Reputed as ‘go-to set for group litigation’, members of Henderson Chambers‘ areas of expertise include product liability, environmental, consumer and financial group actions, as well as handling claims arising from injuries, death or human rights abuse. A number of the set’s barristers, including Charles Gibson KC, Prashant Popat KC, Geraint Webb KC, Kathleen Donnelly KC and Lucy McCormick , continue to represent members of the Volkswagen Group in the ongoing group actions regarding the emissions of their diesel cars. Leading Adam Heppinstall KC, Oliver Campbell KC is acting as opposing counsel for claimants in these high-profile cases. At the same time, Campbell KC handles a group action by over 30,000 claimants against Easyjet in relation to a mass data breach involving financial and other data. Malcolm Sheehan KC represents Mercedes-Benz in other “dieselgate” litigation. Toby Riley-Smith KC is acting for Bayer plc in over a hundred claims being brought under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, alleging that the permanent contraceptive device Essure has caused them a range of different personal injuries.
Group litigation in
London Bar
Henderson Chambers
Testimonials
‘The clerks are very approachable.’
‘Jason Housden is excellent – very client driven and commercially minded.’
‘Joe Sutton has always been very helpful when needing to coordinate last-minute meetings across multiple diaries and Chambers.’
‘They are all very responsive and accommodating.’
‘Joe Sutton is lovely to deal with.’
‘Henderson Chambers are going from strength to strength.’
‘The set has great group litigation expertise on both sides of cases. Many of the members of the set have been in the trenches, sometimes on both sides, in the cases that have defined how group litigation is currently done.’
‘Henderson is undoubtedly the go-to set for group litigation. The quality and breadth of their team is most impressive.’
Work highlights
2 Temple Gardens
Members of 2 Temple Gardens are well-versed in group actions arising from product liability, personal injury, professional negligence, healthcare and environmental law, and have a track record of international group matters related to business human rights. Charles Dougherty is acting for World Rugby in relation to group claims brought by former rugby union players in England and overseas regarding concussions sustained during their careers. Acting on behalf of a large group of Liverpool fans following the events at the Champions League final in Paris in 2022, Alistair Mackenzie is another member that is active in the sports sector. Meanwhile, Marie Louise Kinsler KC acts for claimants in a large-scale group action by the Ogale farming and fishing community arising out of oil extraction in Nigeria after a Supreme Court ruling in May 2021 that there was a ‘good arguable case’ that Shell, in addition to its Nigerian subsidiaries, was responsible for the damage caused by leaks in the Niger delta.
Testimonials
‘I find the clerks to be responsive, helpful and supportive.’
‘Oliver Gillen-Smith has been very responsive and helpful.’
‘The clerking room provides a good service.’
‘Clerks and service is excellent – I can always rely on the clerks.’
‘They are my go-to set for complex jurisdictional issues. ‘
‘2 Temple Gardens is a good, respected set for personal injury, inquests and inquiries, particularly involving government or group litigation. ‘
‘This is my go-to chambers.
‘The barristers at 2 Temple Gardens are like no other, a pool of overflowing talent.’
Work highlights
3 Verulam Buildings
With its focus in the group litigation space on matters crossing over with the set’s financial litigation expertise, 3 Verulam Buildings is described by clients as ‘go-to set for banking and group litigation matters‘. Andrew Onslow KC is representing hundreds of former customers in proceedings against Clydesdale Bank and its parent company National Australia Bank, while Jonathan Nash KC is instructed to represent the lead claimant group against the Ingenious group and their financial advisors in a multi-party case alleging misrepresentation and negligent advice in regard to the tax treatment of a number of film production partnerships. Nash KC is also representing a group of investors in a high value Section 90 and Section 90a Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 claim for losses arising from the decline in the share price of Barclays Bank plc following the discovery of misconduct in its New York ‘dark pool’ trading operation.
Testimonials
‘Stuart Pullum is responsive.’
‘3VB has a number of barristers that are fantastic in financial and banking litigation. ‘
‘3 VB have a growing reputation in this field.’
‘3VB are excellent and a go-to set on banking and group litigation matters. They have many of the top silks and juniors in the area. For business/institutional group actions, probably has the greatest strength-in-depth of any other set. But they are also no slouch on consumer group actions with a commercial element.’
‘3VB are a strong set for group litigation.’
Work highlights
7BR
7BR’s broad range of expertise includes group litigation arising from personal injury, clinical negligence, consumer law and human rights issues. Hugh Preston KC’s current workload includes a large opt-out representative action on behalf of EasyJet and British Airways passengers entitled to compensation for cancelled or delayed flights, as well as acting for around 40,000 claimants in emissions litigation involving Volkswagen. Leading Adam Korn , Simeon Maskrey KC is instructed in a group action against the Ministry of Defence, concerning the use of the anti-malarial drug Lariam allegedly causing significant adverse psychological effects. James MacDonald is instructed by the claimants in Municipio de Mariana & others v BHP Group plc, a class action arising from the collapse of the Fundão mining dam in Brazil in 2015.
Testimonials
‘Good set with some star performers.’
‘7 BR boasts impressive strength in depth and is able to meet most briefs on short notice.’
‘Efficient and helpful.’
‘We enjoy working with 7 BR, and have utilised their ability to meet briefs across the firm’s practice areas.’
‘The clerks are very helpful and responsive.’
‘Paul Eeles is a superb clerk and can be relied on at the drop of a hat. We love working with him and look forward to years of further work together.’
‘Efficient, polite and obliging.’
‘Paul Eeles is an excellent Senior Clerk to be credited with the strength of my firm’s relationship with 7BR.’
Blackstone Chambers
Praised as ‘one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters’, Blackstone Chambers offers a breadth of experience with ‘uniformly excellent barristers, across the range of call’. Notable instructions for Gayatri Sarathy include acting in Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd & Ors, collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the system for selling games and add-on content on the PlayStation Store, as well as acting for the proposed defendants in £850m proposed collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the technical performance of certain iPhone models and operating systems. Shaheed Fatima KC is currently instructed for the defendants in numerous large group actions, including Municipality of Mariana v BHP and Okpabi v Shell, while Brian Kennelly KC represents Visa in Sainsbury’s Supermarkets ltd v Visa Europe Services, the long-running group litigation brought by Sainsbury’s and other retailers concerning the multilateral interchange fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, which recently went to the Supreme Court, with dozens of further claims before the CAT and the High Court.
Testimonials
‘My experience of the clerks has been excellent. They have been available, commercial and responsive. It strikes me as a very well run chambers. Efficient follow-up from the clerks.’
‘Blackstone Chambers is an excellent set.’
‘Blackstone Chambers is one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters, offering enormously talented advocates at every level.’
‘One of the best.’
‘This is a top-drawer set containing some of the stars of the bar and has service levels to match.’
‘It is a first-rate set, with uniformly excellent barristers, across the range of call.’
‘Blackstone has a number of people with serious group/collective experience.’
‘Blackstone has excellent strength in depth in competition-related group litigation.’
Work highlights
Matrix Chambers
As a ‘standout in terms of dealing with matters that are cutting edge and may require litigating up to the higher courts’, Matrix Chambers includes ‘strong multi-disciplinarians‘ for group litigation in fields such as competition, environmental, employment, media and data protection law. Antony White KC has been involved in many high-profile data protection and privacy cases of recent years, and is currently member of a team of counsel representing Meta in Gormsen v Meta Platforms Inc, a case concerning an allegation that Facebook's terms and conditions, requiring consent to behaviour tracking for advertisements, was an abuse of a dominant position - the claim was not certified. Led by Richard Hermer KC and Edward Craven are representing 40,000 Nigerian claimants in claims concerning the liability of the largest oil company in Nigeria and its UK parent company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, for mass oil pollution in mangrove swamps in the Niger Delta. Craven is working with Kate Boakes in representing tens of thousands of claimants in the Dieselgate emission group litigation against Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and BMW among others.
Testimonials
‘The clerks are helpful and professional.’
‘Elizabeth Bousher is very experienced and responsive.’
‘I have appreciated the work put in by the clerks, particularly Chris Smith. They are diligent, flexible and work hard to put together the right team.’
‘Chris Smith particularly impressive and proactive.’
‘Sarah Walker is very responsive, professional, and friendly.’
‘The barristers that we work with from Matrix are always of the highest quality.’
‘This set is a standout in terms of dealing with matters that are cutting edge and may require litigating up to the higher courts, or that touch on areas of international law and human rights. They are strong multi-disciplinarians and they are solid at all levels.’
‘Matrix has real depth in group actions in the environmental, human rights, competition and data protection areas.’
Work highlights
11KBW
With a particular strong data breach practice, 11KBW’s members comfortably handle large group litigation across a range of fields, such as data protection, employment and product liability. Leading Robin Hopkins , Anya Proops KC is acting for the Police Federation in a case brought by its members in connection with a major data breach said to have affected 130,000 serving police officers. Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC led Hopkins in representing the defendant in Bennett & Ors v Equifax, a case concerning a data breach which is reported to involve the compromise of the personal data of 148m people in the US and 15m people in the UK.
Testimonials
‘Martin Pownall was very helpful and responsive.’
‘Responsive and good availability.’
‘Remarkable strength in depth in the field of data protection work, both contentious and non-contentious.’
Work highlights
Brick Court Chambers
Brick Court Chambers’ members in the group litigation space includes instructions in Lloyd v Google, Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony, and Merricks v Mastercard, in which Marie Demetriou KC continues to act for a claimant group, effectively including almost all adults in the UK, concerning the card networks’ interchange fees on all card transactions. Sarah Abram KC is instructed in emissions litigation for BMW, as well as in BSV Claims v Bittylicious & ors, an application for collective proceedings on behalf of investors in a cryptocurrency derived from Bitcoin, including allegations of collusion via public statements on Twitter. Tony Singla KC is acting for Barclays in a case brought by hundreds of shareholders under sections 90 and 90A FSMA for allegedly false and misleading statements.
Testimonials
‘Brick court is a leading set for competition work with exceptionally strong bench of juniors.’
‘The set seems to produce barristers who are intellectually rigorous but also very commercial and practical.’
‘Very good, impressive array of KCs. Brick Court have great strength and depth in competition litigation.’
‘Brick Court is elite.’
‘Brick Court is one of the leading competition super sets, with great strength and depth across the junior and senior ranks.’
‘Hannah Rayner is helpful and responsive.’
‘Jo Francis is an excellent clerk to deal with. Reasonable, considerate and responsive.’
‘Paul Dennison is commercial and professional and a pleasure to deal with.’
Work highlights
Henderson Chambers
Testimonials
‘The clerks are very approachable.’
‘Jason Housden is excellent – very client driven and commercially minded.’
‘Joe Sutton has always been very helpful when needing to coordinate last-minute meetings across multiple diaries and Chambers.’
‘They are all very responsive and accommodating.’
‘Joe Sutton is lovely to deal with.’
‘Henderson Chambers are going from strength to strength.’
‘The set has great group litigation expertise on both sides of cases. Many of the members of the set have been in the trenches, sometimes on both sides, in the cases that have defined how group litigation is currently done.’
‘Henderson is undoubtedly the go-to set for group litigation. The quality and breadth of their team is most impressive.’
Work highlights
2 Temple Gardens
Members of 2 Temple Gardens are well-versed in group actions arising from product liability, personal injury, professional negligence, healthcare and environmental law, and have a track record of international group matters related to business human rights. Charles Dougherty is acting for World Rugby in relation to group claims brought by former rugby union players in England and overseas regarding concussions sustained during their careers. Acting on behalf of a large group of Liverpool fans following the events at the Champions League final in Paris in 2022, Alistair Mackenzie is another member that is active in the sports sector. Meanwhile, Marie Louise Kinsler KC acts for claimants in a large-scale group action by the Ogale farming and fishing community arising out of oil extraction in Nigeria after a Supreme Court ruling in May 2021 that there was a ‘good arguable case’ that Shell, in addition to its Nigerian subsidiaries, was responsible for the damage caused by leaks in the Niger delta.
Testimonials
‘I find the clerks to be responsive, helpful and supportive.’
‘Oliver Gillen-Smith has been very responsive and helpful.’
‘The clerking room provides a good service.’
‘Clerks and service is excellent – I can always rely on the clerks.’
‘They are my go-to set for complex jurisdictional issues. ‘
‘2 Temple Gardens is a good, respected set for personal injury, inquests and inquiries, particularly involving government or group litigation. ‘
‘This is my go-to chambers.
‘The barristers at 2 Temple Gardens are like no other, a pool of overflowing talent.’
Work highlights
3 Verulam Buildings
With its focus in the group litigation space on matters crossing over with the set’s financial litigation expertise, 3 Verulam Buildings is described by clients as ‘go-to set for banking and group litigation matters‘. Andrew Onslow KC is representing hundreds of former customers in proceedings against Clydesdale Bank and its parent company National Australia Bank, while Jonathan Nash KC is instructed to represent the lead claimant group against the Ingenious group and their financial advisors in a multi-party case alleging misrepresentation and negligent advice in regard to the tax treatment of a number of film production partnerships. Nash KC is also representing a group of investors in a high value Section 90 and Section 90a Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 claim for losses arising from the decline in the share price of Barclays Bank plc following the discovery of misconduct in its New York ‘dark pool’ trading operation.
Testimonials
‘Stuart Pullum is responsive.’
‘3VB has a number of barristers that are fantastic in financial and banking litigation. ‘
‘3 VB have a growing reputation in this field.’
‘3VB are excellent and a go-to set on banking and group litigation matters. They have many of the top silks and juniors in the area. For business/institutional group actions, probably has the greatest strength-in-depth of any other set. But they are also no slouch on consumer group actions with a commercial element.’
‘3VB are a strong set for group litigation.’
Work highlights
7BR
7BR’s broad range of expertise includes group litigation arising from personal injury, clinical negligence, consumer law and human rights issues. Hugh Preston KC’s current workload includes a large opt-out representative action on behalf of EasyJet and British Airways passengers entitled to compensation for cancelled or delayed flights, as well as acting for around 40,000 claimants in emissions litigation involving Volkswagen. Leading Adam Korn , Simeon Maskrey KC is instructed in a group action against the Ministry of Defence, concerning the use of the anti-malarial drug Lariam allegedly causing significant adverse psychological effects. James MacDonald is instructed by the claimants in Municipio de Mariana & others v BHP Group plc, a class action arising from the collapse of the Fundão mining dam in Brazil in 2015.
Testimonials
‘Good set with some star performers.’
‘7 BR boasts impressive strength in depth and is able to meet most briefs on short notice.’
‘Efficient and helpful.’
‘We enjoy working with 7 BR, and have utilised their ability to meet briefs across the firm’s practice areas.’
‘The clerks are very helpful and responsive.’
‘Paul Eeles is a superb clerk and can be relied on at the drop of a hat. We love working with him and look forward to years of further work together.’
‘Efficient, polite and obliging.’
‘Paul Eeles is an excellent Senior Clerk to be credited with the strength of my firm’s relationship with 7BR.’
Blackstone Chambers
Praised as ‘one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters’, Blackstone Chambers offers a breadth of experience with ‘uniformly excellent barristers, across the range of call’. Notable instructions for Gayatri Sarathy include acting in Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd & Ors, collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the system for selling games and add-on content on the PlayStation Store, as well as acting for the proposed defendants in £850m proposed collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the technical performance of certain iPhone models and operating systems. Shaheed Fatima KC is currently instructed for the defendants in numerous large group actions, including Municipality of Mariana v BHP and Okpabi v Shell, while Brian Kennelly KC represents Visa in Sainsbury’s Supermarkets ltd v Visa Europe Services, the long-running group litigation brought by Sainsbury’s and other retailers concerning the multilateral interchange fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, which recently went to the Supreme Court, with dozens of further claims before the CAT and the High Court.
Testimonials
‘My experience of the clerks has been excellent. They have been available, commercial and responsive. It strikes me as a very well run chambers. Efficient follow-up from the clerks.’
‘Blackstone Chambers is an excellent set.’
‘Blackstone Chambers is one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters, offering enormously talented advocates at every level.’
‘One of the best.’
‘This is a top-drawer set containing some of the stars of the bar and has service levels to match.’
‘It is a first-rate set, with uniformly excellent barristers, across the range of call.’
‘Blackstone has a number of people with serious group/collective experience.’
‘Blackstone has excellent strength in depth in competition-related group litigation.’
Work highlights
Matrix Chambers
As a ‘standout in terms of dealing with matters that are cutting edge and may require litigating up to the higher courts’, Matrix Chambers includes ‘strong multi-disciplinarians‘ for group litigation in fields such as competition, environmental, employment, media and data protection law. Antony White KC has been involved in many high-profile data protection and privacy cases of recent years, and is currently member of a team of counsel representing Meta in Gormsen v Meta Platforms Inc, a case concerning an allegation that Facebook's terms and conditions, requiring consent to behaviour tracking for advertisements, was an abuse of a dominant position - the claim was not certified. Led by Richard Hermer KC and Edward Craven are representing 40,000 Nigerian claimants in claims concerning the liability of the largest oil company in Nigeria and its UK parent company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, for mass oil pollution in mangrove swamps in the Niger Delta. Craven is working with Kate Boakes in representing tens of thousands of claimants in the Dieselgate emission group litigation against Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and BMW among others.
Testimonials
‘The clerks are helpful and professional.’
‘Elizabeth Bousher is very experienced and responsive.’
‘I have appreciated the work put in by the clerks, particularly Chris Smith. They are diligent, flexible and work hard to put together the right team.’
‘Chris Smith particularly impressive and proactive.’
‘Sarah Walker is very responsive, professional, and friendly.’
‘The barristers that we work with from Matrix are always of the highest quality.’
‘This set is a standout in terms of dealing with matters that are cutting edge and may require litigating up to the higher courts, or that touch on areas of international law and human rights. They are strong multi-disciplinarians and they are solid at all levels.’
‘Matrix has real depth in group actions in the environmental, human rights, competition and data protection areas.’
Work highlights
11KBW
With a particular strong data breach practice, 11KBW’s members comfortably handle large group litigation across a range of fields, such as data protection, employment and product liability. Leading Robin Hopkins , Anya Proops KC is acting for the Police Federation in a case brought by its members in connection with a major data breach said to have affected 130,000 serving police officers. Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC led Hopkins in representing the defendant in Bennett & Ors v Equifax, a case concerning a data breach which is reported to involve the compromise of the personal data of 148m people in the US and 15m people in the UK.
Testimonials
‘Martin Pownall was very helpful and responsive.’
‘Responsive and good availability.’
‘Remarkable strength in depth in the field of data protection work, both contentious and non-contentious.’
Work highlights
Brick Court Chambers
Brick Court Chambers’ members in the group litigation space includes instructions in Lloyd v Google, Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony, and Merricks v Mastercard, in which Marie Demetriou KC continues to act for a claimant group, effectively including almost all adults in the UK, concerning the card networks’ interchange fees on all card transactions. Sarah Abram KC is instructed in emissions litigation for BMW, as well as in BSV Claims v Bittylicious & ors, an application for collective proceedings on behalf of investors in a cryptocurrency derived from Bitcoin, including allegations of collusion via public statements on Twitter. Tony Singla KC is acting for Barclays in a case brought by hundreds of shareholders under sections 90 and 90A FSMA for allegedly false and misleading statements.
Testimonials
‘Brick court is a leading set for competition work with exceptionally strong bench of juniors.’
‘The set seems to produce barristers who are intellectually rigorous but also very commercial and practical.’
‘Very good, impressive array of KCs. Brick Court have great strength and depth in competition litigation.’
‘Brick Court is elite.’
‘Brick Court is one of the leading competition super sets, with great strength and depth across the junior and senior ranks.’
‘Hannah Rayner is helpful and responsive.’
‘Jo Francis is an excellent clerk to deal with. Reasonable, considerate and responsive.’
‘Paul Dennison is commercial and professional and a pleasure to deal with.’