Highlighted for 'providing a complete service to all insurance sectors', Gatehouse Chambers' personal injury practitioners typically operate in complex cases involving catastrophic injuries, brain, spinal and psychiatric injury claims, fatal accident claims and amputations. Charles Bagot KC is highly regarded for his expertise in advising on secondary victim claims. Colm Nugent has notable experience in acting for insurers in matters involving allegations of fraud. In a boost to chambers, Emma Zeb KC was appointed to silk in March 2025.
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Profile

Position

Colm is a specialist barrister in the fields of personal injury and related insurance issues. He is also instructed in a variety of disputes outside these core fields including difficult interlocutory applications, having lectured extensively on the CPR and related costs issues.

Colm acts for both Claimants and Defendants in all aspects of injury and related disputes with a particular focus on lower limb injuries, subtle brain injury (especially those leading to an increased risk of dementia), complex loss of earnings claims, hand injuries and long-term loss claims as well as fatalities.  He is an acknowledged specialist in claims concerning the application of the Defective Premises Act, which has taken him to the Court of Appeal this year.

He is sought after by insurers for cases where fraud and exaggeration are suspected and has had success at striking out a number of such claims. Colm lectures regularly on the CPR, litigation tactics, defending fraud claims, bringing complex loss claims and issues arising from disability and interpretation of the Ogden reduction factors. Colm is also an accredited ADR Group Mediator.

Colm regularly speaks at training events and seminars, and also gives webinars for Practical Law, LexisNexis and others.

Career

Call: 1992

Memberships

  • Personal Injury Bar Association
  • Professional Negligence Bar Association
  • British Insurance Law Association
  • Employment Law Bar Association
  • London Common Law Bar Association

Education

  • B.A. (Kent)
  • Colm came to the Bar from employment at Smithkline Beecham (now Glaxo Smithkline)

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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Natasha Devlin-Clingham is approachable, very efficient, and incredibly helpful.'
  • 'Natasha Devlin-Clingham is a real star.’
  • 'The service from the clerks is of high quality. They are easy to contact and quick to respond to queries.'
  • 'The clerks are proactive and responsive.'
  • ‘Strong personal injury set.’
  • 'A very well run set.'
  • 'Great set.'