Exchange Chambers

Competition; Inquests and Inquiries; Judicial Review; Military Claims

David has a broad civil practice encompassing the following:

• Inquests and inquiries: David is a member of the legal team representing families of the surviving children in the Southport Inquiry, led by David Temkin KC and Sara Sutherland. He also regularly appears for bereaved families and public authorities in inquests, including Article 2 inquests.
• Judicial review: drawing on his inquests work, David has appeared in several judicial reviews of coroners’ decisions. His advisory work includes regular instructions from local government and other public bodies.
• Competition: David is led on several complex and high value competition claims, in both the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Commercial Court.
• Other civil litigation: contractual disputes (including as to non-disclosure agreements); data breach claims; and personal injury and credit hire work in the fast track.

Before coming to the Bar, David had a 15-year career in the Civil Service, working in a range of national security roles across central Government. From 2018-2022, he worked for the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (Sir Adrian Fulford, succeeded by Sir Brian Leveson) as an Inspector, overseeing the use of investigatory powers by the intelligence agencies. David led inspections on some of the most difficult and contentious powers, including bulk interception and detention operations overseas. He also led an investigation into serious compliance failings in a technology environment at MI5, the findings of which were later used in proceedings at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal and summarised in Parliament by the Home Secretary.

Bar Council Law Reform Essay Prize 2020 (GDL category): ‘Medieval Institutions and God-Like Technology: Reforming the Carltona Doctrine’

Do political parties ever carry out “public functions”? Tortoise Media v Conservative Party [2023] EWHC 3088 (Admin)

Quantum of solace: Supreme Court to hear appeal on assessing PSLA in “mixed injury” whiplash claims

“Not a question of process but a matter of substance”: Court of Appeal provides guidance on assessing proportionality

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

Personal Injury Bar Association

Barrister Training Course – outstanding (BPP 2022-23)

Graduate Diploma in Law – distinction (Nottingham Law School 2020-22)

BA English, Worcester College Oxford – first class (2004)

In his spare time, David enjoys hill walking and choral singing. He has had more success introducing his primary school age son to the former than the latter.