Barrister Profile

Profile

Rob specialises in all aspects of Personal Injury; Clinical Negligence and Health & Safety.

He is a recommended clinical negligence junior in Chambers UK 2010, where he is described as having "a good analytical mind and a relaxed manner with clients" and is said to be "particularly good on fatal cases".  He is further commended for the fact that "he fights his corner in court, remaining impressively calm and unflappable at all times."

Rob acts for a wide range of clients, both claimants and defendants.

He regularly gives seminars to professional clients and writes for legal publications, including the Solicitors Journal and the Journal of Personal Injury Law.  He also wrote the 'Trials' section of an online legal service (LexisPSL) provided by LexisNexis Butterworths, and various sections of their recently launched online guide for personal injury practitioners.

Recent Cases of Interest Include

• Adams v Thomson Holidays Ltd [2009] EWHC 2559 (QB) Successfully represented the claimant - and obtained costs - in this application to rectify the procedural position where the previous legal team had issued the claim in the wrong court, named the wrong defendant, and had failed to expressly indicate the appropriate cause of action in the pleadings. 
• Re Michael Celecia (2009) Advising solicitors in Gibraltar in respect of the judicial review of the verdict in this case where a smoking-obsessed psychiatric inpatient with severe Alzheimer's burnt to death after being left chained in a 'restraining chair' with access to a lighter. 
• Sandford v LB Waltham Forest [2008] All ER (D) 278 (May) Whether a local authority's provision of equipment (pursuant to its statutory obligations) could give rise to a duty of care at common law.
• Inquest re Alison Christian (2007) Acted for Miss Christian's family in this case where the coroner found that there had been neglect on the part of two separate healthcare providers
• Inquest re Neil Millar (2006) Represented a multi-national company whose employee had died in an accident at an in-shore gas storage facility.
• Morley (2006) Advised the family of a victim of the July 7 bombings in respect of their CICA claim.
• Inquest re Rene Anderson (2005) Represented Mrs Anderson's family at this nationally reported inquest investigating the link between a cannabis-based trial drug and her subsequent psychosis and death.  

• GMC v Gabriel Ijomor (2005) Successfully defended an overseas-qualified doctor accused of having cheated in his professional examinations in the UK.

Areas of Practice

Personal injury

Extensive experience in all areas of personal injury, with a particular interest in employers' liability claims (including fatal claims arising out of asbestos exposure). Rob also has considerable experience of claims arising from road traffic accidents and public liability work. His work is almost exclusively on the multi-track, with the bulk of cases in the £50,000 to £500,000 bracket.

Inquests

Rob has conducted a number of lengthy inquests arising from deaths in a healthcare context, and from workplace and road traffic accidents. He frequently acts for defendant trusts, multinational companies, and in the interests of numerous bereaved families.

Health and safety

Acting for defendant companies and individuals prosecuted by the HSE and other regulatory bodies in respect of health and safety at work charges and environmental charges. 

Clinical negligence

Advises both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence claims, including those involving fatalities and birth injuries.

Professional Membership

PIBA, PNBA, Bar Pro Bono Unit

Education

BVC, Inns of Court School of Law (Very Competent)
PgDip Law, University of the West of England (Merit)
M.A. History & Anthropology, University College London
B.A. (Hons) History, 1st class, UCL

Scholarships and Awards

Arden Scholarship (awarded by Gray's Inn to their most promising pupil going to the Bar in any given year)
Prince of Wales Scholarship
Lee Essay Prize (joint first)
Karmel Award