Mr Ben Williams > Kings Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile
Kings Chambers Offices
36 YOUNG STREET
MANCHESTER
M3 3FT
England
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Mr Ben Williams
Position
A specialist in Employment and Regulatory Law (with a particular focus on Disciplinary, Environmental and Licensing work).
In respect of Ben’s employment law practice, he has vast experience in the healthcare, retail and education sectors. He appears regularly in Tribunals and has an extensive client base, representing a large number of NHS Trusts throughout the country as well as some well-known retailers.
He has extensive experience in associated High Court litigation in all aspects of his work.
He is particularly well regarded in respect of his taxi licensing work where he appears for both local authorities and appellants involving hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. He has advised extensively on the formulation and implementation of local authority taxi licensing policy with a keen emphasis on safeguarding. He has advised extensively on the implementation of CCTV into licensed vehicles throughout the country, as well as licensing fees and cross-border hiring.
In the context of entertainment licensing, he acts for the industry (nightclubs, bars, pubs, festivals and restaurants), Local Authorities, interested parties and the police, both in terms of representation at licensing hearings (including appeals) and in an advisory capacity. Has considerable experience in respect of zoo licensing and in hearings before the Traffic Commissioner.
He acts for defendants and Regulators in Health and Safety, Environmental and Consumer law regulatory prosecutions. His Environmental practice means he advises a number of private clients in respect of noise nuisance matters which has particular importance with his associated licensing work. He regularly acts in appeals against abatement notices and is currently acting a number of cases involving animal nuisance.
Has appeared in a number of high profile cases including; Rehman v Wakefield (2018); Hull CC v Greggs and others (2016) and Leeds CC v Shell UK (2013).
Ben sits on the recruitment committee and was the ED&I officer for a number of years.
Career
Called to the Bar in 2001, joined Kings Chambers in 2006.
Memberships
Road Transport Lawyers Association
Northern & North Eastern Circuits
Member of the Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
Employment Lawyers Association
Employment Law Bar association
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Licensing
Kings Chambers is the preeminent set on the Northern circuit for handling licensing cases, and its members act across a wide range of mandates regarding alcohol and entertainment, gambling, transport, firearms, and street trading licenses, among others. Taxi license revocation cases are a speciality for Constanze Bell, and Ben Williams successfully represented Bassetlaw District Council in a case concerning an alleged breach of licence conditions and health and safety laws by a takeaway owner. Sarah Clover is another active member of the licensing team.
Regional Bar > North Eastern Circuit > Employment
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ben Williams – Kings Chambers ‘Ben is great with witnesses, instilling confidence even in the most difficult of cases. His advocacy style is calm and collected. A strong cross-examiner.’
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Employment
The members of Kings Chambers‘ employment law team are sought after by NHS Trusts, blue-chip companies, and high street brands. The set is home to Anisa Niaz-Dickinson and rising star Rosie Kight, who both represent claimants and respondents before a range of fora, including the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Niaz-Dickinson successfully represented the responded in the case of Hussain v Tesco Stores Ltd, which concerned 17 allegations of race discrimination. In Robinson v Hull City Council, Kight successfully defended the respondent against a claim for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal; the case was also significant in answering the question of how long employer should be obliged wait before dismissing an employee on the grounds of capability. Ben Williams specialises in healthcare-related litigation, while head of the employment team James Boyd predominately acts for employers. Martin Budworth is another key name, and he has expertise in cases surrounding restrictive covenants and confidential information.
Regional Bar > North Eastern Circuit > Licensing
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Ben Williams – Kings Chambers ‘Ben has a great client manner, and is approachable and efficient.’