Christopher Howells > Civitas Law > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Barrister Profile
Civitas Law Offices
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THE MEWS, 38 CATHEDRAL ROAD
CARDIFF
CF11 9LL
United Kingdom
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Christopher Howells
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Work Department
Employment; personal injury and clinical negligence.
Position
Chris is ranked as a Chambers UK Guide ‘Leader in their field’ and a leading barrister for employment law and is also a specialist member of the personal injuries and clinical negligence group, where he is often asked to conduct employer liability and stress work claims given the overlap with his employment law practice. Employment: Chris’ employment practice ranges from routine unfair dismissal claims to discrimination claims on all of the prohibited grounds. He is also regularly instructed to deal with sometimes complex TUPE cases, particularly involving insolvent employers. Chris has appeared on behalf of a number of well-known companies before employment tribunals across the UK. This is supplemented by a strong following of smaller businesses and organisations. Chris also has a strong claimant-based following. This balance between claimant/respondent workload has provided Chris with an invaluable insight as to how to most effectively present the cases that he is instructed to deal with. Personal injury: Chris has a wide range of experience in personal injury work with a mixed practice of claimant and respondent work. He is happy to undertake appropriate cases on a CFA basis. He is often asked to conduct employer liability and stress at work claims given the overlap with his employment law practice. Recent notable cases: Bayliss v Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Cardiff ET November 2014. Chris acted for the respondent who faced multiple allegations from a former police officer that he had been discriminating against over several years. The claim was valued in excess of £500,000. After a seven day hearing the Tribunal dismissed all claims. Bowen v Swansea County Council, Cardiff ET October 2013. Acted for the respondent. The claimant asserted that he had suffered disability discrimination and that he had been dismissed as a result of making protected disclosures. He was seeking in excess of £250,000 damages from his former employer. After a five day hearing the Tribunal rejected all of his complaints. JRB Cable Installations v HDJ Electrical Ltd, Manchester High Court, April 2013. Chris acted for the applicants who successfully obtained a springboard injunction against their former employees. The application was based on the misappropriation of a large volume of confidential information by the former employees to assist them in setting up a rival business. Having obtained the injunction from the High Court, the respondents agreed to pay a substantial sum in damages to the claimant. Arriva Trains Wales v Conant, EAT November 2011. Appeal against the ET’s finding that the claimant’s dismissal had been unfair. It was argued on appeal that the ET had fallen into error by substituting its own opinion as to the fairness of the dismissal for that of the employer; Cox v Northern Devon NHS, EAT 2011. Successful appeal against the decision to restrict the claimant’s damages to a nominal period of time. The EAT upheld the submission that the ET had failed to correctly apply the relevant legal principles to this case.
Career
Qualified 1999. Chris regularly delivers CPD accredited training in his specialist fields and contributes to national and specialist publications.
Memberships
Employment Lawyers’ Association, Wales and Chester Circuit, PIBA.
Education
Atlantic College, St Donat’s (1993-1995) International Baccalaureate; University College London (1995-98) LLB (Law); Inns of Court School of Law (1998-99)-BVC; Cambridge University (1999-2000) MPhil., MA.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Wales and Chester Circuit > Employment
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Christopher Howells – Civitas Law ‘He is professional and has an excellent manner with clients. He does not get rattled and is always very well prepared and is a skilled advocate. He goes the extra mile for his clients and has an excellent appreciation of the challenges faced by solicitors.’
Civitas Law’s employment group offers considerable expertise, with members receiving instructions from a wide range of employers and employees in relation to advisory and contentious matters. Jonathan Walters is regularly instructed by clients from the public and private sectors in relation to complex discrimination and whistleblowing employment tribunal litigation. With ‘excellent advocacy skills’ Joanne Williams principally acts for respondents, including government departments; recently she represented the respondent in the direct belief discrimination claim, Sohpal v HMRC, concerning postings about COVID-19 vaccinations on a workplace Yammer forum. Christopher Howells ‘goes the extra mile for his clients’ and often handles discrimination and whistleblowing claims brought by employees against local authorities.