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Sophie Cartwright KC
Sophie Cartwright KC
Sophie has an extensive inquest practice and is known for her knowledge and expertise in coronial law. She also specialises in regulatory law including health and safety and environmental offences and professional discipline. She regularly appears before the Court of Protection and is also recommended for Administrative Court work. R (on the application of C) v A Local Authority et al [2011] All ER (D) 171 (Jun) Neutral Citation: [2011] EWHC 1539 (Admin); Inquest Law, Issue 19 2010 pp 19-20; Inquest Law, Issue 20 2010 pp 36-37; The Queen on the application of Sreedharan v HM Coroner for the County of Greater Manchester and others, Court of Appeal [2013] EWCA Civ 181; The Queen on the Application of Augustine Housing Trust v Bolton Magistrates Court [2013] EWHC 4399 (Admin), 2014 WL 287665.
Elizabeth Dudley-Jones
Elizabeth Dudley-Jones
Elizabeth is regularly instructed in regulatory cases arising from alleged failures in the workplace, often where death or personal injury has resulted. She appears in cases where professional disciplinary, healthcare or medical related allegations arise. She has considerable experience in inquests, representing a wide number of local authorities, healthcare regulators (Care Quality Commission), individuals and families. She has 18 years experience in defending cases before juries and prosecuting cases before professional panels and tribunals. Her principle specialism relates to medical and healthcare law, involving professional negligence and professional discipline. She has been included on the General Medical Council’s preferred list of counsel for over 13 years. She regularly successfully prosecutes high profile cases for the GMC before the MPTS Fitness to Practice Panels. She has a wide experience in professional discipline cases (often linked to inquests and employment) and she has conducted cases before various tribunals, trusts and professional bodies. She continues to defend in criminal cases of the utmost gravity, such as rape and murder, particularly those with vulnerabilities, learning difficulties and mental disorders, with a notable success rate. She has a wide experience in the Coroner’s Court and has acted in a number of cases and inquests. Her broad medical knowledge and jury experience assists her to obtain good results for her client. She has a keen interest in health and safety and environmental law and has successfully prosecuted and defended cases for local authorities in the environmental and healthcare fields. She is currently recommended and listed in the directories as ‘a professional and persuasive advocate’ (Crime); ‘a safe pair of hands to coax and confront in cross-examination’ (regulatory, health and safety, and licensing). and as having ‘wide-ranging expertise of workplace and environmental regulation’.
Rachel Greenwood
Rachel Greenwood
Rachel’s practice falls predominantly in the field of personal Injury litigation. She undertakes work in a range of areas, covering Public Liability, Occupiers’ Liability, Employers’ Liability and Road Traffic Accidents, acting for both claimants and defendants. Rachel joined Deans Court as a tenant in October 2009, having completed her pupillage under the supervision of Richard Whitehall. Since then, Rachel has developed a busy civil practice, spanning a broad range of personal injury matters, including accidents at work and on the highway, occupiers’ liability and defective premises claims, road traffic accident claims, credit hire, and costs. Her work in these areas encompasses frequent court appearances, including at Fast Track trials, disposal hearings, interim applications, case management and directions hearings. She is also regularly instructed to draft pleadings, and to advise on issues of liability, quantum and procedure.
Rebecca Gregg
Rebecca Gregg
Rebecca began her career at Cobden House Chambers in 2004 and practised there until being invited to join Deans Court Chambers in 2013, having developed a specialist and thriving family law practice. In public law proceedings Rebecca represents Local Authorities, children’s guardians’ and parents and other interested parties. Rebecca has experience of complex cases involving non-accidental injury, non-accidental head injury, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, long standing neglect and violence towards professionals. In private law proceedings Rebecca has experience of difficult disputes including international and internal relocation, serious allegations of violence and representation of r16.4 guardians.
Virginia Hayton
Virginia Hayton
Virginia Hayton, following a general common law practice, has concentrated on Crime since 2001. She mainly appears on the Northern Circuit, however has appeared in Courts nationwide. She notably specialises in serious sexual offences, involving familial historic rapes and gang rape. Her general criminal work includes fraud, drug conspiracies, firearms offences and offences of violence up to and including murder. She has defended in a number of fitness to plead hearings and, thereafter, finding of fact hearings involving rape and serious sex offences. She mainly defends, however, also has a significant prosecution practice as a Level 4 prosecutor. Her regulatory Crime practice includes Health and Safety Executive Prosecutions, an area in which she also delivers lectures, and defending in the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council. She has considerable experience in conducting inquests, representing insured, public sector bodies and private limited companies.
James Hogg
James Hogg
James accepts instructions in all areas of civil law, with a particular emphasis on personal injury litigation involving allegations of dishonesty. His personal injury work encompasses RTA claims, public and employers’ liability actions (including industrial disease, stress at work and harassment cases), and occupiers’ liability claims. James is regularly instructed on behalf of several national insurers in suspected fraudulent road traffic accidents (whether staged, phantom passenger of LVI), fraudulent employers and public liability claims, and in credit hire litigation. A growing area of his practice concerns fraud rings and costs recovery against solicitors, ATE providers and other non-parties.
Jonathan King
Jonathan King
Since joining Deans Court Chambers in 2009, Jonathan has developed a busy practice within the commercial and common law fields. Jonathan is regularly instructed to settle pleadings and advices and to represent clients at Fast Track and Multi Track trials, as well as before other specialist tribunals. Jonathan is regularly instructed to advise on and represent clients in relation to a range of commercial, property and housing related matters, including matters related to the interpretation and performance of contracts, the title to and ownership of property, and to both the duties owed by property owners and managers and proceedings for possession of property. In addition, Jonathan is regularly instructed in relation to actual and threatened professional negligence actions involving residential surveyors and solicitors. Jonathan undertakes a substantial quantity and range of personal injury work covering Employers Liability, Public Liability and Road Traffic related matters, as well as advising on and contesting quantum awards. Jonathan is regularly instructed in relation to personal injury matters which involve questions regarding the extent of duties owed by landlords (e.g. under the Defective Premises Act). In addition, Jonathan is regularly instructed to settle pleadings, to advise on liability, and to represent clients in relation to Road Traffic matters where fraud is (or is to be) alleged. Jonathan is regularly asked to provide seminars to both professional and lay clients and has, over the past 12 months, provided seminars on subject matters ranging from developments in Commercial Law (including penalty clauses, the interpretation of contracts), aspects of Personal Injury litigation (including actions involving insolvent entities, tactics in RTA litigation). Prior to joining Deans Court Chambers, Jonathan worked as a Vice-President in the legal department of US investment bank Goldman Sachs. During his 4 years at the bank’s European headquarters in London, Jonathan was responsible for advising on and implementing the requirements of domestic and international anti-corruption and anti-money laundering legislation. His hands-on experience of applying the law in a rigorous and yet commercially practical manner leaves him well placed to advise companies, organisations and individuals on how best to apply the law to achieve their commercial and personal objectives.
Jonathan Lally
Jonathan Lally
Jonathan has a mixed practice, undertaking all forms of criminal, personal injury and regulatory work. He has developed a specialism in road traffic law. He is regularly instructed by insurance clients to represent drivers charged with road traffic offences, from the minor to the most severe cases involving death and catastrophic injury. This specialism enables work to be done on the same case in the criminal and civil courts, including inquests. His general crime work covers a wide range of offences, including drug offences, offences of violence and public order, dishonesty offences, fraud and money laundering offences (including POCA proceedings), and sexual offences. He acts for both the defence and CPS as a grade 3 prosecutor. His criminal work also extends to prison law where he has represented offenders at parole hearings and adjudications. Jonathan regularly undertakes personal injury work, with particular experience in civil fraud work. With experience in both criminal and personal injury advocacy, he is ideally positioned to robustly challenge complex evidence in fraudulent claims. He acts for both claimants and defendants in road traffic accident claims, occupiers’ liability claims, Highways Act claims, employers’ liability claims and claims resulting from breaches of health and safety legislation. He is instructed by the medical profession to represent doctors in proceedings at the GMC, and has conducted a variety of cases, including Fitness to Practice Hearings, IOP hearings and Registration Appeals. Such cases have involved issues of dishonesty, competence and the personal health of the doctors themselves, and as such require a sensitive approach to these issues combined with a vigorous defence of the doctor. Jonathan also represents Local Authorities in a variety of regulatory cases including food standards prosecutions and animal welfare cases. He also undertakes all types of licensing work for both private clients as well as prosecution agencies. He receives instructions in Health and Safety cases, both in respect of prosecutions and inquests representing individuals as well as corporate entities. He has been instructed on a number of occasions in the Falkland Islands on both criminal and personal injury matters.
Robert McMaster
Robert McMaster
Robert specialises in personal injury cases with a particular emphasis on matters involving fraud and quasi-fraud. He has wide experience of dealing with low velocity impact defences, allegations of staged accidents, phantom passengers and fraud rings. He also acts for a number of local authorities in public liability claims where there are serious causation concerns. Robert is also regularly instructed in employers’ liability cases and frequently acts for multi-national companies and local authorities in claims involving the six-pack regulations. He also deals with a wide range of public liability cases including occupiers’ liability claims with issues involving the design and layout of premises. Robert has also developed an interest in the application of the Data Protection Act 1998 and principles of confidentiality, particularly with reference to disclosure obligations.
Beth Morton
Beth Morton
Beth Morton started her career in London, having undertaken a general common law pupillage and early years of tenancy at 4, King’s Bench Walk Chambers in the Temple. She specialised in crime and family initially and often defended and prosecuted cases at Crown Court level. However, by 2004, she had also established a thriving family law practice and a keen interest in the subject. She decided to concentrate solely on family law. She relocated with her family to Manchester, where she was born and brought up. She joined 18, St John Street Chambers and practised there successfully for five years before being invited to join Deans Court Chambers in 2010. Beth Morton has developed a busy and thriving specialist family law practice. She regularly acts for Local Authorities, Guardians and parents in all aspects of public child law and private child law, adoption, special guardianship, Rule 16.4 cases and relocation cases. She has experience of complex and unusual cases, findings of fact hearings, and cases involving serious non-accidental injury, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, domestic violence and drug and alcohol misuse. Beth Morton has undertaken linked directions hearings where there are concurrent criminal and family proceedings and was involved in two directions hearings relating to murder cases, acting for the Local Authority in each case. She was led in a serious sexual abuse case acting for the alleged perpetrator where the criminal proceedings were concurrent. Beth Morton has experience acting at the County Court and High Court level and in the Court of Appeal.
James Paterson
James Paterson
Having joined chambers after the successful completion of a specialist criminal pupillage under the supervision of Mr Christopher Hudson, James has developed a very busy practice which incorporates both Criminal and Civil work. His Criminal practice incorporates all areas and he is regularly instructed on Magistrates and Crown Court work for both the prosecution and defence. In 2011, James was appointed Acting Crown Counsel for the Attorney General of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia & The South Sandwich Islands territory. This entailed prosecuting all crime in the jurisdiction as well as acting in a general advisory role to the Falkland Islands’ government in legislative matters. James has recently been commissioned by the Nursing & Midwifery Council to advise on charging and evidence in respect of fitness to practice hearings involving the misconduct, lack of competency and health of Registrants. James’s civil practice includes personal injury and fraud.
Ciaran Rankin
Ciaran Rankin
Historically Ciaran has prosecuted and defended all areas of Crime. More recently my practice has developed into representing individuals who have been accused of the most serious of sexual offences and prosecuting at the GMC. He is decisive in dealing with people and explain their options in a clear unfettered way. This is very often unpalatable advice. He deals with a wide range of personalities and treat each individual with respect patience and courtesy. He supplements this work with sitting in the Crown Court as a Recorder. This has allowed him to develop his skills as an advocate as a result of judging and witnessing others who appear before him.
Timothy Ryder
Timothy Ryder
Timothy Ryder has a particular interest in medical and scientific issues, deriving from an academic background in natural sciences, and has specialised in clinical negligence work, acting exclusively for claimants, for the last 20 years. He is regularly instructed by firms in the North-West and throughout the country. He also specialises in serious personal injury work, particularly catastrophic brain, spinal and other orthopaedic injury cases, and regularly undertakes such work for both claimants and defendants.
Bansa Singh Hayer
Bansa Singh Hayer
Bansa has practised predominately in the field of family work for over 20 years. In the field of public law children work Bansa is in particular demand for complex cases involving serious non-accidental injury and complex sexual abuse issues. He acts for parents, grandparents, children and local authorities and is often called upon to advise at an early stage in proceedings. Bansa has a diligent and methodical approach. He has a calm and conciliatory nature qualifying as a mediator in 1999. This skill is highly effective in the often fraught and emotive atmosphere of child care work. He is a powerful advocate with a reputation for rigorous cross-examination coupled with a straightforward, pragmatic approach. He produces high quality paper work. Bansa also accepts instructions in complex private law children cases with a particular interest in international movement of children and child abduction. Whilst Bansa is perhaps more widely known for his work in children cases he also has considerable experience in ancillary relief / Schedule 1 and TOLATA work and continues to do these cases on a regular basis. He also provides seminars and lectures to solicitors, social workers and expert witnesses.
Alex Taylor
Alex Taylor
Alex has a busy common law, employment and chancery practice acting for both claimants and defendants. He accepts instructions in a wide variety of cases from personal injuries to professional and private disputes. He has extensive experience in the field of road traffic fraud and expresses a particular interest in all manner of disputes arising in the work place including personal injuries, discrimination, restraint of trade and contractual issues. Alex is Junior Counsel to the Crown and represents government departments in personal injury claims, employment tribunal claims, enforcement of the Minimum Wage Act and land disputes. Alex welcomes instructions on conditional fee agreements, and is authorised to provide services on a ‘direct access’ basis. Alex operates a paper free practice and welcomes instructions by e mail or other electronic media where convenient. Alex is an equality and diversity officer in Chambers, reflecting his specialist interest in matters of equality rights and discrimination.
William Tyler KC
William Tyler KC
William advises and represents clients in both Employer’s Liability and Public Liability matters, as well as in disputes arising from Road Traffic Accidents. His practice encompasses cases involving allegations of fraud and he is familiar with the guidelines set down by the court of appeal for dealing with Low Velocity Impact litigation. He also represents clients at Coroner’s Inquests and has experience in dealing with such inquests where the state’s fulfilment of its obligations under the Human Rights Act are in issue, as well as inquests where the outcome may be commercially sensitive.
Sasha Watkinson
Sasha Watkinson
Sasha undertakes public law work of the utmost seriousness, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, acting for local authorities, parents and children alike. She was instructed by a local authority to conduct existing care proceedings involving complex legal issues surrounding identification of perpetrators in finding of fact proceedings. She was later led by Susan Grocott QC in both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in the case now known as Re S-B UKSC17 [2010] 1 FLR 1161. She has also been led in High Court care proceedings involving the suspicious death of a child. Alongside her public law work, Sasha also undertakes complex private law cases involving sexual abuse, implacable hostility and international relocation.