Retour United Kingdom - The Bar

Health And Safety

Crown Office Chambers

Henderson Chambers

2 Bedford Row

Six Pump Court

2 Hare Court

Temple Garden Chambers

Outer Temple Chambers

Three Raymond Buildings

Leading Silks

Simon Antrobus KC –Crown Office Chambers ‘An exceptional KC and superb advocate. He knows how to read the court and jury.’

Oliver Campbell KC – Henderson Chambers ‘A formidable barrister who is level-headed and tenacious.‘

John Cooper KC – Crown Office Chambers ‘John uses his considerable skills as an advocate to deliver compelling arguments to judges and juries. He has fire in his belly and clients love his dynamic attitude.'

Stephen Hockman KC –Six Pump Court

Jonathan Laidlaw KC –2 Hare Court

Richard Matthews KC - Mayfair Place Chambers ‘Richard has unparalleled knowledge of health and safety law and policy.’

Keith Morton KC –Temple Garden Chambers ‘A leader in his field.’

Prashant Popat KC –Henderson Chambers ‘A premier health and safety barrister. He has a forensic eye and unrivalled expertise in picking experts apart.’

Toby Riley-Smith KC –Henderson Chambers ‘Toby is a superb advocate. He works terrifically hard on every case and is meticulously prepared. A concise barrister with exceptionally good judgement.'

David Travers KC – Gough Square Chambers

Dominic Adamson KC –Temple Garden Chambers ‘Dominic is a masterful advocate. He is calm, considered, and very personable. His legal advice is clear and insightful.’

James Ageros KC –Crown Office Chambers

Christine Agnew KC –2 Bedford Row ‘Christine is very measured in her advocacy yet also knows exactly when it is appropriate to be tenacious in order to achieve her objective. She has a great tactical approach.’

Ben Compton KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘A real master of his craft.’

Adrian Darbishire KC –QEB Hollis Whiteman ‘A great strategist and a superb advocate.’

Gerard Forlin KC –Cornerstone Barristers 'A robust and confident advocate.'

Tim Green KC –Henderson Chambers ‘Tim is a highly regarded KC in this field. His fighting spirit is a great asset for clients who are up against it on difficult cases.’

Deanna Heer KC –5 Paper Buildings ‘Deanna is a very succinct advocate. She knows her cases very well; judges listen to her and like her measured style.’

Jamas Hodivala KC –Matrix Chambers ‘In court, he is a very polished and persuasive advocate, and his measured manner reassures clients under pressure.'

Dominic Kay KC –Crown Office Chambers ‘Dominic advances cogent arguments, and his advice is reasoned and confident. His reading of the courtroom is second to none.’

Jonathan Kirk KC – Gough Square Chambers

Richard Lissack KC –Fountain Court Chambers

James Maxwell-Scott KC –Crown Office Chambers ‘James’s advice and leadership is first class.’

Jim Sturman KC –2 Bedford Row ‘Jim is outstanding. He is excellent with clients, juries, and judges. A diligent silk who is easy to work with, and his dry wit makes the job fun.'

Stephen Walsh KC –Three Raymond Buildings

Mark Watson KC –Six Pump Court

David Whittaker KC – 2 Hare Court 'A smooth operator and a master in his field.'

Angus Withington KC – Henderson Chambers ‘Angus is extremely knowledgeable, and excellent at building rapport with clients.'

2023 Silks

Mark Balysz KC –Crown Office Chambers ‘Mark has judges, jurors and ushers eating out of his hand. A very charming advocate with a solid steel core. He is agile and tactically supreme.’

Kathleen Donnelly KC – Henderson Chambers ‘Thorough, tenacious and highly regarded by all. A joy to work with.’

James Leonard KC –Outer Temple Chambers ‘A very responsive advocate with brilliant attention to detail.’

Leading Juniors

Mike Atkins –Crown Office Chambers ‘Mike is a brilliant individual. He is great at working on his own or in a team, and his capacity for hard work knows no limits. He has a fantastic legal mind.'

Pascal Bates – Six Pump Court ‘Pascal’s intellect and legal knowledge is formidable. He will leave no stone unturned and he is able to deal with anything on his feet. He works incredibly hard and will always go above and beyond to do the best job possible.’

Oliver Powell – Outer Temple Chambers ‘A first-choice junior counsel. He is an extremely safe pair of hands and inspires confidence through his commitment to the case.’

Lee Bennett –Six Pump Court ‘Lee is a class act. An exceptional junior of silk quality.'

Miles Bennett – 5 Paper Buildings ‘Miles is an extremely hard-working and dedicated advocate, who is very good on his feet in court.’

James Buchanan –2 Hare Court 'His knowledge of health and safety law is amazing.'

Fiona Canby – Temple Garden Chambers

Valerie Charbit – Red Lion Chambers ‘A robust and fearless advocate.'

Malcolm Galloway – Crown Office Chambers ‘Malcolm has a commanding presence in court - judges and juries listen when he speaks. He is vastly experienced and incredibly personable. Clients like him.'

Mark Harris – Six Pump Court

David Hercock –Six Pump Court ‘An exceptional practitioner. He is technically excellent, commercial, and extremely personable and user friendly.'

Andrew McGee –2 Bedford Row ‘He is strategically brilliant and a formidable advocate.’

Gordon Menzies – Six Pump Court ‘A junior who is easy to work with, and provides practical solutions to complex cases.'

Shauna Ritchie - Mayfair Place Chambers ‘An extremely knowledgeable and hands-on barrister.’

Eleanor Sanderson - Mayfair Place Chambers ‘Eleanor is very good on technical cases. She has excellent judgement.’

Sandesh Singh – Crown Office Chambers ‘Sandesh’s attention to detail is second to none. He is smart and thinks outside the box.'

Alex Stein – 2 Bedford Row ‘Alex is an impressive advocate, who clearly knows his tribunal well and is measured yet determined in his submissions.’

Harry Vann – Crown Office Chambers ‘Harry has a commanding presence in court. His advice is clear, concise, and tailored, and he has a fantastic way with clients, quickly putting them at ease.'

Ian Wright –Five Paper ‘Ian is very industrious and enormously bright.'

Michael Coley – Gough Square Chambers

Tom Day –2 Hare Court

Craig Ferguson –2 Hare Court 'He is considered, thorough and highly astute.'

Sarah Le Fevre – Three Raymond Buildings ‘A very user-friendly junior who has a great manner with nervous clients.’

Robin Kingham – Gough Square Chambers

Laura Phillips – Gough Square Chambers ‘Laura is professional, sensitive and serene, with a very analytical eye for detail.'

James Purnell –Henderson Chambers ‘He is cogent in court and has extensive knowledge of health and safety law.'

Alexandra Tampakopoulos –2 Hare Court 'A measured advocate, calm but resilient and steely when needed.'

Ian Thomas – Gough Square Chambers

Lucy Wright – Crown Office Chambers ‘Lucy swiftly gets to the heart and essence of any health and safety case, and she works tirelessly for her clients.'

Christopher Adams – Henderson Chambers ‘A silky-smooth advocate with a perceptive eye.’

Christian Du Cann – 39 Essex Chambers ‘A junior with great client care skills.’

Abigail Cohen –Henderson Chambers ‘Abigail has a great manner with clients.’

Cameron Crowe – Gough Square Chambers ‘Very strong on his feet and good with clients.’

Iain Daniels –2 Hare Court

Alexander dos Santos - Serjeants' Inn Chambers

Richard Heller – 2 Hare Court 'He has a very calm and effective presence in court.'

Quentin Hunt –2 Bedford Row

Julia Kendrick – Crown Office Chambers 'Her advocacy style is hugely impressive. She is everything an instructing solicitor would want from their counsel.’

Iain MacDonald - Gough Square Chambers

Anna Medvinskaia – Gough Square Chambers

Jack Murphy – Crown Office Chambers

Nicholas Ostrowski –Six Pump Court ‘Nicholas is a very able, articulate and intelligent barrister.’

Paul Rogers – Outer Temple Chambers ‘Paul is fantastic with clients - he works hard to get to know them and what is important to them. His advice is of exceptional quality.’

Katie Sage – Crown Office Chambers ‘Katie is exceptionally talented and very tactically astute.’

Paul Spencer –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Paul is a first class barrister. He is unwaveringly hardworking, an understated calm manner on his feet, and is thoughtful and empathetic with clients while being robust in his advice.’

Austin Stoton –2 Bedford Row

Rising Stars

Sabrina Goodchild – Gough Square Chambers

Health and safety in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

Crown Office Chambers

Crown Office Chambers is 'a leading set in the specialist area of health and safety law and in defending contested and difficult cases, including gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter'. John Cooper KC is leading Sandesh Singh in R v North East London NHS Trust, a high-profile case involving allegations of corporate manslaughter arising from the death of a patient in a mental health facility. In a separate matter, Dominic Kay KC, Simon Antrobus KC, Harry Vann and Jack Murphy were all instructed in a trial relating to a prominent HSE prosecution, arising from a worker on an offshore oil rig suffering life-changing injuries after becoming trapped in a motion compensated gangway used to transfer personnel from ships to offshore platforms.

Les références

‘Toby Sparrow is a leading light in clerking and provides a seamless service from start to finish.’

‘Toby Sparrow leads an excellent clerking team.’

‘Toby Sparrow and Lisa Searle provide some of the best service in the industry. They provide a prompt and effective service and nothing is ever too much trouble.’

Henderson Chambers

Henderson Chambers is ‘a fantastic health and safety set‘, with ‘significant strength‘ in handling a broad spectrum of high-profile, complex cases. Oliver Campbell KC has an excellent track record in advising on high-profile corporate manslaughter and fatal accident prosecutions. Prashant Popat KC recently acted for a bar operator in a Health and Safety at Work Act case after a young woman was crushed to death while queueing to enter a busy venue. Toby Riley-Smith KC is sought after by clients in, among other areas, the retail, energy, construction, life sciences, oil and gas and education sectors.

Les références

‘Very professional clerking, very rapid response times, and a superbly managed set of chambers by Jason Housden, who is great to deal with. Daniel Kemp stands out.’

‘Daniel Kemp is a top-tier clerk. He is responsive and accommodating.’

‘Daniel Smith offers a fantastic service. He always responds to queries promptly and is always happy to help.’

Tier 2 sets

2 Bedford Row

2 Bedford Row offers established expertise in individual gross negligence and corporate manslaughter cases, with members sought after for both prosecution and defence work. Christine Agnew KC prosecuted a waste disposal company and the company's yard manager following the death of a worker who had fallen into an industrial shredder; the company was convicted of corporate manslaughter and the manager of gross negligence manslaughter. Elsewhere in chambers, Alex Stein prosecuted on behalf of the HSE in HSE v FF9 Limited, a high-profile case following a serious injury to a stunt actor during production of the film Fast & Furious 9 in 2019.

Six Pump Court

At Six Pump Court, members are often instructed by local authorities and regulatory bodies, such as the Health and Safety Executive, in cases involving allegations of manslaughter and regulatory breaches, among other areas. Mark Watson KC was instructed by CPS Special Casework in the prosecution of a waste company following a worker being fatally injured as a result of being run over by a reversing lorry; the company was convicted of corporate manslaughter and other related health and safety offences in 2022, and received a £640,000 fine in 2023. Elsewhere in chambers, Pascal Bates acted on behalf of Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Health and Safety Executive in a joint prosecution arising from the death of a young child following the explosion of an inflatable trampoline.

Les références

‘Richard Constable is the key individual, whose contacts within the health and safety world are unique.’

‘Excellent clerks’ room – their ability to liaise with courts to ensure convenient listing is a godsend.’

‘First rate service from a personable clerking team.’

Tier 3 sets

2 Hare Court

With particular experience in the agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceutical, transport and engineering sectors, 2 Hare Court is well versed in defending clients in a wide spectrum of health and safety matters. Jonathan Laidlaw KC and Richard Heller were instructed in a Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 case in which Pret a Manger was fined after a member of staff was locked in a walk-in freezer for more than two hours and subsequently hospitalised with suspected hypothermia. James Buchanan is sought after for his expertise in handling cases involving allegations of gross negligence manslaughter.

Les références

‘A leading health and safety set.’

Temple Garden Chambers

Temple Garden Chambers is sought out by individuals, corporations, government bodies and public authorities, across a broad range of sectors, such as aviation, construction, healthcare, transport, and hospitality. Keith Morton KC acted for yacht manufacturer Princess Yachts in a prosecution arising from a worker receiving life-changing injuries in an accident at the manufacturer's shipyard. In a separate matter, Dominic Adamson KC acted in a case involving health and safety breaches arising from a child's costume being ignited during a carol concert.

Les références

‘Excellent and responsive clerks. Keith Sharman in particular is very good to work with.’

‘Keith Sharman is particularly impressive.’

‘The clerks were good. The whole process was smooth.’

Tier 4 sets

Outer Temple Chambers

With a particularly strong maritime and rail-related health and safety practice, Outer Temple Chambers is also highly regarded as 'the go-to set for corporate defendants and company officers facing health and safety investigations and prosecutions‘. Ben Compton KC is representing the explosives contractors in ongoing proceedings arising from the Didcot Power Station collapse in 2016, which resulted in four fatalities. In a separate matter, James Leonard KC successfully defended a construction company in a health and safety case arising from a fatal accident on a construction site. Oliver Powell is routinely instructed in maritime-related health and safety cases, and is prosecuting for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in MCA v Intrada Ships Management Ltd (‘Scot Carrier’), a long-running case concerning a double fatality following a fatal vessel collision in 2021.

Les références

‘Nick Levett is the senior health and safety clerk. He has a great reputation, and solicitors love him. Wonderful to work with.’

‘Nick Levett is an excellent clerk and moves mountains to make counsel available.’

‘Nick Levett is exceptional.’

Three Raymond Buildings

The team at Three Raymond Buildings has a solid track record in handling a broad range of health and safety matters, including serious workplace injuries and fatalities. Stephen Walsh KC is sought after for his expertise in advising regulatory bodies on enforcement issues, as well as prosecuting and defending in cases concerning fatal accidents in the construction and leisure sectors. Sarah Le Fevre is instructed by the Health and Safety Executive in a Health and Safety at Work Act prosecution concerning alleged failures to properly minimise the risk of suicide in sectioned and extremely vulnerable mental health patients at a healthcare facility. Bolstering the group at the senior end, Saba Naqshbandi KC was elevated to silk in March 2024.

Les références

‘Eddie Holland is great.’

‘Excellent for inquests and regulatory work.’

‘Excellent set.’

Classements par PratiqueLondon Bar