11KBW

Stephen is highly regarded in administrative and public law, public procurement, financial services, and information and data protection law. Stephen was shortlisted for Legal 500’s Government and Third Sector Junior of the Year in 2022 and as Public Services and Charities Junior of the Year in 2024.

Stephen has considerable experience in complex and high-profile judicial reviews, particularly in commercial and financial services disputes. Stephen has been a member of the Attorney General’s A Panel since 2023. He appears frequently in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court. Recent leading cases include: R (Ammori) v Home Secretary (on the proscription of Palestine Action); Cobalt Data Centre (on contractual variations); Independent Workers Union of Great Britain v Central Arbitration Committee (on collective bargaining rights); AT v Work and Pensions Secretary (on the Withdrawal Agreement); and Police Superintendents’ Association (on the duty of candour).

In his procurement practice, Stephen is instructed by both authorities and bidders. Recent cases include: Airwave v Home Secretary (on an extension to the UK emergency services mobile communications network contract); James Waste v Essex County Council (on modifications to procured contracts), R (Good Law Project) v Prime Minister (on the award of Operation Moonshot contracts during the pandemic), Alstom v Network Rail (on the £1.8bn contract for signalling on the East Coast Main Line) and Altiatech v Birmingham City Council (on limitation and declarations of ineffectiveness).

Stephen is also a recognised expert in the field of information and data protection law, acting for a range of private and public sector clients. Recent leading cases include Prismall v Google (on the availability of representative actions for mass privacy torts) and R (Bridges v Chief Constable of South Wales (on policing using facial recognition technology).

Called to the Bar in 2011. Admitted as an Attorney to the New York Bar, 2011 (currently non-practising).