1 Crown Office Row

Richard Ager

Richard has a very strong reputation in all the area of Children (Public) Law, representing local authorities, parents, grandparents, children, interveners and guardians. Richard’s experience includes acting in cases involving allegations of sexual abuse, including historical sexual abuse, non-accidental injury and fabricated induced illness. He has considerable experience of cases of placement of children abroad. Richard is instructed on behalf of parents, children and extended family members in the full range of applications. These include difficult cases of implacable hostility, shared care arrangements, internal and external relocation, special guardianship and fact-finding hearings regarding domestic violence, sexual abuse and children giving evidence.

Rajkiran Arhestey

Paul Ashwell

Paul offers expertise across the full range of commercial and property law, including probate. Paul’s commercial practice includes international trade, in 2023 the fraudulent shipment of timber from the Baltic and the importation of machinery from Romania. Also in 2023 he acted to recover unpaid commission for an introducer of investors to European funds, following his success in the unpaid commission case of Premia Marketing v Regis Mutual Management [2021] EWHC 2329 which advanced the law of interest on commercial debts. He regularly advises a range of public authorities on intractable contractual disputes.

Rory Badenoch

Rory Badenoch has extensive experience in cases involving personal injury of all kinds. His principal areas of practice are Clinical Negligence, Inquests, Employer’s and Public Liability and RTA cases. He has a particular interest in cases involving clinical negligence and is regularly instructed in claims ranging from delayed diagnosis of cancer to catastrophic brain injury, and death in children arising from obstetric and paediatric negligence. In addition to his civil practice he frequently represents families and other interested parties at inquests in which clinical negligence is suspected, and in cases involving deaths in custody.

Matthew Barnes

Matthew Barnes has a civil and public law practice focused on all aspects of medical law, including clinical negligence, inquests, regulatory, and public law. In clinical negligence, his practice includes work for both claimants and defendants, covering a range from low value claims up to the highest value catastrophic brain injuries. In inquests, he acts for both families and medical staff, and has experience of difficult and high profile cases. He is regularly instructed to act for Defendants in regulatory proceedings, including the GDC, the GMC, the NMC, the British Acupuncture Council, internal NHS Trust disciplinary hearings, and the Performers Lists for GPs and dentists. Generally, he acts for defendants, although he has prosecuted in cases involving removal from the Performers List. He has experience of cases involving criminal charges, and has been instructed to defend doctors in the magistrates’ court and crown court.

Natasha Barnes

Natasha has a broad indirect tax and public law practice. She acts for a wide spectrum of clients in high value tax disputes including individuals, companies, public authorities and government departments. She has also been instructed in many of the most high profile judicial reviews in the last few years including: the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation; the challenge to the introduction of VAT on private school fees; the winter fuel payments case; the ban on prescribing puberty blockers to transgender children; the Rwanda deportation challenge; and the Government’s challenge to the Covid Inquiry’s decision to require disclosure of Ministers’ WhatsApp messages. She regularly appears before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Administrative Court and the Tribunals (Tax and Immigration Chambers), often as sole counsel. She is a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel.

Gideon Barth

Gideon Barth has a busy practice spanning all areas of Chambers’ work. He has extensive experience in clinical negligence and personal injury, public and human rights law, inquests and public inquiries, and tax. His experience in clinical negligence claims covers a broad spectrum of medical practice, including healthcare in the community, and in NHS and private hospitals. He has experience in high-value claims, complex causation arguments, secondary victim claims, issues of informed consent and Fatal Accidents Act claims. Gideon regularly represents bereaved families, doctors, government departments and other interested persons at inquests. He has extensive and broad experience covering inquests dealing with medical care, deaths in custody and following police contact, mental health issues and road traffic deaths. He regularly advises and represents government departments and claimants across a range of issues including prison-related claims, privacy and data protection issues, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office.

Katherine Bates

Katherine Bates is developing a broad practice, accepting instructions across a wide variety of areas. Katherine joined chambers as a tenant in October 2025, after completing pupillage. During pupillage, she was supervised by Michael Walker and Matthew Withers. During pupillage Katherine gained experience in all the core areas of Chambers’ civil expertise and accepts instructions in general civil law matters. Katherine appears regularly in court and has been instructed in small claims, fast track trials and procedural hearings. Katherine also accepts instructions to advise and draft statements of case in a range of civil matters.

Eleanor Battie

Eleanor has been specialising in family law since 2004. She has a wide ranging practice and is instructed in both private and public law matters in all tiers of the family court. Eleanor has a predominantly private law practice and, in particular, represents parties in high conflict cases. Eleanor has represented many parents in complex proceedings, which may also involve fact-finding hearings concerning allegations of domestic abuse or harm of the child and those where parental alienation has been alleged. Eleanor also represents children both in public and private law proceedings.

Laura Bayley

Laura is a specialist in family law and represents children, parents and local authorities in both private and public law cases. She trained and practised in London for more than 10 years before moving to Sussex. Laura also represents applicant and respondents in injunctive proceedings. In addition, Laura delivers lectures and training seminars on public and private law topics to social workers, solicitors and other professionals.

Lance Baynham

Lance joined chambers as a tenant in October 2023 after completing pupillage and is building his experience in all of chambers’ practice areas. During pupillage, he was supervised by Matthew Barnes, Alasdair Henderson, Amy Mannion and Shahram Sharghy and gained experience in public law, inquests, inquiries, clinical negligence, environmental law, employment law and tax. In his first year of practice, Lance has appeared in the High Court, County Court and Coroner’s Court, as well as in the Immigration and Asylum and Employment Tribunals. He acts for families and institutional Interested Persons in inquests and has appeared for claimants in the First-tier Tribunal in asylum claims and immigration bail applications. He is also instructed in Court of Protection and data protection matters and is instructed in the Covid-19 Inquiry.

Thomas Beamont

Thomas Beamont has a busy practice in all areas of Chambers’ work, with a particular emphasis on clinical negligence, personal injury (including abuse), inquests and inquiries, and various areas of public law and human rights. He has experience acting in high-value and/or complex cases, led by silks in Chambers and in his own right. Tom appears in the High Court, the County Court and the Coroner’s Court, and has acted in cases up to and including the Court of Appeal.

Timothy Bergin

Tim is a highly experienced family barrister with over 30 years’ experience at the Bar. Specialising predominantly in all matters concerning children’s welfare, with emphasis on child protection, Tim is regularly seen at the family courts in and around Sussex and London representing parents and guardians in complex care cases. Tim has a strong reputation for representing parents in private law proceedings, in particular cases involving allegations of domestic abuse. In addition to offering his services as a family advocate, Tim is a family mediator having trained in 1997. He offers all aspects mediation and has used his empathy and sensitivity to assist separating parents to reach decisions on how best to separate. He is prepared to use alternative methods to assist parents to reach solutions by involving other professionals where appropriate, into the mediation process such as psychologists and child therapists.

Richard Booth KC

Richard Booth KC has practised at 1 Crown Office Row since being called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1993 and was Head of Chambers from 2018 – 2026. He specialises in clinical negligence, disciplinary / regulatory law, personal injury (especially brain and sports injuries), costs, inquests and sports law. Richard is instructed in cases of the highest value and complexity, his clinical negligence practice is split approximately 50/50 between claimants and defendants. He has a particular expertise in high value clinical negligence claims arising out of a sporting context, involving doctors and physiotherapists. Richard is instructed predominantly on behalf of claimants in this field, but has also had a niche practice defending a well-known chain of fitness clubs. He is particularly expert in claims involving brain injury, from the maximally damaged to the subtle presentations.

Clodagh Bradley KC

Clodagh Bradley KC specialises in clinical negligence, inquests with a medical or psychiatric element to them and healthcare regulatory law. She is recommended as a leading silk by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 in all three of her key practice areas. Clodagh undertakes complex and maximum value clinical negligence claims on behalf of Claimants and Defendants. A large proportion of her work involves perinatal brain injury, other acquired brain or spinal injuries and catastrophic life-changing or fatal injuries. Her practice has included interesting legal points arising in wrongful birth matters (Mordel), fatal claims (Rupasinghe), secondary victim claims (Werb) and vicarious liability / non-delegable duty issues. In her inquest practice, Clodagh acts for a wide range of interested persons including families and clinicians. A number of her recent cases have related to maternal or neonatal deaths. The inquests she is instructed in often involve human rights issues and controversial ethical elements, as well as holding various state institutions to account or defending them. Clodagh has acted in a broad variety of disciplinary cases, ranging from doctors before the MPTS to veterinary surgeons before the RCVS, as well as cases brought by the GDC, the GOsC, the GOC and the NMC. She has also successfully challenged various regulatory decisions before the Administrative Courts.

Esme Cairns

Esme Cairns accepts instructions across a range of matters in the Court of Protection and in Family Law. Esme joined chambers as a tenant in 2024, after successfully completing pupillage. Before joining the Bar, Esme worked at the Law Commission as a Research Assistant, predominantly supporting the wills project. She also interned at JUSTICE, a human rights charity. Esme has volunteered with Citizens Advice West Sussex, Advocate and at the Free Representation Unit. She also assisted young people in police interviews as an Appropriate Adult.

Jeremy Cave

Jeremy Cave’s practice covers Financial Remedies (and financial provision for children), Trusts of Land (in the family context), Crime (with a particular specialty in Animal Welfare and Trading Standards) and Police Law.

Sydney Chawatama

Sydney Chawatama specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury, acting for Claimants and Defendants. His work in these areas inludes complex high value claims, from initial advice to settlement meetings and trial. He has acted in several birth injury and catastrophic PI claims arising out of road traffic accidents in the High Court and Court of Appeal. Sydney has a broad practice which covers the Court of Protection, professional discipline, costs, mental health law, inquests and child abuse compensation law. He has a developing practice in international commercial and investment arbitration and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Clare Ciborowska

Clare Ciborowska is a specialist family practitioner. Clare accepts instructions in private law children applications, care proceedings, Female Genital Mutilation proceedings, Injunctions and Wardship proceedings. Clare has completed the specialist advocacy training at Keble College, Oxford and is a skilled advocate. Clare takes a collaborative approach to cases and is an experienced negotiator and has exceptional problem-solving skills. Clare is also a robust advocate and her written work is highly effective. Clare has extensive experience representing parties to care proceedings. Clare acts for parents, Guardians, separately represented children, local authorities and interveners and has been involved in complex fact-finding/final hearings with multiple witnesses concerning the most serious of issues, such as sexual abuse, violent offenders, non-accidental injuries, neglect and substance misuse. Clare is highly experienced in urgent ICO hearings and works extremely well under pressure.

Rachael Claridge

Over the last 20 years, Rachael Claridge has developed a practice in all aspects of family law, with particular regard to those involving child protection issues. Rachael is a Resolution trained family mediator and is regularly involved in training and seminars for a number of Local Authorities and in the Chambers seminar programme. She is happy to consider training for other individuals / organisations.

Marcus Coates-Walker

Marcus has a specialised practice focused on clinical negligence, inquest, and personal injury work in addition to being a trained mediator. He is regularly instructed to draft pleadings and to advise on issues of breach of duty, causation, quantum and settlement tactics. He acknowledges the need for practical advice, a hands-on approach to cases and a quick turnaround of paperwork. In conference, he recognises that many clinical negligence cases can involve extremely sensitive issues for both those who have been injured and those who delivered the treatment. He is well-versed at dealing with a range of clients and experts often in difficult cases. Marcus is very comfortable dealing with complex expert evidence and has a particular interest in cases involving difficult causation arguments and quantum assessments. He is regularly instructed to draft schedules and counter-schedules.

Darragh Coffey

Darragh has a broad practice, accepting instructions in all Chambers’ areas of work. He has a focus on Inquests and Public Inquiries, Public Law, Clinical Negligence, and Environmental Law. Darragh has a wide range of advocacy experience, having been led in the in the Court of Appeal in the case of Bell v Tavistock, appeared in High Court, the County Court, Coroners’ Courts, the First Tier and Upper Tribunals, in a 12-day planning inquiry, and before the chair of the Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing. Darragh also undertakes a range of advisory and drafting work across his areas of practice.

Giles Colin

Giles Colin has a wide ranging practice, but is best known for his work in the fields of clinical negligence, discipline and regulation, personal injury and inquests (principally in healthcare matters appearing regularly on behalf of the Ambulance Service, PCT and Hospital Trusts, as well as representing the interests of doctors). He has been instructed directly by the General Medical Council to cross examine vulnerable witnesses where the doctor does not have legal representation. Giles has also given presentations in respect of Inquests where Coroners, healthcare professionals and lawyers were all present.

Rebecca Davies

Rebecca Davies has over 20 years experience in the law as it relates to children. Rebecca’s practice covers the full range of public and private law children cases. In public law proceedings Rebecca represents parents, children and interveners. Rebecca has particular experience in representing parents with learning disabilities and parents with mental health issues. Rebecca has dealt with a number of fact- finding hearings which have involved inter-generational sexual abuse, non-accidental injury allegations and factitious illness allegations. Rebecca’s practice covers the full range of private law children matters including cases involving allegations of parental alienation, intractable contact disputes, domestic and international relocation.Rebecca regularly represents parents or children through NYAS/CAFCASS.

Michael Deacon

Michael Deacon has a busy practice encompassing the main areas of Chambers’ work, including clinical negligence and personal injury, inquests, costs, public law, data protection law, professional discipline and employment law. Michael is regularly instructed by claimants and defendants in a broad range of clinical negligence and personal injury work .Michael continues to develop his practice in data protection law. He recently appeared in two Post Office FOIA appeals.

Melissa Dieter

Matthew Donmall

Matt has expertise in all matters of indirect taxation, including VAT, import and customs duties, excise duties, gaming duties, as well as the interface between tax law and public law. He has appeared in tribunals and courts all the way to the Supreme Court. He is regularly instructed in complex multi-million pound, high profile cases. He has particular experience with disputes involving financial services and pensions, public law arguments, partial exemption methods, attribution and apportionment arguments, single / multiple supply issues, and classification disputes in respect of technological products.

Martin Downs

Martin Downs has a practice which covers Public Law involving Human Rights and Equality (including Children’s and Mental Capacity) law, Local Government (including Police and Education), Inquests and Professional Regulation. He has particular expertise as an appeal advocate (frequently when not having appeared at first instance). As concerns children’s rights, he has a High Court practice covering a wide area. He devised (with Natasha Watson of Orbis Law) the strategy of using the inherent jurisdiction to tackle radicalisation and prevent young people being persuaded to fight in the Syrian civil war. He has appeared in leading cases on modern slavery, forced marriage and contested adoptions. Much if his work has an international element including child abduction and the placement of children outside the jurisdiction by Local Authorities (his experience would cover virtually every country of the EEA and also many states in the US, Russia, South Asia and Israel.) He appears regularly in the Court of Protection in both welfare and property and affairs cases. Martin also has particular expertise in Equality Law including in the provision of goods, facilities and services especially as concerns disability and sexual orientation discrimination.

Jim Duffy

Jim Duffy’s practice spans inquests and inquiries, clinical negligence, personal injury (particularly abuse claims), public law, indirect tax and employment. He is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘A’ Panel of London Counsel, and co-presenter of the leading legal podcast, Law Pod UK. Jim is currently instructed as a senior junior on the team representing the largest cohort of core participants in the Lampard Inquiry into mental health deaths in Essex. He often advises survivors of abuse. He currently represents (unled) many of the women abused by the late former Harrods owner, Mohammed Al Fayed. Jim has considerable experience in coronial law, regularly appearing at inquests for bereaved families and state bodies. He was a contributor to The Inquests Book.

Jessica Elliott

Jessica Elliott has a broad practice in the main areas of Chambers’ work, particularly in clinical negligence and health law, environmental law, data and privacy law, inquests and coroners, and tax. Jessica regularly represents families and other interested persons at inquests. Her cases have included prison deaths, medical deaths, and deaths arising out of the failure of medical equipment, and she has a particular interest in cases concerning mental health care. She has experience acting in both Middleton and Jamieson inquests, and regularly advises on a wide range of issues of coronial law. In 2023 Jessica received a Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest honour the LALYs can give, as part of the team who represented the family of Molly Russell at the inquest into her death. Jessica acts for both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence claims. She has significant experience advising and drafting pleadings across the entire spectrum of medical law, and has a particular interest in the law of material contribution, psychiatric injury and secondary victims.

David Evans KC

David Evans KC specialises in clinical negligence litigation, exclusively in cases involving perinatal brain injury. He has a specific expertise in quantum in the analysis and quantification of high value catastrophic brain injury claims. These are mostly brain injury claims in relation to perinatal events but also brain injuries caused by neonatal meningitis or hypoglycaemia, and wrongful birth claims. He also has extensive experience in public inquiries following his 8 years on the Attorney-General’s ‘A’ panel of Counsel to the Crown, and he has worked on some of the highest profile inquiries in recent years.

Emma-Louise Fenelon

Emma-Louise Fenelon is recommended as a Leading Junior by both Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. She has a broad practice and is sought after for her experience particularly in sensitive and challenging cases. Emma has expertise in Clinical Negligence, Inquests, Public law and Human Rights, Personal Injury and Public Inquiries. Emma acts for a wide range of clients including claimants, bereaved families, NHS Trusts, individual doctors, companies, charities and NGOs. She is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel. In 2024 Emma was named Barrister of the Year at the Women In Law awards. Emma is committed to pro bono representation and has been instructed on a pro bono basis for the Centre For Women’s Justice, AvMA, Advocate and the Environmental Law Foundation. She was previously nominated as Advocate’s Young Pro Bono Barrister of the Year. Emma is also co-presenter of Law Pod UK.

Hannah Fish

Hannah Fish accepts instructions across a range of areas of chambers’ work within the civil team, with a strong focus on police law. Prior to coming to chambers Hannah worked as counsel dealing with multimillion European contracts within the energy sector in both English and French. Furthermore, Hannah has an LLM and is finishing two further LLMs in Arbitration and International Commercial and Corporate Law. Formerly, she has also practiced in chambers in London in all areas of crime.

Martin Forde KC

Martin Forde KC has a practice which covers all aspects of Health Law. He appears regularly in all the Regulatory and Disciplinary tribunals predominantly for practitioners including doctors, dentists, osteopaths, chiropractors and optometrists. In 2021 and 2020, the Powerlist named Martin as one of the most influential people for their impact on Politics, Law & Religion. He was listed in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 lawyers of 2019. In June 2020, Counsel Magazine interviewed Martin about Windrush, citizenship and diversity at the Bar as their front cover feature (here). He has acted for the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council. He has appeared in a number of major cases in the Privy Council and has been involved in medical related judicial review hearings in the Administrative Court as well as judicial review hearings involving mental health and immigration issues. His clinical negligence and personal injury practice is exclusively undertaken in the High Court involving injuries of maximum severity. His experience of Inquests is extensive particularly in cases involving a mental health element.

Claire Fox

Claire Fox is a family practitioner, with particular interest and specialism in Public Law Children matters. Claire is often instructed on multi day final hearings and fact-finding hearings across the range of court levels on behalf of local authorities, parents, grandparents and guardians in care and adoption proceedings including contested leave to oppose adoption cases. Claire has appeared in the Court of Appeal acting on behalf of the children and has conducted appeals from decisions at final hearings in the High Court.

Rachel Gimson

Rachel Gimson is an experienced Family Law practitioner, representing parents, children and Local Authorities in Public and Private Family Law proceedings. Before being called to the Bar, Rachel qualified as a solicitor in 2009 and practiced for 9 years specialising in Public Family Law, undertaking extensive advocacy as a solicitor. Rachel was awarded Higher Rights of Audience by the Law Society before transferring to the Bar and joining chambers in August 2018. Rachel is thus a dual qualified practitioner but now practising as a barrister. Rachel has considerable experience working on cases that include complex and conflicting medical evidence, allegations of sexual abuse, fabricated or induced illness, non-accidental injury and domestic abuse. She also represents parties in high conflict private law cases involving parental alienation, domestic violence and contact disputes, often requiring fact-finding hearings.

Jasper Gold

Jasper Gold practises broadly across Chambers’ practice areas, with particular experience in medical, public, coronial, information and data protection law, tax, and in public inquiries. He also has a cross-disciplinary interest in human rights work, issues of which arise across his practice, and is the Commissioning Editor of the UK Human Rights Blog. Jasper’s experience also encompasses commercial and contractual disputes, and he is comfortable dealing with these issues when they arise in his cases. In 2024-25, Jasper was a judicial assistant to the High Court, working across the Administrative Court, King’s Bench Civil and Media and Communications Lists, assisting a range of judges on matters spanning public and civil law.

Katelyn Gottschling

Katelyn Gottschling accepts instructions in all areas of children law. She has appeared before the courts at all levels up to and including the High Court, and has a particular interest in cases with an international element. In public law proceedings, Katelyn is regularly instructed in cases involving chronic neglect, mental health issues, substance abuse, domestic and physical abuse and where there are concurrent criminal proceedings. She regularly acts for parents, guardians, and local authorities, at all levels up to and including the High Court. Katelyn is regularly instructed in private children law cases involving relocation issues, allegations of domestic, sexual, and physical abuse and parental alienation, representing clients at Fact Finding and Final Hearings. She also has experience of representing r.16.4 guardians.

Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC

Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel KC is a leading practitioner in Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury claims. Lizanne has a distinguished reputation for representing Claimants with highly complex claims for catastrophic injury. In clinical negligence she has particular expertise and experience in birth damage and neo-natal claims but acts in claims arising in a wide range of circumstances. In personal injury she acts for Claimants with head injuries, spinal injuries and other complex multiple injuries. Lizanne’s work also involves multi-party actions and she acted for over 700 Claimants in the litigation against Mr Ian Paterson, Spire Healthcare and HEFT. Lizanne is now monitoring the distribution of the fund for further claims arising out of Mr Paterson’s surgery. Lizanne has also been instructed in a number of multi- party actions arising out of sexual abuse and physical abuse of children and adults in institutions including the Jimmy Savile litigation, the Winterbourne View claims, The Aston Hall Hospital claims. Lizanne has acted for women abused by Mr Harvey Weinstein and Mr Epstein and is acting for women alleging abuse by Mr Crispin Odey amongst other individuals. Claims Lizanne has been instructed in against private hospitals, the catholic church and local authorities have involved a number of cases which have resulted in the development of the law in respect of vicarious liability.

Cara Guthrie

Cara Guthrie specialises in clinical negligence, and has done so since she started in practice 20 years ago. She also acts in personal injury cases, inquests and lawyers’ negligence cases. Her clinical negligence practice straddles a wide range of medical issues, including complex and serious cerebral palsy, brain injury and spinal injury cases. She is instructed both on behalf of claimants and the full range of healthcare defendants. Cara has undoubted expertise in quantum and is a formidable negotiator. She represents both families and hospital trusts in inquests, often involving deaths in hospital. She has acted in cases of suicide, neglect and unlawful killing as well as natural causes. She also undertakes personal injury cases, usually instructed on behalf of brain injured claimants.

David Hart KC

David Hart KC practises in environmental law, medical law, professional negligence and construction. He has also appeared at a number of major public inquiries. David has particular experience of group actions, in the environmental field (eight group actions alleging odour nuisance, four alleging dust & noise and a petrol contamination claim) and in medical cases. His construction law work has concerned landfill sites, nuclear and other power stations, and Mechanical and Electrical disputes.

Thomas Hayes

Thomas has a growing practice in clinical negligence, inquests, inquiries, and personal injury law. He was instructed by the Countess of Chester Hospital for the Thirlwall Inquiry, examining the wider circumstances and response to the crimes of Lucy Letby. He also represents both the Office of the Chief Medical Officer and the United Kingdom Health Security Agency in the ongoing Covid-19 Inquiry. In August 2025, Thomas will take on the role of Counsel to the Inquiry in the Lampard Inquiry, which investigates mental health-related deaths in Essex. In clinical negligence matters, Thomas regularly acts for both claimants and defendants. He has experience advising on both liability and quantum, including in high-value complex claims and those engaging the Human Rights Act 1998. His expertise extends to preparing pleadings, conducting conferences, and appearing in interlocutory hearings before the High Court and County Court. Thomas has also acted as sole counsel in a number of inquests on behalf of both families and medical providers. These have included multi-day inquests and those to be heard before a jury.

Susan Healey

Susan has wide ranging experience in all aspects of Public Law acting for Parents, Grandparents, Local Authorities, Official Solicitor and Guardians. She also has experience in all aspects of Private Family Law acting for both applicants and respondents. Susan accepts instructions in injunctive proceedings, often involving serious domestic violence and abuse. She has appeared in proceedings concerning Non-Molestation, and Occupation.

Alasdair Henderson

Alasdair Henderson has a broad practice with a particular interest in public law and human rights, employment and equality, clinical negligence and environmental law. He appears regularly before a wide variety of courts and tribunals, and also has considerable experience of inquests and public inquiries. Before coming to the Bar, Alasdair was a research fellow for the International Centre for Not-for-Profit Law in Washington DC. Following this, he worked for International Justice Mission in Kigali, Rwanda assisting in cases of land rights violations and sexual violence against children. He also acted as a consultant to the Rwandan Government on the revision of their legislation regulating charities and NGOs. He retains an interest in both public international law and civil society law, and has advised charities and NGOs on various issues, including cross-border employment matters and the enforcement of human rights obligations.

Matthew Heywood

Matthew Heywood is a well regarded leading junior. He is known for his high ranking ability in court as an advocate in the most complex and testing of cases where he routinely leads junior counsel. He has a wide ranging practice and is instructed in both private and public law matters in all tiers of the family court. Matthew provides seminars in chambers and online. He is also instructed by Local Authorities in the most complex public law cases. Matthew is also instructed in cases that involve extradition, human rights and international law.

Matthew Hill

Matthew practises in inquests and inquiries, public law and medical law. He was Counsel to the Inquiry at the Hillsborough Inquests, the Infected Blood Inquiry and the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. He represented the families of the deceased at the inquests into the deaths resulting from the Reading Terror Attacks in 2020 and was instructed by prominent core participants in the Covid-19 Public Inquiry, the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the Westminster Bridge attack inquests and the Al-Sweady Public Inquiry. He is co-editor of the forthcoming second edition of the Inquests Book and was shortlisted by Chambers and Partners as Inquests and Public Inquiries Junior of the Year in 2024. In medical law, Matthew acts for both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence litigation, including in catastrophic birth and spinal injury cases. He also undertakes disciplinary cases before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service and the General Dental Council. He acts for families, doctors and medical bodies in inquests. He advises on a wide range of medico-legal issues including those relating to consent, capacity, confidentiality and data protection. Matthew’s public law practise includes work on national security, information rights, immigration, human rights, and statutory and non-statutory inquiries. He acted for the Home Secretary in Court of Protection proceedings concerning the Novichok poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. He is a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel and he has twice been nominated as Legal 500 Public Law Junior of the Year.

Nicholas Horsley

Matthew Howarth

Matthew is a specialist public law barrister with particular expertise in immigration law and judicial review. His practice also encompasses statutory appeals, inquests, public inquiries and regulatory law Matthew has particular expertise in judicial review claims concerning unlawful detention and breaches of human rights and asylum-support duties, as well as sponsorship licence revocations and a range of civil penalty appeals. He appears regularly before the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice and the Upper Tribunal. Matthew also specialises in advising international clients on business immigration matters, including the duties and compliance guidance applicable to sponsor licence holders. He further assists hauliers in disputes arising under the Carrier Liability Regulations 2023.

Gavin Howe

Gavin Howe completed a common law pupillage with Crown Office Row in 2004 and, as a result, he has developed a diverse practice on the South Eastern circuit. Gavin predominantly practises in the field of child protection work and financial remedy proceedings. He is regularly instructed by local authorities, by parents, and by Children’s Guardians. Gavin is experienced in the area of matrimonial finance having started his practice in this area in 2005, he is regularly instructed in high value matrimonial proceedings for financial remedies pursuant to Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, Schedule 1 Children Act 1989. Gavin prides himself on providing clear and concise legal advice that is proportionate to the facts of the case. He is dedicated to achieving his client’s objectives through his effective negotiation and advocacy skills.

Darren Howe KC

Darren is a child law specialist who represents parents, children and local authorities across the whole range of children-related disputes. Darren specialises in complex cases at High Court level and above involving: Disputes as to the cause of catastrophic injuries and/or death of children, particularly cases that may involve complex and ‘cutting-edge’ medical and scientific evidence; Allegations of recent or historic sexual abuse; Allegations of Fabricated or induced illness; Darren has extensive experience in contentious private law cases involving allegations of parental alienation, intractable contact disputes, child abduction, domestic and international relocation. Darren advises public and private bodies concerning child protection duties.

Sarah Hunwick

Sarah joined Chambers in September 2024 from a leading common law set and specialises in public law proceedings relating to children. She acts for local authorities, parents, children, and other family members. At the start of her career Sarah also practiced criminal and civil law, giving her a breadth of other experience to draw upon when approaching new cases. Sarah has a growing reputation as a fastidiously prepared advocate who is determined to achieve the right result for her clients. She has adapted to a fully paperless way of working and is attending remote, hybrid and in person hearings.

Tim Hussein

Tim Hussein’s background is in both criminal and family law, but his practice has been exclusively in family law, both public and private, for the last 20 years. He primarily acts for children in the full gamut of public law proceedings ranging from cases involving parents with learning difficulties, mental health problems, substance and alcohol abuse related issues to serious non accidental injury, factious illness and sexual abuse. He is regularly instructed in the most serious of cases as a leading junior. Tim has been instructed in many private law matters involving same sex couples and often acts for 16.4 guardians.

Jeremy Hyam KC

Jeremy Hyam KC is a specialist in Clinical Negligence, Human Rights, Administrative and Public Law, Inquests and Public Inquiries, Professional Negligence, Professional Discipline and Environmental law. He has particular experience in all aspects of health law, including Mental Health, the regulation and discipline of doctors; contractual disputes, CQC regulation, NHS Procurement, the Health and Social Care Act, the Care Standards Tribunal, and cases concerning eligibility for and access to treatment including cases concerning community care.

Laura Inglis

Laura has a busy advisory and litigation practice spanning all areas of UK tax. She is a member of the Attorney General’s Panel, and acts both for HMRC and for taxpayers. Laura’s experience extends across the full range of personal tax issues – including income tax, capital gains tax, IHT and SDLT, as well as residence issues and satellite litigation arising from historic avoidance schemes. She also regularly advises on VAT and other indirect taxes, including Insurance Premium Tax and excise duties. She also acts in commercial disputes where VAT issues arise.

Natasha Isaac

Natasha accepts instructions in public and private law children cases, including those involving domestic abuse and substance misuse. In addition, Natasha has a particular interest in cases involving children with specialist healthcare needs and cases with religious elements. Natasha acts for all parties including parents, local authorities, professional guardians and prospective special guardians. Natasha has completed the FLBA Vulnerable Witness training programme.

Kirsten Japp

Kirsten specialises in family law with a focus on private law matters. She has a busy practice and accepts instructions across all levels of court. Kirsten has been described as professional and thorough but kind in her manner. She is a calm advocate, making the court process less stressful. She is known for grasping complicated cases quickly. Outside of court, Kirsten often presents seminars to solicitors and other legal professionals on various family law topics and sits on the Private Law Sub Group Committee for Sussex.

Nicholas Jones

Since completing pupillage at 1 Crown Office Row in October 2023, Nicholas has quickly built up a wide range of advocacy experience, having appeared unled in an extensive range of trials (including on the multi track), inquests, and interlocutory hearings. Nicholas has recently been instructed as part of the Counsel to the Inquiry Team in the Nottingham Inquiry (led by Rachel Langdale KC). The public hearings ran from February to June 2026, during which Nicholas questioned a number of witnesses. The Inquiry has been examining the events, acts and omissions that led up to Valdo Calocane killing three people and seriously injuring three others in Nottingham city centre in June 2023. Nicholas is currently growing his practice in areas of Public Law (including Ratings), having recently been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel (to commence 1 September 2026). He is happy to consider instructions across all of Chambers’ core areas.

Robert Kellar KC

Robert Kellar KC’s areas of specialism include Clinical Negligence, Professional Discipline and Regulation, Healthcare, Public & Administrative Law and Personal Injury. He acts for both claimants and major healthcare institutions in all types of clinical negligence claim. He has particular experience in complex, multi-party and high value litigation. Robert acts for doctors, dentists, nurses and other regulated professionals in all types of regulatory and disciplinary case. He has also been instructed in high profile judicial reviews and appeals to the higher courts and Court of Appeal. Robert also advises healthcare providers, organisations and individual practitioners in relation to a range of legal issues arising from the provision of healthcare. Robert speaks, publishes and advises in the emerging areas of AI, web3 and crypto regulation.

Paula Kelly

Paula joined Chambers in October 2024 and is developing a broad practice in all areas of Chambers’ expertise. She has appeared in the Supreme Court and unled in the High Court, Coroner’s Court, County Court and Magistrates’ Court. Paula accepts instructions in all areas of public and administrative law as well as human rights. She is a member of the Attorney General’s ‘Junior Junior’ Panel. Paula began to develop a specialised practice representing survivors of sexual abuse and neglect under the supervision of Justin Levinson, including claims in negligence, for violations of human rights, and for data breaches putting them at risk of further harm. She also has a particular interest in online and image-based abuse and was a Judicial Assistant to Mrs Justice Thornton in the case of FGX v Gaunt [2023] EWHC 419 (KB), the first civil judgment for image-based sexual abuse in England and Wales.

Andrew Kennedy KC

Andrew practises in clinical negligence, regulatory & disciplinary law, personal injury and sports law, inquests and public inquiries. He has been a leading practitioner in healthcare related disciplinary and regulatory practice since the substantial increase in volume of this work in the mid 1990s. He has been instructed on behalf of the respondent practitioner in some of the most significant and high-profile cases over that time. Andrew recently represented the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the Thirlwall Inquiry.

Leo Kirby

Leo joined chambers as a tenant in October 2025 after completing pupillage. During pupillage, he was supervised by Natasha Barnes, Matthew Hill, Rachel Marcus and Shahram Shargy, and Gideon Barth. He gained experience in public law, clinical negligence, inquiries, inquests, personal injury, human rights, tax, and immigration law. Leo accepts instructions in all types of clinical negligence cases. During pupillage, Leo undertook a secondment at a leading clinical negligence firm. He also undertook pro-bono work for Advocate.

Alice Kuzmenko

Alice Kuzmenko has established a practice in clinical negligence, education, inquests & inquiries, personal injury, public law and regulatory work. She has drafted pleadings, submissions, and advices in varying areas of law, and has undertaken advocacy at the county courts, High Court, and Coroners’ courts, as well as at the tribunal level, including in SEND and before regulatory committee panels. She has experience assisting with disclosure in complex and high value litigation and was junior counsel in the Guildford Pub Bombings inquests. Alice was on the Junior Junior panel for the CTI of the Brook House Inquiry, and has also worked as a Junior Junior for CPs in the Infected Blood Inquiry and Post Office Horizon Inquiry. She was also instructed in the public inquiry into the death of Jermaine Baker, led by Neil Sheldon KC and acting for the National Crime Agency.

Suzanne Lambert

Suzanne Lambert practises in inquests and inquiries, public law, medical law and disciplinary law. Suzanne has extensive experience in public law and human rights, judicial review, public inquiries, with particular expertise in immigration and asylum, unlawful detention, prisons, and matters (inquests and inquiries) involving the police, healthcare service and the prison service. She undertakes a wide range of common law cases, with a particular focus on healthcare, medical law and mental health, including clinical negligence and inquests, but also contractual matters involving institutions and GPs, cases involving ethical questions such as consent to treatment, human rights, mental health law, and confidentiality. She has particular expertise in cases involving serious and catastrophic injuries, IVF and surrogacy, and delayed diagnosis of cancer. She has experience with complex legal issues such as contributory negligence, apportionment between Defendants, fatal accident claims, consent, and secondary victim claims. Suzanne brings substantial experience and insight into public inquiries, gained through her involvement representing Core Participants and as part of the Counsel to the Inqiury team in several high-profile inquiries including the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry (member of the Counsel Team representing the Chief Constable of Police Scotland); the Covid Inquiry (representing DEFRA and the Secretary of State for Scotland in Module 1 and Module 2A respectively); the Al Sweady Public Inquiry (representing , and the Robert Hamill Inquiry (member of the Counsel to the Inquiry team).

Sarah Lambert KC

Sarah Lambert KC is a highly experienced specialist in complex clinical negligence, inquests, inquiries, personal injury and costs cases. Sarah’s empathetic but firm, and decisive but diplomatic approach makes her an astute advisor as well as a skilful and persuasive advocate. She is also often brought in to give unpalatable advice in difficult circumstances. With a strong track record of trial and settlement success, recent recovery on behalf of clients is in the tens of £millions. Sarah is currently also retained for Modules 2b and 3 of the Covid Inquiry. Sarah has in addition wide ranging judicial experience, sitting as a Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit (both in crime and in civil) and as a Deputy Costs Judge of the Senior Courts Costs Office. In accordance with section 9 (1) of the Senior Courts Act 1981, with the approval of the President of the Family Division, following consultation with the Lord Chancellor, Sarah has been authorised to act as a Judge of the High Court in the Family Division.

Rebekah Lee

Rebekah joined Chambers in October 2024 and is developing a broad practice in all areas of Chambers’ expertise. She has appeared in the High Court (both led and unled), the Coroner’s Court, County Court and Employment Tribunal. Most recently, Rebekah was instructed by the Claimants as a junior to Jeremy Hyam KC in a 12-day High Court trial. The Claimants argued that the gambling company owed a duty of care to the deceased, who, in the Claimants’ submission, had tragically taken his own life, due to a deterioration in his mental health stemming from his gambling. The Claimants await judgment. Rebekah has a strong interest in public law and human rights and is keen to continue building a practice in this area. She has drafted submissions on behalf of a claimant in a judicial review case. Rebekah also undertook a four-month secondment with a public law firm specialising in claimant-side judicial review and Equality Act matters. During this time, she assisted on a number of high-profile cases, including drafting Pre-Action Protocol letters and Summary Grounds in several judicial review claims concerning Article 10 rights. Rebekah is building both a claimant and defendant clinical negligence practice.

Matthew Leitch

Justin Levinson

Justin Levinson has a specialist personal injury practice focusing on compensation claims arising out of childhood sexual abuse. He is recognised to have particular expertise in claims against the Catholic Church and other religious institutions, having been in most of the leading cases in this area. He also has considerable experience of claims against care homes, schools, social services departments and youth groups. He represented claimants in what is thought to be the first case of alleged sexual assault by an Uber driver in the UK.

David Lewis-Hall

David’s practice focusses exclusively on Animal Law. He has advised various NGOs on broad areas of the law relating to animals, including, for example, matters relating to investigations and property law issues relating to hunting. His experience includes prosecuting RSPCA and local authority cases brought under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, both in relation to welfare and licensing offences. David collaborates with non-profits on animal law related projects. He is currently leading a research project looking at judicial narratives in Animal Law with Animal Think Tank and presented on this ongoing project at the UK Centre for Animal Law Annual Conference 2026, and in the animal law stream at the Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference 2026.

Dinah Loeb

Dinah Loeb specialises in complex family litigation. With more than 20 years’ legal experience having qualified as a solicitor in 1990, as a mediator in 2002 and a barrister in 2004, Dinah is experienced across both sides of the profession so is able to support lay and professional clients through the litigation process. Dinah is experienced in all courts including the Court of Appeal, undertaking work on the South Eastern Circuit, Western Circuit and London. Dinah is qualified to take on direct access work.

Nicola Logan

Nicola Logan joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2022, following the successful completion of her pupillage. Nicola accepts instructions in both Private and Public Family Law as well as Financial Remedy matters. Prior to joining the Bar, Nicola worked as a paralegal at a specialist Family Law firm assisting mostly in Private Children and Financial Remedy matters. Nicola has also volunteered as a mentor for Sussex pathways meeting with offenders both inside Lewes prison and in the community, as well as with the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group meeting with individuals detained in Brook House.

Vanessa Long

Vanessa regularly appears in care proceedings representing local authorities, parents and children at both contested and directions hearings, including emergency hearings, ICOs, CMHs, IRHs and Final Hearings. Vanessa has experience of dealing with allegations of neglect, physical and emotional harm, substance misuse and domestic violence amongst others. Vanessa represents both Applicants and Respondents in private law cases at all stages of proceedings, including applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Specific Issue Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders. Vanessa has particular experience in cases involving allegations of abuse and domestic violence between partners and against children and is able to advise parents on the procedural steps to be taken in such cases, including advice as to whether separate Fact Finding hearings are appropriate during proceedings. Vanessa accepts instruction from Applicants and Respondents in relation to applications for both non-molestation orders and occupation orders.

David Manknell KC

David Manknell KC practises principally in public law, inquests and medical law. Prior to taking Silk, he was a member of the Attorney General’s panels of Counsel from 2006, and the A-Panel from 2015 (reappointed in 2019, and again in 2023). David is a leading barrister in his practice areas, and has acted in some of the most high-profile, significant and complex cases in those fields. He has acted in hundreds of claims for judicial review across a broad range of areas including immigration and asylum, healthcare, prison law and criminal justice, regulatory proceedings, education, licensing, pensions and benefits, and national security matters, and often on further appeal to the Court of Appeal. He has particular expertise in cases involving direct challenges to policy changes, including issues about consultation. Many of his cases concern issues of equality and discrimination law.

Amy Mannion KC

Amy is recognised as a leading barrister by Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. Her primary areas of practice are public law, public inquiries, and indirect tax and duties. Until taking silk, Amy was a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Civil Counsel (A Panel). She practices in all areas of public law, and has particular experience with cases raising human rights issues; policing and investigations; matters associated with inquiries and reviews; indirect tax; duties; EU law/Withdrawal agreement and Windsor Framework matters; immigration and regulatory law.

Rachel Marcus

Rachel Marcus has developed a specialised healthcare practice. She acts in high-value clinical negligence matters, including birth injury and spinal injury claims. She is a highly experienced inquest advocate, appearing on behalf of both families and healthcare providers in inquests involving hospital and mental health settings, prisons and the community. Rachel is experienced in front of juries and in Article 2 inquests.

Isabel McArdle

Isabel McArdle practises in tax, healthcare law (including clinical negligence, cross-over public law matters, personal injury and inquests) and public law (including judicial reviews in the tax field, human rights and public inquiries). Isabel has a breadth of experience acting in tax, rating and duties matters for taxpayers and HMRC. She regularly appears against silks. Her forensic advocacy skills have been deployed in a wide range of cases including VAT abuse of rights in VAT, domestic and non-domestic rating and tax judicial reviews. Isabel’s healthcare and public law work is extensive, including complex inquests raising multiple Article 2 ECHR issues, clinical negligence trials and public inquiries.

Lucy McCann

Angus McCullough KC

Angus McCullough KC is recognised as one of the leading KCs at the Bar across a range of different fields, and particularly noted for the strength of his written and oral advocacy as well as his negotiation skills and strategic awareness. He has 35 years of experience in public and private law on behalf of individuals, private bodies, Government departments, and other public bodies. He has been appointed to act as amicus curiae (advocate to the court) on many occasions, including in the phone hacking trial of R v Rebekah Brooks et al and committal proceedings against Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson). He has represented the UK Government at the UN in Geneva and in European Court of Human Rights in proceedings in Strasbourg. He has acted in 10 cases before the House of Lords / Privy Council / Supreme Court. In 2025 he was appointed to sit as a judge of the Courts of Appeal in Jersey and Guernsey (a part-time role).

Claire McGregor

Claire practices in a wide range of public and civil law, with a particular emphasis on environmental law, construction and engineering, and private international law. Cross-border litigation forms a significant part of Claire’s practice. As such, she has developed expertise in the conflicts of laws, and advises on private international issues which typically arise in this type of litigation. Claire has also been instructed as an independent expert in domestic proceedings to advise on discrete private international law issues. Claire has extensive experience representing claimants in complex tort cases, typically where environmental damage leads to claims for personal injury and financial loss. She represented local communities and fishermen in proceedings against Shell subsidiaries in Nigeria for extensive oil spillage affecting their livelihoods and causing long-term damage to the environment.

Nikita McNeill

Nikita McNeill is a highly sought‑after junior barrister with a practice combining inquests and public inquiries with expertise in professional discipline, sports law and general public law. Nikita has appeared in many of the most significant and high‑profile inquests and inquiries of recent years, earning recognition for her “formidable intellect”, “first‑rate expertise”, and “exceptional client care”. She is adept at managing cases involving substantial volumes of material and complex expert evidence, bringing clarity, precision, and strategic insight to every instruction.

Christopher Mellor

Christopher Mellor has a civil and public law practice, specialising in medically related matters, including: healthcare regulatory law, clinical negligence, inquests and public inquiries. He has extensive experience in medical disciplinary and regulatory work (e.g. MPTS hearings; before the GDC and NMC; and in Trust disciplinary hearings); in high-value clinical negligence claims (acting for both claimants and defendants); in complex and long-running inquests (including in a custodial setting); in cases involving medical treatment decisions (including emergency injunctions and declarations); and in other medical law related matters. He has been instructed in a number of high profile GMC cases, including GMC v Dr Andrew Wakefield and others (the prosecution of the three doctors involved in the research connected with the MMR debate), and in judicial review proceedings brought against the GMC.

Jonathan Metzer

Jonathan Metzer has particular expertise in public and human rights law, asylum and immigration, inquests and public inquiries, clinical negligence, personal injury and tax. He has considerable advocacy experience across a wide range of courts and tribunals. Human rights are a major part of Jonathan’s practice. He has a particular expertise representing claimants in asylum and immigration cases, centred on the right to private and family life (Article 8), the right to asylum or humanitarian protection, the prohibition on inhuman/degrading treatment (Article 3), and unlawful detention. Jonathan is a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Special Advocates.

Emily Millard

Emily joined chambers as a tenant in October 2024, following the successful completion of her pupillage. She accepts instructions in all areas of family law. Emily is regularly instructed in care proceedings and appears for local authorities, parents, Guardians and Special Guardians. Emily has experience representing clients at all stages of proceedings, including Final Hearings, and has represented clients in the High Court in Deprivation of Liberty applications.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller has been a barrister practising family law since 2005 and practises in all areas of family law, but mainly focuses on financial remedy cases and children cases. Daniel is well known for his tenacious approach in court and during negotiations, and his calm and reassuring ‘client care’ skills. He is regularly praised for his readiness to provide assistance throughout the litigation process, often at short notice.

Robert Mills

Robert Mills is a clinical negligence specialist, acting for both claimants and defendants. Robert has experience of litigation across a wide range of areas of medicine, with a particular interest in obstetrics, brain injuries, oncology, orthopaedics and cardiology. He also conducts clinical negligence inquest work. He is experienced in handling high value litigation involving life-changing injuries. Robert has a particular interest in the law surrounding fatal accident claims, which represent a core component of his practice and on which he regularly provides training. He provides specialist advice on high value claims for care, loss of earnings and pension loss. He is regularly instructed by solicitors across the country, including Birmingham, Manchester and London, as well as a strong practice in the South West. In the personal injury field, Robert regularly conducts fast-track and multi-track trials. He has experience across the spectrum of personal injury litigation, including employer’s liability, occupier’s liability, Highways Act 1980 and road traffic cases. He regularly attends applications relating to issues such as pre-action disclosure, default judgment, amendments to statements of case and strike out.

Delia Minoprio

Delia Minoprio is a specialist family practitioner. She joined Chambers in January 2019 following a successful London practice at 42 Bedford Row. Delia accepts instructions in all aspects of family law children work. Both public law care proceedings and private family law matters. She acts for parents, children, local authorities and interveners and has appeared in court all over the country including the High Court, and the Court of Appeal. Delia has been instructed on cases relating to Non Accidental Injuries: fractures and bilateral subconjunctival haemorrhages and ‘pool of perpetrator’ fact findings in relation to serious sexual abuse. Delia has appeared as a junior in the High Court for long running cases involving issues relating to Factitious Induced Illness and Non Accidental Injuries.

Jo Moore

Jo has a broad practice, specialising in medical law, inquests and inquiries, public law, employment and sports. She regularly acts in clinical negligence matters of factual and procedural complexity. She developed significant experience in high value claims, including birth injuries and catastrophic injuries, during a lengthy specialist medical negligence secondment. Jo has acted in a number of high-profile public inquiries. She was instructed as one of the junior counsel to the Brook House Inquiry, a public inquiry surrounding the mistreatment of detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre. She is currently representing the Government Office for Science and the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in the Covid Inquiry. Jo is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel. She undertakes a wide range of government work, including immigration, employment, information law, prison law, and personal injury. She was constructed in a number of judicial review proceedings concerning EU and ECHR law in respect of asylum-seeking children, and has appeared before the High Court, Upper Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Dublin III cases. She has a specialist interest in citizenship and overseas nationality.

Richard Mumford

Richard is a specialist healthcare and personal injury barrister, providing timely and focused advocacy and advice to injured individuals and to clinical practitioners and organisations, amongst others. Richard’s healthcare work is focused on claims relating to medical accidents of all descriptions but also encompasses regulatory proceedings and contractual claims relating to the provision of healthcare and related services. In addition, Richard regularly deals with personal injury claims ranging from serious road traffic injury and industrial injuries to physical and sexual abuse. Richard also advises and represents clients in relation to costs arising from litigation.

Allyna Ng

Allyna accepts instructions across all of 1 Crown Office Row’s areas of specialism, with particular expertise in medical, regulatory, public, and immigration law. She has a keen interest in human rights work across practice areas and is the Assistant Editor of the UK Human Rights Blog. Allyna is regularly instructed in immigration and administrative law matters. She has appeared unled in the High Court, the County Court, and the First-tier Tribunal. Allyna is currently on secondment to HM Revenue and Customs and was previously seconded to a leading claimant public law firm where she assisted on significant cases involving gender rights, free speech, and actions against the police. Allyna previously practised as a lawyer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where she handled a variety of matters in all aspects of civil litigation, including high-profile cases involving freedom of religion and misfeasance in public office. Allyna has appeared both in her own right and led in the Industrial Tribunal, Sessions Court, High Court, and the Court of Appeal in Malaysia.

Hannah Noyce

Hannah Noyce has a varied practice spanning the core areas of Chambers work. She specialises predominantly in clinical negligence, inquests, and personal injury, as well as undertaking work in data and privacy law, and environmental law. Hannah is regularly instructed by both claimants and defendants in a broad range of complex and sensitive clinical negligence claims. Hannah regularly appears at a wide variety of inquests for both families and other interested parties. She has particular expertise in inquests involving medical treatment, mental health, prisons, and food safety.

Iain O’Donnell

Iain O’Donnell has a common law and specialist criminal practice that encompasses child abuse compensation law, clinical negligence, general high-value personal injury, animal welfare, animal and medical related crime, sports law and public inquiries. Iain acts in complex, historic abuse claims of every type. He has brought successful claims against local authorities, private schools, the church, the scouts, the boys brigade and other defendant organisations as well as against abusers in person. Iain has given various lectures and seminars in the many legal issues that arise in child abuse claims, and has appeared in a number of the cases that have come to define this area of the law, the most recent of which is CN & GN v Poole Borough Council in which Iain acted for the Claimants, and in which the issue of whether private law claims in negligence can be brought against local authorities for the failures of their social services departments was addressed by the Supreme Court.

Simon Parra-Chokier

Simon is a civil barrister accepting instructions nationwide for preliminary hearings and trials, as well as advisory and drafting work. His expertise includes property, landlord and tenant, credit hire and insolvency. In addition, he has a well-established practice in consumer credit law, regularly representing claimants in unfair relationship cases under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and secret commission cases. Prior to being called to the Bar, Simon was a financial services paralegal, a personal injury litigation assistant, a judicial assistant and appeared as a junior advocate in civil rights proceedings overseas.

Michael Paulin

Michael's primary practice is in tax litigation and tax dispute resolution, including judicial review claims involving HMRC. More broadly, Michael’s practice involves the intersection between tax law, administrative law, and employment law. His employment practice involves a diverse range of employment status cases, as well as complex and multi-week whistleblowing and discrimination claims. Michael is instructed regularly by entrepreneurs, corporates, small and medium sized accounting firms, as well as government agencies. He also accepts instruction via direct access in suitable cases. He also has substantial experience advising and representing businesses in quasi-criminal tax matters, including information requests and Code of Practice 9 enquiries.

Jane Peckham

Jane Peckham is the Head of the Financial Remedies Team in Chambers and specialises in this practice area. She has a reputation for being hard working and approachable. She has been a Resolution trained family mediator since 2013; Jane has acted as a mediator in numerous family mediations including financial remedy disputes

Georgina Pein

Georgina is developing a diverse practice across the spectrum of Chambers’ areas, encompassing public law & human rights, tax & customs, information, privacy & media, professional discipline, regulation and sports law, education, and employment. She is on the Government’s ‘Junior Junior’ scheme and has appeared unled in the High Court, the County Court and the Magistrates’ Court. Before coming to the Bar Georgina worked as a professional chef in a Michelin-starred London kitchen. During her legal studies she interned at a non-profit law firm in Philadelphia where she assisted with appeals on behalf of incarcerated individuals. She has also volunteered with a range of organisations, including Refuge and Citizens Advice.

Shaheen Rahman KC

Shaheen Rahman KC is an expert in Public Inquiries, Inquests, Clinical Negligence, Public Law, Human Rights and Civil Liberties. Shaheen co-led Module 10 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Hearings commenced on 16 February 2026 and concluded on 5 March 2026. The Module examined the impact of the pandemic and the measures in response on society, with a particular focus on mental health, key workers, the most vulnerable and the bereaved. Shaheen acts for families and healthcare professionals at inquests with extensive experience of Article 2 and jury inquests concerning detained patients, the elderly and infant deaths. Shaheen is instructed by the leading firms on behalf of Claimants and Defendants in high value, complex and sensitive clinical negligence matters including catastrophic brain injury and severe obstetric injury claims. Currently instructed in a large number of ongoing cerebral palsy and catastrophic injury claims, for both Claimants and Defendants.

Pritesh Rathod

Pritesh Rathod is a sought after barrister who specialises in the fields of clinical negligence and personal injury. He regularly appears in the High Court and County Courts in a wide range of hearings, with a particular strength in trials and appeals. He represents both claimants and defendants. Inquests also feature heavily in his practice, where he acts for families, NHS Trusts and individual doctors. Pritesh brings his medical law experience to sports law cases including advising on disputes between athletes and their governing bodies and personal injury and/or clinical negligence cases arising out of sporting injuries.

Paul Rees KC

Paul Rees KC is most widely known and recognised for his clinical negligence practice where he has been involved in some of the most significant cases, in particular the series of “indexation” cases, which were considered in the Court of Appeal in 2007. He also practices in a range of related fields including personal injury, professional disciplinary tribunals, inquests and certain aspects of administrative law. He has experience in other non-medical types of professional negligence involving construction professionals and associated litigation.

Paul Reynolds

Paul has a wide range of experience across indirect tax, rating law, clinical negligence and inquests and inquiries. Paul routinely acts for Claimants and Defendants in a wide variety of high-value and complex clinical negligence cases including, for example, birth injury cases, spinal and head injury cases, and cancer cases. He is very experienced in both complex liability cases, and also high-value quantum cases, and often appears in Court and at settlement meetings against KCs. Paul has a long experience of representing a wide range of interested person/core participants at inquests and public inquiries respectively, as well as experience of being Counsel to the Coroner in inquests and Counsel to the Inquiry. He has also acted in a number of sui generis statutory inquiries relating to, for example, tolls that may be charged by a ferry company incorporated by statute. Paul is very experienced in a wide range of inquest contexts including, deaths in custody or while under Mental Health Act orders, deaths arising out of transport accidents involving aircraft, trains and boats, and all kinds of clinical negligence cases.

Gareth Rhys

Gareth Rhys accepts instructions across all of 1 Crown Office Row’s areas of specialism and has a broad practice in courts and tribunals up to, and including, the UK Supreme Court. He has experience acting for individuals, corporate entities and government departments working on matters principally relating to public, administrative and revenue law, although he has experience of customs, environmental law, medical law, personal injury, and immigration, as well as public inquiries and inquests (including Article 2 inquests). Gareth is a member of the Attorney General’s London C Panel of counsel and undertakes a wide range of work for government departments across Whitehall. Gareth’s background is in public and revenue law. For two years, he was a government barrister at HMRC. He also spent a period as Senior Crown Counsel in St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, advising the Attorney General and acting for the Governments of the territories in a wide range of civil and constitutional proceedings, including judicial reviews.

Christopher Rice

Christopher Rice has practised in London and Sussex since his call in 1991 and specialised in family law for most of his career. His practice now incorporates all aspects of family law both in both private and public law matters.

Kate Richmond

Kate is an experienced practitioner with a busy civil practice specialising in commercial and property work. She accepts instructions in Commercial, Property, Landlord & Tenant and Consumer Credit. Kate acts for a full range of clients including banks, insurers, utilities, finance companies, directors, shareholders, local authorities, and charities. She is commended for her considered approach to client care and commercial awareness. Kate is an accomplished trial advocate who also provides advice on a range of matters relating to property and contract. She has completed mediation training with ADR Group and accepts instructions in civil and commercial disputes. Kate previously worked as a Court Advocate and “LawBrief” providing advocacy, advice and drafting services to SMEs about contracts and commercial property. She also provided pro-bono advice and representation for the Camden Community Law Centre and for the Duty Advice scheme at county courts.

Jacqueline Roach

Jacqueline Roach’s practice covers the full range of public law children cases and she is Head of the Family Team. Before coming to the Bar, Jacqueline worked in publishing and then in public relations running the Citizens Advice Bureau’s press office.

Ayisha Robertson

Ayisha Robertson is a specialist in Family Law. Her educational background and MSc in Psychodynamics enable her to effectively work with children and vulnerable clients. She is frequently instructed to represent clients with learning difficulties and recognised psychiatric disorders. Ayisha is acknowledged as an experienced junior in both private and public law children matters. She represents parents and children through their Guardians in both domains. Ayisha is a preferred choice for parents in cases involving sensitive issues related to mental health and learning disabilities. Her approachable manner makes her accessible to clients, who form strong connections with her, while her robust and thorough advocacy ensures clients feel their cases are presented with the utmost force.

Judith Rogerson

Judith Rogerson has a civil practice with a particular focus on cases involving healthcare professionals. She has extensive experience of acting on behalf of patients, NHS Resolution and individual medical practitioners in a wide range of cases arising out of allegations of clinical negligence. She also has a good knowledge of professional discipline having been involved in cases in a range of healthcare tribunals including the MPTS, GDC, NMC and HCPC as well as internal Trust disciplinary proceedings and fitness to practise hearings involving medical students. Judith frequently appears in the Coroner’s Court where she represents families, clinicians and other interested persons.

Dominic Ruck Keene

Dominic Ruck Keene is an experienced specialist practitioner in the fields of inquests, personal injury and clinical negligence. He also has significant complimentary expertise in employment and equality law, and cases engaging Articles 2 and 3 ECHR. As a longstanding member of the Attorney General’s Panels (A Panel since 2024), Dominic is regularly instructed by a number of different departments in some of the most complex Government cases involving a wide spectrum of different areas of law. These cases frequently involve overlapping issues of tort, human rights and/or employment law. Dominic has a particular interest and expertise in all cases involving service personnel having served in the Regular Army and Army Reserves since 2006, including on operations in Afghanistan. As a Reservist Lt Colonel he is currently the Commanding Officer of the Oxford University Officers Training Corps, in charge of nearly 250 Student Officer Cadets and Permanent Staff. He is continuing in full time legal practice throughout his time in command.

Oliver Sanders KC

Oliver Sanders KC specialises in: public law and human rights, including national security, extremism and investigatory powers; data protection, privacy and information law; inquests, inquiries and investigations; breach of confidence; and contempt of court. He has been a member of the Bar Pro Bono Scheme and the Inner Temple Advocacy Training Programme, given numerous lectures (including the Justice / Sweet and Maxwell FOI Conference and ALBA Summer Conference) and given evidence to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. In 2023 Oliver received a Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Outstanding Achievement Award, the highest honour the LALYs can give, as part of the team who represented the family of Molly Russell at the inquest into her death.

Hannah Saxena

Hannah is a Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury specialist, instructed by both claimants and defendants. She regularly appears against leading counsel in interim hearings, joint settlement meetings (JSMs), and mediations. Hannah’s cases span the breadth of PI and clinical negligence but she has particular experience in cases involving spinal cord injury and delayed diagnosis of cauda equina syndrome as well as catastrophic injuries sustained by children. Hannah is aware of the practicalities of decisions that need to be made by her clients and ensures that she is equipping them with enough information to make those decisions. She is regularly instructed in cases of significant complexity with issues surrounding accommodation, care, life expectancy and pension loss.

Benjamin Seifert

Benjamin Seifert is a specialist public law practitioner. He is also consistently ranked as a leading barrister in extradition and has extensive experience in representing individuals, UK and foreign governments and requesting judicial authorities in the European Union. He regularly appears in the Supreme Court, Divisional and Administrative Courts. In public law, he is frequently instructed by the Government in difficult judicial reviews concerning immigration and prison law. Clients value Benjamin’s excellent communication skills, expert knowledge, meticulous grasp of the details of the case and pragmatic approach. Benjamin is an accomplished linguist and speaks French and Italian to court standard. Benjamin is frequently instructed by the Government in complex judicial reviews concerning immigration and prison law. He also has a significant coronial and inquiry practice, with particular expertise in deaths in custody, and advice on unlawful detention, and national security. His background in criminal law assists him with inquest juries.

Pegah Sharghy

Pegah Sharghy is a specialist financial remedy practitioner. Pegah’s core practice is firmly bedded in all aspects of financial dispute on relationship breakdown with a particular interest in unraveling complex financial arrangements and hi-lighting undisclosed assets. Solid experience in conducting challenging and high value cases. Valued by clients as approachable, pragmatic and robust when required.

Shahram Sharghy

Shahram Sharghy is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence barrister with extensive expertise in handling complex and catastrophic claims including brain injury, spinal cord injury and fatal accidents. He regularly represents claimants in the Coroner’s Court, the High Court and in the Court of Appeal. In addition to his medical law expertise, Shahram has appeared in several of the leading cases regarding High Court Enforcement. Shahram is instructed in claims concerning most areas of alleged medical mismanagement and negligence. Recently he has concentrated on claims concerning delayed treatment such as surgery and cancers, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and other birth related complications.

Neil Sheldon KC

Neil Sheldon KC is recommended by the directories as a leading silk in a broad range of practice areas, including public & administrative law, public inquiries & inquests, professional discipline, and clinical negligence. He has acted in many of the most important public inquiries and inquests of recent years including the Inquests into the terrorist attacks on Fishmongers’ Hall, Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Manchester Arena, the Victoria Climbie Inquiry, the Zahid Mubarak Inquiry, the Al Swaedy Inquiry, the Iraq Inquiry and the Alexander Litvinenko Inquiry. He acted for the NCA and a number of government departments in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). He was also instructed by the Cabinet Office in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, by a leading medical defence union in the Infected Blood Inquiry and is currently leading counsel for the Home Office in the Undercover Policing Inquiry. He has extensive experience of advocacy in the higher courts. He has appeared in over 50 cases in the Court of Appeal, and in a number of the most important recent human rights appeals in the Supreme Court. Neil is currently instructed in a number of forthcoming Supreme Court appeals, and several cases before the European Court of Human Rights.

Mark Sheppard

Mark Sheppard accepts instructions across a range of chambers’ civil practice areas. He is a member of the Attorney General’s C Panel. Mark is regularly instructed to represent clients across a wide range of Courts, including appearing as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal. Prior to joining Chambers, Mark worked for the Bar’s pro bono charity, Advocate, as a caseworker.

Amy Sims

Amy joined chambers as a tenant in January 2026, after completing pupillage. She accepts instructions in both private and public family law. During pupillage, Amy appeared regularly in court in both private and public law matters including representing the local authority, parents and the children’s guardian.

Sarabjit Singh KC

Sarabjit (Sab) Singh KC specialises in tax, including the interface between tax and public law. Sab also specialises in public law in its own right, and frequently appears in judicial review and tax cases in the highest courts, including regular appearances in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Sab primarily acts for taxpayers across a whole range of taxes, principally indirect tax but including direct tax also. He has appeared in numerous landmark cases over the last few years. These include the British Film Institute litigation on the VAT cultural exemption that went to the European Court of Justice, appearing as sole counsel in the Amoena appeal which is the only ever customs case to have gone to the House of Lords or Supreme Court, acting as lead counsel in the seminal rating case of Newbigin v Monk in the Supreme Court and appearing again in the Supreme Court in the major VAT case of SAE Education Ltd. Sab primarily acts for taxpayers against HMRC on liability issues in a wide range of cases across multiple sectors, and often successfully challenges HMRC’s approach before a case has got anywhere near a court or tribunal. In public law, Sab appears in first-instance judicial reviews for both claimants and public bodies and also has vast appellate experience in the Court of Appeal, having appeared there dozens of times as sole counsel. He has acted in a number of complex cases, particularly where they interact with other areas he practices in. For example, he successfully appeared for the taxpayer in the Administrative Court in the Hotelbeds case challenging HMRC’s refusal to repay input VAT, acted as amicus in the Court of Appeal in the AR (Pakistan) case on immigration bail powers, has had numerous successful appearances in the Court of Appeal in human rights cases and appeared in the Supreme Court in the important constitutional case of Majera.

Simon Sinnatt

Simon Sinnatt is a property law specialist, practising primarily in Sussex, London and the South Coast, acting for developers, local government and private clients. He gives talks each year to both Local Government and solicitors in The South East. He is noted for taking an innovative practical approach to clients’ problems.

Peter Skelton KC

Peter Skelton KC’s practice encompasses public inquiries, inquests, human rights litigation, clinical negligence, judicial review, national security and personal injury litigation, with a particular emphasis on multi-party actions and claims arising in foreign jurisdictions. He acts for both claimants and defendants. Peter has been instructed in several major public inquiries over the last 20 years, most recently the Thirlwall Inquiry (for the families), the Undercover Policing Inquiry (for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police), the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (as counsel to the inquiry), the Leveson Inquiry (for the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime), the Al-Sweady Inquiry (for Iraqi judges), and the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry (for two national healthcare charities). He has previously represented bereaved families in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry and the Royal Liverpool Children’s Inquiry. From 2005 to 2009, he was counsel to the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry, which investigated allegations of state collusion in the solicitor’s murder. In recent years, Peter has also acted for groups of victims and survivors of sexual abuse by David Fuller, Jimmy Savile and Max Clifford. He has also represented claimants in several other high-profile group actions, including Ian Paterson (breast surgery) and Rob Jones (gynaecological surgery). Previously, he acted for the claimants in the Winterbourne View Litigation the Cornwall Partnership Trust Litigation (institutional neglect and abuse), and the Nationwide Organ Group Litigation. On the defendant side, Peter has acted for the Metropolitan Police in a group actions arising allegations of inappropriate sexual liaisons by undercover police officers, and in the claims brought by the families of the four victims of serial killer Stephen Port. He has also represented the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the Kenyan Emergency Group Litigation, which involved allegations of mistreatment by the Colonial Government of Kenya in the 1950s; and was instructed by an international mining corporation in a multi-party human rights claim arising from allegations of police brutality in Sierra Leone.

Adam Smith

Adam Smith has been a family law specialist for over 30 years. He served as Co-Chair of the Sussex Family Justice Board for nine years between 2013 and 2022, responsible for seeking to improve family Justice both locally and nationally. Adam specialises in cases that involve complex medical evidence (including child death) allegations of sexual abuse, factitious illness and cases involving conflicting medical evidence. He also has experience in private law cases involving parental alienation, and intractable contact disputes.

Richard Smith

Richard Smith’s practice focuses on professional discipline, clinical negligence, professional negligence, personal injury and costs. Richard is instructed on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants in cases of clinical negligence of all types. He has a broad experience and active caseload including multi-million pound claims and is involved in claims at all stages from pre-action to trial. He frequently advises on substantive matters of liability and quantum, as well as on procedural and interlocutory matters. He also appears at inquests for families and medical professionals in cases where there is a suggestion that death could have resulted from clinical error. Richard has broad experience of representing medical and dental practitioners before their regulatory bodies. He regularly appears before the Medical Practitioners Tribunal in Fitness to Practise cases brought by the GMC, and before the Professional Conduct Committee of the GDC. He is also instructed in cases where the regulator is seeking an interim order.

Anogika Souresh

Anogika Souresh accepts instructions across a range of Family Law and Court of Protection matters. She has acted in cases in which both mental capacity and best interests are in dispute. She regularly appears on behalf of the Official Solicitor, local authorities, ICBs, and family members. Anogika has experience of acting in complex fact-finding hearings. In Family Law, she regularly appears in care proceedings, acting for Local Authorities, Guardians, parents and grandparents. She has also been instructed on behalf of the police on disclosure matters in care proceedings. Anogika represents both Applicants and Respondents in private law cases at all stages of proceedings, including applications for Child Arrangements Orders, Specific Issue Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders. She has been instructed in cases involving allegations of domestic and sexual abuse.

Hope Spalding

Hope accepts instructions in both Public and Private Family Law matters. Hope is frequently instructed in care proceedings acting for Local Authorities, Guardians and Parents, including urgent hearings, contested EPOs and ICOs, through to final hearings. Hope represents parents with complex needs including clients with substance misuse issues, learning difficulties and poor mental health. Hope is also regularly instructed to appear in FDAC proceedings. As well as undertaking final hearings, Hope regularly deals with emergency hearings before the court, including ICOs and EPOs. She also deals with out of hour applications.

Scott Storey

Scott Storey has a busy public law practice encompassing mental capacity, education, community care and inquests. He is particularly recognised for navigating cases involving vulnerable adults and adolescents with sensitivity and care. Scott frequently appears in the Court of Protection instructed by the Official Solicitor, local authorities, NHS bodies and family members. He has acted in over 250 cases in the area involving a diverse range of issues, including serious medical treatment, international relocation, sexual relations and hoarding. Scott’s work in the Court of Protection complements and frequently intersects with his practice in education, community care and inquests, including challenges to decisions under the Care Act 2014 and related legislation, as well as inquests arising from mental health and social care contexts.

Sarah Taite

Sarah is a highly regarded Family Law specialist, regularly instructed in complex and sensitive cases. Prior to being called to the Bar, she qualified in Mental Health Nursing, a background that enables her to work with particularly vulnerable clients with empathy and insight.

Nigel Taylor

Nigel Taylor is an experienced family law advocate. His practice includes public law care proceedings, private law matters and financial disputes. He is an accomplished advocate and an experienced negotiator, passionate about getting the best outcome for his clients. He has an expert understanding of local procedures in the family courts in Sussex, Surrey and Kent as well as being thoroughly familiar with the Central Family Court, High Court and Court of Appeal.

Lloyd Thomas

Lloyd Thomas is building a civil practice and accepts instructions in general civil law matters. He regularly appears in the County Court in procedural hearings and trials on both the small claims and fast tracks. He also accepts paperwork instructions to advise and draft documents in a range of civil matters including personal injury and breach of contract actions. Prior to joining chambers Lloyd worked at the Serious Fraud Office as a paralegal on fraud and bribery / corruption investigations. He also spent time as a volunteer at Wealden Citizens Advice, providing assistance to the public on a range of issues.

Owain Thomas KC

Owain Thomas KC has a broad practice with an emphasis on the areas of medical law, professional discipline, public law (in particular relating to healthcare) and taxation. He has wide experience acting for both Claimants and Defendants (NHS and MoD) in clinical negligence, particularly high value claims resulting from birth injury or other catastrophic injuries. He has experience of a wide variety public law challenges against Mental Health Trusts in the Administrative Court and emergency injunctions and best interests cases in the Family Division. He regularly appears for public authorities (hospitals, mental health Trusts and prisons) in complex inquests. He has appeared in hundreds of indirect tax cases in the domestic courts (in the Tribunal, the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) and the European Court of Justice. His experience includes advisory work as well as advocacy in all areas of indirect taxation. He appears for HMRC and taxpayers. He also has particular experience in the field of customs duties, goods classification, anti-dumping duty and landfill tax.

Bruce Tregoning

Bruce is an experienced Family Lawyer. Since joining Chambers in 2009 Bruce has developed a wide-ranging practice representing all parties in the Family Courts throughout Sussex, Kent, Surrey and London. Prior to his call to the Bar as a Barrister in 2009 he qualified as a Solicitor in 2002. As a Solicitor Bruce specialised in a wide range of family law issues which included both public and private law cases. He then practiced for 6 years as a Child Protection Lawyer and Advocate Solicitor for a Local Authority on the South Coast, specialising in both public law children act matters and Adult Mental Health cases.

Pauline Troy

In 1989, Pauline qualified as a solicitor and has practised exclusively in the field of family law since. Then in 1996 Pauline was accredited by the Law Society as a member of the Children Panel authorised to represent parents and children in public law proceedings. Over the years, Pauline undertook increasing amounts of advocacy as a solicitor, and in 2007 was awarded Higher Rights of Audience by the Law Society and has now fully embraced this skill by transferring to the Bar in October 2011. Pauline is therefore a dual qualified practitioner in that she remains on the roll of solicitors but now practises as a barrister. Pauline’s experience covers the full range of child protection cases including the most serious matters involving homicide within the family, sexual abuse, non-accidental injury, neglect, domestic violence, substance misuse and mental health difficulties. She has developed a particular expertise in the law relating to children, especially children and their families in the context of public law care and adoption proceedings. In addition to her children’s work in the public law field, Pauline has considerable experience of the law arising from alternative family structures, especially in the gay community, and families created by surrogacy or donor insemination arrangements.

Edward Waldegrave

Edward’s practice is focussed on tax (both direct and indirect) and public law disputes. He acts for a broad range of clients, including individuals, small and large businesses, and government bodies. He has appeared at all levels of the court system, up to and including the Supreme Court, often as sole or lead counsel. In 2024 Edward was appointed to the Attorney General’s “A” Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown. Edward’s tax practice covers litigation and advice across all areas of direct and indirect tax. His practice spans both personal and business taxes, and the cases on which Edward is instructed are often complex, high-value, and/or involve important points of principle. Edward is frequently instructed in public law matters, including cases involving human rights issues, the Tameside duty of enquiry, and the Public Sector Equality Duty. He has acted for claimants and defendants in judicial review proceedings (sometimes in conjunction with statutory appeals) in a variety of contexts.

Amelia Walker

Amelia Walker has a broad Public law practice including public inquiries, education, local government, Court of Protection and human rights law. She represented one of the core participants in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse and was junior counsel for one of the core participants in the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry.

Michael Walker

Michael Walker has a busy civil practice and regularly accepts instructions in general civil law matters but he has particular experience in property, commercial, professional negligence and personal injury. Michael deals with a wide range of property disputes. He regularly acts in Landlord and Tenant matters including service charge disputes, enfranchisement and dilapidation claims. He regularly appears before the county court and First Tier Tribunal. Michael also has experience of prosecutions under the Landlord and Tenant Act before the criminal courts. Michael regularly acts for landlords and tenants in residential possession proceedings and has experience of possession proceedings involving social housing and the impact of the Human Rights Act. He has particular specialism in dealing with cases of anti-social behaviour dealing with injunctions possession hearings and committal proceedings. Michael also regularly deals and has experience of succession cases for local authorities.

Marina Wheeler

Marina is a barrister, mediator and writer. Marina has a broad practice in public and human rights law with a special focus on detention, mental health and national security issues. The reconfiguration of hospital services has also featured heavily in Marina’s public law caseload, allowing her to develop expertise in the requirements of a fair consultation and application of the Public Sector Equality Duty. In addition to employment and public law work, Marina also undertakes complex family law cases, usually in the field of child protection and often involving a human rights or cross-border element. Marina is an accredited Mediator and handles investigations, especially those involving the workplace and the healthcare sector, building on her years of experience litigating employment disputes.

John Whitting KC

John Whitting KC has been recognised as a leading silk by the legal directories for a number of years. He is a specialist in all aspects of healthcare law, including clinical negligence, product liability and inquests. John is a noted trial advocate and has appeared in a number of the leading cases in those fields both at first instance and in the appellate courts.

Francesca Wiley KC

Francesca practices at the very highest level in both Private and Public Law Children Act cases, particularly where there are profoundly serious allegations against the parties. Prior to joining the Family Bar, she specialised in Criminal and Human Rights Law and as a result, much of her work covers the crossover between the family and criminal jurisdictions. This includes very many cases where there is a need for fact-finding and consequential or concurrent applications and investigations in criminal proceedings. Francesca specialises in cases where clients or other parties have been accused of murder, attempted murder of their children or partners, sexual abuse, paedophile rings, trafficking, radicalisation, and other very serious offences. Such cases often require medical and factual cross-examination of the highest calibre. Francesca has a further interest in matters involving underlying medical issues for children and adults, ranging from underlying genetic, bone and vascular disorders to factitious disorders and cases where an opposing party may have profound, yet undiagnosed personality and mental health difficulties. Francesca also undertakes inquests-based work internationally as well as having a significant on-going interest in human rights-based work in the UK and internationally and has been instructed in Kenya, The Falkland Islands and Mozambique.

Amelia Williams

Amelia Williams’s practice encompasses the full range of Chambers’ work. She has a broad practice, particularly in public law and human rights, immigration, personal injury, clinical negligence, inquests and professional discipline. She is ranked by the Legal 500 as a leading junior in Inquests & Inquiries, Immigration and Personal Injury. Amelia has a busy civil law practice. She appears regularly in court for both Claimants and Defendants in trials, application hearings, CCMCs and disposal hearings. She has considerable advocacy experience, and is a confident courtroom and trial advocate, having rarely spent a day out of court during her first few years of self-employed practice. Amelia is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel. She has been instructed by the GLD as sole counsel in the High Court, before the Upper Tribunal, in the First Tier Tribunal and in family proceedings. She is regularly instructed by the GLD as junior counsel in high profile cases, led by a number of different silks.

Lois Williams

Lois Williams has a broad practice across the main areas of Chambers’ work, including public law, human rights, inquiries, inquests, immigration, personal injury and clinical negligence. Lois has been instructed in several major inquiries and multi-party actions. She is currently instructed as junior counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), working on the Accountability and Reparations investigation and the Roman Catholic Church investigation. Lois is also regularly instructed in inquests, including those involving healthcare issues, mental health issues and deaths in custody, along with clinical negligence claims, personal injury and abuse claims.

Henry Witcomb KC

Henry Witcomb KC has a practice specialising in clinical negligence, personal injury, public authority liability and inquest representation. He has been involved in several of the leading cases in these fields. A significant amount of the work in both the clinical negligence and personal injury fields has involved participation in several multi-party actions, a number of which have involved claimants residing abroad. Principally these actions have involved the abuse and care of children but also involving other classes of personal injury and clinical negligence claimants.

Matthew Withers

Matthew Withers has a busy civil practice and regularly accepts instructions in general civil law matters but he has particular experience in employment and property. He continues to be ranked as a leading junior in both of these areas by both leading legal directories, with clients citing his diligence and technical knowledge, along with his personable and calm manner coupled with his analytical approach. Matthew accepts instructions across the full range of general civil work and regularly appears in appeared in court in a variety of interim hearings, as well as trials across the small claim, fast and multi tracks on behalf of both claimants and defendants. Matthew has experience in dealing with complex applications, and accepts paperwork instructions to advise and draft documents in a range of matters including personal injury, breach of contract, package holiday, and tort actions, including professional negligence claims.

Leanne Woods

Leanne Woods specialises in clinical negligence, inquests and public inquiries, professional discipline and regulation, and public law and human rights. She also has significant experience of military issues and disputes in the world of sport, and has worked in a commercial litigation department in private practice. Leanne is a member of the Attorney-General’s A panel of counsel. Leanne is a very experienced inquests barrister, who previously sat as an Assistant Coroner. She is instructed in challenging and high profile inquests, often involving death in state detention and sensitive mental health issues. Leanne mainly acts for families, healthcare bodies and professionals, care homes, the MOJ, the MOD and police forces. She has acted as junior counsel in the inquest into the sudden death of Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy (including related High Court proceedings involving public interest immunity).

Stuart Wright

Stuart Wright was our Head of Civil Litigation from 2018 – 2025 and qualified as an ADR Group Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator in 2014. Stuart retains a busy civil practice which compliments his work as a mediator. Stuart has a dedicated civil practice and has received consistently strong independent directory ratings throughout his career. He is regularly instructed in a range of common law matters with particular expertise in all aspects of property law and commercial disputes. Whilst predominantly practising throughout the South East, he travels nationally when required. Stuart qualified as a mediator in 2014 and regularly accepts instructions in a wide range of civil & commercial disputes. His career spanning more than two decades as a civil barrister, together with his ability to identify and focus on the issues at the heart of the dispute, provide a firm foundation for his mediation work.