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 is Head of the Clinical Negligence team and ranked as a leading barrister in The Legal 500. He specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury litigation acting almost exclusively for claimants.
He is well regarded for his meticulous attention to detail, robust pleadings, skilled negotiation, persuasive advocacy and excellent client care.
Justin is instructed by claimants in complex and serious spinal injury cases (in particular cauda equina syndrome), vascular diabetes claims, delayed cancer diagnosis, sepsis, surgical negligence, obstetric and gynaecological claims and neonatal cases. He is counsel in several long-running, high-value claims, including those concerning historic negligence.
Justin has a particular specialism in cauda equina syndrome cases and is credited as a contributor to the GIRFT National Suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome Pathway.
Justin regularly writes articles on topical legal issues, including contributing to AvMA’s clinical negligence newsletter, and presents webinars, seminars and podcasts.
In the personal injury context, Justin has experience in complex high-value catastrophic injury cases. He has particular interest in multi-track workplace claims and claims involving vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists). He also has extensive experience of costs’ issues affecting multi-track work.
He has experience in representing interested parties at inquests in both clinical negligence and personal injury cases.
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.
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 a strong and astute advocate who has good levels of awareness and can judge the mood of the courtroom. He is empathetic with clients and appropriate with witnesses in examination and cross-examination.’
‘A great set’, St John’s Chambers acts for a range of claimants and defendants on all aspects of clinical negligence, including obstetrics, gynaecology, general surgery and neurology. Practice head Justin Valentine is highly skilled in mandates concerning neonatal, cauda equina and diabetes and stands out as ‘a safe pair of hands to place complex and high-value work’. Rachel Segal is well-known for ‘her excellent advocacy and a tremendous wealth of knowledge and expertise’ and regularly deals with matters related to delayed diagnoses of cancer and negligent gynaecological and ophthalmological care. The ‘very approachable and helpful’ James Marwick specialises in complex causation cases, including major spinal and birth injuries and other conditions. Lauren Karmel is another key member of the set with considerable experience in cases involving dentistry, ophthalmology and maternal injuries during childbirth and is ‘conscientious and very skilled’.