Northern Circuit
Exchange Chambers is ‘a leading chambers for clinical negligence and has extensive strength in depth’. David Knifton KC has ‘exceptional forensic rigour and a huge wealth of experience with clinical negligence catastrophic injury claims’, and continues to act for claimants in obstetric negligence cases. Gerard Martin KC has extensive experience in advising on spinal cord and brain injury claims concerning both children and adults. Recent instructions for the group include the ‘stellar advocate’ Chris Barnes KC advising on a wrongful birth claim. At the junior end of chambers, Chris Gutteridge specialises in cases concerning anaesthetic negligence, and the ‘very effective, analytical, balanced, and reasonable’ Kevin Naylor is sought after by defendants and claimants for his specialist focus on clinical negligence claims. Bill Braithwaite KC retired from practice in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
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Profile
Work Department
Personal Injury
Position
David Knifton KC specialises in high-value personal injury and clinical negligence cases, particularly those involving brain or spinal cord injuries and amputations. He acts almost exclusively on behalf of claimants, where his abilities as an outstanding advocate are widely recognised. He is consistently recommended as a leading barrister in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, and was shortlisted as PI Silk of the Year by the Legal 500 in 2023 and 2024.
He is regularly instructed in claims of the utmost severity, and consistently achieves multi-million pound settlements each year. His enormous experience, meticulous preparation, excellent client skills and pragmatic approach are highly-valued by clients.
David generally only accepts new instructions in cases with a value in excess of £1m.
In addition to contested litigation, he has acted at a number of high-profile Inquests and Public Inquiries, including the North Wales (Waterhouse) Child Abuse Inquiry and the ‘Blue 25’ Inquest concerning the deaths of 5 UK servicemen shot by a rogue Afghan policeman.
David Knifton KC regularly provides lectures and training on topical legal issues both through Chambers and to organisations including AVMA, APIL, SCIL and PIBA, and is a frequent contributor to Chambers’ PI Newsletter.
He has over 20 years’ experience sitting as a Recorder in the Crown and County Courts.
Career
Called 1986; Silk 2018; Recorder 2002; Accredited Mediator 2006.
Memberships
- Northern Circuit
- Personal Injury Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
Education
- LLB (Hons), University of Nottingham (Class II.i, 1985)
- Inner Temple, Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Scholarship
Content supplied by Exchange Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The service provided by the clerks' room is of exceptional quality. Sarah Rotherham and Rachel Williams are professional and effective in everything that they do.'
- 'Sarah Rotherham and Leigh Daniels are very approachable and accommodating clerks. Their turnaround time is impressive.'
- 'The clerks at Exchange are all brilliant. Sarah Rotherham has excelled in the business development role. Leigh Daniels and Olivia Cleere all offer a first class clerking service, without fail.'
- 'Fantastic clerks.'
- 'Exchange Chambers are a superb set. They provide a high quality service without any fuss. They are supportive and understanding.'
- 'A reliable set.'
- 'This set has many talented individuals. I’m never short of first class counsel with this set.'