Oriel Chambers > Liverpool, England > Set Profile
Oriel Chambers Offices

Oriel Chambers
14 WATER STREET
LIVERPOOL
L2 8TD
England
Oriel Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings
Northern Circuit > Inquests and inquiries
Northern Circuit > Commercial litigation
Northern Circuit > Personal injury
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Personal injury
Leading Juniors
Oriel Chambers > Set Profile
Oriel Chambers is a Common Law set in Liverpool
The set: Since its inception in 1965, Oriel Chambers has retained an established and well-deserved reputation as a leading set on the Northern Circuit.
Oriel has long been the set of choice for the Crown Office, Local Government, Global insurers and local law firms. Oriel has consistently been retained as panel chambers for a number of large national firms.
Oriel is proactively engaged within the local legal community, most notably with its in-demand, Family Practice Group. Oriel’s clients are viewed as real stakeholder partners and chambers’ strategic planning is approached with that relationship in mind, ensuring that our clients are provided with the levels of service that both they and their own clients’ demand.
“Adding value” to our clients’ practice is ingrained in Oriel Chambers’ culture.
Our barrister’s expertise is additionally evidenced by their presence in the judicial ranks, holding roles as Recorders, District Judges, Assistant Coroners and members of the Attorney General Panel.
The directory describes Oriel as “Housing some excellent Counsel” (The Legal 500) and “Well clerked and administered” (The Legal 500)
Our clerks are friendly, proactive, knowledgeable and provide chamber’s clients with a consistent high level of service.
Types of work undertaken
Civil law: Oriel Chambers has a strong reputation for personal injury, industrial disease and clinical negligence work. Its members provide experience and strength at all levels and in all areas of civil practice. Clients range from individuals, companies, insurers and public bodies including NHS trusts, local authorities and the police. A number of the barristers are members of the Treasury Solicitors Regional Panel. Conditional fee work is accepted in appropriate cases.
Commercial and Chancery: The Commercial and Chancery Group offers a dedicated and efficient litigation and advisory service. The team prides itself on high-quality, commercially focused, specialist advice and representation to individuals through to blue-chip companies, not only in the North West but throughout the UK.
Family law: Family and matrimonial law are at the cutting edge of the social and economic changes taking place in society. The Oriel Chambers’ family team recognises this. It provides a specialist service, which is both sympathetic to the client’s needs and aspirations, while providing practical and constructive advice to its solicitors. Members of the team undertake all aspects of public and private law, and a number are recognised to be among the most experienced practitioners in these spheres. Chambers is particularly prominent in large money financial relief cases.
Criminal law: Members of the team provide excellence in advocacy across all areas of criminal law, including homicide, offences against the person, drugs and drug trafficking, fraud, sexual offences and theft. These are just some of the areas the team is instructed in on a regular basis, by both defendant solicitors and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Employment law: Regarded on the Northern Circuit as one of the leading chambers for employment law, members of the team regularly act for both the private and the public sectors, appearing throughout the country before tribunals, the EAT and Court of Appeal. Members are also regularly instructed to appear at internal disciplinary meetings and appeals. Clients range from individual, or groups of employees, to corporate bodies, in-house legal teams, trade unions, public authorities and NHS trusts.
Regulatory law: In the 21st century regulatory law is an area of increasing concern and importance. The team is known for its work and expertise in all aspects of this field both in the criminal and civil jurisdictions. In criminal cases appearing for both prosecution and defence. Areas of specific expertise include statutory nuisance, waste management, water pollution, contaminated land, air pollution, sewerage, meat hygiene, health and safety, and environmental offences.
Mediation: Trained by the Academy of Experts, Oriel Chambers mediation team is one of very few within Liverpool and the North West. It is able to offer services in all civil and commercial disputes, whether within court proceedings or otherwise.
Clerks: Oriel Chambers’ well established clerking team is renowned on the Northern Circuit for their “nothing is too much trouble” approach.
The clerks are friendly, proactive, knowledgeable and provide chamber’s clients with a consistently high level of service.
Nick O’Neill has recently joined chambers as chambers director and as a former solicitor of some 22 years PQE brings with him a wealth of knowledge. Nick was a long-standing client of Oriel Chambers and fully appreciates the level of performance that his clerking team can deliver.
Paul Thompson is chambers’ manager and works closely with the clerking team, ensuring that client care and practice innovation are always at the forefront of their minds.
The 2020/21 pandemic gave the clerking team the opportunity to show how they work as a team and they have delivered consistently, ensuring a seamless offering for chambers’ diverse client base.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
---|---|---|---|
Chambers Director | Nicholas O'Neill | nicholas.oneill@orielchambers.co.uk | 0151 236 7191 |
Chambers Manager | Paul Thompson | paul.thompson@orielchambers.co.uk | 0151 236 7191 |
Members of Chambers/ Head of Chambers | BRANT, Paul (1993) | ||
Members of Chambers | BENNETT, Martyn (1969) | ||
Members of Chambers | ALLDIS, Christopher (1970) | ||
Members of Chambers | COWAN, Peter (1980) | ||
Members of Chambers | BUNDRED, Gillian (1982) | ||
Members of Chambers | O'KEEFFE, Darren (1984) | ||
Members of Chambers | EVANS, Suzanne (1985) | ||
Members of Chambers | FOX, Anna (1986) | ||
Members of Chambers | GOODBODY, Peter (1986) | ||
Members of Chambers | ELLIS, Catherine (1987) | ||
Members of Chambers | NICHOLLS, Jane (1989)* | ||
Members of Chambers | LEWTHWAITE, Joanne (1990)* | ||
Members of Chambers | RAHMAN, Yaqub (1991) | ||
Members of Chambers | HOLLOWAY, Timothy (1991) | ||
Members of Chambers | BELBIN, Heather (1992) | ||
Members of Chambers | MILLS, Stuart (1992) | ||
Members of Chambers | RANKIN, William K (1994) | ||
Members of Chambers | HUGHES, Rachel (1995) | ||
Members of Chambers | BENSON, James (1995) | ||
Members of Chambers | COTTRELL, Matthew (1996) | ||
Members of Chambers | FRODSHAM, Alexander (1996) | ||
Members of Chambers | PRITCHARD, Cecilia (1998) | ||
Members of Chambers | BERRY, Karl (1999) | ||
Members of Chambers | PURCELL, Deirdre (2000) | ||
Members of Chambers | SHOLICAR, Ann (2000)* | ||
Members of Chambers | BURNS, Judith (2001) | ||
Members of Chambers | GRAY, John (2001) | ||
Members of Chambers | WILLIAMS, Graham (2002) | ||
Members of Chambers | MIDDLETON, Christopher (2002) | ||
Members of Chambers | HOWE, Andrew (2002) | ||
Members of Chambers | GRUFFYDD, Sarah (2003) | ||
Members of Chambers | WILLIAMS, Alexander (2004) | ||
Members of Chambers | COOPER, Mark (2005) | ||
Members of Chambers | CHAMPION, Karina (2005) | ||
Members of Chambers | WOLFENDEN, Peter (2007)* | ||
Members of Chambers | EAST, Harry (2014) | ||
Members of Chambers | VAUGHAN, Melissa (2014) | ||
Members of Chambers | HYNES, Tom (2015) | ||
Members of Chambers | TYLER, Marc (2018) | ||
Members of Chambers | SENEVIRATNE, Indunee (2019) | ||
Members of Chambers | MCCORMICK,Mark (2019) | ||
Members of Chambers | MCKECHNIE, Amy (2021) | ||
Members of Chambers | MOORE, Jack (2021) | ||
* Door tenants | |||
SCOLICAR Anne | |||
LEWTHWAITE Joanne | |||
NICHOLLS Jane | |||
LIDDY Michelle | |||
MCMURTRIE Chris |
Barrister Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | Christopher Alldis | Christopher has a strong practice in the field of personal injury and… | View Profile |
![]() | Heather Belbin | Heather has a strong civil practice particularly specialising in the area of… | View Profile |
![]() | Martyn Bennett | Martyn Bennett specialises in family law and particularly in money cases. He… | View Profile |
![]() | James Benson | James is an extremely busy civil practitioner who has always relished the… | View Profile |
![]() | Karl Berry | Karl Berry is a skilled trial advocate, whose practice encompasses all aspects… | View Profile |
![]() | Paul Brant | Head of Chambers, Paul Brant’s cases cover commercial, chancery, insolvency (corporate and… | View Profile |
![]() | Gillian Bundred | Family lawyer dealing with public and private children work, financial relief applications… | View Profile |
![]() | Judith Burns | Judith is a personal injury specialist with particular experience in serious and… | View Profile |
![]() | Karina Champion | On the foundations of a Classics degree from Exeter College, Oxford, a… | View Profile |
![]() | Mark Cooper | Mark has been a tenant at Oriel Chambers since 2006 and has… | View Profile |
![]() | Matthew Cottrell | Matthew specialises in personal injury, insurance and counter-fraud litigation in relation to… | View Profile |
![]() | Peter Cowan | Peter has a wide ranging civil practice covering personal injuries (with a… | View Profile |
![]() | Harry East | Harry is an energetic and diligent Junior and is approachable and knowledgeable.… | View Profile |
![]() | Catherine Ellis | Catherine is proud to be an old-style common law practioner covering a… | View Profile |
![]() | Suzanne Evans | During her years at the Bar, Suzanne has developed a specialised practice… | View Profile |
![]() | Anna Fox | Anna is experienced matrimonial counsel and is head of the Oriel Chambers… | View Profile |
![]() | Alexander Frodsham | Alex has a strong personal injury practice and he undertakes all areas… | View Profile |
![]() | Peter Goodbody | Experienced, sympathetic and will work to solve the client’s problems Peter’s practical… | View Profile |
![]() | John Gray | John Gray has more than 20 years experience in civil litigation. He… | View Profile |
![]() | Sarah Gruffydd | Sarah has a mixed Civil and Criminal practice. On the Civil side… | View Profile |
![]() | Tim Holloway | Practising barrister approaching 30 years’ call with a well-established practice in Crown… | View Profile |
![]() | Andrew Howe | A highly regarded personal injury specialist, instructed in complex, high value claims,… | View Profile |
![]() | Rachel Hughes | Rachel undertakes personal injury work on behalf of claimants and defendants and… | View Profile |
![]() | Tom Hynes | Tom is very familiar with the principles and practicalities of representing spouses… | View Profile |
![]() | Mark McCormick | Prior to coming to the Bar, Mark practised as a solicitor. During… | View Profile |
![]() | Amy McKechnie | Amy joined Chambers as a tenant in September 2022 after successfully completing… | View Profile |
![]() | Christopher Middleton | Chris’ principal area of practice is personal injury, acting on behalf of… | View Profile |
![]() | Stuart Mills | Stuart is a successful and well-respected jury advocate. He has a wealth… | View Profile |
![]() | Jack Moore | Jack joined Chambers as a tenant in 2022 following a successful completion… | View Profile |
![]() | Darren O"Keeffe | Personal injury litigation (mostly employers or public liability claims, or from road… | View Profile |
![]() | Cecilia Pritchard | Cecilia has particular expertise in the field of personal injury law. She… | View Profile |
![]() | Deirdre Purcell | Deirdre has a strong common law practice specialising in personal injury litigation… | View Profile |
![]() | Yaqub Rahman | Yaqub has a substantial civil practice covering all aspects of personal injury… | View Profile |
![]() | William Rankin | Bill Rankin specialises in personal injury work on behalf of Claimants (25%)… | View Profile |
![]() | Indunee Seneviratne | Adaptable and friendly, the hallmark of Indunee’ s practice is her person-centred… | View Profile |
![]() | Marc Tyler | Marc has a busy, mixed practice which is spread in equal measure… | View Profile |
![]() | Melissa Vaughan | Melissa is a barrister specialising in family law, with a focus on… | View Profile |
![]() | Alexander Williams | Alexander has nearly 20 years of experience in civil litigation and employment… | View Profile |
![]() | Graham Williams | Graham is a dual qualified lawyer who acts in… | View Profile |