David Pittaway KC > Hailsham Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

David Pittaway KC

020 7643 5000 david.pittawaykc@hailshamchambers.com

Position

David Pittaway KC was Head of Chambers for a number of years, and was Treasurer of the Inner Temple in 2017. His principal practice areas are medical law, public inquiries, regulatory and disciplinary, product liability, personal injury, and insurance law.

An increasing part of his practice is in resolving disputes before proceedings are begun or before trial, sitting as an arbitrator, mediator, or evaluator. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Accredited Mediator. He is also a Panel Member of Independent Evaluation; in which role he has been appointed to give a neutral evaluation in cases.

The main part of his practice is complex clinical negligence cases, where he is instructed on behalf of claimants, NHS bodies and medical defence societies. He has a particular interest in cases involving difficult issues of causation, where his skills in cross-examination of experts have been commented on in the main legal directories. Through his work in public inquiries, he has developed a discrete area of practice defending high profile clients in both the healthcare and non-healthcare sectors against reputational damage.

He has substantial experience of large-scale litigation arising out of his involvement in The Cervical Screening Litigation, The Shipman Inquiry, The Kingsway Hospital, Derby Inquest, The Capper Pass Claims Review Scheme, The Northwick Park Clinical Trials Litigation, The Stepping Hill Hospital Deaths, Ian Patterson Group Litigation and The Hillsborough Inquests.

He sits as a chair of the Bishops’ Disciplinary Tribunal and as an alternate to the President of Tribunals of the Church of England. He has given high-profile advice to senior members of the Church of England on disciplinary issues. He has advised medical and non-medical regulators on their procedures, ranging from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to the National Association of Funeral Directors. He has been instructed by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.

He is ranked in the legal directories as a leading silk in medical law,  inquests and inquiries and in regulatory and professional discipline.

Following his official visits to South East Asia as Treasurer of the Inner Temple in 2017, he now accepts instructions from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Sri Lanka.

Career

Called 1977, Inner Temple (2011 Northern Ireland); bencher 1998; reader elect (2015); assistant recorder (1998); recorder; KC 2000; Deputy High Court Judge (QBD/Admin) 2008/13; chancellor of the Diocese of Peterborough (2006); legal member of Mental Health Review Tribunal 2002; GMC Legal Assessor 2002-04; Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Legal Assessor 2004; GSCC legal assessor 2007; FCl Arb 1994; accredited mediator 2003; contributor: ‘Atkins Court Forms – Personal Injury [2014]; Professional Negligence’ [2013]; ‘National Health Service’ [2014]; ‘Carriers’ [2010]; Co-general editor ‘Pittaway & Hammerton Professional Negligence Cases’ (Butterworth’s) [1998];

Memberships

Past chairman of Professional Negligence Bar Association; Personal Injuries Bar Association; London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association; Bar European Group.

Education

Uppingham School; Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1976 (Exhibitioner) BA Cantab; 1979 MA Cantab).