Fountain Court Chambers

KC, commercial arbitrator in international and domestic arbitrations and mediator specialising in:

Insurance and reinsurance, including business interruption, employer’s liability, public liability, product liability, cyber risks, professional indemnity, financial institutions, directors’ and officers’ liability. Product liability and product recall, including commercial products, vehicles, food, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vaccines, blood and chemicals. Specialist in group litigation and cases with complex scientific and technical evidence and regulatory issues. Professional liability and professional discipline, including solicitors, barristers, accountants, financial services professionals and insurance brokers. Financial services law and regulation. Commercial disputes. Public and constitutional law and public inquiries.

Has acted on behalf of the UK Government in a wide range of cases for over 29 years. Former First Counsel to the Welsh Government 2013-2016.

Recent cases include: Wragg v Opel Automobile GmbH [2024] EWHC 1909 (KB); [2024]] EWHC 1138 (KB), [2024] EWHC 110 (KB), [2023] EWHC 2632 (KB) (group litigation; consumer claims);  Re Pan NOx Emissions Litigation [2024] EWHC 1222 (KB) (group litigation); Various Claimants v Nissan Motor Co Ltd [2024] EWHC 208 (KB) (group litigation); Various Eateries Trading Ltd v Allianz Insurance Plc [2024] EWCA Civ 10 & [2022] EWHC 2549 (Comm) (insurance); Wilson v Bayer Pharma AG [2023] EWHC 1282 (KB) (group litigation, product liability); Cuckow v Axa Insurance UK Plc [2023] EWHC 701 (KB) (insurance)Coote v Ullstein and Hodge Jones & Allen [2022] EWHC 607 (QB) (professional liability); claims relating to Hormone Pregnancy Tests (Wilson & ors v Bayer Pharma AG & ors) (product liability); civil claims arising out of the Grenfell Tower fire (Abdel-Kader & ors v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea & ors [2022] EWHC 2006 (QB) & [2021] EWHC 2016 (QB); De Costa & ors v The London Fire Commissioner and ors [2020] EWHC 2718 (QB);); Financial Conduct Authority v Arch & ors test case on business interruption insurance and COVID-19 losses [2020] Lloyds’ Rep IR 527 (insurance); Various Claimants v Giambrone and Law [2019] EWHC 34 (QB) (insurance); Goodlife Foods Ltd v Hall Fire Protection Ltd [2018] BLR 491, CA (commercial product liability); Akcine Bendrove Bankas Snoras v Antonov [2018] EWHC 887 (Comm) (commercial; freezing injunction); Redman v Zurich Insurance Plc [2018] 1 WLR 280, QB (insurance); The Khan Partnership v Al-Shanfari & Al-Rawas [2017] 1 WLR 2301 (limitation, solicitors’ negligence); Cape Distribution Ltd v Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd [2016] EWHC 1786 & [2016] EWHC 1119 (insurance); International Energy Group Ltd v Zurich [2016] AC 509 (insurance); Secretary of State for the Home Department v Raytheon Systems Ltd [2015] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 493 (IT, arbitration appeal); Abbey Forwarding (in Liquidation) v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2015] Bus LR 882 (insolvency).

Called to Bar of England & Wales 1993 & Bar of Republic of Ireland 1998. Appointed QC 2009 (KC from 2022). Treasury Counsel (A Panel) 2006-2009. First Counsel to the Welsh Government 2013-2016. President of the Panel of Senior Decision-Makers, Guernsey Financial Services Commission 2021-date. Senior Decision-Maker for Guernsey Financial Services Commission 2014-2020. Deputy High Court Judge 2016-2022. Bencher of Inner Temple 2018-date. Director of Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Ltd 2011-2016. Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society 2017-date. CEDR accredited mediator.

Publications

Editor 'Jackson and Powell on Professional Liability' (6th & 7th eds); Consulting Editor 'The Law and Regulation of Medicines’ (1st ed); Contributor ‘The Law and Regulation of Medicines & Medical Devices' (2nd ed); General Editor 'Human Rights and Civil Practice'.

COMBAR; PNBA; LCLCBA; ALBA; BILA; ICC; LCIA; European Circuit.

MA (Cantab); LLM (Osgoode, Canada); Dip. EC Law (Kings, London).