Alasdair Henderson has a broad practice with a particular interest in public law and human rights, employment and equality, clinical negligence and environmental law. He appears regularly before a wide variety of courts and tribunals, and also has considerable experience of inquests and public inquiries.
Call: 2018; Gray's Inn Alice Kuzmenko is building her practice in all areas of chambers work. In this time, she has drafted pleadings, submissions, and advices in varying areas of law, and has undertaken advocacy at the county courts as well as the employment and immigration tribunals. She has experience assisting with disclosure in complex and high value litigation. Alice is on the Junior Junior panel for the Brook House Inquiry and is junior counsel in the Guildford Pub Bombings inquests.
Amelia Walker has a broad Public law practice including public inquiries, education, local government, Court of Protection and human rights law.
Amelia’s practice encompasses the full range of chambers’ work. She has a broad practice, particularly in public law and human rights, immigration, personal injury, clinical negligence, inquests and professional discipline. She appears regularly in court for both Claimants and Defendants in trials, application hearings, CCMCs and disposal hearings. Her practice combines advisory work, drafting and advocacy. Amelia started her career at the Government Legal Department where she worked in immigration litigation, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Transport. In addition to maintaining her broad civil law practice, she regularly accepts public law instructions and has represented the Home Office as sole counsel by way of off-panel nomination in the High Court, before the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), in the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and in family proceedings. Amelia is currently instructed by the London Fire Commissioner as junior counsel in civil claims arising from the Grenfell Tower fire and is off-panel nominated to represent the Department for Health and Social Care in the Covid-19 Inquiry.
Amy Mannion practices in all areas of public law. She has particular specialisms in human rights, policing and crime, immigration, indirect tax and duties, professional discipline and regulatory law. She acts in public inquiries.
Andrew Kennedy KC has practiced at 1 Crown Office Row since 2004. Before he joined 1COR he was in practice at 6 Pump Court. Andrew practices in clinical negligence, regulatory & disciplinary law, personal injury and sports law, inquests and public enquiries. Andrew Kennedy KC has been recommended for a number of years by the principal legal directories.
Angus McCullough KC has extensive experience in matters of public and private law on behalf of individuals, private bodies, Government departments, and other public bodies. He has been appointed to act as amicus curiae (advocate to the court) on many occasions, including in the phone hacking trial of R v Rebekah Brooks et al and committal proceedings against Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). He has appeared in the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, as well as representing the UK Government at the UN in Geneva and in European Court of Human Rights in proceedings in Strasbourg. He has acted in 9 cases before the House of Lords / Privy Council / Supreme Court. He conducts medical claims of the highest value and complexity for both claimants and defendants. He won the Chambers and Partners award for personal injury and clinical negligence barrister of the year 2009, took silk in 2010, and medical law remains a major specialism. Angus is available to act as a mediator in personal injury and clinical negligence disputes, bringing his extensive experience acting for both sides in the field to facilitate resolution. He also advises and appears in regulatory and disciplinary matters. Angus has been instructed as the special advocate in some of the most high profile cases of recent years in the field of national security, and has been active in promoting understanding and debate in relation to closed material procedures.
Benjamin is a specialist public law practitioner. He is also consistently ranked as a leading barrister in extradition and has extensive experience in representing individuals, UK and foreign governments and requesting judicial authorities in the European Union. He regularly appears in the Supreme Court, Divisional and Administrative Courts. In public law, he is frequently instructed by the Government in difficult judicial reviews concerning immigration and prison law. Clients value Benjamin’s excellent communication skills, expert knowledge, meticulous grasp of the details of the case and pragmatic approach. Benjamin is an accomplished linguist and speaks French and Italian to court standard. Benjamin is frequently instructed by the Government in complex judicial reviews concerning immigration and prison law. He also has a significant coronial and inquiry practice, with particular expertise in deaths in custody, and advice on unlawful detention, and national security. His background in criminal law assists him with inquest juries. Benjamin recently acted in VA, one of the first UK extradition cases to be determined by the Court of Justice of the European Union. Since his appointment to the Attorney General’s panel in 2017 Benjamin has regularly appeared in the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and has also appeared in the County Court in relation to civil claims made by prisoners.
Cara specialises in clinical negligence, and has done so since she started in practice 20 years ago. She also acts in personal injury cases, inquests, lawyers’ negligence cases and in the Court of Protection. Her clinical negligence practice straddles a wide range of medical issues, including complex and serious cerebral palsy, brain injury and spinal injury cases. She is instructed both on behalf of claimants and the full range of healthcare defendants. Cara has undoubted expertise in quantum and is a formidable negotiator.
Caroline specialises in inquests where she has a wide-ranging practice. As a barrister she represents the bereaved and other parties; she also sits part-time as an Assistant Coroner in London. Her clinical negligence practice stems mainly from her inquest work. She is the co-editor and lead author of The Inquest Book that has rapidly established itself as a leading practitioners’ textbook in its field. She regularly writes and presents on coronial and inquest-related matters. In addition, she is instructed in Court of Protection work.
Call: 2015 Charlotte Gilmartin is an Associate Member of Chambers and had a broad practice with a focus on Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Inquests, and Public Law and Human Rights. She regularly acted for both claimants and defendants in complex clinical negligence matters, advising on liability and quantum, settling a variety of pleadings and advising in conference. She appeared in court in a variety of civil hearings on behalf of both claimants and defendants. Charlotte also regularly appeared before Coroners and has provided representation in immigration proceedings before the First Tier Tribunal. Charlotte developed an in depth knowledge of the case law and procedures of the European Court of Human Rights during an extended secondment to the UK Division of the Court in 2019 – 2020.
Christopher Mellor has a civil and public law practice, specialising in medically related matters, including: healthcare regulatory law, clinical negligence, inquests and public inquiries.
Clodagh Bradley KC specialises in healthcare regulatory law, clinical negligence and inquests with a medical or psychiatric element to them, including in custodial settings. Her clinical negligence practice, on behalf of Claimants and Defendants, has included a variety of obstetric claims, surgical cases and missed diagnoses, resulting in catastrophic life-changing or fatal injuries, spanning brain or spinal injuries, limb loss and sight loss. She has dealt with a broad range of disciplinary cases predominantly on behalf of doctors before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (previously GMC), and also cases brought by the General Dental Council (GDC), the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), the General Optical Council (GOC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Clodagh has successfully challenged regulatory decisions in the Administrative Court. In inquests Clodagh has appeared on behalf of families, doctors, NHS Trusts, the police and the prison service as interested persons. Clodagh also undertakes work in the Court of Protection, dealing with matters relating to capacity, treatment decisions and the best interests of protected persons.
Darragh Coffey accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers’ work and is developing a broad practice with a particular focus on public law. He appears in courts and tribunals on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in a range of civil hearings.
David Manknell practises principally in medical law and administrative and human rights law. He was appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown in September 2015, having previously been a member of the B and C Panels since 2006. He was appointed as Assistant Coroner for Inner South London in 2022.
David Evans KC specialises in clinical negligence litigation, almost exclusively in cases involving brain and spinal injury. He acts for both claimants and defendants. David has developed a specific expertise in quantum, in particular the analysis and quantification of catastrophic high value brain and spinal injury claims, including birth injury, wrongful birth, acquired brain injury, meningitis and spinal cord injury. He has a sub-specialty in government work following his 8 years on the Attorney-General’s ‘A’ panel of Counsel to the Crown and since taking silk, he continues to act for government departments in public inquiries and serious injury claims. He is security-cleared to developed vetted (DV) level.
David Hart KC practises in environmental law, medical law, professional negligence and construction. He has also appeared at a number of major public inquiries. David has particular experience of group actions, in the environmental field (eight group actions alleging odour nuisance, four alleging dust & noise and a petrol contamination claim) and in medical cases. His construction law work has concerned landfill sites, nuclear and other power stations, and Mechanical and Electrical disputes.
David Balcombe KC combines clinical and professional negligence and professional discipline work with specialist matrimonial finance work (including pre-nuptial agreements). Whilst such a practice might be regarded as a curious mix, the range of his work and his transferable skills enable him to bring a breadth of vision and experience to his cases that are rarely available to the one topic specialist.
Dinah Loeb specialises in complex family litigation. With more than 20 years’ legal experience having qualified as a solicitor in 1990, as a mediator in 2002 and a barrister in 2004, Dinah is experienced across both sides of the profession so is able to support lay and professional clients through the litigation process. Dinah is experienced in all courts including the Court of Appeal, undertaking work on the South Eastern Circuit, Western Circuit and London. Dinah is qualified to take on direct access work.
Dominic Ruck Keene has a varied practice in all the core areas of Chambers’ work, in particular inquests, public law and human rights, personal injury and clinical negligence. He also has specialist practices in employment and equality law, child abuse compensation, cyber and data protection. As a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel, he is regularly instructed by a number of different Government departments in cases involving a wide spectrum of different areas of law.
Associate Tenant. Duncan Fairgrieve KC (Hon) has a wide-ranging practice in public law, EU law, human rights and commercial law. He has appeared in all major jurisdictions in England and Wales, including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Edward has a busy litigation practice which is focused mainly on disputes before the tax tribunals, public law, and professional negligence claims. Having been appointed to the Attorney-General’s “B” Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown in 2021, Edward regularly acts in factually and legally complex disputes with significant sums at stake, often as sole counsel. He is familiar with litigation in a range of different courts, including the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He also has considerable experience of cross-examination and of cases involving expert witnesses. Edward enjoys working collaboratively with clients and other professional advisers and adopts a calm and strategic approach to litigation, with first-rate written and oral advocacy underpinned by thorough preparation.
Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC is a leading practitioner in Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury claims. Lizanne has a distinguished reputation for representing Claimants with highly complex claims for catastrophic injury. In clinical negligence she has particular expertise and experience in birth damage and neo-natal claims but acts in claims arising in a wide range of circumstances. In personal injury she acts for Claimants with head injuries, spinal injuries and other complex multiple injuries. Lizanne’s work also involves multi-party actions and she recently acted for over 700 Claimants in the litigation against Mr Ian Paterson, Spire Healthcare and HEFT. Lizanne has also been instructed in a number of multi-party actions arising out of sexual abuse and physical abuse of children and adults in institutions including the Jimmy Savile litigation and the Winterbourne View claims. Claims against private hospitals, the catholic church and local authorities have involved a number of cases which have resulted in the development of the law in respect of vicarious liability.
Emma-Louise Fenelon has a broad practice and is sought after for her experience in sensitive and challenging cases. She has particular expertise in Inquests, Public Inquiries, Clinical Negligence, Child Abuse Compensation, Personal Injury and Human Rights. She is recommended as a Leading Junior by Chambers and Partners and as a Rising Star by the Legal 500. Emma acts for a wide range of clients including claimants, bereaved families, NHS Trusts, individual doctors, companies, charities and NGOs. She is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel. She was previously nominated as Advocate’s Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year. Emma is also co-presenter of Law Pod UK.
Gideon has a busy practice spanning all areas of Chambers’ work. He was extensive experience in clinical negligence and personal injury, public and human rights law, inquests and public inquiries, and tax.
Giles Colin has a wide ranging practice, but is best known for his work in the fields of clinical negligence, discipline and regulation, personal injury and inquests (principally in healthcare matters appearing regularly on behalf of the Ambulance Service, PCT and Hospital Trusts, as well as representing the interests of doctors). He has been instructed directly by the General Medical Council to cross examine vulnerable witnesses where the doctor does not have legal representation. Giles has also given presentations in respect of Inquests where Coroners, healthcare professionals and lawyers were all present.
Hannah Noyce has a broad practice across the areas of Chambers’ work, with particular experience in clinical negligence, public law and human rights, inquests, indirect tax, and environmental law.
Henry Witcomb KC has a practice specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury, public authority liability and inquest representation. He has been involved in several of the leading cases in these fields. A significant amount of the work in both the clinical negligence and personal injury fields has involved participation in several multi-party actions, a number of which have involved claimants residing abroad. Principally these actions have involved the abuse and care of children but also involving other classes of personal injury and clinical negligence claimants.
Iain O’Donnell has a common law and specialist criminal practice that encompasses child abuse compensation law, clinical negligence, general high-value personal injury, animal welfare, animal and medical related crime, sports law and public inquiries.
Isabel McArdle practises in indirect tax, healthcare law (including clinical negligence, cross-over public law matters, personal injury and inquests) and public law (including human rights and public inquiries).
Jasper is developing a broad practice and accepts instructions in all chambers’ practice areas. As well as clinical negligence, public law, discrimination, data law, inquests and tax, Jasper gained experience as a pupil in commercial disputes and is comfortable with cases containing contractual or other commercial elements. Since joining 1COR, Jasper has undertaken advocacy in the high court, county court and coronial court. He has appeared in several inquests, including ‘Article 2’ and jury inquests. He is currently instructed as junior counsel to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in the Undercover Policing Inquiry, and is the Co-Commissioning Editor of the UK Human Rights Blog.
Jeremy Hyam KC is a specialist in Clinical Negligence, Human Rights, Administrative and Public Law, Inquests and Public Inquiries, Professional Negligence, Professional Discipline and Environmental law. He has particular experience in all aspects of health law, including Mental Health, the regulation and discipline of doctors; contractual disputes, CQC regulation, NHS Procurement, the Health and Social Care Act, the Care Standards Tribunal, and cases concerning eligibility for and access to treatment including cases concerning community care. He was named one of The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in 2019.
Jessica Elliott has developed a broad practice in the main areas of Chambers’ work, particularly in clinical negligence and health law, environmental law, data and privacy law, inquests and coroners, and tax.
Jim Duffy has extensive experience across clinical negligence, inquests and inquiries, personal injury, human rights, tax and employment and discrimination. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel (‘B’ Panel) and has particular experience of prison law and employment claims, acting on both sides.
Jo accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers’ work and has a broad practice, in particular in public law and human rights, clinical negligence, personal injury, inquests, employment and sports law. She regularly acts for both claimants and defendants in complex clinical negligence matters. She developed significant experience in high value claims, including birth injuries and catastrophic injuries, during a lengthy specialist medical negligence secondment.
John Gimlette has a strong civil practice focused on personal injury and clinical negligence.
John Whitting KC is a specialist in all aspects of healthcare law, including clinical negligence, product liability and inquests. John is a noted trial advocate and has appeared in a number of the leading cases in those fields both at first instance and in the appellate courts. John is also a door tenant at GUILDHALL CHAMBERS (CHAMBERS OF PETER BLAIR KC) Bristol 0117 930 9000.
Jonathan Metzer has a broad practice across all areas of chambers’ work, with particular expertise in public and human rights law, asylum and immigration, clinical negligence and inquests. He appears regularly in the County Court, the Coroner’s Court and the Immigration Tribunals, and has also undertaken hearings in the High Court.
Judith Rogerson has a civil practice with a particular focus on cases involving healthcare professionals. She is recognised as a leading junior in clinical negligence.
Justin Levinson has a specialist personal injury practice focusing on compensation claims arising out of childhood sexual abuse. He is recognised to have particular expertise in claims against the Catholic Church and other religious institutions, having been in most of the leading cases in this area. He also has considerable experience of claims against care homes, schools, social services departments and youth groups. Recently, he represented claimants in what is thought to be the first case of alleged sexual assault by an Uber driver in the UK.
Leanne Woods specialises in clinical negligence, professional discipline and regulation, inquests and public inquiries, police law, and public law. She also has significant experience in sporting disputes. She is appointed to the Attorney-General’s A Panel of counsel and is called to the bar in Northern Ireland.
Lois Williams has a broad practice across the main areas of Chambers’ work, including public law, human rights, inquiries, inquests, immigration, personal injury and clinical negligence.
Marcus has a specialised practice focussed on clinical negligence, inquest, and personal injury work in addition to being a trained mediator.
Margaret Bowron KC’s practice has for a number of years been substantially concentrated on clinical negligence work, involving claims of all types but particularly cases of very high value, frequently arising from brain injury sustained at birth. She has very extensive expertise in both complex liability and quantum issues and acts for both claimants and defendants.
Marina Wheeler KC has a broad practice in public and human rights law with a special focus on detention, armed conflict and national security. The reconfiguration of hospital services has also featured heavily in Marina’s public law caseload, allowing her to develop expertise in the requirements of a fair consultation and application of the Public Sector Equality Duty. Marina is an accredited Mediator and handles investigations, especially those involving the workplace and the healthcare sector, building on her years of experience litigating employment disputes. In addition to employment and public law work, Marina has expertise in complex family law cases, often involving a human rights or cross-border element.
Martin Forde KC has a practice which covers all aspects of Health Law. He appears regularly in all the Regulatory and Disciplinary tribunals predominantly for practitioners including doctors, dentists, osteopaths, chiropractors and optometrists. He has acted for the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council. He has appeared in a number of major cases in the Privy Council and has been involved in medical related judicial review hearings in the Administrative Court as well as judicial review hearings involving mental health and immigration issues. His clinical negligence and personal injury practice is exclusively undertaken in the High Court involving injuries of maximum severity. His experience of Inquests is extensive particularly in cases involving a mental health element. He has appeared on many occasions in the Employment Tribunal acting for NHS Trusts and medical practitioners. He has appeared in HC (90) 9 proceedings, internal Trust and PCT hearings and has an extensive FHSAA practice.
Martin Downs has a practice which covers Public Law involving Human Rights and Equality (including Children’s and Mental Capacity) law, Local Government (including Police and Education), Inquests and Professional Regulation. He has particular expertise as an appeal advocate (frequently when not having appeared at first instance).
Matthew Flinn is developing a broad practice in the main areas of Chambers’ work, in particular public law, human rights, clinical negligence and personal injury. He is developing particular expertise in inquests, and clinical and dental negligence claims, acting for both Claimants and Defendants. He undertakes a wide range of advisory and court work, from small claims hearings to the High Court.
Matt's expertise in clinical negligence spans both liability and quantum issues, and the difficult points of causation that can intersect them. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and finds doing so helps to give insight into both perspectives.
Matthew practises in public law, medical law and inquiries and inquests. He has acted as First Junior Counsel to the Hillsborough Inquests, and is currently instructed as Lead Junior Counsel to the Infected Blood Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. In medical law, Matthew acts for both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence litigation, including in catastrophic birth and spinal injury cases. He also undertakes disciplinary cases before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and the General Dental Council. He acts for families, doctors and medical bodies in inquests. He advises on a wide range of medico-legal issues including those relating to consent, capacity, confidentiality and data protection. Matthew’s public law practise includes work on national security, information rights, immigration, human rights, public inquiries and major inquests. He acted for the Home Secretary in Court of Protection proceedings concerning the novichok poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. He is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel and he has acted in numerous public inquiries and major inquests including the Al-Sweady Public Inquiry, the Detainee Inquiry, and the Westminster Bridge Inquests.
Matthew Barnes has a civil and public law practice focused on all aspects of medical law, including clinical negligence, inquests, regulatory, and public law. In clinical negligence, his practice includes work for both claimants and defendants, covering a range from low value claims up to the highest value catastrophic brain injuries. In inquests, he acts for both families and medical staff, and has experience of difficult and high profile cases. By way of example, in the last year, he has been instructed in approximately 15 inquests including acting for the family in a recent inquest into the death of Mr Andrew Pimlott, who died in circumstances where a police officer fired a taser at him whilst he was covered in petrol. He is regularly instructed to act for Defendants in regulatory proceedings, including the GDC, the GMC, the NMC, the British Acupuncture Council, internal NHS Trust disciplinary hearings, and the Performers Lists for GPs and dentists. Generally, he acts for defendants, although he has prosecuted in cases involving removal from the Performers List. He has experience of cases involving criminal charges, and has been instructed to defend doctors in the magistrates’ court and crown court. He has extensive experience of public law, as is demonstrated by the reported cases set out below, and in particular has been involved in challenges to treatment decisions and appeals from the GDC and GMC.
Michael Deacon has a busy practice encompassing the main areas of Chambers’ work, including clinical negligence and personal injury, inquests, costs, public law, data protection law, professional discipline and employment law. Further, building on his experience as a commercial litigation solicitor with a prominent city firm, Michael has also developed a busy independent practice in general contractual disputes.
Michael's primary practice is in tax litigation and tax dispute resolution, including judicial review claims involving HMRC. More broadly, Michael’s practice involves the intersection between tax law, administrative law, and employment law.
Natasha Barnes is a highly-regarded junior who acts in a variety of sensitive and complex cases focusing on judicial review, indirect tax and other areas of public and human rights law. She appears before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court and the Tribunals (Tax and Immigration Chambers). Natasha advises a wide spectrum of clients including individuals, companies, public authorities and government departments. She is a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel.
Neil Sheldon KC is recommended by the directories as a leading silk in a broad range of practice areas, including public & administrative law, public inquiries & inquests, professional discipline, and clinical negligence. He has acted in many of the most important public inquiries and inquests of recent years including the Inquests into the terrorist attacks on Fishmongers’ Hall, Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Manchester Arena, the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, the Zahid Mubarak Inquiry, the Al Swaedy Inquiry, the Iraq Inquiry and the Alexander Litvinenko Inquiry. He is currently acting for the NCA and a number of government departments in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). He is instructed by the Cabinet Office in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, by a leading medical defence union in the Infected Blood Inquiry and as leading counsel for the Home Office in the Undercover Policing Inquiry. Neil was first appointed by the Attorney General as junior counsel to the crown in 2002, and has been on the A Panel since 2010. He undertakes a range of high profile work for a variety of government departments. He has particular experience of national security work, and holds developed vetted (DV) security clearance. He has extensive experience of advocacy in the higher courts. He has appeared in over 50 cases in the Court of Appeal, and in a number of the most important recent human rights appeals in the Supreme Court. Neil is currently instructed in a number of forthcoming Supreme Court appeals, and several cases before the European Court of Human Rights.
Oliver Sanders KC has a wide experience and expertise in public law and human rights, including judicial reviews, damages claims and statutory appeals; information rights, including data protection, freedom of information, breach of confidence and misuse of private information; national security and extremism; inquests and inquiries; contempt of court; and the Equality Act 2010. He is a member of the Bar Pro Bono Scheme and the Inner Temple Advocacy Training Programme and has given lectures to various government and non-government clients, the Justice / Sweet and Maxwell FOI Conference and the ALBA Summer Conference.
Owain Thomas KC has a broad practice with an emphasis on the areas of medical law, professional discipline, public law (in particular relating to healthcare) and taxation. He has wide experience acting for both Claimants and Defendants (NHS and MoD) in clinical negligence, particularly high value claims resulting from birth injury or other catastrophic injuries. He has experience of a wide variety public law challenges against Mental Health Trusts in the Administrative Court and emergency injunctions and best interests cases in the Family Division. He regularly appears for public authorities (hospitals, mental health Trusts and prisons) in complex inquests. Owain has considerable experience in all areas of professional regulation and regularly appears on behalf of doctors, dentists and other professionals before the GMC, GDC etc. He has appeared in hundreds of indirect tax cases in the domestic courts (in the Tribunal, the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) and the European Court of Justice. His experience includes advisory work as well as advocacy in all areas of indirect taxation. He appears for HMRC and taxpayers. He also has particular experience in the field of customs duties, goods classification, anti-dumping duty and landfill tax. He undertakes a wide range of public law challenges particularly in the field of healthcare, criminal injuries and tax litigation.
Paul Rees KC is most widely known and recognised for his clinical negligence practice where he has been involved in some of the most significant cases, in particular the series of “indexation” cases, which were considered in the Court of Appeal in 2007. He also practices in a range of related fields including personal injury, professional disciplinary tribunals, inquests and certain aspects of administrative law. He has experience in other non-medical types of professional negligence involving construction professionals and associated litigation.
Paul has a wide range of experience across indirect tax, rating law, clinical negligence and inquests and inquiries. His experience includes acting as Junior Counsel to the Hillsborough Inquiries, and acting for a wide range of companies, public authorities, and individuals across his areas of specialism. He is on the Attorney General’s ‘C’ Panel of Counsel.
Peter Skelton KC’s practice encompasses public inquiries, inquests, human rights litigation, clinical negligence, judicial review, national security and personal injury litigation, with a particular emphasis on multi-party actions and claims arising in foreign jurisdictions. He acts for both claimants and defendants. Peter has been instructed in several major public inquiries over the last 20 years, most recently the Undercover Policing Inquiry (for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police), the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (as counsel to the inquiry), the Leveson Inquiry (for the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime), the Al-Sweady Inquiry (for Iraqi judges), and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (for two national healthcare charities). He has previously represented bereaved families in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry and the Royal Liverpool Children’s Inquiry. From 2005 to 2009, he was counsel to the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry, which investigated allegations of state collusion in the solicitor’s murder. In recent years, Peter has also acted for groups of victims and survivors of sexual abuse by David Fuller, Jimmy Savile and Max Clifford. He has also represented claimants in several other high-profile group actions, including Ian Paterson (breast surgery) and Rob Jones (gynaecological surgery). Previously, he acted for the claimants in the Winterbourne View Litigation the Cornwall Partnership Trust Litigation (institutional neglect and abuse), and the Nationwide Organ Group Litigation. On the defendant side, Peter has acted for the Metropolitan Police in a group actions arising allegations of inappropriate sexual liaisons by undercover police officers, and in the claims brought by the families of the four victims of serial killer Stephen Port. He has also represented the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the Kenyan Emergency Group Litigation, which involved allegations of mistreatment by the Colonial Government of Kenya in the 1950s; and was instructed by an international mining corporation in a multi-party human rights claim arising from allegations of police brutality in Sierra Leone.
Philip Havers KC has a wide ranging practice with particular emphasis on medical law, public law and human rights law. He appears regularly in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. Selected Cases: Dolan v Secretary of State for Health (Court of Appeal) (2020): Lead counsel in legal challenge to the lawfulness of the Government’s Covid-19 lockdown. R (W) v Caephilly County Borough Council (2020): Court of Appeal challenge to the lawfulness of the council’s decision to close/reconfigure local leisure facilities. Dulgheriu v London Borough of Ealing Council (2019): Local Authority's power to prevent protests outside an abortion clinic. Awaiting Supreme Court's permission to appeal.
Rachel Marcus has developed a specialised healthcare practice. She acts in high-value clinical negligence matters, including birth injury and spinal injury claims. She is a highly experienced inquest advocate, appearing on behalf of both families and healthcare providers in inquests involving hospital and mental health settings, prisons and the community. Rachel is experienced in front of juries and in Article 2 inquests. She also acts in the Court of Protection on behalf of the Official Solicitor as well as healthcare providers and funders, and in the Mental Health Review Tribunal, as well as in the various healthcare disciplinary tribunals.
Richard Smith’s practice focuses on professional discipline, clinical negligence, professional negligence, personal injury and costs.
Richard is a specialist healthcare and personal injury barrister, providing timely and focused advocacy and advice to injured individuals and to clinical practitioners and organisations, amongst others. Richard’s healthcare work is focused on claims relating to medical accidents of all descriptions but also encompasses regulatory proceedings and contractual claims relating to the provision of healthcare and related services. In addition, Richard regularly deals with personal injury claims ranging from serious road traffic injury and industrial injuries to physical and sexual abuse. Richard also advises and represents clients in relation to costs arising from litigation.
Richard Booth KC has practised at 1 Crown Office Row since being called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1993 and is our current Head of Chambers. He specialises in clinical negligence, disciplinary / regulatory law, personal injury (especially brain and sports injuries), costs, inquests and sports law.
Robert Seabrook KC’s wide-ranging experience crosses jurisdictions. In recent years he has concentrated on clinical negligence, medical disciplinary work and substantial matrimonial finance and property cases. His forensic skills are frequently called upon for cases outside these areas such as child sex abuse, action relating to the police and medical crime. He is an accredited Mediator registered with the Civil Mediation Council.
Robert Kellar KC’s areas of specialism include Clinical Negligence, Professional Discipline and Regulation, Healthcare, Public & Administrative Law and Human Rights, Personal Injury, Employment Law and Inquests.
Robert is a clinical negligence specialist, acting for both claimants and defendants. He has experience of litigation across a wide range of areas of medicine, with a particular interest in obstetrics, brain injuries, oncology, orthopaedics and cardiology. He also conducts clinical negligence inquest work. He is experienced in handling high value litigation involving life-changing injuries. Robert has a particular interest in the law surrounding fatal accident claims, which represent a core component of his practice and on which he regularly provides training. He provides specialist advice on high value claims for care, loss of earnings and pension loss. He is regularly instructed by solicitors across the country, including Birmingham, Manchester and London, as well as a strong practice in the South West. In the personal injury field, Robert regularly conducts fast-track and multi-track trials. He has experience across the spectrum of personal injury litigation, including employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, Highways Act 1980 and road traffic cases. He regularly attends applications relating to issues such as pre-action disclosure, default judgment, amendments to statements of case and strike out. Robert is a member of the Action Versus Medical Accidents (AVMA) Charity, is on their pro bono inquest panel. He further undertakes clinical negligence cases for clients of the Bar Pro Bono Unit. Robert enjoys both writing papers and presenting them at solicitors’ firms and AVMA events. He particularly enjoys speaking on the topics of dental negligence litigation, causation in clinical negligence, secondary victim claims and fatal accident claims in clinical negligence.
Rory has extensive experience in cases involving personal injury of all kinds. His principal areas of practice are Clinical Negligence, Inquests, Employer’s and Public Liability and RTA cases. He has a particular interest in cases involving clinical negligence and is regularly instructed in claims ranging from sub-standard cosmetic surgery to catastrophic brain injury, and death in children arising from obstetric and paediatric negligence. In addition to his civil practice he frequently represents families at inquests in which clinical negligence is suspected, an example of which led recently to a successful settlement on behalf of parents bereaved by obstetric negligence. He also represents the families in cases involving deaths in custody.
Academic consultant and co-editor of One Crown Office Row’s ‘UK Human Rights Blog’. Co-Presenter of podcast Law Pod UK
Areas of practice include medical law (including extensive experience of GMC disciplinary work), clinical negligence (claimant and defendant) and personal injury; special interest in class actions; cases include: Benzodiazepine group action, representing health authorities; RAGE group action (Breast cancer) representing health authorities; Royal Liverpool Children’s NHS Trust organ retention inquiry and group litigation representing the National Health Service Litigation Authority; prosecution of Dr Wakefield and two colleagues in GMC; mid-Staffs hospital public inquiry.
Sarabjit (Sab) Singh KC specialises in tax, including the interface between tax and public law, and clinical negligence. Sab also specialises in public law in its own right, and frequently appears in public law and tax cases in the highest courts, including regular appearances in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Sab has appeared in some of the most heavyweight cases in tax and public law in the last few decades, as outlined in the description of his practice in each of those areas below. He continues to act both for and against the government in high-profile tax and public law matters. Unusually for someone who practices in tax and public law, Sab also specialises in clinical negligence, and as a silk has acted in a number of catastrophic birth injury and other cases. He is valued for his careful and high-quality pleadings and advocacy, as well as his tactful manner with clients.
Sarah is a specialist in complex clinical negligence, inquests, inquiries, personal injury and costs cases. Experienced across the board in all types of medical claims, she now increasingly focuses on highly complex neurological brain injury, spinal, amputation and obstetric injury claims, including twins, and wrongful birth cases, acting both for Claimants and Defendants. She also has a significant caseload of fatal cases, particularly those arising out of delayed cancer diagnoses, cases of suicide by mental health patients, and secondary victim claims. In inquests, with particular expertise in medical deaths, Sarah is instructed by families and by NHS Trusts, and has sensitive experience of both jury and non jury inquests, death in custody and cases attracting considerable media interest. From 2022 Sarah is instructed in Module 3 of the Covid Inquiry. Sarah also defends before both the GMC and GDC, where her experience encompasses alleged personal and professional misconduct cases, clinical malpractice, professional fraud and non clinical criminal matters, as well as health and substance dependency cases. Alongside her practice at the Bar, Sarah has since 2012 sat part time as a judge, as a Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit (crime and civil) and since 2013 as a Deputy Costs Judge of the Senior Courts Costs Office.
Shaheen Rahman KC has a diverse practice with particular expertise in the areas of Clinical Negligence, Inquests and Inquiries, Public Law, Human Rights and Professional Discipline. Shaheen is instructed by Claimants and Defendants in high value, sensitive and complex clinical negligence cases including catastrophic brain injury, severe obstetric and surgical injury cases. She represents families and healthcare providers at inquests, particularly Article 2 and jury inquests concerning detained patients, the elderly and infant deaths. She has been appointed as Counsel to the Inquest touching the death of Joe Pooley and represented a core participant at the Infected Blood Inquiry. She is Chair of the Birthrights’ Inquiry on Racial Injustice in UK Maternity Services. In May 2022 Shaheen was appointed to join the UK Covid-19 Inquiry legal team. Shaheen undertakes a broad range of public law work with an emphasis on Prisons, Healthcare, Public Consultations and Religious Discrimination. She is an experienced Special Advocate, appearing in many of the leading terrorism cases. She also has extensive experience of professional disciplinary matters, appearing for doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers before their regulators and in associated appeals, judicial reviews, internal disciplinary matters and MHPS hearings.
Shahram is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence barrister with extensive expertise in handling complex and catastrophic claims including brain injury, spinal cord injury and fatal accidents. He regularly represents claimants in the Coroner’s Court, the High Court and in the Court of Appeal. In addition to his medical law expertise, Shahram has appeared in several of the leading cases regarding High Court Enforcement.
Stephen Miller KC took silk in 1990 and since that time has developed his interest in cases involving medical issues. Although a large part of his work is concerned with clinical negligence actions, in which he has appeared in a number of the leading cases at first instance and on appeal, he has also been involved in a number of multi-party actions, Inquiries, disciplinary hearings and medically-related criminal hearings. He has also retained an interest in other aspects of professional negligence, personal injury and in actions against the police. He is an accredited mediator; a member of the Court of Appeal panel of mediators since 1997 and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Suzanne Lambert has a broad civil and public law practice. She undertakes a wide range of common law cases, with a particular focus on healthcare and medical law, including clinical negligence and inquests, but also contractual matters involving institutions and GPs, cases involving ethical questions such as consent to treatment, human rights, mental health law, confidentiality issues and product liability. She also has extensive experience in personal injury, judicial review, professional discipline and regulatory law, as well as public inquiries. She is recommended as a leading junior by Legal 500. She is instructed by both Claimants and Defendants in a wide variety of cases arising from allegations of clinical negligence. She acts in both low-value cases as well as high-value cases involving serious and catastrophic injuries (for example, cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, neurological injuries, loss of fertility, IVF and surrogacy, and delayed diagnosis of cancer). She has experience with complex legal issues such as contributory negligence, apportionment between Defendants, fatal accident claims, consent, and secondary victim claims.
Sydney Chawatama specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury, acting for Claimants and Defendants. His work in these areas inludes complex high value claims, from initial advice to settlement meetings and trial. He has acted in several birth injury and catastrophic PI claims arising out of road traffic accidents in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Sydney has a broad practice which covers the Court of Protection, professional discipline, costs, mental health law, inquests and child abuse compensation law. He has a developing practice in international commercial and investment arbitration and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Tom has a busy practice in all areas of Chambers’ work, with a particular emphasis on clinical negligence, personal injury (including abuse), inquests and inquiries, and various areas of public law and human rights. He has experience acting in high-value and/or complex cases, led by silks in Chambers and in his own right. He joined Chambers as a tenant in September 2019 after 12 months of pupillage at 1 Crown Office Row. Tom appears in the High Court, the County Court and the Coroner’s Court, and has acted in cases up to and including the Court of Appeal.
Recognised as a leading Silk in his field, William Edis KC has a wide practice covering healthcare law, clinical negligence, disciplinary and regulatory inquiries, inquests, employment, healthcare-related public law and personal injury. He regularly acts in cases of the highest value, importance and complexity. He has appeared before the Supreme Court, the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal and all courts and tribunals relevant to his practice areas. He has acted as a mediator.
