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Summary Of Practice

Education

Chris was educated at Manchester Grammar School and Bristol University before being called to the Bar in 1982.
 
Career History & appointments

Chris moved to Byrom Street Chambers from Peel Court Chambers when he took Silk in 2001 at the age of 42. Between 2001 and 2005 he was Senior Counsel to The Shipman Enquiry. He sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court and is an accredited mediator. He is the independent trustee of the T&N Asbestos Trustee Company Limited. Professional memberships include : Professional Negligence Bar Association; Personal Injury Bar Association; Northern Circuit Medical Law Association; AVMA and APIL

 
Areas of Practice

Chris specialises in serious and fatal injury cases. He is vastly experienced in his field and is always described as approachable and easy to work with. Most of his clinical negligence and personal injury caseload involves brain and spinal injury and respiratory diseases but he has a diverse practice that extends beyond these narrow specialist areas. He is happy to appear and advise nationwide.
 
Personal Information

Chris is 48. He is a keen runner, skier and soccer player. He is married with 4 children.

Experience     

Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury and Group Litigation
Chris's clinical negligence expertise dates back to 1985 when he appeared in the reported case of Hinfey v Salford HA.  Since that time he has appeared in court in a high number of high value and/or high profile cases involving cerebral palsy, ophthalmic injury, orthopaedic injury and other cases.  Unusual cases involved female genital mutilation, various psychiatric misdiagnosis cases and the reported cases of Kristan Adey v Leeds HA (Clinical negligence / Downs Syndrome / heart surgery) in 2000 and Nunnerley v Warrington HA (wrongful birth) in 2001.  He is instructed by leading solicitors in the field.  In 2001, Chris was instructed by the Treasury Solicitor to act as Senior Counsel to The Shipman Inquiry, a role which concluded in January 2005. Between 2005 and 2007, he has continued to advise and appear in challenging and high value clinical cases, which he firmly believes have to be 'front-end loaded'.  His most recent concluded cases include several birth injury cases and a case involving the delayed diagnosis of caude equina syndrome (resulting in a £1.1m settlement). He is ranked in clinical negligence by the Chambers UK Guide.

Chris's extensive personal injury caseload involves brain and spinal injury, severe upper and lower limb injury and respiratory disease.  He is instructed by leading solicitors in the field.  He is committed to the concept of the duality of recompense and rehabilitation.  His recent RTA cases have involved successful trials on liability followed by significant six and seven figure settlements. He recently appeared for the Claimant against the MOD alleging that depleted uranium had induced a brain tumour. He is well versed in all the 'hot topics' of indexation, LA provision, causation, actionability, lung cancer causation and points of insurance cover.  His current caseload also involves MIB and CICAP cases.  In asbestos work, Chris acts only for Claimants.

Chris was first instructed in group litigation when he acted for wrongly accused parents in the Congleton Child Abuse case in 1985.  Since then he has been instructed in numerous group actions, including acting on behalf of a group of adolescent patients abused by a psychiatrist and involvement in the initial stages of the Swaziland asbestos group litigation.  He was instructed by the Treasury Solicitor to defend cases of unfair dismissal brought by pregnant servicewomen and he was retained by Manchester City Council to defend claims brought by former adolescent residents of children's homes.

Criminal and other work
Both as a junior and in silk, Chris has appeared several times a year in criminal cases, most commonly those with a medical element to them.  His forensic experiences and understanding of human physiology puts him at a real advantage when it comes to understanding medical jargon and presenting medical evidence.  These criminal cases involve various allegations of the killing or injuring of children or allegations concerning death or serious injury where a medical setting or professional is involved.  He is now frequently briefed in cases of non-accidental head injury/shaken baby syndrome.  He has regularly appeared at inquests.

Solicitors have also valued Chris's expertise in more esoteric areas of the law.  He successfully prosecuted and resisted the two appeals of a Defendant charged with making false statements about an election candidate (Jack Straw).  In 2001, Chris was instructed by the Treasury Solicitor to act as Senior Counsel to The Shipman Inquiry, a role which concluded in January 2005.  In that capacity, he was required to martial and present evidence relating to a broad range of law rand practice governing the regulation of healthcare professionals, coronial law and the law relating to controlled drugs, burial, cremation and death registration.  In 2005, he successfully represented the TA soldier charged in court martial proceedings with selling to the Daily Mirror forged photographs of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.