Western Circuit
Guildhall Chambers is ‘an anchor of clinical negligence expertise in the South West’, and houses ‘a strong offering of gifted clinical negligence barristers’. Selena Plowden KC‘s ’ability to engage in the medical evidence is second to none‘. The ’extremely meticulous and dedicated‘ Martin Lanchester has established experience in acting for claimants and defendants in a broad range of cases concerning cauda equina, delayed cancer diagnosis claims and spinal injuries, to name a few. The group reports an increase in birth injury claims, a key area of instruction for Sophie Holme. James Bentley’s workload includes dental negligence, radiological negligence and consent matters.
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Profile
Work Department
Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, Costs & Litigation Funding
Position
James Bentley is recognised as a leading junior on circuit for both personal injury and costs. He appears for Claimants and Defendants in broadly equal measure, with most of his caseload being in the multi-track. He also has a well-established and varied clinical negligence practice, receiving instructions on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants.
Career
Personal injury work forms the majority of James’s practice.
He represents both Claimants and Defendants across the full range of liability and quantum issues, and his expertise is consistently recognised by both legal directories.
In addition to ‘standard’ RTA, EL and PL claims, James has extensive experience in more complex claims, the majority of which have been valued in excess of £100,000, and which occasionally run into seven figures. These include:
- Brain injury claims;
- Fraud and exaggerated claims;
- Animals Act claims;
- Accidents abroad/claims with a foreign law element;
- Fatal Accidents Act claims;
- Pain disorders, including: CRPS, Somatoform disorders, Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia;
- Secondary victim/complex psychiatric claims;
- Complex loss of earnings claims.
As a result of having a well-established costs practice, James also has particular experience where difficult costs issues arise during the case, and clients have often appreciated his ability to give well-informed and commercial advice as a result.
James has built a successful clinical negligence practice. His expertise has resulted in him being selected to co-author the Clinical Negligence chapter of Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service Manual.
Examples of recent work include cases involving:
- General practice and inappropriate advice;
- Hepato-biliary failures;
- Nursing – including pressure sore cases of the utmost severity;
- Vascular surgery;
- Cardiology;
- Orthopaedic negligence (including spinal surgery leading to neurological complications);
- Delayed cancer diagnoses and inappropriate monitoring;
- Dental negligence;
- Radiological negligence;
- Consent
James’s clinical negligence work involves high 5 and 6 figure claims where at least 3 or more experts have been instructed for each side. He has also been instructed as a junior and second junior in 7 and 8 figure cases involving injuries at birth.
His work includes appearing at inquests where there are some prospects of success.
Memberships
- PIBA
- AvMA
Education
- BPTC, Kaplan Law School
- LLM, University College London
- LLB Hons, University of Exeter
- Hardwicke Entrance Award, Lincoln's Inn
- Sir Thomas More Award, Lincoln's Inn
- Walter Wigglesworth Scholarship, Lincoln's Inn
- Kaplan Law School Advocacy Scholarship
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Caroline Evans and Olive Kavanagh are friendly, communicative and approachable. They are incredibly helpful and always willing to be flexible. They are a fantastic asset to their chambers.'
- 'Olive Kavanagh and Caroline Evans are always helpful.'
- 'Caroline and Olive are exceptional in their roles at clerks.'
- 'Caroline is Super Woman!'
- 'First class!'
- 'Guildhall have an amazing array of different people within the clinical negligence sphere that would be able to manage all cases.'
- 'Superb strength in depth.'
- 'Guildhall Chambers is a delight to work with.'
- 'Counsel are always willing to go the extra mile.'