United Kingdom > London Bar > Consumer and product liability
Index of tables
- Consumer and product liability – Leading Sets
- Consumer and product liability – Leading Silks
- Consumer and product liability – Leading Juniors
Consumer and product liability – Leading Sets
Consumer and product liability – Leading Silks
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- David Allen QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Jalil Asif QC Four New Square
- Neil Block QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Graham Eklund QC Four New Square
- Gerard Forlin QC 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Stephen Hofmeyr QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Gavin Kealey QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- George Leggatt QC Brick Court Chambers
- Michael McLaren QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC Four New Square
- Simon Picken QC 7 King’s Bench Walk
- Prashant Popat QC Henderson Chambers
- John Ross QC 1 Chancery Lane
- Akhil Shah QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Mark Simpson QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Peter Susman QC Henderson Chambers
- David Turner QC Four New Square
Consumer and product liability – Leading Juniors
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- Alexander Antelme Crown Office Chambers
- Simon Antrobus Crown Office Chambers
- Miles Bennett 5 Paper Buildings
- Noel Dilworth Henderson Chambers
- Charles Dougherty 2 Temple Gardens
- Dr Peter Feldschreiber Four New Square
- Shaun Ferris Crown Office Chambers
- Jonathan Goulding Gough Square Chambers
- David Groome QEB Hollis Whiteman
- Philippa Hamilton Fountain Court Chambers
- Professor Eva Lomnicka Four New Square
- Iain Macdonald Gough Square Chambers
- Julian Matthews 7 Bedford Row
- Paul McGrath Temple Garden Chambers
- Marcus Pilgerstorfer Old Square Chambers
- Hugh Preston 7 Bedford Row
- Peter Sayer Gough Square Chambers
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- Dominic Adamson Temple Garden Chambers
- Ari Alibhai QEB Hollis Whiteman
- Denis Barry 5 Paper Buildings
- Andrew Davies Henderson Chambers
- Gerry Facenna Monckton Chambers
- Jack Harding 1 Chancery Lane
- Anneli Howard Monckton Chambers
- Andrew Kinnier Henderson Chambers
- Peter Miller 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- John Norman 1 Chancery Lane
- Simon Popplewell Gough Square Chambers
- James Purnell Henderson Chambers
- Michael Rapp Temple Garden Chambers
- Jonathan Rich Five Paper
- Bradley Say Gough Square Chambers
- Julia Smith Henderson Chambers
- Paul Sutherland Four New Square
‘From the top silks through to the bright up-and-coming youngsters, Henderson Chambers is a pre-eminent set for product liability work’. Head of chambers Charles Gibson QC is praised for his ‘leadership, integrity, vision and humility’. Prashant Popat QC recently advised GlaxoSmithKline in a high-profile group action regarding alleged injuries from anti-depressants, and Oliver Campbell acted for BP in a group action brought by Columbian farmers. Malcolm Sheehan ‘encapsulates the term “a trusted adviser” ’, and Geraint Webb is ‘certainly among the stars’ of the product liability Bar. William Hibbert is ‘a real specialist in his field – his grasp of technical regulations is outstanding’. James Purnell, Noel Dilworth and Andrew Kinnier are all recommended. In consumer law, Richard Mawrey QC, Peter Susman QC and Toby Riley-Smith are all singled out. Riley-Smith is ‘exceptionally able in his field’.
Crown Office Chambers is a leading set for product liability issues, ‘particularly for lengthy pharmaceutical group action cases’. Michael Spencer QC has ‘more experience than any other in this field’, and Jonathan Waite QC is ‘superb with clients, thorough and extremely clever’. Of the juniors, James Medd is a ‘formidable opponent’ and specialises in product liability, sale of goods and contract law; Shaun Ferris focuses on pharmaceutical and chemical group litigation; and Simon Antrobus specialises in food safety and trading standards consumer law. The ‘clear and pragmatic’ Alexander Antelme recently advised on the haemophiliac/blood litigation.
Gough Square Chambers ‘continues to lead the way in relation to consumer law’. Fred Philpott is ‘in a class of his own, miles ahead of the competition on consumer law issues’. Claire Andrews is ‘very knowledgeable and thorough’. Jonathan Goulding has ‘excellent specialist knowledge’ in trading standards, consumer and product liability, food and animal health matters. Simon Popplewell is also recommended.
Four New Square is a ‘top-notch, professionally run set’ with standout experience in all areas of consumer and product liability. At silk level, Justin Fenwick QC and Jeremy Stuart-Smith QC have both recently advised on fire claims, including the Buncefield explosion, and David Turner QC specialises in commercial product liability cases. Graham Eklund QC is ‘practical yet very analytical of problems’, and Jalil Asif QC is ‘intelligent, cooperative, and knowledgeable about the discrete areas’. Dr Peter Feldschreiber’s ‘medical qualifications, coupled with his in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, give him a unique perspective on life sciences product liability cases’. Also recommended are Professor Eva Lomnicka and Paul Sutherland.
1 Chancery Lane is ‘very highly regarded for travel personal injury cases, both claimant and defendant’, and is praised for its ‘informative lectures on travel law’. John Ross QC is highly recommended, and recently acted against the Royal Yachting Association. Sarah Prager is ‘an excellent advocate’; and Matthew Chapman has ‘fantastic knowledge and insight into travel and international law issues’, and is regarded as ‘one of the leading counsel in travel law’. Jack Harding is ‘very technically able’, and John Norman is ‘excellent in court’.
Fountain Court Chambers has a number of ‘very high-quality’ product liability barristers. Members of chambers are predominantly involved in high-profile, high-value matters, recently involving aircraft design and oil drilling. Michael Crane QC is ‘one of the top insurance barristers’ with specialist expertise in aviation-related claims, and Akhil Shah QC provides ‘comprehensive, practical and eminently sensible advice’, and recently acted in a multimillion-pound whisky contamination case. Others recommended include Mark Simpson QC, Philip Brook Smith QC Michael McLaren QC, Marcus Smith QC and Philippa Hamilton.
2-3 Gray’s Inn Square continues to be instructed by retail groups and national firms. Anthony Scrivener QC specialises in consumer law, often with a financial element; Geoffrey Stephenson is regularly instructed by Somerfield Stores; and Peter Miller continues to be instructed by local authorities. Technical and industrial product claims specialist Gerard Forlin QC is ‘blessed with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and inner workings of the prosecution’.
Temple Garden Chambers is noted for its expertise in both product liability and credit hire law. Andrew Prynne QC was recently instructed in Tetra Pak v Zurich Insurance, and Dominic Adamson acted in the Powertrain group litigation. Michael Rapp and Paul McGrath are recommended for their credit hire expertise, the latter noted for his ‘deep knowledge of the issues’.
At 7 Bedford Row, Simeon Maskrey QC has ‘excellent attention to detail’, and Hugh Preston is ‘one of the foremost junior barristers in the field’. Julian Matthews is also recommended.
Doughty Street Chambers’ Robin Oppenheim QC is ‘the pre-eminent product liability silk representing claimants – his eye for detail in the field is second to none’.
7 King’s Bench Walk is an ‘excellent commercial litigation set’, and focuses on pharmaceutical and healthcare product liability matters. Simon Picken QC has an ‘excellent grasp of issues and the ability to condense them into the language that judges understand and respond to’; and Stephen Hofmeyr QC is ‘intelligent, pugnacious and driven’. Gavin Kealey QC recently acted in a three-week arbitration concerning silicone gel breast implants. David Allen QC is also recommended.
Old Square Chambers has ‘some of the most talented product liability and personal injury practitioners at the Bar’. Marcus Pilgerstorfer is a ‘walking encyclopaedia of all matters product liability’; ‘his wealth of knowledge on European consumer law is impressive’. Charles Pugh is highly regarded, and recently acted in a 150-claimant multi-party action.
At 5 Paper Buildings, Miles Bennett specialises in all aspects of consumer and trading standards law, and is ‘well established and commands a loyal fan base, not least because of his accessibility and charm’. Denis Barry is also recommended.
2 Temple Gardens’ Charles Dougherty is a ‘very bright and quick thinker’. In 2010, he advised on alleged defective water pumps and Rolls-Royce Mermaid pods.
At FTB, Kevin de Haan QC has ‘a thorough knowledge of the betting and gaming industry’ and is recommended for his expertise in teleshopping and e-commerce law.
Monckton Chambers’ strengths are in advising on and litigating retail sector cases. Gerry Facenna and Anneli Howard are recommended.
At QEB Hollis Whiteman, David Groome and Ari Alibhai are specialists in trading standards consumer law issues.
Other notable practitioners include Jonathan Rich at Five Paper, who is ‘first class on the technical aspects of the law’, and George Leggatt QC at Brick Court Chambers, who has ‘an enormous intellect’.