Western Circuit
Guildhall Chambers is home to ‘an excellent personal injury team with an extensive range of experience’. The set reports an increase in personal injury cases involving brain injury claims, which form a key pillar of the ‘legally astute’ Oliver Moore‘s practice. Anthony Reddiford has extensive experience in handling industrial disease cases, while the ’very responsive‘ Gabriel Farmer is well known for his expertise in acting for claimants and defendants in catastrophic brain and spinal injury cases. Martin Lanchester is active in advising on a wide range of personal injury work, including fatal accidents, road traffic accidents and public liability claims. James Bentley appeared for the defendant in CL v Colas Ltd, an employer’s liability claim concerning an alleged neck injury in the workplace which led to the development of functional neurological disorder.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
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
Content supplied by Guildhall Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Caroline Evans and Olive Kavanagh are fantastic - friendly, approachable and quick to respond to queries.'
- 'Caroline Evans and Olive Kavanagh are real stand outs - fantastic service.'
- 'Both Caroline Evans and Olive Kavanagh are incredibly hardworking and are always on hand to respond to any queries. They are an absolute pleasure to work with and they always respond promptly.'
- 'Excellent clerks who go above and beyond to ensure a smooth and easy service.'
- 'Guildhall Chambers is a fantastic set.'
- 'A strong set for personal injury specialists with a broad range of experience.'
- 'Guildhall are a well managed set with strength in depth.'
- 'Excellent set across the board.'