Oriel Chambers

Civil

Mark has been a tenant at Oriel Chambers since 2006 and has developed a substantial civil practice. He has a wealth of knowledge in the field of personal injury litigation and frequently appears in the County Court representing both Claimants and Defendants in interim hearings and trials across all tracks.

In May 2020 he was appointed by the Lord Chief Justice as a Deputy District Judge (Civil) on the Northern Circuit. In October 2020 he was appointed by the Queen as a Recorder (Crime) on the North Eastern Circuit.

Mark has built a thriving civil practice at Oriel Chambers and is highly regarded in this area of work. He has developed a reputation for the meticulous preparation of cases. He is conscientious and diligent in all the work he undertakes.

He takes a considered and pragmatic view to cases, combining his legal knowledge with a commercial approach. He is not afraid to advise clients realistically about the prospects of success and the financial implications of proceeding to trial. He seeks to provide the highest standard of service to both solicitors and lay clients.

In his judicial roles, Mark deals with a wide variety of civil claims in the County Court (as a Deputy District Judge) and criminal cases in the Crown Court (as a Recorder) on a part time basis alongside his continuing practice within Chambers. Mark has built a thriving civil practice at Oriel Chambers and is highly regarded in this area of work.

He has developed a reputation for the meticulous preparation of cases. He is conscientious and diligent in all the work he undertakes. He takes a considered and pragmatic view to cases, combining his legal knowledge with a commercial approach.

He seeks to provide the highest standard of service to both solicitors and lay clients.

The majority of Mark’s work is road traffic litigation (including credit hire, low velocity impact, late notification and fraudulent claims). He has an impressive success rate in defending claims at trial, including securing findings of fundamental dishonesty on behalf of insurance companies. He has developed particular expertise in dealing with claims arising from bus accidents, having been instructed frequently to represent a large national public service vehicle provider since 2009.

Apart from road traffic litigation, Mark is equally conversant with claims involving employers’ liability, public liability, highway authorities and industrial disease.

Mark is widely recognised as an expert in relation to quantum disputes, costs arguments and procedural issues arising from the use of the RTA Protocol and the EL/PL Protocol.

Mark provides seminars and workshop training to solicitors and claims handlers on matters of substantive and procedural law.

In addition to personal injury work, Mark has represented clients at costs hearings, anti-social behaviour injunctions, committal proceedings and a wide range of commercial matters (including contractual disputes, sale of goods, debt recovery, possession and insolvency proceedings). Mark has also dealt with all these areas of work in his role as a Deputy District Judge, which has allowed him to expand his knowledge in these areas of practice.

Mark undertakes advisory and drafting work in all areas of civil litigation. Paperwork is invariably turned around within 14 days, although shorter periods can usually be accommodated on request.

Called to the Bar - 2005 Pupillage - 2005-2006 Tenant at Oriel Chambers - 2006 Deputy District Judge (Civil) - 2020 Recorder (Crime) - 2020

Lincoln's Inn Northern Circuit

Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (BA/MA) - 2001-2004

Inns of Court School of Law, London (Bar Vocational Course) 2004-2005

Outside work, much of Mark’s spare time is taken up with his young family. He is actively engaged in preaching and teaching the Bible to adults and children in his local church and further afield.