Mr Martin Budworth > Kings Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Kings Chambers ‘houses some of the best known names’ in the North West in the professional negligence arena, and the team has substantial expertise in handling actions brought against professionals including solicitors, surveyors, and accountants. The set is home to Andrew Grantham KC, who has a particular focus on claims against accountants, financial and tax advisers, and insurance brokers, as well as stockbrokers and surveyors. Lesley Anderson KC represented the defendants in Glasson Grain Limited v RE & S Baldwin, a case concerning a counterclaim against a farm agronomist following their negligent advice regarding the application of nitrates, which caused crops to fail. Mark Harper KC and Paul Chaisty KC are also key names at the silk level, and Martin Budworth is a notable senior junior in the group.

Kings Chambers features a strong team of sports law experts who are praised for their handling of ‘complex and sophisticated matters’. They frequently represent a wide range of stakeholders and some members have also conducted proceedings before the Court of Arbitration in Lausanne. At silk level, the set is home to David Casement KC and Paul Chaisty KC; both have experience of challenging Rule K arbitrations. Martin Budworth is another name of note, with particular strengths in football, rugby, and boxing-related cases. He represented Birmingham City Football Club in regulatory proceedings brought by the English Football League following a failed takeover process in which they allowed a third party to influence club matters; he successfully avoided an immediate points deduction, and instead the club faced a suspended two-point deduction. Steven Flynn represents a wide range of clients, including professional athletes and teams, governing bodies and agents, and players’ associations, while Rosie Kight is especially skilled in advising on the employment elements of sports law disputes.

Kings Chambers handles large-scale commercial disputes for national clients with ease, and is praised as ‘the pre-eminent set in Manchester for valuable commercial litigation’. Its members are well-equipped to expertly handle cases in domestic and international courts and arbitral venues. It is home to Andrew Grantham KC, who boasts expertise in a range of commercial disputes, and David Casement KC is another active silk in this arena. Lesley Anderson KC is a notable name who has appeared before the Supreme Court several times over the last few years. Among the juniors Martin Budworth acted for the claimant in Oakwell v BFC Investment Company, which concerned a claim for several million in unpaid consideration pursuant to Chinese-American investors purchasing Barnsley Football Club. Ben Harding has an increasingly active practice in the injunctive work space, while Aidan Reay is noted for his frequent appearances in the High Court. Neil Berragan predominantly appears before the business and property courts and is often sought after for urgent interim applications. He is acting for the claimant in Kip McGrath Global Pty Ltd v Justine & Colin Gray and KMM Learning LLP, which concerns an Australian company claiming for the breach of a franchise agreement, and an interim injunction was successfully obtained to prevent the defendant from further breaching non-compete covenants.

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.

Praised as ‘the pre-eminent set in Manchester for valuable company litigation’, Kings Chambers is home to Lesley Anderson KC, who has appeared several times before the Supreme Court, and David Casement KC, who successfully represented the respondents in Brown v Graham, a shareholder dispute surrounding allegations of unfairly prejudicial conduct arising from the termination of a director. Louis Doyle KC is a specialist personal and corporate insolvency silk, while Mark Harper KC and Andrew Grantham KC are both strong in shareholder disputes. Martin Budworth and Ben Harding are notable juniors in this area; Budworth acted for the plaintiff in Durose v Waterland & ors, a £25m unfair prejudice petition arising from allegations that Dutch private equity investors unlawfully flooded the board and subsequently diluted the shareholding.