Set Profile > Chambers of Mark Sutton QC > Bristol , South West
Chambers of Mark Sutton QC Offices
Old Square Chambers
9 QUEEN SQUARE
BRISTOL
BS1 4JE
South West
Chambers of Mark Sutton QC > The Legal 500 Rankings
Employment Tier 1
Old Square Chambers' 'expertise in employment law issues is second to none and it has good coverage at all levels', say instructing solicitors, who also note how members are 'very knowledgeable about the NHS and the health sector'. Mark Sutton QC represented the appellant in the Agarwal v Cardiff University regarding the scope of the Employment Tribunal's jurisdiction in unpaid wages claims. Among Lord Hendy QC's highlights was the high-profile gig economy case of R (IWGB) v Central Arbitration Committee and RooFoods in which a judicial review was sought on the grounds that denial of the opportunity for Deliveroo couriers, who have been found to not be workers, to bargain collectively is a breach of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
2018 Silks
Leading Juniors
Leading Silks
Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud Tier 3
The 'impressive' Old Square Chambers is an 'excellent choice' in the personal injury market. The set has a longstanding reputation in successfully acting for claimants but has recently built a significant defendant presence. Members, particularly juniors, are highly-regarded for bringing 'different strengths to the table'. Paul Rose QC has extensive experience of acting for severely injured service personnel, which is also an area of expertise for Ben Collins QC, one of the leading experts on the law of criminal injuries compensation. Charles Woodhouse is noted for his proven track record acting for defendants in chronic pain and mild traumatic brain injury claims.
Personal injury - Leading Juniors
Personal injury - Leading Silks
Professional disciplinary and regulatory law Tier 3
At Old Square Chambers, Mary O’Rourke QC represented Dr Shekhar Chandra in an appeal brought by the General Medical Council before the Court of Appeal regarding a Medical Practitioners Tribunal's decision to restore Dr Chandra to the medical register after he was struck off for misconduct. The case concerned whether the test for restoring doctors to the register was parallel to the test for restoring solicitors, although the test must still focus on the overriding objective to protect, promote and maintain the public's health and safety. In July 2019, after the matter was remitted to tribunal, the tribunal reaffirmed the decision to restore Dr Chandra to the register.
Leading Juniors
Leading Silks
Clinical negligence Tier 4
The 'impressive' Old Square Chambers is well-established in the clinical negligence field and members are instructed in a wide ranger of cases for both defendants and claimants. Ben Collins QC successfully represented the claimant in Asante v Guy’s & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, a complex claim for inadequate management of sickle cell anaemia.
Leading Juniors
Leading Silks
Set overviews: England and Wales
The ‘impressive’ Old Square Chambers is ‘an excellent personal injury set’ and ‘one of the leading employment chambers nationally’. ‘Their expertise in employment law issues is second to none and they have good coverage at all levels, meaning you can always find the right barrister for the case in question,’ said one solicitor. The ‘capable, efficient, and helpful’ clerks’ room provides ‘a service-orientated approach and goes above and beyond in trying to ensure you have the right barrister for the job; you have the utmost confidence in the clerking. The team is led by senior clerk William Meade, who ‘is excellent, approachable, leads by example, and he works hard to ensure the practice runs smoothly’. Deputy senior clerk Graham Smith is ‘accommodating and works hard to find alternative counsel if there is a diary clash’; he and Olivia Moliterno are the ‘standout performers’ in the team. Senior team leader Paul Adams is also of note. Senior clerking assistant Jenny O’Grady, team leader Joe Kallas, and junior team leader Lee Jennings are ‘thoroughly helpful and professional to deal with, and transparency on fees is another strength’. Also of note is marketing manager Phil Desmondez. Offices in: London and Bristol
Chambers of Mark Sutton QC > Firm Profile
Old Square Chambers (www.oldsquare.co.uk) is widely respected as one of the leading sets for employment and personal injury law, both in London and Bristol. Further specialisms include professional discipline, clinical negligence, environment, health and safety, product liability, motor defence, public inquiries, and mediation/ADR.
The set: Old Square Chambers has over 79 members including 14 silks. It is known for being unstuffy, responsive in understanding client needs and pro-active in meeting them. It adopts the highest standards of advocacy, drafting, advice and client service and is well known for having an excellent clerking team.
Types of work undertaken:
Employment: Old Square is a leading set in employment law with a strong respondent/defendant practice as well as maintaining its longstanding claimant/union practice. It is instructed increasingly in High Court matters and injunctions while developing its well established reputation for expertise in discrimination, equal pay and industrial relations. It has been instrumental in establishing recent legal precedents on fees, holiday pay and discrimination.
Personal injury: Old Square members are regularly instructed in cases concerning high-value head, brain and spinal injury. It has particular expertise in disaster litigation, industrial disease, complex multi-party actions and injuries suffered abroad (including those involving package holiday regulations and the Ministry of Defence).
Clinical negligence: Old Square members have extensive experience in claims relating to cerebral palsy, brain damage and catastrophic injuries. These regularly involve high-value awards of several million pounds. Members have acknowledged expertise in periodic payments and indexation.
Professional discipline: Old Square is at the forefront within a variety of sectors, including healthcare, legal services, education, financial services, police and sport. Members frequently appear before, chair and sit as legal assessors on disciplinary tribunals at all stages of the process, including safeguarding rights by recourse to the High Court and the Privy Council. Several of our silks and juniors regularly appear in cases in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court.
Environment: Old Square’s expertise includes prosecution and defence in the criminal courts, statutory appeals, scientifically complex nuisance and personal injury claims, major group litigation and judicial review. Areas of particular specialism include water law, contaminated land, statutory nuisance, waste management and the application of European law.
Health and safety: Old Square members are frequently involved in health and safety litigation. This can range from client defence in regulatory prosecutions to representing injured, bereaved and dependent clients in public inquiries. Cases are often high-profile, involving serious injury, fatality, and corporate manslaughter. Operating throughout the UK, Old Square has extensive experience in diverse sectors including construction, transport, farming, quarrying, leisure and healthcare.
Product liability: Old Square members are highly experienced in multi-claimant litigation and in individual cases relating to medical appliances, motor vehicles, cosmetics, toys and other consumer goods. Members also undertake Consumer Protection Act and related prosecutions and product recall.
Public inquiries: Old Square members have been instructed in most of the significant inquires of recent years, drawing on their expertise in health and safety and industrial relations law in public inquires concerned with major accidents or disasters. These include: Leveson, Potters Bar, Ufton Nevert Train Crash, Mubarek, Shipman, Climbie, Ladbroke Grove, Marchioness, Southall Train Crash, North Wales Child Abuse and Bristol Royal Infirmary.
Mediation: as accredited CEDR mediators, Old Square members regularly act as neutral evaluators in a wide range of disputes, particularly employment law, discrimination, personal injury and clinical negligence.
Pupillage: Old Square offers outstanding training to outstanding candidates in both London and Bristol. Reflecting their interests and supportive in approach, this training carries an excellent chance of tenancy and we have an outstanding retention record of keeping pupils.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior clerk | William Meade | ||
| Clerks | Graham Smith | ||
| Clerks | Paul Adams | ||
| Clerks | Jack Wheeler | ||
| AdministrationMarketing | Sarah Earl | ||
| AdministrationMarketing | Nicole Hayes | ||
| AdministrationMarketing - Bristol | Liane Wheeler |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Jonathan Clarke | View Profile | |
 |
Michael Ford QC | View Profile | |
 |
Helen Gower | View Profile | |
 |
Mr Toby Kempster | View Profile | |
 |
Kara Loraine | View Profile | |
 |
Mr Andrew Midgley | View Profile | |
 |
Simon O’Dwyer | View Profile | |
 |
Mr Andreá Risoli | View Profile | |
 |
Christopher Walker | View Profile | |
 |
Ms Hilary Winstone | View Profile |