Devereux

devereuxchambers.co.uk

Akash Nawbatt KC's principal areas of practice are employment and tax law. He is instructed in complex and high value litigation, in tribunals, the High Court and appellate courts, by large employers (including global financial institutions and leading airlines), Government Departments and taxpayers. For more information on Akash's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Alice Mayhew KC

Alice Mayhew KC is a specialist in employment litigation and advisory work involving restraint of trade, whistleblowing, all types of discrimination, equal pay, business transfers, wrongful and unfair dismissal, industrial action and breach of contract claims. She has extensive experience of acting for a wide variety of clients such as airlines, banks, local authorities, media, telecommunications and police forces as well as senior employees. Undertakes multi day complex cases before the employment tribunal, county court and high court as well as all levels of appeal (often being instructed for the first time at appellate level). For more information on Alice's practice and latest case highlights, please visit her full Devereux profile.

Andrew Burns KC

Andrew Burns KC specialises in complex commercial, employment and industrial disputes, particularly injunctions, and has featured in some of the leading appellate cases in employment law and trade disputes in recent years including Malone & Ors v British Airways Plc, ASLEF v London Midland, RMT v Serco, and Prophet plc v Huggett. Two of Andrew’s cases were included in Personnel Today’s ‘Six employment law decisions that will shape 2019’: Kostal v Dunkley (changing employment contracts outside of collective bargaining) and Ali v Capita (discrimination between payments for shared parental leave and maternity leave). Andrew acted for Royal Mail in its injunction to prevent the national postal strike (Royal Mail Group v CWU), in a number of recent airline and airport disputes and appeared for Birmingham City Council in the recent bin workers’ strike (Birmingham City Council v Unite the Union). He has acted in industrial action disputes for British Airways, London bus companies, BT, Post Office, Fujitsu, South West Trains and Citylink. He has recently appeared in both of the first two European Works Council appeals and has numerous appearances in business cases in the DIFC Courts and Court of Appeal in Dubai. He is a leading silk in insurance and reinsurance disputes appearing in the Supreme Court in Durham v BAI (Run Off) Ltd (the Employers' Liability Policy Trigger Litigation in asbestos insurance cases such as Redman v Zurich) and acted in litigation relating to 9/11 reinsurance disputes (Simmonds v Gammell and Allianz v Tonicstar). For more information on Andrew's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Anna Greenley

Aparna Nathan KC

Aparna Nathan KC is a highly sought-after tax barrister. She has a high-profile litigation practice, often involving millions, sometimes billions in tax, and represents clients in all forums including the Supreme Court. Advisory: tax planning for ultra-high net worth UK and foreign domiciliaries including complex offshore structures; Residence and Domicile/ Deemed Domicile issues; UK property CGT regime; Estate planning; GAAR; company residence and permanent establishment; EBTs; disguised remuneration. Litigation: extensive litigation including in the Supreme Court. APN/ PPN/ FNs and Penalties: David Beadle v HMRC ; Reid & Emblin v HMRC ; Sheiling Properties Ltd v HMRC. TMA, CRCA: HMRC v Derry; Goldsmith v HMRC; Rogers& Shaw v HMRC; De Silva v HMRC. Partnerships and LLPs: Walewski v HMRC; Cobalt Data Centres LLP1 and others v HMRC. Corporation Tax: EDF Energy v HMRC; HMRC v SSE Generation; BAT v HMRC. Ramsay Challenges: Good & Ryan v HMRC; Daarasp v HMRC; Flanaghan v HMRC; Berry v HMRC. Judicial Review: JJ Management Consulting LLP v HMRC; Dickinson v HMRC ; Archer v HMRC. Discovery Assessments: Good & Ryan v HMRC; Hoey v HMRC; Anderson v HMRC. Company residence: Laerstate v HMRC; Wood v Holden. For more information on Aparna's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Barrie Akin

Barrie Akin’s practice takes him into all areas of revenue law and he has wide experience in all its fields with a particular interest in business, financial and cross-border tax issues and the interaction of taxation and accountancy principles. On the advisory side, he assists both corporate and personal clients on a wide range of issues. For example, he has recently advised a liquidator on complex corporation tax issues arising out of post-cessation receipts and has advised executors on the optimum strategy for securing Inheritance Tax reliefs for a complex high value estate with unusual features. The disputes side of his practice involves him in all aspects of tax litigation, including advising on strategy and tactics, the drafting of correspondence and pleadings, settlement negotiations and appearing before the Tax Tribunals and the courts. For more information on Barrie's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Bayo Randle

Bayo Randle has a busy and diverse practice in the areas of commercial litigation, employment and tax. He regularly represents clients in the High Court, Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal. Bayo was instructed as part of the legal team in The Construction Industry Vetting Information Group Litigation, a case highlighted by The Lawyer as one of the Top 20 Cases to watch in 2016, and remains instructed in ongoing related proceedings. For more information on Bayo's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Bruce Carr KC

Bruce Carr KC practises predominantly in the field of employment law, but also in commercial law, some tax and public law. Regularly instructed on behalf of both employers and trade unions, in particular in the EAT. Also frequently appears in interlocutory injunction applications, ranging from restrictive covenants to trade disputes. Substantial practice in discrimination, (including equal pay) transfer of undertakings and large-scale redundancy matters. Frequently instructed by a range of government departments. Also instructed in inquiry work. For more information on Bruce's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Christopher Walker

Christopher is a catastrophic personal injury specialist, instructed on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. His work is predominantly conducted against silks, whether led or instructed alone. Christopher has considerable experience in litigating the established categories of employer liability, road traffic accident and public liability claims and has a reputation as a skilled negotiator. His practice encompasses clinical negligence claims, health and safety prosecutions, coroners' inquests and litigation with a focus on human rights. His current caseload includes claims for severe brain injury (rtas, accident at work), paraplegia (public liability & rta), brachial plexus and other severe, multiple orthopaedic injuries, including traumatic amputation.

Christopher Stone KC

Chris Stone is a highly rated barrister specialising in the areas of employment, tax and commercial litigation. Employment: Chris' practice covers all areas of employment and discrimination law. He often appears in multi-day discrimination and whistleblowing hearings in the Tribunals and advises on and acts in restrictive covenant cases in the High Court. He was lead junior in the Construction Industry Vetting Information Group Litigation. Tax: Chris acts for HMRC and taxpayers in a broad range of direct tax disputes. Specialisms include: residence and domicile; deductibility of expenses; and taxation of employment (including employment status, intermediaries and termination). Cases include: Gaines-Cooper (Supreme Court); Daniel, Mertrux and Hargreaves (CoA); Samadian, Duckmanton, McLaren, Ramsay and Hargreaves (UT); G4S (FTT). Chris is instructed in general commercial matters, particularly professional negligence and sports disputes. For more information on Chris' practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Colin Edelman KC

Colin Edelman KC specialises in high value complex commercial disputes with an emphasis on insurance, reinsurance, professional negligence, and energy. He has previously been voted Insurance Silk of the Year on a number of occasions and Professional Negligence Silk of the Year. Key cases in 2019/20: Supreme Court - R&S Pilling v UK Insurance, Travelers v XYZ; Court of Appeal - Equitas v Municipal Mutual; Commercial Court – Catlin v Weyerhaeuser, FCA v Business Interruption Insurers Covid Test Case; and a number of high value arbitrations as counsel and as arbitrator. For more information on Colin's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Colin Mendoza

Colin Mendoza specialises in complex high-value clinical negligence and personal injury cases, acting for claimants and defendants. Expertise in fatal accident claims, high-value spinal injury, including in the context of surgical negligence, catastrophic brain damage cases, chronic pain cases, amputation, disfigurement and psychiatric damage. Wide range of clinical negligence work, with recent successes in diverse areas of medicine including spinal surgery, orthopaedic surgery, general surgery and sub-standard nursing care leading to death. Experienced in Group Action litigation and product liability cases including breast implants, hip replacements and surgical mesh. Has successfully been briefed to both prosecute and defend cases in the Grand Court in the Cayman Islands, including clinical negligence. Colin has broad experience across many areas of common law work requiring specialist advocacy skills and has acted for many years in criminal proceedings including allegations of murder and grievous bodily harm, Health and Safety criminal proceedings and high-value disability discrimination. Colin is known for his strategic skills, sound judgment of what arguments will likely find favour with the Court and his uncompromising and effective cross-examination skills of lay and expert witnesses.For more information on Colin's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

David Bedenham

David specialises in tax litigation and public law. He has also conducted a number of independent investigations/inquiries. David has been described in the legal directories as “approachable and highly intelligent”, “excellent to work with”, “down to earth and decent”, and “great with judges and clients with a knack of knowing how to say what needs to be said”. Recent directory entries state: “One of the most impressive juniors in contentious tax” “Solicitors go back to David time and time again. He is a brilliant advocate, very good with lay clients, responsive and has a great attention to the detail of cases. He is friendly, approachable and always helpful” “He has a really sharp mind and is good on strategy” “He is thorough in his preparation and very commercial as well.” “He is superb with clients and judges alike, incisive and commercial in his advice and a top advocate; undoubtedly a silk of the near future “Has a comprehensive knowledge of Tax Tribunal procedure.”

Felicity Cullen KC

Felicity Cullen KC practices in corporate partnership and business taxation of all description. She also deals with personal taxation, including capital taxation, IHT, trusts and statutory residence. She gives advice, assists with the resolution of disputes, and also regularly appears in the tribunals and courts. She has been involved in many large city transactions and is routinely involved in private company and business transactions such as the substantial investment into Greenwich Peninsula by Hong Kong investors. For more information on Felicity's practice and latest case highlights, please visit her full Devereux profile.

Georgia Hicks

Georgia Hicks' practice areas are tax, employment, and sports law. She is particularly highly regarded in the field of employment-related taxes, including: employment status; IR35; taxation of damages and termination payments. She represents a range of private clients (media journalists, football clubs, referee associations, radio DJs) as well as HMRC. Notable recent tax cases include: Professional Game Match Officials Ltd v HMRC [2020] S.T.C. 1077; Tottenham Hotspur v HMRC [2018] 4 WLR 17; R (oao Glencore) v HMRC [2017] 4 WLR 213. An accomplished advocate, she regularly appears in multi-day hearings in employment and tax cases, both led and instructed in her own right. For more information on Georgia's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Georgina Hirsch

Georgina Hirsch is ranked for both employment law and telecommunications regulation. She covers the full range of employment and industrial law, and offers a particularly unique insight on trade union related issues, having acted for both sides and at a particularly senior and strategic level for a major trade union. Her telecoms work ranges from wayleaves cases to challenges to regulatory decisions, and competition law compliance, having represented clients in the Upper Tribunal, Competition Appeal Tribunal, and Court of Appeal. For more information on Georgina's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Graham Read KC

Graham Read KC is a specialist in commercial law (including contract law; IT and construction disputes; ADR; arbitration), communications and environmental law. Very detailed expertise in telecoms law, including regulatory disputes (e.g. BT v Ofcom (080 numbers) BT v Ofcom (Ethernet)); interconnect agreements (e.g. Tonylogo v Totem); tariff charging; and telecoms misuse. Very heavy involvement with the Electronic Communications Code and recent test cases: e.g. EE v Islington, EE v Meyrick Trust and CTIL v University of Arts. Detailed experience of the Competition and Markets Authority (e.g. TalkTalk v Ofcom and the postal services sector (e.g. R (DHL) v Ofcom). Extensive experience in commercial litigation and all ancillary matters, e.g. conflict of laws (Connelly v RTZ, and Africa v Cape), arbitration and mediation (as both advocate and arbitrator/mediator), and international freezing orders (e.g. Banco Nacional v Empressa). Wide experience of contract disputes, including TCC cases (JDM v DEFRA) and IT (Ardentia v BT). Has been involved in some of the largest environmental law cases (e.g. Reay v British Nuclear Fuels, Ngcombo v Thor Chemical Holdings). For more information on Graham's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Harry Sheehan

Harry has a busy practice which covers Personal Injury, Employment, and Tax. He is ranked as a leading Junior within The Legal 500 2025 Personal Injury Guide, and a Rising Star with The legal 500 2025 Employment Guide. Harry has been instructed as junior counsel in a number of large and complex cases. He is currently instructed in the Supreme Court proceedings in Professional Game Match Officials Limited v HMRC as junior Counsel to Jonathan Peacock KC and appeared in the Supreme Court as junior counsel to Robert Weir KC in the case of Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd v Dring [2019] UKSC 38. He regularly acts as sole counsel in both the civil courts and employment tribunals. Prior to commencing Pupillage, Harry read Philosophy at Cambridge and obtained a masters from UCL where he studied the nature of promises.

Howard Watkinson

Ishaani Shrivastava

Ishaani Shrivastava's principal areas of practice are employment, public, and tax law. In 2019, Ishaani was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel. For more information on Ishaani's practice and latest case highlights, please visit her full Devereux profile.

Jesse Crozier

Jesse Crozier has a busy practice spanning the breadth of employment and commercial law with a particular focus on litigation. He is regularly instructed to appear in the High Court, County Courts and Employment Tribunals, as well as the Employment Appeal Tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. His client base includes multinational and FTSE 100 companies, police forces and NHS trusts, SMEs, charities and senior executives. Much of his commercial work involves professional negligence and/or insurance issues.For more information on Jesse's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

John Platts-Mills

John is a natural and persuasive advocate, with a busy court and tribunal based practice. As well as running his own portfolio of cases he is regularly instructed as junior to more senior juniors and silks in Chambers. He possesses a “first class mind”, which allows him to develop a command of complex issues quickly. As observed by one of his clients: “in addition, and what is not apparent on his barrister profile (where he looks very corporate), are his interpersonal skills”, which enable him to relate to and communicate with his clients easily and effectively. Before joining the Bar, John worked in the Shell Global Litigation team, where he had conduct of a range of international trade, distribution and investment disputes. He also has experience of complex international group claims and jurisdictional disputes, having worked on Okpabi v RDS in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Before retraining as a lawyer, John worked as a corporate finance analyst in Deutsche Bank’s mergers and acquisitions team. He worked on a number of high-profile transactions, including: the Dixons Carphone merger and the IPO of Infinis.

Jonathan Butters

Jonathan Butters is an experienced personal injury and clinical negligence practitioner. He also practices in professional negligence and regulatory professional discipline, and in the field of financial mis-selling and consumer credit litigationPersonal injury: Jonathan is instructed in all areas of personal injury work, including occupier’s and employer’s liability matters, claims against local authorities and road traffic accident disputes. He undertakes work at both fast-track and multi-track level and is instructed by both claimants and defendants. He regularly appears in court at interlocutory hearings and at trial. He advises on quantum and liability and drafts pleadings and schedules of loss. Jonathan also appears regularly at coroner’s inquests.Consumer credit: Jonathan’s personal injury practice is complemented by his advisory and advocacy work in the field of consumer credit litigation with particular focus on claims relating to the mis-sale of payment protection insurance policies and the enforceability of consumer credit agreements.For more information on Jonathan's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Joshua Carey

Kate Balmer

Kate Balmer practices predominantly in the field of employment law, including employment related tax and commercial matters. She regularly represents clients in high value and multi-day claims in the Employment Tribunal involving all aspects of employment law. Kate's clients include FTSE 100 companies, international airlines, high street chains, banks, beauty brands, health care providers, charities and a wide range of public and private sector clients and private individuals. Kate also has a substantial appellate practice, with regular instructions in the Employment Appeal Tribunal and High Court. Kate has appeared in the Court of Appeal without a leader and as sole junior in the Supreme Court. For more information on Kate's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Laura Bell

Laura Bell has a wide-ranging employment practice and regularly advises on everything from whistle-blowing to breach of contract. She is known as a fearless litigator while also praised for putting clients at ease. Her forensic approach to cross-examination and persuasiveness make her an obvious choice for difficult and sensitive cases. She represents a wide range of clients including blue chip corporates, the Metropolitan Police, investment banks, charities, local authorities and shop floor workers. For more information on Laura's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Lucinda Harris

Lucinda Harris specialises in all areas of employment law, including restrictive covenants and breach of confidence, breach of contract, wrongful and unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, discrimination, TUPE, national minimum wage and working time. She has a wide range of public and private sector clients, including banks, high street chains, hotels, airlines and charities, as well as governmental departments and agencies.For more information on Lucinda's practice and latest case highlights, please visit her full Devereux profile.

Marianne Tutin

Marianne specialises in employment, tax and commercial litigation. Her practice covers all areas of employment, discrimination and industrial relations law. She often appears in multi-day whistleblowing, discrimination and equal pay hearings in the ET, as well as substantive appeals in the EAT, in which she appears unled against leading employment silks. Her advisory work includes issues relating to TUPE and the National Minimum Wage. She has significant experience in the High Court. She specialises in industrial relations work and represents public and private sector employers in industrial disputes, both on her own and led. She frequently advises large employers about changing terms and conditions of employment, including strategies relating to termination/re-engagement, managing industrial action and restrictions on contractual changes in relation to collective bargaining. She is also experienced in advising and acting for both claimants and defendants in disputes relating to restrictive covenants, including issues concerning misuse of confidential information by ex-employees and inducements of breach of contract. Marianne has considerable experience of employment status issues in both the employment and tax context. She is instructed by HMRC in a number of high profile IR35 cases involving the media industry and public sector in the FTT, UT and Court of Appeal. She also advises individuals and companies in the private sector on IR35 reforms and other income tax related matters.

Marika Lemos

Marika specialises in all aspects of revenue law (personal and corporate). She accepts instructions in all areas where tax is involved, including Judicial Review and the context of commercial, trust, professional negligence and pension disputes. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, trustees, UHNW individuals and their business and estates, governments and trade bodies. Taxpayer cases include: R(UBS) v HMRC on the lawfulness of the refusal by HMRC to exercise the power in s.684(7A) ITEPA; Routier v HMRC on gifts to ‘charity’; challenges by BBC presenters to the application of the IR35 rules; Wilkes v HMRC on the validity of assessments to the HICBC charge; The Boston Consulting Group LLP v HMRC on various issues, including the Mixed Member Rules in s.850C ITTOIA 2005. She acts for HMRC on important/lead cases. Examples include Eastern Power Networks plc v HMRC on consortium relief and losses incurred in the Hutchinson Whampoa Group, and Naghshineh v HMRC on sideways loss relief for farming losses.

Matthew Sellwood

Max Schofield

Max Schofield is a specialist indirect tax barrister. He has been instructed to advise and appear on a broad range of tax cases concerning VAT, SDLT, Customs and Excise Duties. He has a busy practice far beyond his call and has represented clients in the Tribunals, High Court, and Court of Justice of the European Union. "Max is a rising star; he is attentive, responsive and utterly convincing and compelling when discussing technical VAT matters with specialists and laypersons alike" - Chambers and Partners Guide, 2023. Max is currently ranked as a “Leading Junior” for Indirect Tax in both the 2024 Legal 500 directory (Tier 3), and in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2024 directory (Band 3). He was listed as a “Rising Star” for VAT in 2022 by Legal 500 and in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2023 directory as “Up and Coming”. His clients have included social media platforms, television channels, food and drink manufacturers, online casinos, fiscal representatives, and universities. In addition to indirect tax disputes, Max utilises his tax expertise to advise on insolvency proceedings and professional negligence cases concerning accountants, solicitors, and tax advisors. Max also has a broader interest in food and drink law outside of VAT and customs classification, including matters of advertising law, labelling regulations, health claims, and Protected Designations of Origin (PDO).

Nicholas Bard

Nicholas Bard specialises in professional negligence (solicitors, surveyors, architects, accountants, etc) – particularly for mortgage lenders (including Citibank, Barclays Bank, The Mortgage Corporation and Household Mortgage Corporation), property, building and construction, defamation; otherwise general civil work (including some insurance and ‘soft’ commercial litigation).For more information on Nicholas' practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Paul Emerson

Paul Emerson undertakes a mixture of commercial work in the Chancery Division, Queens Bench Division and the Commercial Court, as well as domestic and international arbitrations including several ICC arbitrations and ad hoc arbitrations. Work includes unfair prejudice petitions as well as contractual, partnership, shareholder, internal company disputes and professional negligence claims arising out of such disputes. He is frequently involved in insolvency related matters.For more information on Paul's practice and latest case highlights, please consult his full Devereux profile.

Peter Edwards

Peter Edwards practices in all areas of employment, discrimination and industrial relations law. Also practices in the field of personal injury, with a particular specialism in human rights aspects of such claims (abuse and inappropriate state conduct etc). Recent reported cases include: Autoclenz v. Belcher (Supreme Court); Rolls Royce v Unite (CA); and Craig v Transocean (Supreme Court). For more information on Peter's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Rachel Avery

Rachel Avery specialises in commercial and employment law with extensive experience in all areas of employment disputes including discrimination, unfair dismissal, redundancy, breach of contract, parental rights, working time, jurisdictional issues and the statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures. Rachel also advises and acts in the professional negligence field, particularly in cases involving solicitors’ negligence. For more information on Rachel's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Rebecca Murray

Rebecca Murray has a tax litigation and advisory practice in Private Client, Corporate Tax and VAT, as well as substantial experience of judicial review. She has appeared in courts and tribunal at all levels on range of direct and indirect tax issues. Significant reported cases include: Sippchoice [2020] UKUT 149; Wilson v HMRC [2020] UKFTT 230; Atholl House Productions Ltd v Revenue & Customs [2019] UKFTT 242; Arthur v HMRC [2017] EWCA Civ 1756; Sippchoice [2017] UKUT 87; Donaldson v HMRC [2016] EWCA Civ 761; R (On the Application Of Rowe) v HMRC [2017] EWCA Civ 2105; Eclipse Film Partners (No 35) LLP, (UKSC,CA,UT,FTT) led by Malcolm Gammie QC; BAA v HMRC [2013] EWCA Civ 112, led by Roderick Cordara QC, Tower MCashback [2011] UKSC 19, led by Kevin Prosser QC. For more information on Rebecca's practice and latest case highlights, please consult her full Devereux profile.

Richard Cartwright

Richard Cartwright specialises in high value clinical negligence and personal injury claims, especially those with complex loss of earnings calculations. He is dual qualified; he maintains his membership of Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Recent cases include spinal infection, neurotrauma and spinal injury, birth trauma, wrongful birth claims, fatal claims, and traumatic brain injury. He has recently acted in claims involving complex damages issues and overseas claimants (e.g. France, India, Australia, United States and New Zealand). Richard regularly appears against Leading Counsel. For more information on Richard's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Richard Royle

Richard Royle specialises in catastrophic brain and spinal injuries and in motor vehicle law; medical negligence; industrial law, criminal and commercial law. He regularly gives papers at legal seminars and conferences in personal injury related subjects, including: common law liability issues; motor vehicle legislation; catastrophic injuries; jurisdiction and cross vesting issues between UK and Australia. Clinical negligence: cross jurisdictional matters: currently instructed in catastrophic injury case in High Court and Court of Appeal in both Australia and UK. Motor vehicle law/clinical negligence/public liability: engaged in numerous catastrophic cases at mediations and in court, including regular appearance in the NSW Court of Appeal; engaged in overseas tort matters, including Australian based torts heard in UK courts and vice versa. Health and safety: industrial law: mainly in occupational health and safety prosecutions.For more information on Richard's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Richard Harrison

Richard Harrison specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration, especially insurance and reinsurance (including Bermuda Form) and professional negligence. Over the last two decades, Richard has developed a deep involvement within the insurance industry. Many high-profile cases in arbitration. Reported cases include Phoenix Engineering v UK Insurance (UKSC), Rathbone Brothers v Novae (CA) and EL Trigger (UKSC). Recent high-profile cases include Grenfell Tower, the Not-Petya Ukranian Cyber-attack, newsworthy aviation grounding claims, South Korean toxic humidifier disinfectant death/injury claims, Petrobras corruption claims, export credit insurance (leading defence contractor), liability of offshore professional trustees, World Trade Center arbitrations, the British Airways Heathrow data centre business interruption claim, antisuit injunctions, satellite fuel leak claim, LEC-B etc. exclusions, advising on bespoke merger and acquisition policies, including pension scheme liability coverages. Richard’s opinion with Colin Edelman QC, commissioned by Mactavish with the endorsement of Lloyd’s, the LMA, IUA, ABI, BIBA, LIIBA and AIRMIC, was deployed in the House of Lords debate on the Enterprise Act 2016. It formed the basis for amendment of late payment provisions of the Insurance Act 2015. For more information on Richard's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Robert Weir KC

Robert Weir KC is a highly regarded barrister dealing with personal injury and clinical negligence matters, with a focus on high-value catastrophic brain and spinal injury cases, matters involving conflict of laws, industrial disease claims and human rights cases. He deals with complex and high value matters in these areas and acts for a wide range of clients, both claimants and defendants. He is often instructed on difficult cases, especially on appeal, as well as motor claims with a European element, group actions, occupational illness claims, and on personal injury claims with a foreign element. Recent cases include: Dryden v Johnson Matthey (SC), Xv Kuoni (SC), Lungowe v Vedanta (SC) and Cape v Dring (SC). For more information on Robert's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Robert Hunter

Rob Hunter is a highly regarded senior junior who has specialised in personal injury and clinical negligence for more than a decade. Specialises in high value work arising from serious injury or fatality. Particular emphasis on: brain (including at birth) and spinal injuries; amputation claims (upper and lower limb); and delayed medical intervention leading to serious or fatal consequences. Also experienced in international personal injury. Recent reported cases: AB v KL (novel fatal accident damages), Dodds v Arif (brain injury and expert evidence). For more information on Rob's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Robert Glancy KC

Robert Glancy KC focuses exclusively on personal injury, clinical negligence and professional negligence. He has been in practice for over 40 years and gained tremendous experience in acting for claimants who suffered catastrophic brain and spinal injury. He has a particular expertise in acting for cerebral palsied children. Recognised for his formidable advocacy skills, he regularly settles claims worth millions of pounds of compensation for injured people. He is also a CEDR accredited mediator and is experienced in ADR. For more information on Robert's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Rory Cochrane

Rory has a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice, with particular expertise in telecommunications and technology, banking (including regulatory enforcement proceedings), insurance and reinsurance, shareholder and partnership disputes, and the conflict of laws. Rory joined the Bar following a career as a senior associate and solicitor advocate with Herbert Smith Freehills in London and King & Wood Mallesons in Melbourne, Australia. He has substantial experience in international litigation, often involving Russia and the CIS. Rory was also a Teaching Fellow in Private International Law at University College London and contributed to the conflict of laws chapter of MacGillvray on Insurance Law (13th Ed).For more information, please visit Rory's full website profile.

Sam Way

Sam accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including employment, personal injury, clinical negligence, commercial litigation, insurance and tax. He is praised by clients for his efficient, responsive style and takes a practical, strategic approach to his advice and advocacy. Sam is ranked as a rising star in employment by Legal 500. He is often instructed to appear against more senior counsel at both first instance and on appeal. Before coming to the Bar Sam worked for the Royal British Legion as a War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Adviser.

Samuel Nicholls

Sebastian Purnell

Sebastian Purnell specialises in all areas of employment and discrimination law (both claimant and respondent), tax law (both HMRC and taxpayer), sports law and general commercial litigation. He regularly appears in high-value multi-day hearings in the Employment Tribunal and the First-tier Tax Tribunal, and has also appeared in the EAT, Upper Tribunal, High Court and Court of Appeal. He acts for a wide range of public and private sector clients which includes FTSE 100 companies, banks and risk management companies, insurance companies, energy suppliers, telecoms providers, freight and infrastructure companies, high street chains, universities and charities. For more information on Sebastian's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Shaen Catherwood

Shaen Catherwood specialises in commercial disputes, including in the energy field, telecommunications matters (including under the Electronic Communications Code), and general contractual disputes. He acts for a wide range of clients including international energy companies, UK public companies, insurers and individuals. Shaen appears regularly in the High Court and has acted in many applications for emergency relief. He has extensive experience of international arbitration. For more information on Shaen's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Stephen Killalea KC

Stephen Killalea KC has had one of the leading catastrophic brain and spinal injury practices for over the past decade. Specialising in contentious liability cases and the most complex and high value personal injury cases. Steve’s practice is throughout England and Wales and he has Chambers in London and Manchester. An innovative approach to a PPO (adopting the approach of an old-fashioned bottom-up structure) in 2019 led to an approved annual award of £950,000 plus a substantial capital sum (ATX (a Child by her Litigation Friend ATY) v CRS & DPS). Also extensive experience of accidents abroad. Substantial early criminal background (prosecution and defence) has led into Health and Safety prosecutions, actions against the police, and representation at the most difficult inquests. For more information on Steve's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Stephen Cottrell

Stephen Cottrell has a busy nationwide practice predominantly comprising of personal injury litigation (acting for claimants and insurers), but also has extensive experience in costs work, coroners’ inquests and credit hire disputes. Stephen’s personal injury practice involves acting for seriously injured claimants and also representing insurers in cases involving fraudulent claims. His costs work involves regular appearances in the SCCO and county courts on detailed assessments, including solicitor-client assessments, and appeals in relation to costs including disputes involving the CFA Regulations 2000. He also has experience of human rights work in the High Court and Court of Protection in cases concerning unlawful detention and deprivation of liberty and deaths in secure facilities. For more information on Stephen's practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

Talia Barsam

Specialises in all areas of employment law, including discrimination law, whistleblowing, industrial relations, holiday pay, unfair dismissal, equal pay, breach of contract, TUPE, restrictive covenants and jurisdictional issues. Particular expertise in complex disability discrimination claims, whistleblowing claims and industrial relations. Clients include multinational corporations in the financial, technology, construction, retail and transportation sectors, public sector clients including NHS Trusts and trade unions and senior executives. Expertise in education law. For more information on Talia's practice and latest case highlights, please visit her full Devereux profile.

Thomas Westwell

Tom welcomes instructions in all of Chambers’ core practice areas, with specialisms in personal injury, employment and consumer credit work. Tom appears regularly in courts and tribunals and has a thriving advisory practice. Tom has appeared in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal (led by other counsel), and in the High Court (as sole counsel). Key cases include: Griffiths v TUI [2023] UKSC 48, [2023] 3 WLR 1204 on fairness and the duty to cross-examine (led by Robert Weir KC and Stephen Cottrell); Miller v Irwin Mitchell LLP [2024] EWCA Civ 53, [2024] 4 WLR 27 on the duties owed by a firm’s legal advice helpline to a personal injury claimant (led by Robert Weir KC); Patricot v Adrian Lee & Partners [2023] EWHC 2493 (Ch), an application for an expedited trial of a former employee’s claim regarding the enforceability of a non-compete clause. Tom was previously a solicitor at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. He spent four years after qualification as an associate in the employment, pensions and employee benefits team. In 2019-20, Tom was the judicial assistant to Lord Wilson and Lord Burrows at the Supreme Court. Tom prides himself on his persuasive advocacy, clear drafting style, exceptional diligence and ability to research complex points of law in service of his clients.

Thomas Cordrey

Thomas Cordrey has extensive experience in the Court of Appeal, High Court, County Courts, Employment Appeal Tribunal and Employment Tribunals (in England, Wales and Scotland). Thomas featured in The Lawyer with reference to some of the twenty plus appearances he has made at the EAT, a number of which have been before the Presidents of the EAT. Thomas is experienced in High Court litigation, including two, reported, multi-day trials in the past twelve months. Amongst other appearances in the Court of Appeal he acted in the test case of De Souza v Vinci Construction (UK) Ltd [2017] EWCA Civ 879 in which Gross LJ chose to “pay tribute to the logical and cogent argument advanced by Mr Cordrey". Thomas is the youngest editor of the highly respected text, Harvey on Industrial Relations and Employment Law. For more information on Thomas' practice and latest case highlights, please visit his full Devereux profile.

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