Robert Oldham

As an in-demand personal injury junior, Rob acts in cases beyond his year of call, both in terms of complexity and value.

His practice covers a wide variety of cases, including public liability, employer’s liability, and road traffic accident claims. Rob has a keen interest in specialist areas of personal injury work, including sporting accidents, military claims, claims involving sexual abuse, and group actions. He is skilled in handling claims involving catastrophic injuries as well as fatal accident matters.

Acting for both claimants and defendants, he is experienced in cases involving fundamental dishonesty, complex issues of quantum, and vulnerable parties.

Rob continues to grow his clinical negligence practice, regularly advising on high-value and complex claims, including fatal claims. He brings forensic analysis of the evidence and a practical, sensitive approach to each case. Appearing in the Court of Appeal in the case of PMC v A Local Health Board has given Rob a particular interest in the impact of human rights law in this area. He is especially well placed to assist in cases where an inquest is involved.

Rob has a keen interest in inquest work and combines rigorous advocacy with an approachable manner. Recent work includes securing critical findings in an Article 2 inquest following the sad death of a man in psychiatric care, as well as representing the family of a child who tragically died after a long hospital stay. He has also been led by Edward Ramsay in matters concerning vaccine safety and psychiatric care.

Rob has advised on several Human Rights Act claims relating to the provision of psychiatric care and is currently instructed on a claim against a police force by a victim of domestic abuse. Since appearing in PMC v A Local Health Board, he has advised on anonymity in other proceedings, reflecting a wider interest in the application of human rights to civil litigation. A secondment in Strasbourg at the European Court of Human Rights has deepened this experience. He is also part of the legal team representing the family of a British national detained abroad, a matter engaging international human rights law.

Rob has been instructed in matters spanning discrimination, redundancy, whistleblowing, and contractual disputes. Cases involving government bodies or educational establishments are of particular interest to Rob. He handles sensitive issues and procedural complexity confidently and pragmatically.

With experience in aviation and travel law cases, Rob is comfortable handling high-value catastrophic injury claims as well as those involving fatalities. Ongoing work includes a claim against Singapore Airlines (led by Max Archer) and claims arising from the Air India Flight 171 crash.

Rob is equally capable of acting in matters where an inquest is required. At present he is instructed in an inquest concerning a skydiving fatality.

Rob’s industrial disease practice focuses on asbestos-related claims, both fatal and living, involving mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. Given the nature of these diseases, Rob understands the importance of acting quickly and decisively to achieve the best outcomes for clients.

Robert obtained a distinction on both the Bar Vocational Course and the Graduate Diploma in Law. He was also awarded a BVS Scholarship for the Bar Course. He holds a double first-class degree in English from Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he finished third in his academic year.