Mr David Knifton KC > Exchange Chambers > Liverpool, England > Barrister Profile
Exchange Chambers Offices
ONE DERBY SQUARE
LIVERPOOL
L2 9XX
England
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Mr David Knifton KC
Work Department
Personal Injury
Position
David specialises in high-value personal injury and clinical negligence cases, particularly those involving brain or spinal cord injuries, amputations, serious psychiatric injuries and historical sex abuse claims. He acts almost exclusively on behalf of claimants, where his abilities as an outstanding advocate are widely recognised. He is consistently recommended as a leading barrister in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.
As a junior, he was regularly instructed, with or without a leader, in claims of the utmost severity. His highest award in that capacity was £5.85m, and he consistently achieved settlements totalling around £20m per year.
Since taking silk, his catastrophic injury practice has continued to develop, and his enormous experience, meticulous preparation, excellent client skills and pragmatic approach are highly-valued by clients.
David generally only accepts new instructions in cases with a value in excess of £1m.
He has acted at a number of high-profile Inquests and public inquiries, including the North Wales (Waterhouse) Child Abuse Inquiry and the ‘Blue 25’ Inquest concerning the deaths of 5 UK servicemen shot by a rogue Afghan policeman.
Career
Called 1986; Silk 2018; Recorder 2002; Accredited Mediator 2006.
Memberships
- Northern Circuit
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Northern Circuit Medico – Legal Association
Education
- LLB (Hons), University of Nottingham (Class II.i, 1985)
- Inner Temple, Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Scholarship
Leisure
David is married with 4 children, 3 of whom have autism spectrum disorders. He was responsible for setting up a pro bono alliance between Exchange Chambers and the National Autistic Society to provide advice and representation in the field of special educational needs. This alliance has provided invaluable assistance to parents struggling to secure appropriate education to meet their children’s needs. Away from work, he is a keen musician, singing in a choir and occasionally playing guitar and keyboards in a band. He enjoys cycling, and was a member of the Chambers’ team which raised nearly £30,000 following a trans-Pennine charity ride.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Clinical negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2David Knifton KC – Exchange Chambers ‘David is an excellent barrister who is always prepared for a fight. He is a great advocate who has the confidence to cross-examine and also to challenge defendants on difficult points, and he is the first port of call for a difficult case.’
Exchange Chambers has ‘a strength and depth of knowledge which is unrivalled.’ Its clinical negligence team acts for a range of private and publicly funded claimants, as well as defendants that include hospitals, NHS organisations, medical defence organisations, and insurance bodies. Head of chambers Bill Braithwaite KC represents claimants exclusively, and he handles cases involving catastrophic brain and spinal injuries. David Knifton KC represents claimants in cases stemming from high-value obstetric injuries, failures or delays in diagnosis and consent issues, and claims against alternative medical practitioners. Christopher Barnes KC has a specialism in military-related clinical negligence claims. The set is also home to Kevin Naylor, whose practice benefits hugely from his previous experience as a doctor, and Matthew Stockwell is another key name of note, focusing exclusively on brain, spinal, and other life-changing injuries.
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Personal injury
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1David Knifton KC – Exchange Chambers ‘David is extremely bright and his ability to grasp complex matters is second-to-none. He is the best there is, he has excellent communication skills, and he is able to express himself very clearly.’
Exchange Chambers ‘is the go-to set for personal injury counsel’ and its members handle cases involving injuries of the utmost severity, including fatal accidents, industrial disease, severe brain injuries, and catastrophic spinal cord injuries. It also provides representation in niche areas, such as military claims, which is an area of strength for Andrew Ward and Christopher Barnes KC; Barnes KC represented a Royal Marine who was paralysed during a training exercise. William Waldron KC is deputy Head of Chambers and has expertise in representing catastrophically injured claimants. Bill Braithwaite KC’s practice is highly specialised, and he represents claimants exclusively in claims involving catastrophic brain and spinal injuries. Gerard Martin KC, Louis Browne KC, and David Knifton KC are also skilled in this area, as well as claims for amputees; Knifton KC acted for a refuse collector who sustained severe crushing injuries to his right leg when run over by a bin wagon, resulting in above the knee amputation. Laura Gooding was appointed as a district judge in January 2023.