Mr Sam Karim KC KC > Kings Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Kings Chambers ‘has an excellent group of Court of Protection barristers‘, which attracts praise for its ‘good strength in depth for both Court of Protection finance and welfare cases‘. The ‘extremely responsive‘ Sam Karim KC, who heads up the team, has an established track record in advising on complex medical treatment cases, which also form the backbone of the ‘extremely intelligent and confident‘ Helen Mulholland KC’s practice. Fay Collinson is ‘technically outstanding‘, and is sought after for her expertise in handling contentious property and affairs matters. Aisling Campbell’s ‘advocacy is second to none; she is confident, quick on her feet and an encyclopaedia of mental capacity and mental health law knowledge‘; Court of Protection law specialist Sophie Hurst is ‘a skilled advocate with an excellent command of the law, the ability to build persuasive arguments and a calm courtroom manner‘; and the ‘thorough‘ Ifsa Mahmood is often instructed on behalf of local authorities, NHS trusts and protected parties in health and welfare cases.

Members of the Court of Protection team at Kings Chambers have substantial experience acting for local authorities, NHS trusts, CCGs, patients, and litigation friends. The set is home to practice lead Sam Karim KC and Helen Mulholland KC, both of whom are frequently called upon to represent clients in serious medical treatment decision cases surrounding organ transplants, amputations and life support. Richard Borrett is active in inherent jurisdiction matters in the High Court and issues of deprivation of liberty of children in the Family court. Sophie Allan regularly acts on behalf of protected parties and has expertise in cases surrounding contested capacity issues and applications for non-disclosure. Fay Collinson is also a key member of the set in this area.

The members at Kings Chambers act for a wide range of parties involved in inquests and inquiries, including bereaved families, local authorities, NHS trusts, government departments, care homes and insurance companies, and police and fire services. The set is home to Michael Rawlinson KC, who is skilled in handling inquests arising from the deaths of military personnel. Of recent note, he was instructed on the inquest examining the death of Olivia Perks, a student officer who took her own life at RMA Sandhurst. Sam Karim KC is another key name, and he is currently engaged in the Covid-19 public inquiry, representing multiple public bodies. Richard Borrett is often instructed by the families of vulnerable individuals that come to harm in the care of the state, as well as local authorities.

The members of Kings Chambers are often involved in high-profile judicial reviews, and Sam Karim KC leads the administrative law department. Stephanie Hall is acting for the claimant in Redrow Homes v Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a judicial review of the Secretary of State’s decision to issue disbursements of approximately £30m to pay for works at a Birmingham-based high-rise building from the Building Safety Fund, which was set up following the Grenfell Tower fire to pay for works to buildings with a fire risk. Richard Borrett acts for both claimants and defendants in claims against local authorities, and he is also active in Human Rights Act cases regarding deprivation of liberty and failure to protect children.