Justin Valentine > Chambers of Matthew White > Bristol, England > Barrister Profile
St John's Chambers Offices
St John's Chambers
101 VICTORIA STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 6PU
England
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Justin Valentine
Work Department
Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury
Career
Year of call (1999) Middle Temple.
Justin specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury litigation acting almost exclusively for claimants.
He undertakes all aspects of clinical negligence work with a particular focus on:
- Birth injury and neo-natal claims (hypoglycaemic and hypoxic injury)
- Cauda equina claims
- Vascular diabetes claims (typically resulting in loss of foot or leg)
- Delayed cancer diagnosis claims
- Surgical errors and mismanagement of infection
He has extensive experience in both JSMs and in mediation. He is instructed by many of the leading firms in clinical negligence.
In the personal injury context, he has a particular interest in multi-track workplace claims and claims involving vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists). He has successfully litigated complex cases involving the Animals Act.
He has a reputation for robust pleadings, skilled negotiation, persuasive advocacy and excellent client care.
He regularly drafts schedules and counter schedules of loss in complex high-value and catastrophic injury cases.
He has experience in representing interested parties at inquests in both clinical negligence and personal injury cases.
He also has extensive experience of costs’ issues affecting multi-track work.
Justin practised in the North West for over 15 years. Upon relocating back to the South West he joined St John’s Chambers in 2016. Prior to joining the Bar in 1999 he worked in two psychiatric hospitals, before undertaking a Masters in sociology and working as a research associate at the University of Kent at Canterbury in the centre for health services studies for three years.
He is a keen pianist and a fluent German speaker.
Languages
German (B2 level of Common European Framework passed at 86%)
Memberships
Personal Injury Bar Association
Education
- Bar Vocational Course, University of the West of England
- PG Dip Law, University of the West of England
- BSc Econ (Hons), University College of Swansea
- MSc, Bristol University
- Diplock Scholar
- Recipient of Campbell Foster Prize (awarded to the Middle Templar to come first on the BVC at the University of the West of England)
- Goethe Certificate B2 – German
- Associate of the Royal Schools of Music (Piano Performance Diploma)
Leisure
Reading German literature and nonfiction books. Playing the piano. Walking and cycling. Playing with my toddler!
Lawyer Rankings
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Clinical negligence
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1Justin Valentine – St John’s Chambers ‘Justin is forensic in his approach, and has an eye for detail. He is also tactically very strong, and maintains one eye on the big picture. Overall, Justin is very easy to work with as he aims to get the best outcome through working as a team.’
St John’s Chambers is one of the ‘go-to‘ clinical negligence sets on the Western Circuit and beyond. Justin Valentine is well regarded for his ‘meticulous attention to detail‘ and handles a wide range of claimant and defendant instructions, specialising in neonatal, cauda equina, and diabetes-related claims. He is counsel in several long-running, high-value claims, including those concerning historic negligence. Rachel Segal’s practice includes multiple cases involving the delayed diagnosis and treatment of cancers, particularly of breast cancer, as well as ophthalmology, gastrointestinal and colorectal surgery, and obstetrics. Lauren Karmel ‘interacts well both with medical experts and claimants’ and has been instructed in relation to over thirty clinical and dental negligence cases this past year.