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Leading Silks

Simon Antrobus KCCrown Office Chambers 'He is just the best. He is at the top of his game. He is incredibly bright. The combination of his intellectual skills and his ability to explain legal issues to a jury in a straightforward manner is fairly rare.'
Oliver Campbell KCHenderson ChambersOliver is clear and concise in his cross examination and is particularly good at cross examining experts. He is a persuasive advocate.
Stephen Hockman KCSix Pump CourtWhen he speaks in court, people listen. A top pick by most instructing solicitors for the most difficult cases.
Richard Matthews KCThe Chambers of Richard MatthewsRichard is one of the leading advocates in the health and safety field. He is very engaging and effective.
Keith Morton KCTemple Garden ChambersHe is brilliant at taking in huge amounts of information. Processes information into a coherent, logical argument. Very good with clients.'
Prashant Popat KCHenderson ChambersHis attention to detail is second to none. He is the best in his field and is very persuasive with his cerebral attention to detail which Judge’s and clients respect and appreciate.
David Travers KCGough Square Chambers  ‘An excellent advocate.  He is able to deal sensitively with difficult cases, and strikes the right tone. He has an excellent knowledge of the law and is pragmatic as well as technically sound.
Dominic Adamson KCTemple Garden ChambersA strong advocate, tactically brilliant and able to get to the main issues quickly.' 
James Ageros KCCrown Office ChambersJames is a leading silk in health and safety matters. He is highly knowledgeable, and particularly adept at analysing and distilling complex material into easily understandable points.'
Christine Agnew KC2 Bedford Row ‘In court, her vast knowledge and experience are her key assets. She delivers submissions in a way which is focused and gives the court what it needs. All in all, she provides the recipe for success!
John Cooper KCCrown Office ChambersAn excellent advocate and lateral thinker. He is robust.
Adrian Darbishire KCQEB Hollis WhitemanHe brings his experience and expertise across the whole range of criminal justice to health and safety. This makes him stand out.'
Gerard Forlin KCCornerstone BarristersGerard is a great advocate, brilliant with juries, and good with clients.
Jamas Hodivala KCMatrix ChambersJamas is always commercially astute and provides pragmatic advice.’
Dominic Kay KCCrown Office ChambersA superb tactician and strategist who is excellent on his feet.
James Maxwell-Scott KCCrown Office ChambersHe produces high quality written advice and is able to quickly review and disseminate large amounts of information.
Toby Riley-Smith KCHenderson ChambersHis impeccable output – whether that is his work on paper, or his superb and incredibly careful advocacy – is the ultimate reflection of the incredibly hard graft he puts in.
Stephen Walsh KCThree Raymond BuildingsAt the top of his game. Strategic, knowledgeable and hard working.
Mark Watson KCSix Pump CourtMark has excellent interpersonal and social skills, commitment and good judgement. However, it is his attention to detail that is most impressive.
Angus Withington KC – Henderson ChambersAngus does not have any weaknesses. He is a brilliant barrister in every respect.'

2022 Silks

Tim Green KCHenderson ChambersTim is a class act. He knows the legislation backwards and is always up to date with the latest case law.
Deanna Heer KC5 Paper BuildingsDeanna has the law at her fingertips and possesses a relentless and steely determination.

2023 Silks

Mark Balysz KCCrown Office ChambersMark is a brilliant advocate - sharp and succinct.'
Kathleen Donnelly KC – Henderson ChambersVery bright, tenacious, and good on her feet.
James Leonard KCOuter Temple ChambersOne of the best in the country by a long way.

Leading Juniors

Mike AtkinsCrown Office Chambers ‘Mike is extremely organised and a trusted advisor. He understands clients' businesses and what their priorities are. His advocacy is calm, measured and clear.
Lee BennettSix Pump Court 'Lee is strategic, thoughtful and very astute. He is also hardworking and dedicated to getting the right result for our clients.'
Fiona CanbyTemple Garden ChambersVery able advocate. She is liked by clients and solicitors for her court presence and informality of approach.
Valerie CharbitRed Lion Chambers 'Provides very good support, is happy to get on with legwork and is very easy to work with.'
David HercockSix Pump CourtDavid is an extremely hard working individual, who is deeply knowledgeable in the field of health and safety. He is a skilled advocate who plans meticulously for every hearing.
Andrew McGee2 Bedford RowHe is a brilliant all rounder, always meticulously prepared and great with clients. One of the best advocates around.
Gordon MenziesSix Pump CourtHe has an incredible memory for detail and brilliant organisational skills – he remembers every fact about a case.'
Eleanor Sanderson2 Bedford Row ‘Eleanor has a brilliant intellect, and has the ability to clearly explain legal concepts to the lay client.'
Sandesh SinghCrown Office ChambersSandesh can distill quite technical and difficult expert reports into easy manageable legal submissions.'
Alex Stein2 Bedford RowAlex is one of the leading juniors in the field. He is known for his eye for detail and his ability to consider the long-term strategy of any case.
Ian WrightFive PaperA brilliant and persuasive advocate who works exceedingly hard for the instructing solicitor and the client.'
Tom Day2 Hare CourtTom's advocacy is eloquent and persuasive, and secures great results for his clients.'
Malcolm GallowayCrown Office ChambersA confident and commanding advocate. His ability to communicate effectively with clients from all walks of life is second to none.
Saba NaqshbandiThree Raymond BuildingsSaba is excellent at health and safety cases. She quickly gets to grips with the issues and provides succinct and practical advice. She is very highly regarded by the court.'
Laura PhillipsGough Square ChambersLaura’s preparation is second to none. Her written submissions are hugely helpful and her advice to clients is clear and concise.'
James PurnellHenderson ChambersJames is knowledgeable, has a good client manner and is easy to work with.'
Shauna Ritchie2 Bedford RowHer client care skills are exceptional as is her knowledge of H&S law and regulations. Shauna’s work ethic coupled with her skill & experience make her an extremely effective advocate.
Alexandra Tampakopoulos2 Hare CourtShe is very knowledgeable in this field and extremely helpful to instructing solicitors.'
Harry VannCrown Office ChambersA tenacious strategist. He is clear and concise in his writing and his advocacy.'
Christopher AdamsFarringdon ChambersSuperb attention to detail. Prodigious work ethic. Excellent written advocacy. Calmness personified in court.
Quentin Hunt 2 Bedford RowQuentin has a deep knowledge of health and safety legislation and is a very experienced operator in this field. He is a robust advocate in court and always up for the fight. Clients are very impressed with his calm yet forceful nature.
Jack MurphyCrown Office Chambers 'Jack is extremely diligent, thorough, well prepared, and has good commercial awareness.
Nicholas OstrowskiSix Pump CourtNick provides high quality advice. He has the ability to put forward points of view which had previously not been considered.
Paul SpencerSerjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Paul is extremely knowledgeable, responsive, diligent, conscientious and personable.'

Health and safety in London Bar

Crown Office Chambers

The barristers at Crown Office Chambers are often sought for their experience in high-profile inquests and prosecutions, with particular expertise acting on behalf of directors, managers, and major corporations. In R v Arcadia and Others, James Ageros KC acted for the claimant, going up against Simon Antrobus KC in relation to the death of a young child at a Topshop store, a death leading to the discovery of multiple alleged safety issues at various stores throughout the country. John Cooper KC acted for a man charged with a manslaughter offence for the death of an employee at a scrap site. Dominic Kay KC and Harry Vann acted in the trial and subsequent appeal on behalf of one of the defendants, ultimately clearing them of gross negligence manslaughter charges in relation to the death of four workers following an explosion at Bosley Mill. Also active in this case were Mark Balysz KC, Mike Atkins, Sandesh Singh, and Malcolm Galloway, all key figures in the junior ranks and acting as opposing counsel in the matter.

Testimonials

Set

The number one go to set for H&S matters.

A set that has depth throughout all years of call.’

The strongest H&S set.

Crown Office has built up a formidable team of silks, senior juniors and juniors which in my view is without comparison in this niche field.

Excellent – go to chambers for regulatory work. Incredible strength in depth and fantastic collegiate work ethic – all the silks are ready to chip in to help juniors through unexpected storms.

Clerking

Very responsive clerks, especially Toby Sparrow.

Henderson Chambers

Superb setHenderson Chambers fields expertise in HSE enforcement actions, investigations, and high-profile prosecutions. Oliver Campbell KC is acting for the defendants, while Prashant Popat KC is instructed by the prosecutor in a case regarding a fatal accident to an engineer as he carried out repairs to machinery in a private hospital. Toby Riley-Smith KC represented Whirlpool, the producer of the fridge alleged to have been the fire’s starting point, in procedural hearings relating to the Grenfell Tower disaster. Angus Withington KC acted for a precast concrete manufacturer and supplier facing allegations that hundreds of workers suffered permanent injuries at one of its concrete fabrication plant after being exposed to excessive vibration. Kathleen Donnelly KC is another notable figure, having had represented Vestas Wind Systems in the inquest into the death of an employee as a result of pulmonary thrombosis.

Testimonials

Set

A leading set for Health and Safety work.

The set has a very strong team with barristers at all levels enabling selection to suit the case.’

Superb set. Strength in depth.’

The regulatory team has strength in depth and is able to offer counsel for different levels of instruction.

Henderson Chambers is one of the leading sets in the health and safety sphere.

Clerking

Very professional and competent clerks room. Friendly and helpful.

2 Bedford Row

2 Bedford Row ‘has strength in terms of skillset and the numbers to give it the reputation it richly deserves’, with its members regularly acting on the defendant and claimant side with regard to a range of corporate and gross negligence manslaughter prosecutions in the retail, construction, entertainment and manufacturing sectors. In R v Hilux Ltd & Jalal Rana, Christine Agnew KC was instructed to represent both defendants with respect to health and safety offences arising out of a fatal accident on a building site in Birmingham. Alex Stein prosecuted for the CPS in R v Alutrade Limited and Others, a corporate manslaughter case arising from a workplace death at a recycling facility.

Testimonials

Set

Chambers has some very talented barristers.

For health and safety, the set has strength in terms of skillset and the numbers to give it the reputation it richly deserves.

Clerking

The clerks are well led by John Grimmer and Paul Rodgers and are always on hand to assist and accommodate instructing solicitors.

The junior clerks are very able, in particular Tom Powell and Joe Martin.

Very impressive. John Grimmer is a very reassuring presence.

Lee Bartlett is always accessible, helpful and responsive, both in terms of assessing counsel availability and in relation to fee queries. He’s a real asset to chambers.

Six Pump Court

Six Pump Court is ‘a great set‘ which is ‘always dedicated to clients‘. Mark Watson KC, who is considered a ‘tactical genius‘, acted on behalf of the CPS in a corporate manslaughter prosecution arising from a transport failure at a waste company.

Testimonials

Set

Chambers is clearly very strong in H&S.’

The chambers offers a wide range of experience and expertise and the barristers are user friendly and accessible.

2 Hare Court

Providing ‘all round coverage in the health and safety, crime and inquests sectors’, the barristers at 2 Hare Court represent clients in a variety of sectors, including transport, food, healthcare, construction, and energy, acting in high-profile inquiries, manslaughter prosecutions, and cases brought by regulators and enforcement bodies. Chambers head Jonathan Laidlaw KC is acting on behalf of ShowSec and Live Nation in the inquiry and subsequent criminal investigation arising out of the Manchester Arena bombing. In addition, Tom Day went up against James Buchanan in a gross negligence manslaughter case in the wake of the death of a construction worker during the construction and refurbishment of a block of flats.

Testimonials

Set

Chambers provides good all round coverage in the health and safety, crime and inquest sectors.

2 Hare Court is one of the go to chambers for health and safety regulatory work – very experienced and well respected for its work in this area.

Clerking

Julian Campbell is great.

The clerks’ room is well led by Julian Campbell, who is always approachable.’

Excellent. Julian Campbell is particularly exceptional, making an effort to respond promptly to requests and going above and beyond to provide support.

Temple Garden Chambers

With ‘great depth in health and safety‘, Temple Garden Chambers‘ team is regularly instructed in corporate manslaughter cases and high-profile health and safety prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The ‘wise and impressive advocateKeith Morton KC acted on a waste management company alleged to have caused the death of a traffic marshal at the BBC Television Centre site during construction work. Dominic Adamson KC is acting on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, representing the Local Authority Building Control responsible for certifying cladding products in relation to Module 2 and 6. Fiona Canby is also active in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, advising the tower’s main contractor, Rydon Maintenance Limited in a criminal investigation relating to the fire.

Testimonials

Set

A strong regulatory set.

TGC has great depth in health and safety.

TGC is a go to set for H&S and inquests.

Clerking

The clerks always go out of their way to find a solution and ensure counsel availability.

Helpful and approachable.

Three Raymond Buildings

Noted for its ‘excellent strength in depth‘, Three Raymond Buildings‘ health and safety team has a strong track record in representing individuals, companies and regulators in inquests; in a prominent example, Stephen Walsh KC continues to act for the London Fire Brigade in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Amongst the juniors, Sarah Le Fevre  acted for the defendant in HSE v Aviramp Ltd, which focused on a serious accident at a manufacturing company. In another matter, Saba Naqshbandi represented the London Fire Commissioner in a case in which BUPA was fined for admitted safety failures following the death of a care home resident.

Testimonials

Set 

Very strong at all levels including juniors. The juniors are clearly brought up to embody the 3RB spirit and ethos. Due to the strength in depth at all level availability is always good.

Top set and excellent strength in depth.

 

Clerking

Very good commercial clerks especially Dean Brown and Eddie Holland.

Strong – Dean Brown is a main contact but junior clerks are also diligent.

The clerks are excellent, responsive, and easy to deal with.