Deka Chambers

Deka Chambers is a leading national and international common law set offering some of the finest advocates and best performing barristers across its practice areas. Comprising 110 barristers, including 17 market leading Silks, it is one of the biggest common law sets in the country.

Deka Chambers represents the union of two hugely respected leading sets: 9 Gough Chambers and 1 Chancery Lane. With a service centred around a sophisticated understanding of the different needs of its clients, a community of specialists with the range, scale and depth to lead the most complex cases, Deka offers personal service, but at a scale that enables greater range and efficiency.

Deka provides a wide range of legal services in a range of practice areas.

Work undertaken
Civil fraud: The team of specialist barristers have been instructed by leading solicitors and insurers to defend against claims involving suspected personal injury insurance fraud. Whilst motor insurance fraud has historically featured heavily, dishonest claims have increasingly been recognised in wider areas of personal injury litigation. Chambers has a depth of experience at all levels, including ranked individuals.

Clinical negligence: Deka Chambers offers strength and depth as one of the largest, specialist clinical negligence and healthcare teams in the sector, with vast experience from a claimant and defendant perspective. With an array of leading silks, leading juniors and rising stars, Deka is a market leader in the sector with members having appeared in some of the most significant cases both in terms of value but also precedent making cases testing the boundaries of the law. The team covers all aspects of clinical negligence and healthcare work including large, multi-party actions, fatal accidents, birth injury case, delays in diagnosis, organ retention, cervical screening, human growth hormone, cardiac surgery, dental, orthopaedic and ophthalmic claims, plastic surgery, high value spinal and brain injuries, complex quantum issues (both at trial and at settlement stage) professional disciplinary tribunals, GDC regulatory cases and complex issues of limitation and consent.

Commercial, chancery and property: The team consists of over 40 members of varying seniority & experience, and is led by sought-after and highly skilled practitioners regularly instructed in important and high-profile cases such as Wells v Devani [2019] UKSC 9 and Stoffel & Co. v Grondona [2020] UKSC 42. Particular specialisms include contentious probate and trust litigation; property law, with specialists in commercial and residential landlord and tenant law; commercial disputes with members having particular expertise in claims relating to the sale of land, agents’ commissions, construction and engineering projects, insurance coverage and franchise agreements; and a full range of insolvency matters.

Court of Protection: The team has a wide range of experts who specialise in the law relating to mental capacity, mental health, adult social care and community care. Barristers within the team have experience before the Court of Protection, the Family Division of the High Court, the Administrative Court and appellate jurisdictions. The team can provide legal advice and representation to local authorities, NHS bodies, protected parties through their litigation friends and private individuals.

Credit hire: Members of the team have built a strong reputation in defending against credit hire claims. Such claims are often, but not always, linked with personal injury claims or Civil Fraud and Fundamental Dishonesty (FD). Chambers’ expertise covers the Small and Fast Tracks to high value Multi-track claims and the team has considerable experience in dealing with evolving credit hire issues such as enforceability disputes, presenting and challenging Basic Hire Rates, duration, need, credibility, loss of profit and impecuniosity.

Crime and fraud: The team are well regarded, successful, professional and approachable with members at all levels of seniority both prosecuting and defending across the whole spectrum of criminal law. Complex fraud work is undertaken by the criminal team for the SFO, CPS Specialist Fraud Division, the FCA and the Department for Work and Pensions. Criminal work also covers terrorism, murder, violent and sexual offences with an emphasis on prosecution work for most London Crown Prosecution offices. In addition, a number of members of the criminal team are regularly in the High Court in judicial review cases as well as appearing in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Family law: Barristers offer advice and advocacy in all areas of family practice and regularly appear in the High Court and Court of Appeal as well as the lower courts. As members of a multi-disciplinary set of chambers their expertise is complemented by access to practitioners in other specialisms when cases involve issues in areas of civil or criminal law. Areas of expertise include: care and adoption; special guardianship, applications for assessment within children proceedings; child abduction, emergency remedies; media injunction and wardship. They also specialise in family remedies; cohabitee disputes; Children Act schedule 1; injunctive relief; and Inheritance Act Claims.

Inquests and Inquiries: Members of Deka Chambers have been instructed in many of the major public inquiries of recent years, including the Manchester Arena Inquiry, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Undercover Policing Inquiry. The team of leading silks and juniors provide a sophisticated service focused on understanding the particular needs of each client. They are regularly instructed to advise on and appear at inquests on behalf of families, local authorities, police forces, government agencies, hospital trusts, and other statutory and commercial entities. The team are known for their experience in handling complex Article 2 ECHR and jury inquests, as well as their excellent client care skills and their sensitive and empathetic approach.

Personal injury: Deka Chambers occupies a special position in the market, offering an award-winning personal injury team that is recognised as being at the forefront of both claimant and defendant work. They are regularly instructed in cases of the utmost seriousness, complexity and importance and have appeared in many of the ground-breaking personal injury claims of the last 30 years that have shaped the law in this area. In addition, our members are responsible for advising on and settling some of the most sensitive and highest value cases litigated each year, both for individuals and multi-party actions. Their service covers all areas of personal injury work, from road traffic accidents, employers’ liability claims and industrial disease to occupiers’ liability, highways and sports law claims. Members have renowned expertise in the areas of public authority liability, abuse, education, social services and occupational stress claims.

Police law: Deka Chambers is a leading police law set with members having represented various police forces in some of the most significant and prominent police cases in recent years. Chambers’ work encompasses civil actions concerning fatal shootings, deaths in custody, misfeasance (including wrongful arrest and false imprisonment), personal injury and claims of assault, human rights act claims, judicial review proceedings, matters relating to data protection and privacy, inquests, police conduct and operational matters.

Professional negligence: Members act for professionals and their insurers and claimants in all types of claim or other forms of dispute. They have deep expertise in acting for claimants and professionals, insurers and insured, or regulators and professionals, with particular experience in cases involving legal professionals, construction professionals, insurance brokers, accountants, and disputes concerning insurance coverage. Members provide expert advice on claims involving the most complex and challenging areas of professional negligence and have established track record of representing parties in some of the most ground-breaking cases, including recently Stoffel v Grondona in the Supreme Court.

Public sector and human rights: Members appear regularly in a broad range of claims brought against local authorities, police forces and emergency services, education providers, care homes, social services, healthcare providers (in prison and the community) and housing associations. The team’s expertise includes claims for damages brought under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010, data protection legislation and the Highways Act 1980. Representations at inquiries and inquests is an important adjunct to this area of work, with examples of recent work including the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Regulatory and disciplinary: Members provide the highest level of advice and representation across the full spectrum of work. The Professional Disciplinary team provides a specialised service in disciplinary body investigations and associated tribunal hearings. Chambers’ expertise in criminal law, personal injury and clinical negligence perfectly places the team to act in cases involving the police and the healthcare sector. Members regularly appear before tribunals, performers list committees, the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Travel law: Deka Chambers offers leading silks and juniors practising in travel and cross-border claims, who have been involved in this field of specialism since its inception and who have appeared in most of the key cases in the area. Known for their expertise, the team specialises in the full range of cross-border disputes: private international law, package travel claims, international carriage conventions and contractual recovery. Members are regularly instructed on both sides of the Court, including instructions from leading tour operators, airlines, cruise operators, trade associations, tourist boards, charities and insurers (both domestic and overseas). The team frequently deal with high-value, complex cases and provide nationwide representation in all civil courts, including the Supreme Court and, in the recent past, the Court of Justice (EU).