Devereux > London, England > Set Profile

London Bar > Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud Tier 2

The ‘top quality barristers’ at Devereux make it ‘an excellent set to work with‘ – experienced acting for both claimants and defendants across the spectrum of catastrophic injury work. Robert Weir KC is involved in a number of market-leading claims, including Rabot and Briggs v Hassam, in which he acts for APIL and MASS – a test case concerning the whiplash regime legislation, and how to determine the method of valuing mixed injury claims which include an award for whiplash injuries under the Civil Liability Act 2018 tariff scheme. Alongside this injury work, he has notable expertise regarding mesothelioma claims – an area in which Jonathan Butters also specialises. Stephen Killalea KC has particular strength in complex road traffic accident claims; Peter Edwards is experienced in psychiatric injury claims arising out of bullying and harassment in the workplace.  

London Bar > Tax: corporate Tier 2

The Devereux tax group covers a broad range of contentious and non-contentious tax matters, and benefits from internal strength in core areas such as employment, commercial disputes and professional negligence. Members are regularly active for HMRC, but appear for both taxpayers and the government at all levels of the courts. Felicity Cullen KC advises owner managed businesses on complex international matters. Crossing over with his employment and sports expertise, Akash Nawbatt KC appeared before the Supreme Court in HMRC v Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, on the employment status and tax treatment of professional football referees. Aparna Nathan KC utilised capital allowances expertise as sole counsel for HMRC in Cheshire Cavity Storage 1 Limited, EDF Energy v HMRC, while Christopher Stone has a highly active disputes practice. Glenn Billenness was appointed director of clerking and business development in 2023.

London Bar > Tax: personal Tier 2

Devereux‘s private client practice provides comprehensive service in both advisory and contentious matters. Felicity Cullen KC is noted for her ‘thorough, thoughtful, insightful analysis’, and is experienced in advising owner managed business, as well as high and ultra-high net worth individuals. Aparna Nathan KC‘s client base includes historic estates and foreign royalty, and covers a diverse range of matters including mixed member partnership issues. Marika Lemos appeared for the taxpayer in HMRC v Wilkes, a key case concerning the validity of discovery assessments issued by HMRC.

London Bar > Tax: VAT and excise Tier 2

Devereux‘s members act for taxpayers and the government across the entire spectrum of direct and indirect tax-related mandates. The set is home to Felicity Cullen KC, who regularly advises owner managed businesses, and Barrie Akin, who acted for the taxpayer in Mitchell and Bell v HMRC, a Court of Appeal case concerning whether the taxpayer was allowed to see documents relating to a business partner in Personal Liability Notice proceedings. Marika Lemos often represents HMRC in complex cases such as Carter & Kennedy v HMRC, an appeal by the taxpayer against the decision of the First-Tier Tribunal regarding the ‘hypothetical officer test’, which found that the discovery assessment issued to the taxpayer was valid. Howard Watkinson is another key member of the set, which saw the addition of Max Schofield in January 2023 with expertise in representing large multinationals and start-up companies.

London Bar > Telecoms Regulation Tier 2

At Devereux, Graham Read KC is acting for the claimant in Vodafone Limited v (1) Gencomp (No 7) Limited (2) AP Wireless II (UK) Limited, an ongoing, high-profile case concerning the procedure for the renewal of agreements under the Electronic Communications Code in the context of a concurrent lease of a telecommunications site. Georgina Hirsch is highly regarded for her expertise in advising on contentious telecoms mandates.

London Bar > Clinical negligence Tier 3

Devereux is ‘an excellent set‘, acting on all aspects of clinical negligence, with particular expertise in high-value claims. Robert Weir KC is ‘a force to be reckoned with‘, notably acting this year for the claimants in the highly anticipated case of Paul and Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, heard in the Supreme Court in May 2023, determining whether family members who witness the death of a patient long after negligent treatment are able to make secondary victim claims. Robert Glancy KC has particular expertise in catastrophic brain and spinal injury cases, and notable experience in cases involving cerebral palsy. ‘Fantastic, first-rate senior barrister‘ Richard Cartwright has notable expertise in birth trauma claims, including Erb’s palsy.

London Bar > IT and telecoms (infrastructure and contracts) Tier 3

Members of Devereux act for major communications and infrastructure providers, as well as smaller entities and international telecoms companies. Graham Read KC continues to act for major client BT, leading Rory Cochrane, in its proceedings in the Commercial Court seeking £16m of payments for electronic communications services which it alleges TalkTalk has withheld.

London Bar > Insurance and reinsurance Tier 4

Members of Devereux have been instructed on a number of complex and high value domestic and international cases surrounding the insurance and reinsurance market in the past year. Richard Harrison was involved in Geo-Minerals GT Ltd v Rouse & Co International Limited & Others which involved a claim against insurers of an alleged negligent patent attorney for failures which assisted the success of a fraud conspiracy, where the alleged conspirators registered the trademarks, IP and contracts of the claimant in the name of their company called a similar name.

London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators

London Bar > Professional negligence

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

London Bar > Commercial litigation

London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)

London Bar > Sport