James Counsell KC KC > Chambers of James Counsell KC and Keith Bryant KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Outer Temple Chambers Offices
Outer Temple Chambers
THE OUTER TEMPLE, 222 STRAND
LONDON
WC2R 1BA
England
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James Counsell KC KC
Work Department
Clinical Negligence, Professional Negligence, Disciplinary and Regulatory, Commercial Disputes, Personal Injury, Sports Law
Position
Barrister specialising in Clinical Negligence, Professional Negligence, Disciplinary and Regulatory, Commercial Disputes, Personal Injury, Sports Law.
Career
James Counsell KC was called to the bar in 1984 and took silk in 2017.
James Counsell KC is widely recognised in the fields of Clinical and Professional Negligence, Personal Injury, regulatory and disciplinary hearings and Financial Services claims, both in the UK and abroad.
His clinical negligence work, acting both for claimants and for defendants, is combined with a busy disciplinary and regulatory practice, regularly representing doctors, dentists, barristers, solicitors and those in the financial services sector in their respective disciplinary tribunals. He acts both for practitioners and also for the BSB and the SRA.
In the field of financial Services, James acts for defendants in contempt proceedings in the Business and Property Courts, brought against individuals for alleged breaches of freezing and disclosure orders and for claimants and financial institutions in mis-selling claims and other regulatory breaches. He represents litigants in the UK and also in the Middle East with ongoing clients in the DIFC Courts in Dubai (leading Stephen Doherty).
He also specialises in acting for survivors of non-recent sexual abuse, having recently acted as lead counsel (leading Benjamin Bradley) in two claims against the Jehovah’s Witness organisation, the second of which is now a leading Supreme Court authority on vicarious liability and limitation. He has acted for numerous claimants in cases against football and other sports clubs and entities, religious and educational organisations and the Scout Association.
James is a Head of Chambers at Outer Temple Chambers and its Head of Governance.
Languages
Conversational French, Basic Spanish.
Memberships
Education
Marlborough College; Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Leisure
Cricket, rugby, gardening, farming.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Counsell KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘James has the ability to win the confidence of judges in court through his abilities and charm and applies the same skills to work with clients in conference.’
London Bar > Financial services and fintech regulation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2James Counsell KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘James is a silk who has the ability to win the confidence of judges in court through his abilities and charm and applies the same skills to work with clients in conference.’
London Bar > Personal injury
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2James Counsell KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘James is fantastic. Meticulous analysis, superb with clients and a terrific advocate. Incredibly helpful and nice to deal with.’
London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3James Counsell KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘James is an outstanding silk. He is always immaculately prepared and his advocacy combines directness with charm, which is always well received by professional tribunals and judges alike.’
Outer Temple Chambers is home to an ‘excellent set of counsel for all regulatory work’. The team has established expertise in advising on matters within the healthcare, financial services, transport and sport sectors, and are equally adept at handling cases within the legal sphere. The ‘outstanding‘ James Counsell KC represented the defendant in GMC v Onyekpe, a case involving allegations of sexual misconduct with a vulnerable patient. Fiona Horlick KC has an excellent track record in defending and prosecuting in disciplinary work involving doctors, dentists, solicitors, accountants and actuaries.
London Bar > Clinical negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4James Counsell KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘Very good trial advocate with great attention to detail. He is very personable and puts his witnesses at ease.’