12KBW Annual Conference 2026

Steven Snowden KC

Steven Snowden KC is Head of Chambers at 12KBW. He is recognised as one of the leading barristers in the country in his main practice areas, being recommended as a leading KC for personal injuries work (Star Individual in the Chambers & Partners directory and Tier 1 in Legal 500) and he is also ranked in the directories for Industrial Disease and for Inquests/Inquiries.

Steven is an extremely experienced advocate who regularly deals with substantial and complex cases in Court and in settlement meetings. His main area of practice is high-value, complex or sensitive personal injury work, in which he acts for Claimants and for Defendants. His current caseload includes the liability and quantum aspects of head injuries, paraplegic and other serious spinal injury cases, amputations, psychiatric injuries and fatal claims.

In industrial disease work he deals with mesothelioma and other asbestos claims, and other occupational illness claims involving difficult issues of liability, causation or quantum.

His practice also encompasses associated clinical negligence and professional negligence work, insurance, sports, group litigation and public inquiries.

He was the elected Chair (2020 – 2022) of the Personal Injuries Bar Association, a member of the Bar Council (2020 – 2022), a Director of BMIF (2022 – 2024) and has for many years been one of the authors of the Judicial College Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases.

Simon Browne KC

“Always brilliant, he’s polished and prepared and is someone who has a great manner with clients. His advice is spot on.”

Simon is consistently recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading silk in the fields of commercial costs and litigation funding, catastrophic brain and spinal injury, and related areas of sports law, clinical negligence, insurance, and professional negligence and professional regulation.

In addition, Simon is at the forefront of the development of law and civil procedure in the Court of Appeal and High Court in cases such as:

• Part 36 regime in F & C Alternative Investments (2012) CA, Walker Construction v Quayside Homes (2014) CA, Yentob v MGN (2015) CA, Seabrook v Adam (2021) CA, and FKJ v RVT (2022) HC.
• Relief from sanctions/abuse of process in Mitchell v NGN (2014) CA, Cable v LV Insurance (2020) CA and CS LLP v HMRC (2024) Upper Tier Tax Tribunal.
• Costs budgets, the drafting of e-bills of costs, and QOCS in Henry v NGN (2013) CA, Bowman v Norfram and Ors. (2018) HC, and AKC v Barking and Havering Health Authority (2022) CA.

Simon is a qualified mediator and arbitrator. He is registered with the Bar Council to accept direct access instructions and at the higher level of conducting litigation.

Andrew Roy KC

Andrew specialises in complex, sensitive and high value cases involving personal injury (especially catastrophic claims), costs, clinical negligence, industrial disease, professional negligence, limitation and related areas.

Andrew has a significant appellate practice up to and including the Supreme Court and Privy Council.  He is head of the 12KBW Costs Team.  He sits as a Deputy Costs Judge of the Senior Courts.

Andrew is recognised as a leading silk for Personal Injury and Costs by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, having been ranked since 2009.  They note that he has “A razor-sharp intellect coupled with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the case law, who is able to combine both into dazzling and fearless advocacy” and is "a great choice of counsel when you know you have a fight on your hands”.

The directories further describe Andrew as “a great strategist with an eye for the big picture at all times”, “absolutely first class”, “a ferocious advocate”, “Exceptional” with a “phenomenal grasp of the law” and “an incredibly detailed knowledge of each area in which he specialises”.

As one of only a handful of barristers ranked by the directories in both personal injury and costs, Andrew brings in-depth crossover expertise to both his personal injury cases and his costs work.   The directories note that in respect to personal injury he is “a strong negotiator and has the added value of real costs expertise”.  They likewise note that in respect of costs he “draws strength to his practice through his personal injury expertise.”

Joel C. T. Kendall

Joel specialises in high value and complex personal injury work and clinical negligence. He also practises in the field of discrimination in the provision of services and education. He has extensive experience of catastrophic brain injury, spinal injuries and chronic pain. He is adept at working at the interface of personal injury and employment, in particular in the areas of workplace stress and harassment. He is regularly instructed by some of the leading claimant and defendant solicitors. In addition he is instructed by public authorities and Trade Unions.

He is listed as a Leading Junior in Personal Injury in both The Legal 500 (band 3) and Chambers and Partners (band 4). He is recognised as being “efficient, quick and very good at setting expectations” and as having “a fantastic legal mind and client manner” as well as “a very incisive approach providing clear, concise, robust advice”.

Outside the law Joel’s interests include classical music, cinema and Wycombe Wanderers FC.

Catherine Peck

Catherine specialises in catastrophic and complex personal injury claims.  She has over 30 years’ experience at the Personal Injury Bar, is regularly instructed as sole counsel in claims in excess of £2m and is recognised as a leading junior.

Directories’ feedback includes: “a fearless and persuasive advocate who is meticulous in her preparation” “she is very clear, sensible and takes all the right points” “a very able, assured and confident barrister” “she is always excellently prepared and gives great tactical advice” “extremely thorough and a very good advocate. She’s a clear communicator and instils great confidence in her clients”.

Aside from being a very effective trial advocate, Catherine is an accomplished negotiator with an established track record of advising on evidence and strategy and guiding the cases on which she is instructed to a successful conclusion via ADR.  Whether acting for claimants or defendants, she has built strong working relationships with those instructing her, resulting in regular repeat instructions.

Whilst Catherine usually acts as sole counsel (frequently where King’s Counsel is instructed by other party), she is regularly led in cases of particularly complexity, importance or high value (recent examples being by William Audland KC, Harry Steinberg KC and Steven Snowden KC).

Catherine is an accredited mediator (civil and commercial disputes; workplace disputes) and has a particular interest in the psychology and tactics of negotiation.  She provides talks to solicitors and is a very experienced advocacy trainer.

Pankaj Madan

Called to the Bar in 1997 and with over two and a half decades at the forefront of personal injury law,  Pankaj's career is marked by a deep commitment to catastrophic injury cases. He specialises in severe and catastrophic injury cases, some with a potential value of over £20m. Most involve brain injury in particular. At Exchange Chambers and 12 King's Bench Walk, two of the leading Personal Injury sets in England, his practice is rooted in a profound understanding of the intricacies of brain injuries, severe pain, FND and amputation cases, ensuring meticulous representation for the side he is instructed for. His role extends beyond the courtroom as a writer and lecturer, contributing to the body of knowledge with recent publications such as “A Practical Guide to Catastrophic Brain Injury Claims” published in June 2024. He sits as a Deputy District Judge (since 2010) and is the first lawyer ever to sit on the Royal Society of Medicine, Pain Section Council. He has excellent expertise in costs management of severe and catastrophic injury claims securing budgets in excess of £1m in some cases.

Clients also benefit from his expertise in alternative dispute resolution, honed through rigorous analysis of medical evidence and strategic use of experts. Recognised repeatedly by the Legal 500 and in 2025 again for a "Tier 1" legal service, he is dedicated to securing favourable outcomes for clients on whichever side. As a member of the Equality and Diversity Committee, he advocates for progressive change, fostering an environment where excellence in legal practice is synonymous with equality and diversity.

Pankaj was awarded ‘Personal Injury Junior of the Year’ at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025

Charlotte Reynolds

Charlotte represents both claimants and defendants in a broad range of catastrophic personal injury and clinical negligence claims including those involving brain injury, spinal injury, and amputation claims. She has a particularly strong reputation in claims involving serious psychiatric injury, chronic pain, and somatoform disorders, including Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorder.

Her knowledge of the health and social care sector also means that she brings additional insight and experience to cases involving injuries sustained in a hospital or care home setting.

Charlotte has a particular interest in claims involving dishonesty ranging from high value claims involving exaggerated injury and loss to staged accidents, and regularly lectures on the topic. She is often involved at an early stage to review the evidence and advise on the best tactical approach to lead the case to a successful resolution be that a finding of fundamental dishonesty, discontinuance, or settlement well below the pleaded value.

Charlotte also advises insurers and policyholders on policy disputes concerning policy wording and coverage and indemnity issues.

Charlotte is also a member of the Bar Council Ethics Committee.

Anna Symington

Anna specialises in high value personal injury claims. Chambers & Partners 2024 say “Anna is superb, a great advocate with a no-nonsense approach."

Anna acts in claims involving serious personal injury, with particular emphasis on claims with complex medical causation issues.  Her practice focuses on:

• all forms of pain syndromes, including chronic pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and somatoform disorders;
• fatalities;
• serious spinal damage;
• brain injury cases, including those characterised as subtle in nature and FND claims;
• complex orthopaedic and amputation cases;
• psychiatric conditions

Anna deals with liability disputes in all forms of RTA, EL and PL claims.  She is currently instructed in a number of high value RTA claims with multiple accident reconstruction experts.

Her caseload is heavily weighted towards acting for Insurers, but she is also regularly instructed on behalf of Claimants.  Anna frequently appears unled against KCs.

Anna lives in the West Country but her practice is nationwide.

Sarah Beslee

Sarah is highly experienced in all aspects of personal injury law, from cases involving complex orthopaedic and psychiatric injuries to cases involving fraud.  She has particular expertise in public authority liability, Animals Act 1971 cases (including equine cases) and credit hire. She regularly acts for Defendants in cases involving fraud / fundamental dishonesty.

Sarah has been a visiting academic tutor at King’s College, London.

Lois Aldred

Lois is an experienced Personal Injury and Costs Specialist known for her approachable style, tenacious advocacy and the ability to effectively argue tricky legal points.

Lois combines her practice as a barrister with sitting as Recorder on the Midlands Circuit.

Away from Law Lois has a keen interest in travel, languages, and sustainable gardening when she isn’t marshalling her trio of young sons.

She speaks (now) basic French after her time living and studying in Strasbourg, when a student along with a little Spanish and Japanese.

Before coming to the Bar Lois Taught English Language Oral Communication in Osaka, Japan.

Thea Wilson

Thea specialises in Clinical Negligence, complex Personal Injury claims, and Inquests.

Thea has a wealth of experience in handling cases involving delayed diagnosis, birth and pregnancy-related injuries, spinal injuries, brain damage, psychiatric injury, chronic pain and fatal accidents. Thea is particularly adept at handling complex quantum calculations.

Thea’s role as Assistant Coroner for Essex gives her insight and expertise in the inquest process. She regularly acts for interested parties at inquests, in particular in claims involving clinical negligence, road traffic accidents, and deaths in custody and is happy to advise on all aspects of the coronial process.

Thea’s expert knowledge of the CPR stands her in good stead in acting for and advising solicitors on procedural matters in relation to applications and appeals, and in respect of costs. She is sought after in cases with a potential fraud element and has a wide range of experience dealing with insurance coverage issues.

Thea is regularly instructed by trade union organisations, local authorities, insurers, the NHS, and the MIB.

With an eye for detail and a sympathetic manner, Thea is experienced in dealing with vulnerable claimants. Thea has represented victims of sexual and physical abuse both in civil claims and before the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority Tribunal.

Thea is happy to accept cases on a CFA basis and is willing to consider Pro Bono instruction where appropriate.

Gareth McAloon

Gareth’s core specialisms are personal injury, industrial disease, clinical negligence, inquests and inquiries, and associated insurance work. His work mostly involves high value claims or claims with complex evidential matters. He represents both Claimants and Defendants in personal injury matters, and regularly appears on behalf of families or other corporate interests or government agencies at inquests.

Gareth is highly sought after for both court and paperwork matters. Gareth is known for his highly effective advocacy which grasps the crucial and determinative issues in a case with clarity and focus. He is well-skilled in witness handling and submission advocacy at all court levels.

Gareth served on the Attorney General's Panel of Counsel between 2020-2025. He served as the Personal Injury Bar Association Midlands Circuit Representative between 2019 - 2025. Gareth is ranked as a Leading Junior for personal injury law by the Legal 500.

Rachit Buch

Rachit specialises in personal injury, industrial disease, clinical negligence and international and travel law. He is ranked in the legal directories for personal injury: industrial disease (Band 2, Chambers & Partners) and clinical negligence (Tier 4, Legal 500). He is described as “a strong advocate”, who “excels at understanding both the overall picture and the important details of the case. He has a great manner with clients”.

His industrial disease practice focuses on mesothelioma claims and other asbestos-related diseases.

His clinical negligence practice includes birth-related claims, surgical negligence and delayed diagnosis in oncology and other disciplines.

He acts for claimants and defendants in high value and complex litigation. He has particular expertise in cases with an international element, including jurisdictional challenges, cases involving foreign law and accidents abroad.

Rachit has experience in cases involving a public law aspect, including liability of public bodies such as the Ministry of Defence. He was instructed in the Undercover Policing Inquiry, as well as having an established inquest practice.

He is instructed in claims involving issues of national security including sensitive military deployments or undercover policing.

Having studied Human Genetics for his first degree, Rachit applies his knowledge of scientific and medical issues to the law.

Dr. Achas Burin

Achas enjoys a varied practice in 12KBW’s core areas. She is keen to tackle research on complex points, including procedural ones and those involving a crossover between different spheres of law. She welcomes instructions in matters that cross the boundary between tort and public law. She is currently instructed in the Public Inquiry into Undercover Policing and the Lampard Inquiry into mental health provision in Essex. She previously had a longstanding involvement in the Infected Blood Inquiry and the Kenya Emergency Group Litigation. Achas is recommended in the Legal 500 2025 directory for ‘Inquests and Inquiries’.

She acted as a junior in Coventry v Lawrence (No. 3) [2015] UKSC 50, the landmark Supreme Court case concerning whether the costs regime under the Access to Justice Act 1999 complied with human rights law.

She was also instructed in X v Kuoni Travel [2019] C-578/19, both in the Supreme Court and before the Court of Justice of the European Union, alongside William Audland KC and Nina Ross.

Achas is an Assistant Professor at Warwick University, where she teaches tort law.

Edward Ramsay

Edward is ranked as a Leading Junior for Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury and Inquests and Inquiries in the Legal 500 and for Clinical Negligence and Inquests and Inquiries in Chambers and Partners.

He has been described as showing "huge attention to detail", with "a razor-sharp intellect", "a fantastic medical and legal brain", and an "unrivalled knowledge of coronial law". In court the directories describe him as being "skilled", "fearless", and "fantastic on his feet", with "a natural instinct of which lines of inquiry to pursue with witnesses", "able to move the most stubborn and reluctant of judges to be on his side".

Edward accepts instructions across all practice areas in Chambers. He specialises in healthcare and inquest law and is frequently instructed in lengthy and complex hospital inquests, including enhanced Article 2 inquests and jury inquests.

In 2021 Ed was appointed Assistant Coroner for the Swansea Neath Port Talbot area.

He is frequently instructed on personal injury and clinical negligence cases acting for claimants and defendants, particularly in the field of fatal accident claims, and often where he has previously appeared at the inquest relating to the death in question. He has led many high value cases through from inquest to successful settlement, including at JSM and mediation.

Ed has extensive experience managing experts in conference and in drafting statements of case and complex schedules of loss. As a result of his inquest practice, he has a wealth of experience in general witness handling, including examination of experts.

Ed continues to act for large insurers in fraud and related costs work arising out RTA and exaggerated credit hire claims.

James Pickering

James is a leading junior specialising in serious injury, international, and group litigation. He is instructed by both claimants and defendants in complex, high-value cases at the cutting edge of his practice.

He is particularly recognised for his work in large-scale group actions, catastrophic injury litigation, and technically demanding cross-border disputes involving novel legal issues.

James leads 12KBW’s Band 1-ranked International & Travel Team.

He has been recognised for many years by Chambers UK and The Legal 500, which describe him as “really excellent” and “a brilliant lawyer” whose “tactics and strategy always result in favourable outcomes.”

James is ranked as a leading junior in:

• Group Litigation
• Personal Injury
• Industrial Disease
• International Personal Injury
• Motor Insurance Fraud

He represented the Claimants in the Military Deafness Litigation, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2025, and has also represented the Defendants in the Rugby Concussion Litigation.

He edits the leading practitioner textbooks in his fields of practice: Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service (Various Chapters) (LexisNexis UK), Occupational Illness Litigation (Sweet & Maxwell), and Asbestos: Law & Litigation (Sweet & Maxwell).

Thomas Herbert

Tom is a highly regarded barrister specialising in clinical negligence, inquests & inquiries, industrial disease and personal injury litigation. Those specialisms are fortified by his significant experience in commercial dispute resolution, costs and insurance work. As such, he is regularly instructed in complex and high-value matters, often unled against silks, and is a particularly experienced appeal advocate considering his level of call. He was appointed directly to the Attorney General’s Regional B Panel in 2023. 

He is consistently praised in the independent legal directories, where he is described as an “exceptional” barrister whose “written documents are excellent” and who is “helpful, thorough and really quite brilliant”. Clients particularly praise his intellectual rigour (“very clever and thorough”, “analytical, logical and scientific”), advocacy (“a shrewd advocate”, “nothing shy of brilliant”) and practical approach (“wise beyond his years”, “superb commercial acumen”).

Tom has a scientific academic background in chemistry, which informs his practice, and he is noted by the directories to have a “remarkable capacity to process and distil complex medical information into clear, understandable terms” and to be “fantastic at thinking outside the box and working to bring experts together in conference”.

Elizabeth Boulden

Elizabeth’s personal injury practice has particular specialisms in clinical negligence, inquests, employers’ liability and international and travel claims.

She frequently represents parties in trials, CCMCs, application hearings and inquests. Elizabeth is often instructed on paperwork matters advising and drafting pleadings. She is comfortable acting in multi-track and high value cases.

Elizabeth is experienced in clinical negligence cases.

Elizabeth regularly represents interested persons in inquest hearings, in particular those relating to circumstances of alleged clinical negligence in hospitals.

Prior to her legal studies, Elizabeth achieved 2 science Masters Degrees, with a particular focus on virology, immunology, cancer biology and laboratory research.

Megan Griffiths

Megan has a mixed claimant and defendant personal injury practice with particular experience in claims for complex psychiatric injuries. She is a regular and effective court advocate. With a combination of due sensitivity, attention to detail and commercial awareness, Megan works collaboratively with her instructing solicitors to achieve results for their lay and insurer clients. 

Megan’s personal injury practice includes claims arising from road traffic accidents, public liability and employers’ liability. Her employers’ liability practice includes claims arising from manual labour, educational settings, healthcare, sports, the military and religious institutions.

On the claimant side Megan is particularly experienced in claims for psychiatric injury arising from sexual abuse engaging complex issues of limitation, liability and causation. She recently secured an assessment of damages on the Masters’ Corridor in excess of £300,000 to beat a Part 36 offer.

On the defendant side she is particularly skilled at forensically analysing disclosure in catastrophic and non-catastrophic injury claims to inform the best approach to litigation. She is regularly instructed to advise upon and pursue findings of fundamental dishonesty and her effective cross-examination has seen claims discontinued before judgment.

On both sides Megan frequently advises on tactics and settlement parameters and conducts conferences with expert and lay witnesses. She is frequently instructed to prepare without prejudice schedules and advise on paper offers. She has conducted JSMs with co-counsel and as sole counsel in six figure claims.

Megan is regularly in court before Masters, Circuit Judges and the district bench. She is experienced in witness handling across liability, causation, quantum and fraud and has been commended by her tribunals for her skilful cross-examination. She is procedurally aware and regularly makes and opposes interlocutory and costs applications.

Megan’s mixed practice and regular appearances in court inform her approach to both her claimant and defendant work. She is praised by her instructing solicitors for her communicative and thorough approach.

Megan is instructed as junior as well as sole counsel. She has previously been instructed by the defendant as junior counsel in a multi-million TBI and amputation claim and by the claimant as junior counsel in group litigation arising from sexual abuse abroad. She is currently instructed in the rugby litigation and another high-profile group action.

Before joining chambers Megan worked as a paralegal in a London law firm’s clinical negligence department. She therefore appreciates the importance of working closely with solicitors to achieve the best results for commercial and lay clients.

Megan regularly contributes to chambers’ various blogs and has been published by AvMA, Law in Sport and LexisPSL. She speaks at chambers’ various events and at in house events for solicitor and insurer clients.

Rebecca Henshaw

Rebecca has an established practice across Chambers’ core areas of expertise and is developing specialisms in group actions and industrial disease.

In group litigation, Rebecca is instructed on a number of complex and high-profile multinational actions in toxic torts, product liability, and military claims. She has a growing practice in aviation disputes.

In industrial disease, Rebecca is instructed in claims arising from exposure to asbestos as both sole and junior counsel. She is also experienced in claims for injuries caused in military service.

Rebecca is currently instructed as a second junior Counsel to the largest group of patients and families participating in the Lampard Inquiry.

Before pupillage, Rebecca taught contract administration and law at University College London. She studied History at Newnham College, Cambridge, where she graduated with a first-class degree

Jessica Muurman

Jessica joined Chambers in October 2024 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Marcus Dignum KC, Isaac Hogarth, and James Pickering. She accepts instructions in all areas of personal injury, appearing in court several times a week while developing a busy paperwork practice. She is interested in all the core areas of Chambers’ expertise.

Prior to pupillage, Jessica worked for HMCTS in an Employment Tribunal and a criminal court, and for a healthcare regulator. She also undertook ProBono work, notably representing families in appeals against school exclusions (via the School Exclusion Project). In addition, during her legal studies she volunteered with Advocate (formerly the Bar ProBono Unit), Liberty, and various law clinics, gaining experience across a breadth of civil work. Jessica will consider cases on a ProBono basis.

Jessica studied biomedical sciences, where she graduated with a first-class degree. In her legal studies, Jessica obtained a distinction in both the GDL and Bar Course, and was supported by Inn and institution scholarships.

Neil Seligman

Neil Seligman is the author of three titles including The Conscious Witness Handbook, which received a five-star review in the Law Society Gazette, a former Barrister at 12 King’s Bench Walk, and the Founder of The Conscious Professional, a specialist consultancy providing training, coaching and keynote speaking for chambers, global law firms and professional audiences. Neil has worked extensively across the legal sector since 2012, with clients including DLA Piper, Linklaters, Reed Smith, RPC, Hogan Lovells, Bird & Bird and Ropes & Gray, as well as leading organisations such as Netflix, Accenture and British Airways.

His wider work helps lawyers and professionals build confidence, presence and resilience under pressure, with signature sessions including Conscious Confidence, Powerful Negotiation, The Wisdom of Impostor Syndrome, Conscious Communication and 1:1 Leadership Coaching for senior lawyers.