Charles Gibson

Product liability including jurisdictional disputes and insurance, group actions, commercial law, health and safety and environmental, regulation of pharmaceutical products, professional negligence, insurance, personal injury, public law, sports law, public inquiries, disciplinary tribunals.

Head of chambers; specialises in commercial law (particularly fire, accident and business loss claims); product liability (often involving group actions and insurance); environment; health and safety; professional negligence; insurance; sports law; food law. Other areas of practice include: public law; public inquiries; regulatory law and disciplinary tribunals. Group actions include the Bomu-Bonny Pipeline litigation; the Abidjan litigation; the Columbian pipeline litigation; MMR; Sabril; Seroxat; Sudan Red; the Shiley Heart Valve; Lariam; Prozac; Norplant contraceptive implants; Benzodiazepines; Minocin; the tobacco litigation; the sheep dip litigation; the Barlow Clowes litigation; drink contamination/product recall claims; mesothelioma/asbestosis claims; contaminated water claims; the interest rate swap litigation; mine radiation claims; holiday claims. Also has significant experience of major inquiries and inquests, having appeared at: the Potters Bar Inquest; the Kings Cross Fire Inquiry; the Clapham Rail Accident Inquiry; the Severn Tunnel Rail Accident Inquiry; reported cases include: The Atomic Veterans Litigation – limitation – causation; The Abidjan Personal Injury Litigation; Dalkia v Celtech – breach – penalty clauses, rectification construction; Arkin v Bourchard – costs liabilities – third party funders; FA de Muynck v Fouha – guarantees – contractual construction; Nash v Eli Lilly & Co, limitation of action – group actions – personal injuries – power to override time limits; West Wiltshire District Council v Garland, negligence – duty of care – district auditor; Connelly v RTZ Corp Plc and Another, practice – stay of proceedings – foreign causes of action – appropriate forum – legal aid factor; Hodgson and Others v Imperial Tobacco Ltd and Others, costs – conditional fees – order for costs – interlocutory application; Lubbe v Cape Plc – publication of proceedings in chambers; Lubbe v Cope Plc (HL) – practice – jurisdiction – group action; Bass Britvic v Terra – sale of goods – product recall – damages. Bacardi v Terra – duty of care – economic law; UCC v Todd Construction – damages – mitigation – contract.

BA Hons Classics, Dunelm; Dip Law London.