Sophie Beesley > Chambers of Oliver Segal KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Old Square Chambers Offices
Old Square Chambers
10-11 BEDFORD ROW
LONDON
WC1R 4BU
England
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Sophie Beesley
Position
Sophie practises exclusively in clinical negligence, personal injury and coronial law. Her special interests are mental health, particularly in acute clinical settings, inquests expanding Article 2 following Rabone and the law of consent following Montgomery. Her cases have developed these areas and she lectures extensively on them. Her recent inquests have included suicides alleging inadequate mental health risk assessment and inappropriate discharge. Her civil claims include delayed cancer diagnoses, substandard surgery, childbirth and stillbirths, gynaecological injuries and inadequate nursing. Sophie is being led in high value claims concerning complex birth injuries, cerebral palsy and cauda equina syndrome.
Career
Sophie came to the Bar after a successful career with Deloitte and The Prince’s Trust. She was Deputy Director of a domestic violence legal pro-bono service, she is a magistrate and Bench Chair, and she established and runs a charity supporting a children’s home in South Africa. This unusual background underpins Sophie’s dedicated, commercial and sensitive approach and her particular interest in vulnerable clients. She is recognised for building trust and strong collaboration between clients, solicitors and experts, and for her responsive and reliable client care.
Leisure
Sophie’s family are from Cornwall where she walks the coast path with her dog Ollie.
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Clinical negligence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Old Square Chambers is a ‘first port of call’ for clinical negligence work on the Western Circuit. Sophie Beesley focuses on claimant-side matters, often for highly vulnerable clients. She has considerable experience acting in cases involving bowel and gynaecological injuries as well as the death of children at or shortly after birth. Kara Loraine possesses broad expertise, including in claims relating to obstetric care and delivery, failure of and delay in diagnosis, negligent surgical procedures, suicide, and mismanagement of chronic disease.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Personal injury
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2London Bar > Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud
(Personal injury - Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 5Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers ‘Sophie gives detailed and practical advice. She is approachable and very responsive. She has impressive attention to detail and fantastic quantum skills.’
London Bar > Clinical negligence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers ‘Sophie is simply one of the most impressive clinical negligence juniors. She is meticulously prepared, a clear thinker and a persuasive advocate. She has developed an outstanding practice in claimant clinical negligence work.’
Old Square Chambers‘ clinical negligence team of ‘excellent barristers‘ work with both claimants and defendants in claims across a range of healthcare issues. Ben Collins KC has notable experience in dental negligence litigation, and international law issues: recently acting in a multi-defendant claim arising out of negligent weight loss surgery performed in Italy after consultation in England. Junior Bella Webb has extensive experience in complex delay in cancer diagnosis cases, Sophie Beesley has ‘developed an outstanding practice in claimant clinical negligence work’.