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Call 1991
Telephone 020 7831 0222
Email richard.furniss@42br.com
Richard Furniss has more than 20 years’ experience of clinical negligence, personal injury, and solicitors’ and other professional negligence. He is an expert in medico-legal work, has appeared in innumerable inquests, and has wide experience of judicial review and Court of Protection matters, especially where they concern medical issues.
He has always acted for both claimants and defendants in all areas of his work.
He is straightforward and firm, but personable and sympathetic with lay and professional clients. He brings an imaginative approach to cases, but is sensible and realistic when advising.
Richard was educated at Downing College, Cambridge, and called to the Bar in 1991.
Richard is a well-known specialist in medical law, and has vast experience of all aspects of clinical negligence and personal injury work.
He acts both for claimants and for defendants.
His clinical negligence cases have encompassed almost all aspects of that area of work. He is regularly instructed in cerebral palsy and other catastrophic cases, and has been sole or junior counsel in very many cases worth in excess of £1 million.
"Richard is excellent with both witnesses and experts."
"He's very good supporting his clients through the legal process, and is also technically very strong."
Richard’s Court of Protection work is largely but not exclusively ancillary to his main specialism in medical law.
For example, he acts for NHS Trusts, individuals and the Official Solicitor in cases where the court is asked to determine what medical treatment is in the best interests of a patient who lacks capacity to give or withhold consent.
He also has experience of deprivation of liberty cases, especially where there is a dispute over medical issues, often concerning elderly people who are said to have lost capacity due to age-related dementia, but also those who are being held securely in hospital.
“Clients appreciate his ability to provide… straightforward advice given in a manner which is readily understandable by those without either legal or medical training.”
Richard has enormous experience of all types of inquest and coronial law.
He has acted in nearly a hundred Article 2 inquests, especially those concerning deaths in prison, including the inquests into the deaths of Gareth Myatt, Michael Bailey, Wayne Reid and Aleksey Baranovsky.
He has also acted in innumerable inquests arising from deaths in hospital and concerning the adequacy of medical care. He represents both the families of the deceased and doctors/NHS Trusts. He acted for London Air Ambulance (Bart’s Health NHS Trust) in the inquests for the victims of the London 7/7/05 bombings.
Richard is especially well known for his ability to tackle complex medical issues (and has particular experience of positional asphyxia cases).
"An experienced and accomplished junior, who is able to handle large cases with good sense and judgement." Legal 500 2021
“Clients appreciate his ability to provide… straightforward advice given in a manner which is readily understandable by those without either legal or medical training.”
As a specialist in medical law, Richard has experience of various aspects of judicial review, but is particularly well-known for cases which involve medical issues. Frequently, these arise in the setting of a prison or other secure establishment.
“Clients appreciate his ability to provide… straightforward advice given in a manner which is readily understandable by those without either legal or medical training.”
Richard has well over 20 years’ experience of personal injury, and has done every type of personal injury case.
Latterly, he has generally concentrated on brain and spinal injury, amputation, and fatal claims, whether sustained at work or in a road traffic accident or otherwise.
He also has enormous experience of injury caused by stress at work, and of pain and fatigue syndromes.
He has acted on many cases where injury has been sustained as a result of deliberate assault, when aggravated and/or exemplary damages might be in issue.
On the quantum side, Richard has particularly wide-ranging experience and expertise in the assessment of future loss of earnings, especially where the issue is the loss of a chance.
Richard is a specialist in medical law, and clinical negligence in particular. He also has considerable experience of other professional negligence, including solicitors, accountants, financial advisers, insurance brokers, architects, surveyors, veterinary surgeons (with particular experience of equine matters), and estate agents.
His solicitors’ negligence work often (but by no means exclusively) concerns failed clinical negligence and personal injury cases.
He acted for the successful claimant in Knatchbull v John D Wood, establishing estate agents’ duty of care to a vendor when marketing a property.
"Richard is excellent with both witnesses and experts."
"He's very good supporting his clients through the legal process, and is also technically very strong."
Richard Furniss has substantial experience in professional negligence including veterinary negligence and in Animals Act cases. He is able to undertake judicial review and regulatory work.
"Richard is excellent with both witnesses and experts."
"He's very good supporting his clients through the legal process, and is also technically very strong."
We will be hosting a virtual round table discussion where a group of five practitioners, specialising in different areas of law, will discuss the status of a pet or companion animal in law.
Published: 26th Sep 2022
We are delighted to announce the formation of our new practice area, Animal Welfare.
Published: 6th Jul 2022
Chambers are thrilled to have 17 individual recommendations/rankings in the new Chambers & Partners 2019.
Published: 8th Nov 2018
We are delighted to announce that Tina Cook QC and Richard Furniss have been appointed Joint Heads of Chambers as of 29 February 2016. We would like to record our thanks to Frank Feehan QC for his many years of support as Head of Chambers as he steps down to focus on is practice within Chambers.
Published: 15th Mar 2016
