Neil Block KC > Chambers of Charlie Cory-Wright KC and Richard Harwood KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
39 Essex Chambers Offices
39 Essex Chambers
81 CHANCERY LANE
LONDON
WC2A 1DD
England
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Neil Block KC
Position
Joint head of Chambers. Barrister specialising in professional negligence (including clinical negligence); personal injury and disease cases (including sport), insurance (policy construction and coverage disputes, non-disclosure and misrepresentations), product liability, jurisdiction, contract and commercial. Cases include: Pike v IHCL [2013] the claims arising out of the terrorist bombing of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai; Stylianou v Toyoshima [2013] jurisdiction issues arising out of an accident in Australia; The Estate of Sir James Wilson Saville [2014] claims arising out of the sexual abuse of children by Jimmy Saville; Smolden v Nolan [1997] PIQR 133 (first case brought in which a referee is sued for failing to control the game resulting in injury to a player); McGregor v Prudential [1988] Lloyds LR (insurance fraud); O’Neil v Fashanu (player-on-player injury); North East, North West and Isle of Wight Shipyards litigation (multi-party asbestos related litigation); Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2000] CA (liability of sports regulatory body); Gnitrow v Cope Plc [2000] CA (disclosability of confidential agreement); Re: ‘The Supertram Litigation’ [2003] EWCA Civ 1 (liability of highway authorities and tram operators – professional negligence of project manager); A v National Blood Authority (the Hepatitis C litigation); Skandia 4 Group Action – ergonomics of lorry cabs; Allport v Wilbrahim [2003] (successfully defended a claim by a rugby player against a referee in which the claimant alleged that catastrophic injuries sustained in a scrummage were the fault of the referee); Re Bondcare [2003] (a £20m claim alleging negligence against a project manager/quantity surveyor in relation to a hotel development); Miller & Gray v Shoreline [2003] (a claim alleging negligence of project manager and engineer in relation to a coastal protection scheme); ICF v Claims Advance (a claim involving thousands of cases in which insurance coverage issues arise); Whalley v Stoke DC [2006] CA (landmark case on withdrawal of pre-action admissions); the Northwick Park drug trial claims; Pollard v Tesco Stores [2006] EWCA Civ 393 (product liability – interaction of CPA 1987 and British Standards); Ash v Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (clinical negligence claim by well-known actress); Mughweni v Guys and St Thomas Hospital (paediatric cardiac surgery). The toxic sofa litigation: the claims arising out of the terrorist bombing of the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai. Colchester Borough Council v Turner + Townsend (representing project managers in dispute about construction of iconic visual arts centre).
Career
Called 1980; Gray’s Inn; QC 2002; Bencher 2008; accredited mediator.
Memberships
Professional Negligence Bar Association; Personal Injury Bar Association; London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association.
Education
1978 BA Hons; Exeter University (1979 LLM).
Leisure
Tennis, golf, family.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Clinical negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Neil Block KC –39 Essex Chambers ‘Neil’s analysis of any case is excellent. His presentation in court is fearless and courteous.’
‘Exceptional set of chambers’ 39 Essex Chambers offers expertise on a range of clinical negligence claims to clients from NHS Resolution to injured claimants. Nicola Greaney KC took silk in 2023, notably this year acting in a case in which a claimant with pre-existing psychiatric vulnerability developed complex PTSD from a non-consensual vaginal examination during childbirth. Neil Block KC has specialist experience in group claims, representing NHS Resolution in the ongoing vaginal mesh litigation, and leading Nicola Greaney KC in the Lariam group claims, in which soldiers are bringing claims of psychiatric and neuropsychiatric injury against the Ministry of Defence following the prescription of the anti-malarial also known by its generic name mefloquine– this case raises issues of Montgomery consent as well as complex medical causation.
London Bar > Group litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Neil Block KC –39 Essex Chambers ‘Neil’s analysis of any case is excellent. His presentation in court is fearless and courteous.’