Old Square Chambers > Bristol, England > Set Profile

Chambers of Oliver Segal KC
Old Square Chambers
9 QUEEN SQUARE
BRISTOL
BS1 4JE
England

Email firm Visit website 0117 930 5100 0117 927 3478

London Bar > Employment Tier 1

Old Square Chambers is ‘an excellent employment set with a depth of talent‘. In a prominent case highlight, Michael Ford KC and Nicola Newbegin successfully represented UNISON as intervenor in the Supreme Court in Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland v Agnew, a high-profile case concerning whether workers in the United Kingdom (in this context, officers and other employees of the Police Service in Northern Ireland) to bring historic claims for unpaid holiday pay amounting to unlawful deductions from wages. The Court also ruled that a gap of three months between underpayments of holiday pay does not automatically break the chain of a series of deductions. Among the juniors, Melanie Tether continues to handle complex equal pay matters, which are also a core area of strength for Louise Chudleigh. Key growth for the set includes Rad Kohanzad and Paras Gorasia joining the team in December 2023, and Stuart Brittenden KC being appointed to silk in March 2024.

Rising stars

Alex Shellum – Old Square Chambers 'He is superb on the details, quickly gets to the heart of a case, and is very effective in cross-examinations.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Oliver Segal KC – Old Square Chambers 'A silk with complete mastery of facts and law.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Lord Hendy KC – Old Square Chambers 'A man who knows collective labour law inside out. He is able to charm a court.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Michael Ford KC – Old Square Chambers 'A master of labour law. His intelligence is off the charts and he always thinks ten steps ahead. Watching him cross examine on his feet in court is magical - he has the judges dancing to his tune and responds eloquently to very challenging questions.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Ben Cooper KC – Old Square Chambers 'He has a razor-sharp mind.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Sutton KC – Old Square Chambers 'Mark has a superb client manner, and his cross-examination is a joy to observe.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Betsan Criddle KC – Old Square Chambers 'Betsan is unflappable. She has excellent technical skills and instills confidence with her incisive advice.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Katharine Newton KC – Old Square Chambers 'Katharine is a brilliant tactician, agile on her feet and very hard-working.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Ben Collins KC – Old Square Chambers 'A silk who provides high quality, commercially sound advice.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Simon Cheetham KC – Old Square Chambers 'He is very approachable and has the ability to put witnesses at ease.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Ijeoma Omambala KC – Old Square Chambers 'A well-prepared and composed advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Deshpal Panesar KC – Old Square Chambers 'Deshpal is incisive, approachable and focused.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Rebecca Tuck KC – Old Square Chambers 'Rebecca is a very astute practitioner. Clients love her determination and her careful planning makes her a devastating cross examiner.'

Ranked: Tier 4

2023 Silks

Nadia Motraghi KC – Old Square Chambers 'A great strategist who is superb with clients.'

Eleena Misra KC – Old Square Chambers 'A silk with an amazing intellect. Her advocacy is measured, she is fantastic on her feet, and clients feel very safe with her.'

2024 Silks

Stuart Brittenden KC – Old Square Chambers 'Stuart has an exceptional work ethic. He is very charming and thoughtful, and wears his considerable talent lightly, putting clients at ease. He has an easy style of advocacy which is respectful to both opponents and judges.'

Leading Juniors

Louise Chudleigh – Old Square Chambers 'A cogent advocate, with an exceptionally strong work ethic.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Melanie Tether – Old Square Chambers 'Melanie has an encyclopaedic knowledge of equal pay. She fearlessly fights for her clients, and is composed in cross-examination.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Jack Mitchell – Old Square Chambers 'He is an authority on whistleblowing claims. He is personable, gives his clients confidence and reasonable on his feet.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Nicola Newbegin – Old Square Chambers 'Nicola stands out for her thoroughness, fantastic eye for detail and strategy, determination, and client-friendly approach.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Tom Kirk – Old Square Chambers ‘Tom is always meticulously prepared. He also has a good perception of the mood of the tribunal so able to judge effective strategy on cross-examination.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Paras Gorasia – Old Square Chambers 'His advocacy is nuanced and thoughtful, and he is robustly analytical in his approach.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Robert Moretto – Old Square Chambers 'He is a highly experienced employment lawyer. He is measured and careful, excellent in tribunal, and in dealing sensitively with litigants in person.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Laura Gould - Old Square Chambers 'A star of the future.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Madeline Stanley – Old Square Chambers 'Madeline is a great advocate - she is detail-oriented and technically excellent. An incredibly sharp junior.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Robin White – Old Square Chambers 'A razor-sharp cross-examiner.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Spencer Keen – Old Square Chambers 'Spencer has innovative arguments. He has a direct and confident approach, and profound knowledge of discrimination law.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Rosalie Snocken – Old Square Chambers 'Rosalie is highly astute, very good at dealing with nervous witnesses, and is an excellent communicator.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Darshan Patel – Old Square Chambers 'A sensible and pragmatic junior.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Rad Kohanzad – Old Square Chambers 'Rad is a passionate advocate. His cross-examination is impressive and he is very familiar with the Employment Appeal Tribunal.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Laith Dilaimi – Old Square Chambers 'He is extremely good on technical areas of law, and his opponents are left thumbing their way through textbooks just to keep up with him.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Rachel Owusu-Agyei – Old Square Chambers 'A diligent junior with exceptional strategic awareness.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Benjamin Jones – Old Square Chambers 'He goes above and beyond to deliver the very best results.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Adam Ross – Old Square Chambers 'Adam is exceptionally thorough and detailed, leaving no stone unturned. His knowledge of the relevant legislation is immense and he has a fantastic ability to explain this to clients with legal ease. His advocacy is formidable.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Lee Jennings is always very helpful and responsive.’

‘William Meade is absolutely fantastic – he has an excellent manner and makes you feel as though you and your client are their top priority at all times, regardless of how busy they are. Nothing is ever too much. Olivia Moliterno has a wonderful manner, her responsiveness is excellent and she is just a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Will Meade is a star and the clerks’ room as a whole is supportive and agile.’

‘Olivia Moliterno and William Meade are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Olivia Moliterno is faultless. Always quick to respond and find solutions.’

‘The clerks are very diligent, communicative and friendly.‘

‘Old Square Chambers is at the forefront of cutting-edge employment law issues.’

‘Strong employment set – strength in depth.‘

Western Circuit > Clinical negligence Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Kara Loraine – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers 'Sophie is incredibly hard-working and prepares a case with meticulous attention to detail. She is confident as an advocate and has complete mastery of her brief.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Naomi Rees – Old Square Chambers 'Naomi is a very able barrister with considerable advocacy and judicial experience. She is meticulous and detailed in analysis of evidence, drafting and preparation.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Western Circuit > Employment Tier 2

Leading Silks

Michael Ford KC – Old Square Chambers 'Michael has an encyclopedic knowledge of employment law, able to track the historical development of a particular legal concept, and explain it in simple terms.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Jack Mitchell – Old Square Chambers 'Jack is an excellent advocate and brings real gravitas to any court or tribunal he appears in.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Spencer Keen – Old Square Chambers 'Spencer is an incredibly knowledgeable employment lawyer with a charming manner allied to a first-rate brain.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Hilary Winstone – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Kara Loraine – Old Square Chambers 'Kara is calm and methodical. She is strong at delivering a case in submissions.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Melanie Tether – Old Square Chambers 'Melanie is exceptionally clever and good at distilling complex facts into clear, structured and persuasive documents. She is hard-working, responsive and always ready to get into the thick of a matter, providing practical and inciteful input.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Oliver Isaacs – Old Square Chambers 'Oliver is a smooth advocate, a skilled cross-examiner, and can fight his client's corner effectively whilst remaining calm and courteous to witnesses and opponents alike.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Western Circuit > Personal injury Tier 2

Leading Silks

Charles Woodhouse KC – Old Square Chambers ‘Charlie is the best personal injury silk at the Bar. His trial advocacy is second-to-none. He captivates judges with his approach.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Kara Loraine – Old Square Chambers 'Kara is very approachable. She has a down-to-earth manner with clients and explains matters very simply. Her practical approach to claims always assists when considering the resolution of disputes, as well as her tenacity.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers 'Sophie has excellent client care skills. She is good at gaining the trust of clients, particularly in cases with complex issues.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Daniel Neill – Old Square Chambers ‘Daniel’s communication is excellent. He is always helpful and pragmatic in his approach.’

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Clinical negligence Tier 3

Old Square Chambers‘ clinical negligence practice fields ‘an expanding and impressive body of expertise’, overseeing a range of professional medical issues, including birth injuries, surgical errors, misdiagnosis and mental health-related negligence. Ben Collins KC is a port of call for highly sophisticated and valuable negligence disputes that sees medical causation, expert evidence, factual consistency and quantum in contention. Sophie Beesley is highly active in representing clients in litigation pertaining to maternal injuries, such as stillbirths and cerebral palsy, as well as matters pertaining to mental health negligence, such as self-injuries and PTSD.

Leading Silks

Ben Collins KC – Old Square Chambers ‘Ben is the consummate professional, commands control and also the respect of the other side. He is a thoughtful and articulate advocate, not forgetting the lay client and their needs and understanding throughout the legal process. He is a canny negotiator and instills confidence at all times.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Charles Woodhouse KC - Old Square Chambers 'Is a robust negotiator and adopts a firm, no nonsense approach without being confrontational. Excellent quantum analysis and a sharp mind for facts and figures. He handles clients with sensitivity and skill. '

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Bruno Gil – Old Square Chambers ‘Bruno is always very responsive and can turn around instructions in a very short timescale when required. He is very good with experts and clients in conferences, testing evidence in a clear and logical manner.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Victoria Webb – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers ‘Sophie is a formidable advocate who can hold her own against any opponent. She balances this with excellent written work and attention to detail, as well as an incredibly patient and empathetic manner with the most vulnerable of clients.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Bella Webb – Old Square Chambers ‘Bella is a compelling advocate. She cross-examines experts into the ground and wins cases with her skill.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Joe Kallas is an excellent clerk in respect of his manner, going out of his way to help, always positive and friendly which is very important in this area of work.’

‘Will Meade is an excellent senior clerk and is ably assisted by Joe Kallas and Olivia Moliterno. Nothing is too much trouble.’

‘A high level clerks’ room with a supportive team who go the extra mile.’

‘Strong availability of reliable counsel at all levels of experience, all of whom are a safe pair of hands and can work together where needed’

‘Excellent clin neg set with an expanding and impressive body of expertise.’

‘Old Square Chambers would be my first choice of chambers to instruct.’

‘Old Square chambers have increased their strength and depth in terms of clinical negligence barristers over the last few years, The junior barristers, are well trained and equally as thoughtful and impressive in their work. ‘

‘Their counsel are all very approachable and client friendly – very engaged and responsive.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Personal injury Tier 3

Old Square Chambers‘ personal injury offering is noted as ‘full of experts in all types of personal injury law’, and is recommended for its ‘great depth of expertise in the field of occupational disease’. The team demonstrates proficiency in maximum severity workplace and traffic accidents, but is additionally capable in claims involving a psychiatric component, such as PTSD and self-harm. In an example crossing over with his employment expertise, Ben Collins KC appeared in Suresh v GMC and North Tees NHS Trust concerning a medic who was driven to self-harm following the proliferation of unfounded allegations. As part of a broad practice, Bruno Gil acts on behalf of military claimants.

Leading Silks

Paul Rose KC – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Ben Collins KC – Old Square Chambers ‘Ben brings with him a wealth of experience and analytical approach to complex brain injury claims.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Charles Woodhouse KC – Old Square Chambers ‘First class advocacy skills as one would expect at this level. Takes control of the room and is very persuasive achieving excellent outcomes. Superb client care.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Personal injury - Leading Juniors

Katherine Howells – Old Square Chambers ‘Katherine is excellent. She is always very well prepared and meticulous in her approach.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Adam Samuel – Old Square Chambers ‘Attention to detail, commercial acumen and knowing which points to take. He is impressive in cross examination of witnesses and knows how to draw evidence from even the most hostile witnesses while maintaining a dignified calm.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Bruno Gil – Old Square Chambers ‘Accessible, very hardworking, prepares impeccably and extremely good client manner - a star of the junior Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Brian Cummins – Old Square Chambers ‘Brian’s best strengths are his work ethic, his tenacity, his meticulous preparation and his truly exceptional advocacy.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Charlie Sparling – Old Square Chambers ‘ Charlie is meticulous in his preparation, has a keen strategic eye for the most important issues in a case and is excellent with expert witnesses.’

Ranked: Tier 4

David Rivers – Old Square Chambers ‘Friendly, knowledgeable, tactical and committed. Good on his feet and good at getting the judge on side, David anticipates the mood of the court and the flow of evidence.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Christopher Edwards – Old Square Chambers ‘Chris provides clear, sensible and well thought out advice with close attention to detail. He is very good with clients, even the more demanding ones, and can explain very complex matters in a simple, straightforward way.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Kara Loraine – Old Square Chambers ‘Good clear and practical approach. Empathy with clients yet robust approach to defendants.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Victoria Webb – Old Square Chambers 'Good manner with clients. Excellent drafting skills in relation to pleadings. Thorough preparation for meeting with experts and clients. Concise and clear advice.'

Ranked: Tier 5

Daniel Neill - Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 5

Sophie Beesley – Old Square Chambers ‘Sophie shows an instinctive ability to identify the needs of each client, treating them with care and attention whilst also providing firm advice that can be easily consumed by the client.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Great depth of expertise in the field of occupational disease. I would be confident to instruct anyone in this set.’

‘The Clerks at Old Square are like no other. They are very accommodating and proactive.’

‘Old Square Chambers is one of the best personal injury sets in the country.’

‘Chambers are first class. If preferred Counsel is unavailable, a suitable substitute is always provided. ‘

‘Old Square has a great set of personal injury barristers with a wealth of experience at different levels. I have worked with their junior barristers and silks.’

‘Quality and swift communication, replies received within 24 hours ‘

Work highlights

London Bar > Professional disciplinary and regulatory law Tier 3

Leading Silks

Mark Sutton KC – Old Square Chambers 'Mark is the barrister you want on your side when the chips are down. He knows his area of practice inside out and he goes the extra mile on all his cases. A formidable court room presence.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Ben Collins KC – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Betsan Criddle KC - Old Square Chambers 'An excellent barrister with great attention to detail to deal with complex cases. She has first-class client skills, and is able to explain technically complex issues with ease and focus the client on the key issues to progress the case, even with the most difficult of clients. '

Ranked: Tier 4

2023 Silks

Eleena Misra KC –Old Square Chambers ‘She is super smart, a brilliant communicator, and has excellent emotional intelligence.'

Nadia Motraghi KC – Old Square Chambers 'Nadia's attention to detail and her ability to identify and understand complex issues and translate them into simple language is impressive. She remains steely calm under pressure and is a most effective and inspiring advocate.'

Leading Juniors

Nicola Newbegin –Old Square Chambers ‘Nicola fights hard for her client. She is personable and available.‘

Ranked: Tier 1

Tim Grey – Old Square Chambers ‘He has highly impressive analytical skills, with an eye for detail that means the most important issues are never missed. He also has an effortlessly charming and friendly demeanour which quickly endears him to clients.'

Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Court of Protection: health and welfare

Rising stars

Turan Hursit – Old Square Chambers 'Turan is a highly confident advocate. She is remarkable and has a good court manner. Her drafting is excellent, and she is an extremely knowledgeable individual. Her approach is highly measured and compelling.'

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > Group litigation

Rising stars

Anna Dannreuther – Old Square Chambers ‘Anna is excellent. She is personable and an excellent team player. She is adept at legal research and willing to spend significant time on solving issues. A star in the making.'

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > Administrative law and human rights

Leading Silks

Ben Collins KC – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Robert Moretto –Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Western Circuit > Administrative law and human rights

2023 Silks

Nadia Motraghi KC – Old Square Chambers

London Bar > Aviation and Travel

Leading Juniors

Katherine Howells – Old Square Chambers ‘Katherine knows everything about aviation law, from jurisdiction to limitation to procedural points to a complete knowledge of the Montreal Convention. In court she impresses judges with this knowledge and with her calm but forceful style.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Northern Circuit > Employment

Leading Juniors

Paras Gorasia – Old Square Chambers 'Paras instils confidence in clients and witnesses, is able to cut to the issues, explain matters clearly, and remain personable throughout. Approachable and willing to go the extra mile to support instructing solicitors and achieve great results, and a true expert in discrimination. '

Ranked: Tier 1

London Bar > Education

Leading Juniors

Laith Dilaimi –Old Square Chambers ‘Laith is an extremely capable advocate; calm and measured in his questioning of vulnerable witnesses and his written advocacy is of exceptional quality. Laith has considerable experience in complex gender issues effecting schools and universities, as well as discrimination claims and breach of contract claims.’

Ranked: Tier 2

North Eastern Circuit > Employment

Leading Juniors

Laura Gould – Old Square Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

South Eastern Circuit > Employment

Leading Juniors

Jack Mitchell – Old Square Chambers 'Jack is exceptional on his feet. He is polite and charming, which disarms opponents. He is ridiculously thorough in his prep and makes instructing solicitors feel completely at ease that their case is in safe hands.'

Ranked: Tier 2

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.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Senior clerk	William Meade
Deputy Senior Clerk	Samantha Jones
Chambers Director	Sarah Earl
Marketing Manager	Phil Desmondez

Name	Position	Profile
Anna Dannreuther	Anna Dannreuther has a cross-disciplinary practice in employment and equality, commercial and…	View Profile
Michael Ford KC	Main areas of practice are employment law (including equal pay, working time,…	View Profile
Helen Gower	Helen’s main area of practice is discrimination law and equal pay. She…	View Profile
Oliver Isaacs		View Profile
Kara Loraine	and collective employment tribunal work, including equal pay, unfair and constructive dismissals,…	View Profile
Daniel Neill	Daniel Neill specialises in personal injury, clinical negligence and regulatory work (healthcare).…	View Profile
Tara O'Halloran		View Profile
Naomi Rees		View Profile
Christopher Walker	Christopher is a catastrophic personal injury specialist, instructed on behalf of both…	View Profile
Ms Hilary Winstone	Hilary Winstone is a talented and knowledgeable junior specialising in employment and…	View Profile