The Legal 500

Position

Stephen’s main areas of expertise are: personal injury, in which Stephen is predominantly involved in complex and substantial cases including: catastrophic injury cases – brain and spinal injury, quadriplegia and paraplegia; serious psychiatric injury; cases involving chemical exposure, repetitive strain injury, stress at work and other cases of exposure over long periods; cases involving disputed syndromes such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia; cases involving complex care and accommodation claims – Sowden issues. Clinical and professional negligence: Stephen is particularly experienced in cases involving the negligence of solicitors and planning authorities. Liability of local authorities. Insurance litigation: Stephen advises the Motor Insurance Bureau and was involved in the drafting of the 1988 Uninsured Drivers Agreement. He continues to undertake a significant amount of catastrophic injury work for the Motor Insurance Bureau. He is also an expert in road traffic insurance. Environmental: Stephen had been involved in a number of cases concerning pollution, nuclear and environmental issues including a case involving plutonium and the measure of damages under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Stephen also undertakes work that overlaps with his main areas of practice such as criminal cases involving death by dangerous driving, health and safety and environmental offences. Stephen has taught advocacy and regularly lectures on topics such as care claims, and motor insurance and non-insurance, both internally and externally. Insurers who instruct him include the RBS group (Direct Line, Churchill, NIG etc), Norwich Union, Zurich, Axa, Provident, Chaucer and MIB. Cases include: Churchill Insurance v Wilkinson [2010] EWCA Civ 556, motor insurance, Section 151 (8) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the second directive; Carswell v Secretary of State for Transport & MIB, MIB Untraced Drivers Agreement and compatibility with second directive; Welsh Water v Camarthenshire County Council, October 2004 (Jackson J) s29 of the Limitation Act 1980; Hall v Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust (2004) EWCA 2748, duties of local authorities in relation to children in care; Watson v British Boxing Board of Control [2001] QB 1134, duty of care in tort; Heil v Rankin [2000] 2 WLR 1173, level of general damages in personal injury actions; Martin v Lancashire CC [2000] 3 All ER 544, transfer of tortuous liability by virtue of the TUPE regulations; Blue Circle Industries plc v Ministry of Defence [1999] Ch 289 (CA), measure of damages under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 s7(1)(a); Graham v Re Chem International Ltd [1994] Env LR 158, dealing with complex environmental issues – the alleged pollution of a farm by PCB’s and dioxins. The trial lasted 15 months.

Career

Called 1976; 12 King’s Bench Walk 1977; Silk 2006; also involved in the Continuing Professional Education of solicitors.

Languages

Working knowledge of French.

Member

Chairman of the Law Reform Committee of the Bar Council; director of Bar Mutual; elected committee member London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association; Personal Injury Bar Association; Professional Negligence Bar Association; TECBAR.

Education

Trinity College, Cambridge (MA).

Practice Areas

Personal injury - defendant; Personal injury - either side; Professional negligence