James Counsell KC > Chambers of James Counsell KC and Keith Bryant KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Outer Temple Chambers Offices
Outer Temple Chambers
THE OUTER TEMPLE, 222 STRAND
LONDON
WC2R 1BA
England
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James Counsell KC
Work Department
Clinical Negligence, Professional Negligence, Disciplinary and Regulatory, Commercial Disputes, Personal Injury, Sports Law
Position
Barrister specialising in Clinical Negligence, Professional Negligence, Disciplinary and Regulatory, Commercial Disputes, Personal Injury, Sports Law.
Career
James Counsell KC was called to the bar in 1984 and took silk in 2017.
James Counsell KC is widely recognised in the fields of Clinical and Professional Negligence, Personal Injury, regulatory and disciplinary hearings and Financial Services claims, both in the UK and abroad.
His clinical negligence work, acting both for claimants and for defendants, is combined with a busy disciplinary and regulatory practice, regularly representing doctors, dentists, barristers, solicitors and those in the financial services sector in their respective disciplinary tribunals. He acts both for practitioners and also for the BSB and the SRA.
James also acts for claimants and financial institutions in claims based upon the alleged mis-selling of financial products and breaches of FSMA and at common law. He represents litigants in the UK and also in the Middle East with a number of ongoing claims in the DIFC Courts in Dubai (leading Stephen Doherty).
He also specialises in acting for survivors of non-recent sexual abuse, having recently acted as lead counsel (leading Benjamin Bradley) in two claims against the Jehovah’s Witness organisation, the second of which has just been heard in the Supreme Court and numerous claimants in cases against football clubs and other sporting bodies, religious and educational organisations and the Scout Association.
He is a head of chambers and head of governance at Outer Temple.
Languages
Conversational French, Basic Spanish.
Memberships
Education
Marlborough College; Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Leisure
Cricket, rugby, gardening, farming.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Clinical negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Counsell KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘A terrific advocate, his attention to detail is incredible in cross examination and submissions.’
London Bar > Financial services regulation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2James Counsell KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘Given James’ experience, it is no surprise that he is a safe pair of hands. However, he is also extremely creative, approachable, down-to-earth and easy to work with.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3A ‘top-level London set‘, Outer Temple Chambers‘ members specialise in handling significant professional disciplinary cases across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, financial services, and the legal sphere. James Counsell KC is ‘knowledgeable and strategic‘, and is frequently instructed for the prosecution by the BSB. Fiona Horlick KC acted for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries in prosecuting an actuary who provided incorrect advice to an insurance company, which led to the risk that policy holders would not be paid in the event of a claim. In a boost to chambers, James Leonard KC took silk in March 2023.
London Bar > Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2James Counsell KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘A solid advocate with a great manner. Everything you want from a top silk.’
Outer Temple Chambers is heralded as a ‘top tier London set‘, with particular personal injury expertise regarding sports claims, equine claims, and those with a cross-border element. Sarah Crowther KC has particular strength in such cross-border claims, including EU law interpretation. James Counsell KC and Ben Bradley are instructed for the claimants in AXM v Chelsea Football Club, who experienced racial abuse while playing for the club’s youth sides – exemplifying the set’s sports and abuse expertise. Eliot Woolf KC has notable expertise regarding road traffic accident claims, and Gerard McDermott KC is currently leading a claim for over eight hundred victims of the Grenfell tower fire.
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Counsell KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘Excellent on the law, good personality and emotional intelligence, and able in conference with a calm manner in court.’
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Counsell KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘Excellent on the law, with good personality and emotional intelligence.’
London Bar > Professional negligence
Outer Temple Chambers is active in professional negligence work concerning legal professionals and financial professionals in specific financial and regulatory contexts, particularly concerning pensions. James Counsell KC, Nicolas Stallworthy KC and Lydia Seymour are also active in claims against solicitors, administrators, and actuaries who advise on pensions schemes – Counsell KC being notable for his claimant-side work in this space.