Ms Francesca O'Neill > Deka Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Ms Francesca O'Neill

020 7832 0500 foneill@dekachambers.com

Position

Francesca O’Neill has a specialist practice encompassing professional and clinical negligence, and the liability of public authorities.

She frequently acts for insurers and indemnity organisations in high value and complex claims, appearing as sole Counsel in the High Court on a regular basis.

She is recognised as a highly effective and experienced advocate, with particular expertise in trial and at contested hearings. She is frequently instructed in heavy interlocutory applications and has developed a reputation for successfully striking out unmeritorious claims.

Francesca has particular interest and experience in professional indemnity work and has advised and acted for both claimants and defendants in professional liability actions involving solicitors, barristers, accountants, surveyors, insurance brokers, and construction professionals. She regularly appears in the High Court as sole Counsel and acts for a range of insurers in the London market including Travelers, AIG, Hiscox, and LawSelect.

Francesca is an experienced and effective advocate with a clear interest in clinical negligence claims. She has been instructed by both Claimants and specialist indemnity providers for medical professionals (NHSR, MDU, DDU, MDDUS) to appear at contested hearings in cases worth more than £2 million. She has particular interest and experience in cases involving hospital-acquired infection and surgical mistakes. She has also developed particular expertise in defending claims made against General Practitioners, including contribution claims and those involving issues of service or jurisdiction.

Francesca has appeared at Inquests on behalf of NHS Trusts and has expertise in mental health- related deaths. She is instructed by the Ministry of Justice and specialist mental health NHS Trusts in Article 2 Inquests and claims arising from prison deaths.

Francesca has represented Local Authorities and Police Forces across the UK in defending claims related to accidents, alleged historic sexual abuse, and data breaches – and especially where the question of tortious liability is legally complex.

Francesca has a busy practice encompassing high value and complex brain and spine injuries and occupational stress claims. Her personal injury practice is closely linked to her other work for local authorities and most of these cases are those involving questions of Employer’s Liability, Occupier’s Liability and often those which have overlapping employment and human rights aspects or collateral attacks.

Francesca O’Neill is experienced and tenacious in the defence of fraudulent civil claims. Having secured many findings of fundamental dishonesty as sole Counsel, she now has a niche practice in much larger scale suspected fraud rings and credit hire cases.

Career

Appointments

• Junior Counsel to the Crown (Attorney-General’s Panel of Counsel)

Awards

• Inner Temple Major Scholarship (GDL & BPTC)
• The Times Ashley Jackson Law Prize
• Lawyer Monthly Magazine “Women in Law Award”
• Senior Exhibition Scholar, University of Cambridge
• Royal Commonwealth Society Research Scholarship

Education

• University of Cambridge, MA
• London School of Economics, MSc
• City University, GDipLaw & BPTC