Set Profile > Chambers of Simon Readhead QC > London, England

Mediators

Travel law (including jurisdictional issues) Tier 1

1 CHANCERY LANE houses 'some of the big-hitters in international injury law and can rightly be proud of its track record in this area'. The set specialises in overseas accident litigation and has significant experience in complex foreign clinical negligence, catastrophic injury, and abuse-related personal injury claims. Jack Harding was involved in the highly publicised holiday sickness claim, Bondarenko v TUI. Supreme Court case, Brownlie v Four Seasons, which is a leading case on agency liability, was a key matter for Matthew Chapman QC and John Ross QC.

Police law (defendant) Tier 2

1 CHANCERY LANE is 'a first-class set with great depth of counsel' for police defendant instructions. In one representative matter, Andrew Warnock QC acted for Thames Valley Police in a human rights claim arising from the death of a suspect who was killed during a police pursuit; the case involved the issue as to whether the police should cease pursuit of a suspect who is endangering their own life by dangerous driving and refuses to stop.

Clinical negligence Tier 3

The 'excellent' 1 Chancery Lane offers a 'full range of experience in the clinical negligence field'. Members have particular expertise acting in cases concerning catastrophic birth injuries, as well as claims arising from mental illness. The set has built a 'strong reputation' in multi-party actions and representing defendants in ground-breaking cases. Barristers are praised for their 'collaborative approach to work and instructions'. Edward Faulks QC represented the defendant in the Court of Appeal case of XX v Whittington NHS Trust, in which a claimant, who was rendered infertile due to clinical negligence, sought damages for the costs of a commercial surrogacy arrangement in California. Also for the NHS, Edward Bishop QC acted for the defendant in YAH v Medway NHS Foundation Trust, in which the distinction between primary and secondary victims in claims for psychiatric illness was addressed.

Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud Tier 3

1 Chancery Lane is 'highly proficient in personal injury and related law'. The set is renowned for its involvement in historic abuse claims, but its specialisms also encompass motor-fraud cases as well as high-profile claims against local authorities. Edward Faulks QC and Paul Stagg appeared in the landmark case of CN v Poole BC on the issue of whether social workers owe duties of care to children in investigating allegations of abuse and neglect. Angus Piper is noted for his particular expertise in Highways claims relating to injuries caused by falling trees.

Professional negligence Tier 4

1 Chancery Lane is a 'strong set' for professional negligence matters and its members regularly handle disputes across the legal, property, construction, insurance, and financial services sectors. Members are also noted for their expertise in public sector claims; Andrew Warnock QC appeared in Goman v Stockport where negligence was alleged against social services. Leading juniors Ivor Collett and Nicola  Atkins joined Crown Office Chambers in 2019.

Property litigation Tier 5

Set overviews: England and Wales

The ‘down-to-earth’ counsel at 1 Chancery Lane are ‘highly proficient’, ‘well-respected’, and ‘offer a collaborative approach’ to personal injury claims. In the challenging arena of historic abuse claims, chambers is ‘renowned’ for its knowledge and ‘good strength in depth’ on the subject. Chambers is also described as a ‘reliable set’ for clinical negligence, offering ‘a strong range of expertise’ both at junior and senior levels; is an ‘excellent’ choice for ‘complex duty of care situations’; and is ‘second to none in travel litigation, brilliant from top to bottom’. The set is also ‘packed with excellent, bright barristers’ specialising in police law. In December 2018, a seven-strong team of civil law specialists (Ian Stebbings, Richard Cherry, Simon Newman, Conor Kennedy, Richard McLean, Christopher Pask, and Terence Wong, along with clerk Greg Piner) joined chambers from 33 Bedford Row, while professional negligence juniors Ivor Collett and Nicola Atkins moved to Crown Office Chambers, catastrophic injuries junior Kiril Waite joined 7BR, and Richard Beaty joined Hailsham Chambers. The ‘incredibly helpful’ senior clerk, Clark Chessis, and his ‘responsive, personable’ clerking team are ‘keen to please’ and ‘always go the extra mile’ to deliver ‘a seamlessly efficient service’. ‘They always find suitable counsel even at the last minute and out of hours’, said one instructing solicitor. First junior David Barrow ‘goes out of his way to assist’, while Dan Olivia is ‘a credit to the set’; ‘They know their barristers well.’ Offices in: London