Asbestos Litigation: What’s Next?

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.

Ivan Bowley

Ivan Bowley specialises in industrial disease and serious personal injury, acting on behalf of claimants. For many years he has been one of the leading juniors at the Bar for industrial disease litigation.

Ivan also practices at Lincoln House Chambers in Manchester and has regularly been listed in Chambers and Partners Band 1 for personal injury on the Northern Circuit and as a leading practitioner in the Legal 500. He is listed in Band 1 of the Chambers and Partners’ list “Personal Injury: Industrial Disease – All Circuits”.

Michael Brace

Michael specialises in high value and complex personal injury claims and is recognised as a leading junior: In the current edition of Chambers & Partners he is described as “detail-oriented and client-friendly” and as providing “very clear and detailed advice” whilst the current edition of the Legal 500  notes he “is able to advise on a range of cases to include more novel cases such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis claims.’    

Michael’s practice focuses on:

• Catastrophic injuries  and fatalities
• Brain injuries
• Complex orthopaedic and amputation cases
• Psychiatric conditions

Michael's practice is UK-wide. He acts for both claimants and defendants and receives instructions from leading solicitors and major insurers.  He has particular experience in dealing with complex and contested medical and engineering evidence.

Michael was one of the Attorney General’s Junior Counsel to the Crown from 2000 – 2007 and a “Panel Counsel to the Welsh Assembly Government” from 2000-2007.

Patrick Kerr

Patrick is consistently ranked as a Leading Junior, Tier 1, in the Legal 500 and a Leading Junior, Band 1, in Chambers & Partners. The current editions describe him as “warm and approachable, and his attention to detail is first class. His advocacy is eloquent, innovative and charismatic” and “an outstanding barrister who is undoubtedly destined for the top”. Recent editions say he is“a superb advocate who is highly intelligent” and “definitely the counsel you want on your side”.

Patrick has particular expertise in mesothelioma claims, clinical negligence and sporting injuries. Most of his claims involve catastrophic injuries.  He also has extensive experience in defending fraudulent claims.

He provides expert evidence on the law of England and Wales in other jurisdictions and has been called to the Northern Irish Bar.

Away from work, he has co-founded and helps run Le Cure, a charity which funds cancer research fellowships at the Royal Marsden Hospital. He also co-founded and helps run a law scholarship to increase diversity and equality at the Bar of Northern Ireland. He was awarded an MBE for his charity work in the New Year’s Honours List 2026.

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.

Aliyah Akram

Aliyah Akram is acknowledged as a leading junior in personal injury and industrial disease litigation. She is renowned for her expertise and experience in group litigation in all of the core areas in which she practices. Many of her cases have an international aspect and give rise to both jurisdictional issues and conflicts of laws.

Aliyah is a robust and persuasive trial advocate. She prides herself on working closely as a team with instructing solicitors, not just in group litigation, but in every case in which she is involved. Her focus is always on maximising the client’s prospects of success. She is able to cut through the background noise and gets straight to the issues.

She is a contributing author of Asbestos: Law & Litigation (Sweet & Maxwell, 2^nd edition, 2022).

She is ranked by the legal directories as a leading junior in Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Travel: International Personal Injury.

James Pickering

James is a leading junior specialising in personal injury, international, and group litigation. He acts for both claimants and defendants in complex and high-value cases at the cutting edge of his areas of practice. He is instructed in some of the largest group claims brought in the English courts.

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.”

His cases include:

• Military Deafness Litigation: Trial Counsel for the successful Claimants in one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2025.
• Leicester City Helicopter Crash: Advising bereaved families on cross-border issues in a successful high-profile claim against the helicopter manufacturer.
• Rugby Concussion Litigation: Defending the Rugby Football League in high-profile head injury litigation brought by over 1,000 rugby league and union players.
• Harrods Abuse Claims: Representing the survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
• Fundão Dam Collapse Litigation: Acting for the claimants in 2018-19 in one of the largest ever civil actions in the English courts arising from an environmental disaster.

The legal directories rank him as a leading junior in five practice areas: Group Litigation, Personal Injury, Industrial Disease, Travel, and Motor Insurance Fraud.

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).

Private: Max Archer

Max is recognised as a leading practitioner in a number of different fields including aviation law, cross border litigation, industrial disease, product liability and group actions. Across these fields he is experienced in tortious disputes, commercial litigation and regulatory matters.

He is known for his excellent client care, robust advocacy and pragmatic approach to litigation. Max’s work is often technical, high value and complex. He often appears unled against silks in the higher courts and is acknowledged for his advocacy skills.

Max has unparalleled knowledge of aviation law and has become a go-to junior in this area in respect of large loss events  occurring all over the world as well as domestic accidents, regulatory issues and commercial aviation work.

His work often has an international dimension, he has expertise in jurisdiction and conflicts of laws as well as private international tort law and human rights issues.

Max often acts in group actions, both led and unled. He is adept at handling mass tort cases and often acts in environmental actions as well as group personal injury claims.

He is a contributing author of Asbestos: Law & Litigation (Sweet & Maxwell, 2019) and the co-editor of 12KBW’s Asbestos Blog.

Max is recognised in Aviation, Personal Injury and Travel in the Legal 500 and in Aviation, Personal Injury and Industrial Disease in Chambers & Partners.

Helen Waller

Helen is a highly experienced junior with a practice well beyond her year of call. She specialises in personal injury and industrial disease work. Her practice includes catastrophic injury and fatal accidents, both as sole and junior counsel. Helen is regularly instructed on multi-million-pound cases, including complex traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic spinal injuries, and amputations. She works for both claimants and defendants, receiving instructions from leading solicitors and major insurers. She has developed particular expertise in quantum. Helen has been instructed as junior to a number of leading practitioners in the field, including Paul Russell KC, Chris Kennedy KC, William Audland KC, Steven Snowden KC, David Sanderson, Nigel Lewers and John-Paul Swoboda KC.

Helen regularly appears in trials, CCMCs, approval hearings and applications against opponents of all seniority, including silks. She also has considerable experience of JSMs, both as sole and junior counsel.

The legal directories recognize Helen as “tenacious” and “an absolute bastion of client service”. She is ranked as a “rising star” in the Legal 500 and “up and coming” in Chambers & Partners.

Away from 12KBW Helen enjoys wine tasting, cycling, and travelling.

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.

Cressida Mawdesley-Thomas

Cressida specialises in all aspects of Personal Injury law. She has a thorough and collaborative approach and is recognised by The Legal 500 as a Rising Star who “has already amassed an extremely impressive caseload, far beyond that of many barristers much more senior”.

In disease litigation Cressida acts for Claimants suffering from mesothelioma, lung cancer, diffuse pleural thickening and asbestosis. She is also experienced in VWF/ HAVS claims. She regularly appears in the Masters’ corridor and is well versed in limitation arguments and complex issues of causation. As second junior in Mather v MOD she helped obtain a settlement of over £3 million for a former RAF painter & finisher who developed MS following exposure to organic solvents in breach of the COSHH Regulations.

Cressida has particular interest in equine claims brought under The Animals Act 1971.  She is currently junior counsel in a high value, complex CRPS claim following a military riding accident. Cressida is adept at drafting schedules of loss in cases involving the loss of a military career.

In clinical negligence Cressida has experience in a range of different cases, including delayed diagnosis, as well as unnecessary and negligent surgery. This compliments her coronial practice where she is instructed in inquests involving multiple expert jurisdictions. She successfully obtained a regulation 28 prevention of future death report in a case arising out of the police’s treatment of head injuries and questioned experts in pathology, neuropathology, and toxicology.

Cressida is adept at handling complex motor insurance indemnity points. She successfully acted as Junior Counsel for the Second Defendant in Covea Insurance Plc v Greenaway [2021] 3 WLUK 379, considering the meaning of the ‘stolen or unlawfully taken’ exception under s. 151 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Greenaway was the first case to practically consider how the domestic court is to interpret retained EU law under section 6(3) of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018. Unled she successfully acted for the Second Defendant in Kelec v (1) Kotwal (2) Nelson Insurance (HHJ Dight CBE, central London County Court, 18 August 2022). The case concerned the limits of a direct action under The European Communities (Rights against Insurers) Regulations 2002 (‘the 2002 Regulations’).

Cressida acts and advises in costs litigation, including detailed assessment hearings, where she is an effective advocate. She co-edits 12 King’s Bench Walk’s Costs blog with Deputy Costs Judge Andrew Roy.

Prior to coming to the Bar Cressida worked at a top American investment bank. She is highly numerate and drafts living and fatal schedules of loss beyond her year of call.