Gatehouse Chambers

Professional Liability, Intellectual Property, Commercial Dispute Resolution

Robert is a commercial, professional liability and intellectual property barrister with a particular ability to get to grips with complex legal, technical and factual issues. He is regularly instructed in disputes requiring careful analysis, strategic judgment and a practical, commercially focused approach.

He appears as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal and is frequently instructed in interlocutory matters, trials and appeals. Solicitors value his clear advice, creative problem-solving and ability to identify routes through difficult cases.

Robert’s scientific background provides useful supporting context for his practice, particularly in intellectual property and technically-complex professional liability disputes. Before coming to the Bar, he completed a PhD in chemistry, worked as a research scientist at AstraZeneca, and later gained experience in patent litigation at Freshfields.

His precise and curious approach has earned him a reputation for seeing legal problems differently and achieving strong results for clients.

Recent example:

• Quistclose trust – near seven-figure settlement obtained at mediation where a previously instructed barrister had given advice that there were no reasonable prospects of success. Robert identified that the terms of the Quistclose trust were not so narrow and therefore could be construed in a different way. The effect of which was that the solicitor, who was not the Claimants solicitor, had breached the terms of the Quistclose trust when not ensuring that all purposes of the Quistclose trust were achieved before releasing the clients’ monies.

Solicitors regularly instruct Robert at an early stage to obtain his strategic input that encompasses analysis of the problem, out-of-the-box thinking and identification of a creative commercial solution.

Robert currently accepts instructions for commercial litigation, professional liability and intellectual property on both a private fee-paying basis, or subject to a conditional fee agreement (‘CFA’).

Robert accepts direct access instructions in appropriate cases.

Call: 2006

Prior to commencing practice at the Bar, Robert was employed as a scientist at AstraZeneca, worked at Molecular Profiles on patent infringement testing of pharmaceutical drug substances & drug products and on a multi-national patent litigation case concerning extended wear contact lenses in the IP/IT department at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

• Professional Negligence Bar Association

• Professional Negligence Lawyers Association

• Intellectual Property Bar Association

• ADR ODR Accredited Mediator

• PGDipBar

• PGDipLaw

• PhD (Synthetic Organic Chemistry)

• BSc. (Hons) (Chemistry)

Away from Gatehouse Chambers, Robert is a reef aquarium enthusiast, Robert has two children and enjoys stand up comedy, particularly dry humour.