeared in the Court of Appeal and the High Court. She has experience in care proceedings, adoption, wardship and applications under the inherent jurisdiction, including abduction, relocation and forced marriage. She has worked on large-scale offshore financial investigations, advised on LPP and has recently been led in the Crown Court on long running cases involving Encrochat. Kitty accepts instructions in respect of both welfare and property and affairs matters in the Court of Protection. She acts on behalf of protected parties and Local Authorities. Her considerable experience in public family proceedings with clients with cognitive difficulties and mental health issues means she is particularly well placed to represent clients whose capacity is nuanced or fluctuating. Prior to coming to the Bar, Kitty studied Russian and French at Edinburgh University and went on to complete a Masters degree in Russian and European Studies at Oxford. She worked as an analyst in a London-based business intelligence firm conducting large scale asset traces and investigations in the Former Soviet Union.

Leslie Keegan

Specialises in clinical negligence, medical law personal injury and cases involving abuse of those in care. Leslie is an acknowledged expert in quantum , particularly in very high value claims. Experience includes catastrophic brain injury arising from trauma or from hypoxia and a wide variety of clinical negligence and personal injury cases. Recent cases include: Pridmore v Abertawe & Bro Morgannwg (cerebral palsy case); Keenor v Able (failure to diagnose subarachnoid haemorrhage); Re H (withdrawal of treatment case); Fofannah v Tesco Stores (woman who suffered brain damage from carbon monoxide poisoning); Jones v University College Hospital London (claimant rendered tetraplegic as a result of intraoperative spinal cord damage) C v Mayday Hospital NI-IS Trust (young woman who lost her sight completely as a result of failure to diagnose a subgalaleal haemorrhage.

Liam Ryan

Liam has a busy personal injury practice based on the multitrack. Liam has extensive experience of advising, drafting, negotiating and appearing before both the County and High Court on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. He is the author of the textbook “A Practical Guide to Psychiatric Injury in Personal Injury Claims”. Within his personal injury practice Liam has developed a particular specialism in the field of stress at work, a niche area in which he continues to develop as a specialist. His practice is predominantly Claimant focused. Liam is frequently involved in stress at work claims from an early advisory stage through to the conclusion of the litigation process. He is experienced in dealing not only with the legal and procedural issues that arise in such cases, but also the practical ones including dealing with clients who are often still suffering from the effects of psychiatric injuries. He is a specialist in cases that involve psychiatric injury and pain disorders either in isolation, or in conjunction with other sites of injury. His work in this field straddles three spheres, serious personal injury, sexual abuse claims and secondary victim claims.

Lubeya Ramadhan

Lubeya is a specialist public and private law family practitioner. Her work covers the full range of cases relating to children and she is committed to ensuring all her clients feel supported through the litigation process and achieving the best outcome for them. In public law, Lubeya enjoys a busy and varied practice acting for parents, children and local authorities. Her cases often involve complex medical evidence, sexual abuse or serious injuries to children. Lubeya has a particular interest in, and experience of, cases involving fabricated or induced illness. In private law, Lubeya has extensive experience in child arrangements disputes. She is often instructed in protracted, complex cases where parental alienation is a factor or it has been necessary to join the child to proceedings and appoint a rule 16.4 guardian. Lubeya has experience of representing parents in the High Court in cases of Child Abduction, Inherent Jurisdiction, Wardship and in matters of the International Relocation of children. Lubeya is conscientious and thorough in her preparation and robust in her advocacy. She is particularly skilled at putting clients at ease and representing vulnerable clients including those with substance misuse issues, mental health difficulties or learning disabilities. In these cases, she is approachable and sensitive to her client's needs.

Luke Blackburn

Specialises in employment and disciplinary work. He has particular experience of the regulation of the prefessions, as well as sports and games.

Maryam Syed

Maryam Syed is a highly regarded Leading criminal and family practitioner heavily experienced in dealing with serious complex and high profile cases. She also sits as a Crown Court Recorder. From defending in the Jill Dando Murder, to prosecuting a RAF Squadron Leader for sexual abuse of boys, to defending a UKIP Councillor in fraud, to Prosecuting a Bishop of a Large Church for Sexual Offences-Maryam has dealt with a wealth of complex serious and notorious cases. Often instructed prior to charge she advises in highly complicated and distressing matters and is asked to direct the shape of an investigation or defence-and the marshalling of evidence then acting at trial. She has particular expertise in complex serious sexual abuse cases, rape and historic matters often spanning decades, and in complex multi-defendant serious crime and murder. Maryam is a Grade 4 Prosecutor and on both the Rape and Serious Crime Panel Lists. In family she deals with children and allegations of physical and sexual abuse in care proceedings, private law and fact finding. Maryam has a fearless reputation and is lauded for her ability to talk to and persuade whoever her audience be whether Judge or jury. She is often asked to deal with cases of extreme sensitivity and represent those who are vulnerable or have physical or mental health difficulties. She regularly commentates both in the written media and on television. Maryam is fluent in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi and is often called on to deal with allegations of religious and racially motivated crimes. She frequently provides training to police, defence, CPS Lawyers, SOITS, ISVAS, Social Workers and NGOs on vulnerable witnesses and defendants, sexual offences, FGM, Forced Marriage and controlling coercive behaviour and modern slavery. She is direct access qualified and able to accept instructions directly from lay clients.

Mass Ndow-Njie

Mass Ndow-Njie has a multi-disciplinary practice and welcomes instructions across a range of Chambers’ areas of expertise. Mass joined 7BR in September 2021, after spending his first two years of practice at the Government Legal Department. Since then, he has gone on to build a busy practice which has led to Chambers & Partners describing him as having “built a reputation as a leading barrister across a number of practice areas.” In July 2020, Mass became the first ever Pupil Barrister to be awarded ‘Barrister of the Week’ by The Lawyer Publication. In January 2021, he was recognised as Advocate’s ‘Pro-bono Hero of the Month’ for his dedication to a pro-bono case and the result obtained on behalf of his client. In November 2021, Mass was presented with two awards in quick succession after he was declared as the winner of the Middle Temple Young Barristers Association (MTYBA) Rule of Law Essay Competition and commended as a Future Leader at the 2021 Chambers and Partners Awards. In January 2022, Mass was listed amongst the ‘Hot 100’ Lawyers across the UK and in November 2022 he was the recipient of the ‘Diversity and Inclusion: Future Leader’ award at the 2022 Chambers and Partners Awards. Mass has delivered keynote speeches within various academic and legal spaces. He has spoken to audiences in the UK Supreme Court, the Inns of Court and various universities. Mass is committed to enhancing the equality of access into the legal profession. Most notably, he is the founder and chairperson of Bridging the Bar, a charity which aims to support aspiring barristers from statistically underrepresented groups. This experience underscores Mass’ strong ability to relate to clients coming from all

Nia Frobisher

Nia has a busy practice encompassing a range of specialities including clinical negligence, person injury, inquests and family law. She is regularly instructed in the High Court, County Court, Coroner’s Court and Family Court across England and Wales. Her regular court appearances for both Claimants/Applicants and Defendants/Respondents in a wide range of disciplines has made her an analytical and confident advocate. In addition to enjoying a busy court practice, Nia frequently advises in conference and in writing and is well versed in drafting pleadings. Nia combines her analytical and confident advocacy with a compassionate, personable, and sensitive approach to clients and strives to ensure all clients are fully supported to enable them to better partake in the legal process. Nia was called to the Bar in 2016 by The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, having been awarded multiple scholarships. She was graded outstanding on completion of BPTC.

Nicholas Cropp

Barrister

Nicholas Stonor KC

Family Law Public Law Children - Nicholas is regularly instructed in complex care proceedings. He has a particular interest in cases involving disputed medical evidence (including suspicious death, factitious and induced illness, shaking and sexual abuse), jurisdictional and international issues, cultural/religious issues, human rights issues, and interfaces between the Family Court and the Court of Protection. Private Law Children - Nicholas represents family members��across the spectrum of private law disputes and has a particular interest in relocation cases. Medical Treatment and ‘End of Life’ - Nicholas provides advice and representation, often at short notice, for NHS Trusts, local authorities and family members where the treatment plan for a child or vulnerable adult is in dispute. Forced Marriage - Nicholas provides advice and representation, again often at short notice, for local authorities and family members in cases involving alleged forced marriage. Matrimonial Finance - Nicholas has a particular interest in cases involving high net worth and/or hidden assets. Safeguarding and Policy - Nicholas is regularly instructed by local authorities and other public authorities to advise on safeguarding and policy issues in connection with the discharge of responsibilities towards children and vulnerable adults. Recent instructions have involved serious case reviews, safeguarding adult reviews and financial support for family carers. Court of Protection Court of Protection - Nicholas represents vulnerable adults (by litigation friends including the Official Solicitor), local authorities and family members. He has a particular interest in cases where the Court of Protection jurisdiction overlaps with the care or forced marriage jurisdictions. In September 2015, Nicholas chaired the Court of Protection Practitioners Association (CoPPA) annual national conference in Leeds. APPOINTMENTS Queen's Counsel 2015 Authorised to sit as a Judge of the High Court under s.9(1) Senior Courts Act 1981 (2019) Family Court Recorder 2016 Bar Standards Board Professional Conduct Committee 2014 MEMBERSHIPS Family Law Bar Association North Eastern Circuit LECTURES & SEMINARS Nicholas regularly gives seminars for lawyers and safeguarding professionals. Recent topics have included ‘Re W and Nothing Else Will Do', ‘Jurisdiction Issues in Public Law, Private Law and Financial Remedy Cases', ‘The Perils of Social Media in Family Cases’, ‘Concurrent Care and Court of Protection Proceedings’ and 'The Care Act 2014 - Welfare and Safeguarding'. EDUCATION 1992 University College London, LLB (Hons) 1993 Inns of Court School of Law ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Born and educated in Newcastle, Nicholas moved to London to read law and attend Bar School. He undertook pupillage and practised in specialist family law chambers in London before moving back to Newcastle in 1996 to join Trinity Chambers. Nicholas was the elected Head of Trinity Chambers' Family Group between 2009 and 2020.

Patricia Leonard

Barrister specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury and inquest work. Patricia’s practice covers all aspects of clinical negligence, predominantly for claimants. In particular, she has acted in cases concerning birth injuries, brain injuries, missed/delayed diagnosis cases and failed surgical procedures. In relation to her personal injury practice, she is regularly instructed in complex high value claims and in large multi-party actions. Patricia is a specialist in claims involving physical and sexual abuse of vulnerable individuals. She has acted in two of the biggest group actions in the UK involving historic abuse which included representation in both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. In 2018 she was appointed to sit on the Lambeth Redress Scheme Appeal Panel chaired by Sir John Goldring. She is wildly published and has co-written a book (‘A Practical Guide to Personal Injuries in Sport’) and many articles including in the Guardian and the New Law Journal.

Pavlos Panayi KC

Specialist in business crime, bribery and corruption; financial regulatory, sanctions, extradition and international criminal law with an emphasis on providing high-level external advice to common law jurisdictions. Acts for corporates and individuals seeking advice in the UK, Channel Islands, Cyprus, Greece and the Caribbean. Maintains a general criminal practice including in allegations of terrorism, murder and sexual offences. Regular speaker in the UK and internationally on issues of bribery, corruption, AML and fraud. Current instructions Acting for an online gambling corporate licensee in a British Crown Dependency facing investigation by the gambling regulator surrounding its sanctions, AML and CTF compliance and controls. Currently instructed in civil proceedings arising from the “Golden Passports” scandal in Cyprus where several prominent politicians, lawyers and businessmen are accused in the Nicosia Assizes court of complicity in fraud and corruption. The public scandal arose following an undercover investigation by the Al Jazeera news network into the abuse and corruption of the Cyprus Investment Programme path to citizenship. Instructed for an IT director of several Indian and U.K. technology companies, the main defendant in a £20m bribery and fraud prosecution following an 8 year joint investigation by HMRC and the City of London police. Instructed to appear for the main defendant in a prosecution by the Financial Conduct Authority for Insider Trading arising out of unusual share and spread betting prior to a major market announcement. Instructed for the Cypriot CFO of a global business in liquidation, alleged to have committed civil fraud and a series of breaches of fiduciary duty. Recent instructions Acted for dual Israeli and Cyprus citizen of Russian origin, in relation to litigation in the English commercial court arising from a banking dispute in Moscow, with parallel litigation in the Russian Federation and Cyprus. Acting for a billionaire businessman facing restraint order arising from an AML investigation. Advising in relation to the international and UK aspects of an investigation arising out of the Onecoin $4b ponzi scheme. Acting for a Cyprus bank and its officials charged in the Nicosia criminal court with fraud, market-manipulation and forgery allegations in three linked trials arising out of the collapse of the Cyprus banking system in 2012-2013. Acting for a Guernsey fund management business in enforcement action brought by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Directing an internal investigation for a major international financial institution into a series of linked frauds of approx. €300m. Acting for five directors of a leading UK business facing prosecution for conspiracy to cheat following a long-running HMRC investigation Acting for principle partner at a London based law firm alleged to have committed a £6m fraud on the Legal Aid fund. Acting for two British company directors of an AIM listed communications company and its Greek subsidiary facing prosecution in Athens for alleged fraud on thousands of consumers. Advised in several extradition request cases. Public Access Pavlos is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come directly to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions directly to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme. For more information please visit our Direct Access page here.

Rachel Langdale KC

Rachel Langdale KC is Head of Chambers at 7BR and undertakes Children Law cases, Public Inquiries and Judicial Review. Inquests & Inquiries Rachel Langdale KC is currently appointed as Counsel to the Thirlwall Inquiry. The terms of reference are available here. Rachel Langdale KC was instructed as leading counsel in the Lambeth investigation (2018-2021) in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. She was instructed as leading counsel for the South Staffordshire PCT in the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (2010-2012). The Inquiry was chaired by Sir Robert Francis KC and followed an earlier independent inquiry (“the First Mid Staffs Inquiry”) which he also chaired. The terms of reference were “To examine the operation of the commissioning, supervisory and regulatory organisations and other agencies in relation to their monitoring role at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between January 2005 and March 2009 and to examine why problems at the Trust were not identified sooner and appropriate action taken.” Rachel has acted for local authorities and individuals in lengthy Inquiries surrounding the plight of children in care (including the Waterhouse Inquiry). She has also scrutinised the investigations or actions of statutory authorities in the context of judicial review and in the context of allegations made in the Care Standards Tribunal. Rachel provides a committed service to those she represents. Family Law Rachel Langdale KC has extensive experience in presenting and challenging complex medical evidence. She is regularly instructed where causing death or serious injury is alleged. She has significant expertise in calling and cross-examining complainants of sexual abuse (with or without the use of a witness intermediary) and frequently acts on behalf of vulnerable adults. Rachel is instructed in appellate work and has argued jurisdictional points at first instance on behalf of individuals and public authorities. Her advice has been sought upon the need (or otherwise) for anticipatory injunctions to be obtained in circumstances where there is media interest in a case. She has advised surrounding the use of the inherent jurisdiction and wardship; safeguarding procedure and practice; medical treatment cases; applications of policy and the provision of services. She also undertakes relocation cases, and provides a committed service to those she represents.

Richard Baker KC

Barrister specialising in personal injury and clinical injury.

Rose Harvey-Sullivan

Rose Harvey-Sullivan enjoys a busy practice encompassing clinical negligence, inquests, mental capacity (Court of Protection) and mental health, personal injury and human rights, particularly in relation to claims involving local authorities. Having a multi-disciplinary practice means that Rose often brings additional perspectives and expertise to a particular instruction, to the benefit of her client. She has particular experience of working with and for vulnerable clients, and is adept at dealing sensitively with clients who lack capacity, have disabilities, or are experiencing significant mental ill-health. Clients have commented that ‘her cross-examination skills were simply brilliant… She gave us realistic expectations and we believe that we would not have won our case without her’. Rose’s advocacy has been praised by judges as ‘clear and confident… she courageously and attractively advanced her cause’. Solicitors have further stated that Rose is ‘fantastic to work with… she has always been well prepared for hearings and clients have commented on how at ease she has made them feel’. In 2021, Rose was nominated for the Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year. She currently volunteers for Advocate as a case reviewer and takes certain cases on a pro bono basis. Rose is a General Editor and Contributor of Coroners’ Inquests and Investigations, published in March 2021 by LexisNexis. She is also co-author of the Inquests and Court of Protection chapters in the APIL Personal Injury: Law, Practice and Precedents Service, and co-author of the Court of Protection chapter in the Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service looseleaf. Prior to coming to the Bar, Rose studied English Literature at Queens’ College, Cambridge, and worked in prison reform in Bangladesh for the German government’s development agency.

Ross Beaton

Ross Beaton specialises in employment and discrimination law. He is also currently instructed for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner on the Undercover Policing Inquiry. Ross has a particular interest in cases involving medical care. Prior to specialising in employment and discrimination work, Ross also maintained a busy clinical negligence practice and regularly dealt with cases involving complex medical issues which were valued up to seven figures. He is experienced in dealing with claims for psychiatric injury said to have been caused by stress at work and has settled such cases, generally brought in the civil Courts, for six figure sums when acting as sole counsel. Ross has appeared in the Employment Appeal Tribunal – Sean Thomas Leacy v Building Craft College [2022] EAT 59 Ross also enjoys working on large scale matters as part of a team, as he presently does for the Metropolitan Police. In 2018, he worked as an in-house barrister at the Government Legal Department, primarily dealing with large scale abuse litigation arising out of military operations abroad. Outside his work in chambers, Ross is committed to pro bono work with various charities and generally to using his legal skills to help disadvantaged people. He is a long-standing trustee of the Brixton Advice Centre. He is a case reviewer for Advocate, for whom he also continues to take appropriate cases on a pro bono basis. He is also an Advocacy Trainer for Inner Temple.

Sarah Edwards

Sarah Edwards is a highly experienced advocate in both clinical negligence and family law at all levels including appearances in the Court of Appeal. Sarah has extensive expertise in complex clinical negligence cases, often involving difficult medical and legal issues. Her cases have involved most clinical and surgical specialities, general practice and nursing. Having studied pre-clinical medicine at Cambridge, she is able to evaluate complex medical evidence. Sarah’s family practice has a particular emphasis on financial remedy applications (often involving high net worth clients with complex assets) and private children law (including relocation cases). Sarah is friendly and approachable, and is known for her thorough approach and careful preparation. She is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for her clients.

Simeon Maskrey KC

Simeon Maskrey KC is a star individual or band 1 silk in all of the major directories for each of his three main practice areas, comprising maximum severity clinical negligence, personal injury and product liability cases. He is commended for his judgement and pragmaticism and for the quality of his advocacy. His forthright and straightforward approach in mediations and round table meetings has resulted in the settlement of difficult and apparently intractable cases. Simeon has appeared as an advocate in the European Court of Justice, in all divisions of the High Court and Court of Appeal and in the Supreme Court and the House of Lords. He works regularly for and against the NHS and for and against private hospitals and doctors engaged in private practice. He has appeared in disciplinary tribunals and public inquiries. He has a large group litigation practice, currently acting for claimants in the Larium group litigation against the MoD, the blood product cases against the NHS, and for the NHS in claims involving Covid-19. He has a cross jurisdictional practice and is currently instructed in cases from Trinidad & Tobago, the states of Jersey and Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and Gibraltar. Simeon has sat as a Recorder since 1994 and as a Deputy High Court Judge since 2001. He arbitrates in the neutral evaluation of claims against the NHS and conducts other personal injury related arbitrations. Simeon has been a speaker at AvMA conferences and at Trinity College, Dublin. He lectures regularly at King’s College, London. He is a well-known contributor to seminars organised by specialist clinical negligence and product liability solicitors. He has spoken and been involved in workshops for the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal College of Physicians and a number of NHS Trusts. Clinical Negligence Simeon is recognised as one of the country’s leading clinical negligence silks and is a Chambers and Partners star individual. He is commended for the relationships he builds with his lay and professional clients, his ability to absorb and distil large quantities of complex and technical medical information and for his cross-examination skills. His persuasiveness in Court has been noted by judges on numerous occasions. Solicitors comment on his approachability and informal style and lay clients on his manner and ability to explain complex issues. He is regularly instructed to act in cases emanating from international jurisdictions. Product Liability Simeon is described by the directories as “dedicated to the representation of claimants in product liability cases” with “unsurpassed claimant experience and knowledge”. He is one of only three star individual and band 1 claimant silks in the 2019 editions of Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. He has unparalleled experience in medical product and pharmaceutical group actions and assisted in the successful negotiation of a settlement in the metal on metal hip litigation, leading a team of four counsel. He is currently leading a three counsel team in the blood products litigation against the Secretary of State and NHS Trusts and is engaged in a test case on the application of section 41(1) of the Consumer Protection Act. Personal Injury Simeon is regularly instructed on behalf of claimants and defendants in maximum severity personal injury actions and is a band 1 silk in Chambers and Partners. He is commended for his judgement and pragmaticism and for the quality of his advocacy. His forthright and straightforward approach in mediations and round table meetings has resulted in settlement of difficult and apparently intractable cases.

Simon King

Simon practises in clinical negligence and personal injury (including product liability) disputes, and in specialist criminal and regulatory work in related fields (eg health and safety prosecutions, professional disciplinary and regulatory tribunals). He also acts in coroners’ inquests and inquiries, including, in relation to the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell in 2005. Practice is based in London but is not restricted by location. He acts for both claimants and defendants and has been cited continuously since 1997 in the principal professional directories (Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500) as a leading London barrister in the area of personal injury. He is now similarly cited in the field of clinical negligence.

Simon Wheatley

Simon’s principle area of practice is maximum severity personal injury claims and brain damage cases. He has detailed knowledge and experience of medical claims across the whole spectrum of clinical practice; and has represented a range of defendants, including the MOD in a variety of cases involving Army and RAF personnel.In clinical negligence, Simon specialises in claims involving injury at birth, cerebral palsy, failure to diagnose, failure to inform, and a variety of procedures, including laparotomy and laparoscopy. He appears on behalf of medical and other professionals in disciplinary proceedings. He is also instructed in product liability cases which concern medical products. Simon undertakes a range of personal injury work that includes industrial accidents, chemical injuries, RSI and “stress at work” cases. He is highly regarded for his expertise in military discipline matters, such as service bullying and discrimination cases.Simon also lectures on medico-legal topics, including the use of medical experts in clinical negligence cases and the application of multipliers.

Steven Ford KC

Steven Ford KC has a specialist practice which focusses on personal injury and professional negligence claims arising out of deliberate conduct. He appears at public inquiries and represents institutions and individuals before disciplinary and other tribunals. He advises public sector, corporate and voluntary bodies on institutional liability for deliberate injury and compliance issues associated with his areas of practice, both in England and Wales and in other jurisdictions. He represents local authorities and private social care providers, independent and state schools, universities and other education providers, health trusts and medical practitioners, voluntary organisations, charities, sports clubs and sports regulators, police forces and religious bodies of all denominations in claims concerning assault, abuse and neglect and in social care, health care and educational negligence claims. He is a recognised expert in the tort liability of local authorities, institutional liability for deliberate injury, social care and educational negligence and the law of limitation, non-delegable duties, vicarious liability and psychiatric injury. Personal Injury Steven’s particular areas of expertise are the tort liability of local authorities and other institutional defendants for deliberate injury. He appeared for the defendants in two of the leading Supreme Court cases in this area: Armes-v-Nottinghamshire CC, about whether a local authority is vicariously liable for foster carers; and Woodland-v-Essex CC, concerning the circumstances in which a common law duty of care may be non-delegable. He has more than 25 years’ experience advising and representing defendants in abuse and related claims. He has advised the defendants in claims concerning the activities of the late Sir Cyril Smith and Bishop Peter Ball; he advised the BBC’s insurers in the Jimmy Savile and Stuart Hall claims. He has appeared in many of the leading cases concerning the negligent “failure to remove” children from abusive parents and carers, and claims for “wrongful removal”. He has acted in numerous large (100+) group actions involving abuse and neglect in care homes, private schools and state schools. He is presently acting for a number of sports clubs (including a Premier League football club) and sports regulators in claims concerning childhood abuse. He acted for core participants in six of the investigations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA): Barnardo’s in the Child Migration module Rochdale City Council in the Cambridge House (Sir Cyril Smith) investigation Nottinghamshire County Council in the Nottinghamshire Councils Investigation Chethams School of Music in the Residential Schools (Part 1) module East Riding of Yorkshire Council in the Residential Schools (Part 2) module Durham County Council in the Organised Networks module

Steven Gray

Steven focuses principally on financial and business crime and related civil, public and regulatory work. His clients include domestic and offshore financial services institutions, high-net-worth individuals and government agencies. He appears as an advocate in the criminal and civil courts.

Susan Reed

Barrister specialising in private and public law cases involving children, including care proceedings involving allegations of physical or sexual abuse, residence, contact and adoption cases.

Susannah Johnson KC

Susannah Johnson is a highly experienced multi-disciplinary barrister who undertakes family work, public inquiry work and civil cases arising from sexual and physical abuse. Family Susannah regularly appears in the High Court in complex public and private law cases concerning children, including those involving serious and complex injuries, parental alienation, international child abduction and international adoption. She acts for parents, guardians and local authorities and also has experience in forced marriage and Court of Protection cases. She has attracted positive comment on her advocacy skills from both clients and the judiciary. Public Inquiries Susannah undertakes public inquiry work and is renowned for her sound judgment and sensitive approach. During 2020 and 2021 she was instructed by Switalskis in the Lambeth investigation within the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and represented 28 Core Participants. Susannah is currently instructed as one of the junior counsel to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry. Personal Injury Susannah has particular expertise in representing and advising adults and children, in recent and non-recent sexual and physical abuse in institutional settings and is known for her sensitive approach, sound judgment. Susannah has been instructed by the Official Solicitor and has extensive experience of group litigation.

Timothy Meakin

Tim’s experience in clinical negligence and personal injury is extensive in advice, at arbitration, and at representation at trial. He manages high value fatal and personal injury claims, and routinely advises and represents claimants and organisations on maximum severity injury claims with high value. Tim has a special interest in birth related injuries and associated severe brain injury cases and generally the value of claims settled or obtained at judgment is in the region of £500,000 to £16.25million. His recent case law history set out below demonstrates his experience in dealing with high value and complex claims. In terms of clinical negligence, his areas of work include: Neonatal and perinatal injuries (in particular, cerebral palsy, Erb’s Palsy, paraplegia, and quadriplegia). Wrongful birth claims. Neurology, including adverse outcomes of neurosurgery, brain injury and cauda equina complications. Oncology, including all aspects of breach of duty and causation of injury caused by late diagnoses. General Practice, negligence arising from delayed referral and late diagnosis of complex conditions. Orthopaedics and claims based on other sub-specialisms including cardiology, renal pathology, psychiatry. Consent to treatment issues. In terms of personal injury work, Tim regularly undertakes severe traumatic injury and fatal accident cases from county court to appellate level. He is regularly instructed on catastrophic traumatic injury to the brain and spine from industrial accidents and road traffic accidents. His personal injury practice also includes the additional sub-specialities: Claims against the Ministry of Defence, relating to serious injury incurred in the course of military service. Specialist sports law practice, including serious personal injury. Group actions relating to damages for historic abuse against local authorities. Notable Clinical Negligence Cases A selection of Tim’s more recent cases that achieved settlement includes the following; T v Ramsey NHS Trust [2021] A female claimant suffered permanent injury due to the negligent management of her cervical cancer, with additional damage to her bowel at surgery. Extensive injuries requiring extensive future care. Settlement at a mediation at £1.55m. M v Swansea NHS Trust [2021] A male claimant claimed damages for clinical negligence relating to the treatment of a bowel condition. A liability and quantum case was listed for trial for alleged negligent general surgery leading to peritonitis and permanent irreducible hernia with long-term symptoms. The claim settled immediately before trial at £400,000. T v Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust [2021] A Fatal Accidents Act 1976 claim based on the negligent mismanagement of a pulmonary embolism. The assessment of the dependency included earnings and services of a high earning father/partner, assessing the value of his future shares and other capital assets. The claim settled at mediation at £1.4m. C v Isle of Wight NHS Trust [2020} A serving officer suffered a BK amputation of his leg due to negligent NHS treatment leading to his medical retirement from the army. The claim included loss of army career earnings and pension, with associated prosthetic and future care costs. Settled at mediation at £1.5m. R V Northampton NHS Trust [2020] Cerebral palsy claim for negligent management of the claimant’s birth. Liability settled and quantum disputed in relation to future care and case management. The claim settled at £2.4m plus periodical payments at £225,000 per annum. Notable Personal Injury Cases B v Ministry of Defence [2021] The claimant suffered a serious psychological injury whilst serving as a civil servant in Afghanistan. He had long-term symptoms with associated loss of career and future losses. The claim settled at a mediation at £1.65m. G v M [2021] The claimant suffered a severe brain injury in an RTA, aged 13 years, causing significant permanent neurological deficits. The claimant suffered a substantial loss of earnings and required extensive future care. Liability and causation of injury were disputed, particularly as to extensive engineering and neurosurgical evidence on the prevention of injury by wearing a cycle helmet. The claim settled at mediation and was approved at £900,000. H v N [2021] The child claimant was severely injured in an RTA which caused her permanent brain injury. The claim settled at mediation at £2.65m plus provisional damages. D v Ministry of Defence [2021] A high-ranking army officer suffered bullying and psychological injury in the course of military service. The claimant incurred loss of army earnings and pension with permanent disablement in the labour market. Settled at mediation at £395,000. B v British Cycling [2020] The claimant, who was a member of Special Forces, was severely brain injured in a negligently managed road race. The claim included loss of earnings and future care. Liability settled on a 50:50 basis and settled thereafter at mediation at £460,000 (50% of the total claim). P v Aviva [2018] Tetraplegia of claimant following RTA. Total care required for rest of life and settlement based on a maximum severity injury. Settled at arbitration at £16.25m

Timothy Walker

A commercial and employment practitioner, Tim’s commercial practice extends to commercial disputes, shareholders’ disputes, share sale agreements, directors’ duties, civil fraud, asset recovery, and partnership; and he is experienced in freezing orders and other forms of interim relief. He acts for both employers and employees in wrongful and unfair dismissal claims, enforcement of post-termination restrictive covenants, TUPE, stress at work and discrimination claims. His practice also extends to disciplinary tribunals; proprietary estoppel and constructive and resulting trusts; TOLATA claims; and professional negligence. As a keen sportsman, Tim has an interest in sports law. Reported cases include: O’Neill v Phillips [1999]1 WLR 1092 HL; Gill v Sandhu [2005] EWCA Civ1297; [2006] Ch 456; Northampton Regional Livestock Centre Limited v Cowling [2015] EWCA civ 651: re AMT Coffee Limited [2019] EWHC 46 (Ch)

Vanessa Marshall KC

Vanessa Marshall KC has a unique practice consisting of both criminal and civil jurisdictions, which means she can offer the skills and experience gained as a criminal advocate but also the discipline and detail associated with civil paperwork and her expertise in complicated medical issues. Vanessa has been regularly ranked and commended as a leading Junior and Silk in Crime in Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners. Crime & Regulatory Her practice in crime is split between prosecuting and defending and she is well known as a specialist in rape matters and other difficult, complex sexual offences including historic allegations and those involving child witnesses. Vanessa possesses fine attention to detail and a strong work ethic, which combined with her relentless tenacity (particularly involving issues of disclosing) and effectiveness as a jury advocate, make her the obvious choice whether prosecuting or defending. It is a testament to this that within a week of taking Silk, she was instructed in the only two murders in the East Midlands by both the defence and prosecution involving stabbing by young defendants. In short, she always goes the extra mile and leaves no stone unturned, consistently achieving acquittals when defending ‘hopeless’ cases and regularly secures convictions in ‘difficult’ prosecution cases. Her background as a Registered General Nurse at a London teaching hospital means that she is a first-choice candidate for criminal cases concerning complex medical issues and causation, including but not exclusively, baby shaking cases and those where there is a mental health element. Having been in Silk for 6 years, she is regularly instructed nationally, for the prosecution and defence in the most serious of criminal offences, such as murders and manslaughters, serious violence, including robbery, kidnapping, modern slavery & high value drugs matters. She continues to prosecute serious sexual offences (RASSO), when a Silk is warranted and has a growing private practice, defending serious sexual offences too. As a junior, she had extensive experience being led in multi-handed murder inquiries for both prosecution and defence, which has given her a wealth of experience when she transitioned to Silk. One of the largest cases she did as a junior was acting for the prosecution on the Hilda Murrell investigation, where her pre-trial work included heading up a police team reviewing 100,000 documents for the purposes of disclosure and PII hearings, as well as covert work involving the security services and civilian informants. She also defended GPs accused of sexual offences against patients in the Crown Court, for the medical defence organisations. Inquests and Inquiries Vanessa’s practice also extends into the regulatory/disciplinary arena. Over the years, she has appeared in the Care Standards Tribunal, where she successfully defended a social worker who was challenging the decision to include him on a list of those deemed unsuitable to work with children. Given her clinical negligence experience and the work she does for the medical defence organisations, defending doctors in the Crown Court, she is well placed to represent professionals in disciplinary proceedings and has appeared before the General Dental Council on behalf of a dentist facing allegations of gross misconduct. A good example of her dual practice is that she then represented the same dentist in a civil fraud action bought by the NHSLA in the QBD. She also has experience in prison law, having been instructed in both adjudication and parole board hearings in prisons around the country. In 2009-10, she was Counsel to the Airedale Inquiry, conducted by Kate Thirlwall QC (now Lady Justice) and instructed by Weightmans Solicitors, which included calling and cross-examining hospital managers, doctors and nurses into the management and practices of Night Nurse Practitioners at Airedale NHS Trust. The terms of reference reviewed nurse prescribing and IV administration of opiates, following a stayed murder prosecution against a senior NNP (she took her own life before the trial) who was believed to have being deliberately administering opiates to elderly patients without authority. It was through her meticulous analysis of the voluminous amount of documentation that Vanessa discovered a file that had been missed by the prosecution team, (showing that she had been trained and authorised to administer the opiates), which wholly exculpated the NNP from any wrong-doing. Civil & Family Whilst Vanessa used to be regularly instructed as a Junior in inquests and clinical negligence, predominantly acting for claimants, since taking Silk, she has concentrated on serious crime. However, her previous practice means that she has accrued a vast amount of knowledge and experience representing patients both at trial and in mediations, concerning complicated medical issues. Importantly, she has been able to deploy those skills at the criminal bar, especially when cross examining expert witnesses. Equally, her experience prosecuting baby shaking cases, combined with her detailed understanding of the medical issues involved, has led to her being instructed in the family court, before a HCJ, leading a family junior, in a fact-finding hearing, defending a father accused of shaking his baby, where the medical science was extremely complicated. Clinical Negligence Vanessa has been recognised as an up and coming junior in the field of clinical negligence by The Legal 500. Her practice is primarily Claimant based. Her experience includes spinal injuries, cardiac, surgical procedures, neo-natal, birth mismanagement and cerebral palsy, dental, gynaecological and delayed diagnosis cases. Her previous career, as an RGN specialising in acute medicine and surgery, has proved invaluable for this area of practice, not only in relation to the practical experience gained in the clinical setting, but also as to the day to day operations of a busy hospital and the multi-disciplinary teams working within it.

Vittoria Trigilio

Vittoria Trigilio specialises in the defence of serious crime, with a particular focus on corporate and economic crime and homicide. Vittoria is fully bilingual in Italian and has a good working knowledge of French. Her language skills mean she is frequently involved in cases with an international element which require her to work in multiple languages. Vittoria’s diligent and robust approach means that she is trusted by both lay clients and instructing solicitors when faced with challenging cases.

William Chapman

William is a civil law practitioner. His principal areas of practice are personal injury and clinical negligence. He also accepts instructions in employment and commercial disputes. He is regularly instructed in claims valued £1m to £10m including those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. He has detailed knowledge of life expectancy and the calculation of appropriate multipliers. He is credited with the Additional Life Tables in Ogden 8. He is the author of online software for the precise calculation of any multiplier including joint multipliers. He acted for Matthew Wiessler in the ‘Princess Diana’ case. He is often instructed in clinical negligence claims for detailed consideration of the statistical basis supporting reduced life expectancy and chances of survival from delayed diagnoses. He read economics at Cambridge and worked as an economics consultant in the UK and USA before coming to the Bar. He has particular expertise in civil actions against the police and social services and the law of the liability of public authorities. He is, and has been, junior counsel in a number of cutting edge cases on the scope of public authority liability for determination in the Court of Appeal. He is regularly instructed in claims arising out of historic child abuse including complex cases where such children have suffered additional traumatic brain injury. He was counsel for core participant victims of historic child abuse in six of the investigations conducted by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. His speeches were widely reported in the mainstream media. He is regularly instructed as the family’s representative in Inquests. He acts for respondents and claimants in the Employment Tribunal, particularly where there is overlap with claims for personal injury.

Yasmin Omotosho

Yasmin has a mixed practice in regulatory and professional discipline law, public inquiries and criminal law. She appears before a number of regulators, including the Health and Care Professions Council, General Optical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and Social Work England, both as a case presenter and defending registrants. She is repeatedly instructed to assist solicitors in matters arising from public inquiries, including the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. Yasmin has previously worked on the Undercover Policing Inquiry and the Infected Blood Inquiry and completed a secondment at the Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority, where she was instructed as Junior Junior Counsel in a high-profile international investigation. She maintains a criminal practice and has experience in matters concerning fraud, drug supply and offensive weapons.

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