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Sophie Buckley
Sophie specialises in employment and discrimination. She is currently not practising, but sits as a fee paid employment judge in Leeds. She has represented claimants and respondents in a wide variety of cases in all areas of employment and discrimination at tribunal and EAT level. She was a tenant at 9 St John Street Chambers, Manchester until 2001, and from 2001-05 combined practise at York chambers with lecturing in employment law at Northumbria University. From 2005-10 she worked in a solicitor’s role as a principal legal officer at the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and as a senior enforcement lawyer at the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). At both commissions she advised on or conducted a number of notable cases, including the EOC’s judicial review of the implementation of the Equal Treatment Amendment Directive which resulted in significant amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. She conducted the only proceedings taken by the EOC under s71 SDA (application for an injunction in cases of persistent discrimination) (settled). She also worked on the EOC and EHRC’s suspended formal investigations into sexual harassment in the armed forces and the prison service and assisted with writing and editing the EOC’s legal adviser’s website.
Jonathan Carr
Jonathan practises in Chancery, Contractual and Commercial Disputes, Court of Protection and Mental Health, Credit Hire, Motor Insurance Fraud, and Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Areas of Emphasis Chancery Including easements, rights of way, boundary disputes, adverse possession, landlord and tenant (residential and commercial). Contractual and commercial disputes Consumer and commercial contractual disputes, sale of goods, credit hire, partnership law and shareholder disputes, factoring agreements and disputes surrounding commercial agents. Court of Protection and Mental Health Instructed in financial matters (particularly in relation to issues surrounding Enduring Powers of Attorney, Lasting Powers of Attorney and the appointment/ removal of Deputies) under The Mental Capacity Act 2005. Instructed in applications brought to displace nearest relatives under The Mental Health Act 1983. Instructed in applications for writs of habeas corpus following alleged unlawful detention under the Mental Health Act 1983, in particular issues surrounding the alleged failure to consult the Nearest Relative. Experienced in advising and representing both Applicants and Respondents in applications seeking injunctive relief against mentally incapacitated adults/children. Care home fees, PCT and Local Authority funding obligations and recoverability of fees. Credit Hire Has a niche practice in matters arising out of credit hire including mitigation and the need, impecuniosity, basic hire rates, credit repair, consumer credit arguments and common law enforceability and more recently issues surrounding the applicability of the Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regulations 2008. Motor Insurance Fraud Instructed in cases alleging staged accidents, organised fraud rings, induced ”slam on” accidents, fictitious accidents, phantom passenger claims, low velocity impacts, grossly exaggerated injuries out of proportion to the extent of the impact, alleged or suspected malingering. Advising on committal for contempt of court against dishonest claimants/witnesses and third party costs orders Instructed to advise in conference and draft proceedings where fraud is in issue. Personal Injury and clinical negligence (including dental negligence) Instructed by both Claimants and Defendants in virtually all types of personal injury work, with particular emphasis on mid to high value claims arising from road traffic accidents, highway claims, occupiers’ liability and employers’ liability (including industrial disease claims – asbestos exposure, deafness, HAVS, dermatitis and asthma). More recently specialised in employers’ liability, fatal accident claims and those arising out of allegations of motor insurance fraud. Experienced with claims involving injuries of the utmost severity, brain damage, death and dependency. Instructed in clinical negligence cases including negligent treatment and surgery, failure to investigate, failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis, misreporting of scans, failure to obtain a patient’s consent and failure to warn of the risks of surgery / treatment. In addition he is familiar with cases involving failed sterilisations and failure to diagnose cancer as well as Dental Negligence claims. Interest in the drafting of schedules/ counter–schedules involving Ogden Tables calculations and pension loss.
John Elvidge KC
John Elvidge KC
John Elvidge KC has led in many important high profile criminal cases throughout the North of England. He receives instructions from specialist criminal solicitors to defend and prosecute in complex cases including those brought by CPS CCU, CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division and the Serious Fraud Office. Examples of recent work: Corporate Manslaughter, Gross Negligence Manslaughter, Terrorist Murder, and multi-handed prosecutions in cases of Murder and Serious Organised Crime.
Stephen Fletcher
Stephen Fletcher
Stephen is a highly regarded chancery, commercial and property law barrister who has practiced exclusively in civl law since he was called to the Bar. In addition to the width and depth of his experience, Stephen attaches particular importance to achieving outcomes which provide real benefit to the client. Taking into account the commercial realities involved in litigation his advice is always practical.  In all cases he is committed to developing effective working relationships with both solicitors and lay clients and his regular clients note him for being always approachable and accommodating. Regarded by the Judiciary, his peers and instructing solicitors as an extremely effective advocate with a formidable attention to detail, Stephen is regularly instructed in very high value and complex matters in the Chancery Division and the specialist courts of the Queen’s Bench Division (Commercial, Mercantile, Technology & Construction) listed in both the regional High Court District Registries and in London. Stephen also appears for clients in the Court of Appeal.  Chancery/Commercial Shareholder’s disputes; director’s duties; appointment and removal of directors; unfair prejudice petitions and derivative actions; valuation disputes; shareholders’ agreements; limited liability partnerships. Corporate and personal insolvency. Property including trusts. Wills, probate and Inheritance Act claims Landlord and tenant Contract disputes including building and construction. Employment Stephen focuses on County Court/High Court actions relating to:- Directors’ and senior managers’ duties (fiduciary and otherwise) Restrictive covenants Team moves Setting up in competition Springboard and other injunctions Termination of directors and director-shareholders employment
Frazer Mcdermott
Frazer Mcdermott
Frazer joined the Bar in 2004 having spent 16 successful years as a solicitor, advocate and family mediator practising both in the south of England and the north east. His practice was predominantly family work and he came to the Bar with specialisms in child care, high value ancillary relief work and international child abduction. He was for a number of years a member of the Law Society Children Panel and while a solicitor, he set up a local family mediation service. Since joining chambers he has built up a busy practice of care and matrimonial finance work and has regularly been instructed by a large number of local authorities, solicitors and guardians. He is generally regarded as a safe pair of hands and as someone with a high level of client care and empathy. He is instructed by the Official Solicitor. He appears frequently in the High Court and County Court dealing with care and adoption work. He has often appeared in the Court of Appeal. He was described by Munby J in a multi-handed care case of significant complexity as ‘one of a team of highly dedicated professionals’ and as ‘skilled dedicated and caring’. He has dealt with cases involving complex medical issues, infants with multiple injuries as well as death, and regularly represents parents with mental health problems. He deals with all areas of matrimonial finance cases. He has dealt extensively with high-value ancillary relief work and cases involving companies and family assets. Frazer accepts instructions in all aspects of family work from across the North of England.
Brooke Morrison
Brooke was called to the bar in 2016 and has recently successfully completed a common law pupillage at Dere Street under the supervision of Stephen Thornton.  Before commencing pupillage, Brooke worked as a County Court Advocate representing clients in a variety of civil applications, including infant approvals, CCMCs and small claims trials. Prior to this, whilst completing the BPTC, Brooke was a regular volunteer for the Personal Support Unit in Leeds where she assisted clients in a wide range of legal proceedings. Brooke accepts work in all areas of Chambers’ practice and has a particular interest in criminal law.          
David Robinson-young
David Robinson-young
David practises mainly in employment and discrimination matters in which he acts for both claimants and respondents. He has advised both large and small employers as well as trade unions providing representation as well as initial advice. He regularly appears in Employment Tribunals nationwide including Scotland and the Employment Appeals Tribunal. David has also provided representation for individual employees in internal disciplinary proceedings. David has been certified by the Bar Council to accept instructions under the Direct Access to the Bar scheme and will happily offer advice in this respect if the circumstances of the case allow.
Anthony Senior
Anthony Senior
Anthony enjoyed a 20-year career in the Civil Service before coming to the Bar in 2002. He has a range of experience in multi-track, fast-track and small-claim cases involving all aspects of road traffic, personal injury, and credit hire for claimant and defendant. Has undertaken advocacy work for several large local public transport companies, and regularly appears for parties (claimant and defendant) in credit hire disputes. He has a particular interest in defending credit hire claims. He has an interest in all aspects of Freedom of Information, and has experience of the Information Appeal Tribunal. Having experience of the Social Security and Child Support Appeal Tribunal, he will advise and appear in relation to any facet of this work. He has experience and will advise on quantum and liability in personal injury, in particular in relation to children and approval matters (especially regarding Counsel’s fees for attendance the latter). He also has an interest in landlord-tenant disputes and has appeared in a variety of these cases and in Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction applications and associated work, in addition to other similar work (eg waste disposal, parking disputes, neighbour disputes). He also has experience of Magistrates Court work for and in respect of several government agencies, the DWP, HMRC, the Probation Service, North Eastern Sea Fisheries Agency, the FSA and most recently the Civil Aviation Authority.
Lindsay Webster
Lindsay Webster
Lindsay has been practicing at the Bar in the North East since completion of her pupillage and has since become a specialist family practitioner who has successfully built her practice in public law and Private Law Children Act work, adoptions and injunctions. She is currently instructed by solicitors across the North East on behalf of both applicants and respondents in public and private law proceedings including local authorities, parents, extended family members, the Official Solicitor and on behalf of children’s guardians through CAFCASS legal, NYAS and in cases where it is necessary to appoint a guardian ad litem. She has attracted a reputation for her excellent client care. Lindsay now regularly represents parties at a range of hearings in the Family Proceedings Court, County Court and the High Court including fact-finding and final hearings in cases where issues have included significant emotional and physical harm, sexual abuse, removal from the jurisdiction, and in cases where there are serious allegations of non-accidental injury, fictitious illness and death of a child. Lindsay takes instructions in respect of applications brought under the Forced Marriage Protection legislation. She has experience of appellate work and has appeared at the Principal Registry of the Family Division and at the Court of Appeal in respect of care proceedings. Prior to practising as a barrister and upon completion of her education, Lindsay worked in the courts on behalf of a Newcastle firm of solicitors in all aspects of family and criminal law.