Charles Gibson KC > Chambers of Charles Gibson KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Henderson Chambers Offices
Henderson Chambers
2 HARCOURT BUILDINGS, TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 9DB
England
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Charles Gibson KC
Work Department
Product liability including jurisdictional disputes and insurance, group actions, commercial law, health and safety and environmental, regulation of pharmaceutical products, professional negligence, insurance, personal injury, public law, sports law, public inquiries, disciplinary tribunals.
Position
Head of chambers; specialises in commercial law (particularly fire, accident and business loss claims); product liability (often involving group actions and insurance); environment; health and safety; professional negligence; insurance; sports law; food law. Other areas of practice include: public law; public inquiries; regulatory law and disciplinary tribunals. Group actions include the Bomu-Bonny Pipeline litigation; the Abidjan litigation; the Columbian pipeline litigation; MMR; Sabril; Seroxat; Sudan Red; the Shiley Heart Valve; Lariam; Prozac; Norplant contraceptive implants; Benzodiazepines; Minocin; the tobacco litigation; the sheep dip litigation; the Barlow Clowes litigation; drink contamination/product recall claims; mesothelioma/asbestosis claims; contaminated water claims; the interest rate swap litigation; mine radiation claims; holiday claims. Also has significant experience of major inquiries and inquests, having appeared at: the Potters Bar Inquest; the Kings Cross Fire Inquiry; the Clapham Rail Accident Inquiry; the Severn Tunnel Rail Accident Inquiry; reported cases include: The Atomic Veterans Litigation – limitation – causation; The Abidjan Personal Injury Litigation; Dalkia v Celtech – breach – penalty clauses, rectification construction; Arkin v Bourchard – costs liabilities – third party funders; FA de Muynck v Fouha – guarantees – contractual construction; Nash v Eli Lilly & Co, limitation of action – group actions – personal injuries – power to override time limits; West Wiltshire District Council v Garland, negligence – duty of care – district auditor; Connelly v RTZ Corp Plc and Another, practice – stay of proceedings – foreign causes of action – appropriate forum – legal aid factor; Hodgson and Others v Imperial Tobacco Ltd and Others, costs – conditional fees – order for costs – interlocutory application; Lubbe v Cape Plc – publication of proceedings in chambers; Lubbe v Cope Plc (HL) – practice – jurisdiction – group action; Bass Britvic v Terra – sale of goods – product recall – damages. Bacardi v Terra – duty of care – economic law; UCC v Todd Construction – damages – mitigation – contract.
Career
Called 1984; publications: ‘Group Action in Product Liability Law and Insurance’; QC 2001; Recorder 2001; head of chambers 2007. Bencher of the Inner Temple. Accredited mediator.
Memberships
London Commercial and Common Law Association; Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Education
BA Hons Classics, Dunelm; Dip Law London.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Environment
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1London Bar > Group litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Charles Gibson KC – Henderson Chambers ‘Charles is undoubtedly the leading silk in these areas. He has total command of the law and is tactically very savvy. The fact that he has been in the trenches so often inspires huge trust and confidence with clients, who hang on his every word.’
Reputed as ‘go-to set for group litigation’, members of Henderson Chambers‘ areas of expertise include product liability, environmental, consumer and financial group actions, as well as handling claims arising from injuries, death or human rights abuse. A number of the set’s barristers, including Charles Gibson KC, Prashant Popat KC, Geraint Webb KC, Kathleen Donnelly KC and Lucy McCormick , continue to represent members of the Volkswagen Group in the ongoing group actions regarding the emissions of their diesel cars. Leading Adam Heppinstall KC, Oliver Campbell KC is acting as opposing counsel for claimants in these high-profile cases. At the same time, Campbell KC handles a group action by over 30,000 claimants against Easyjet in relation to a mass data breach involving financial and other data. Malcolm Sheehan KC represents Mercedes-Benz in other “dieselgate” litigation. Toby Riley-Smith KC is acting for Bayer plc in over a hundred claims being brought under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, alleging that the permanent contraceptive device Essure has caused them a range of different personal injuries.
London Bar > Product liability
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Henderson Chambers is recognised as one of the pre-eminent sets in product liability claims and multi-party litigation. The chamber is experienced in leading unitary claims and group actions for injuries and losses caused by defective products such as PIP breast implants and metal on metal hips. Charles Gibson KC acts on major pharmaceutical cases, while Prashant Popat KC, Geraint Webb KC, Oliver Campbell KC and Malcolm Sheehan KC are other silks in chambers who are notable in group actions in this space.