International & Travel Seminar

Patrick Vincent KC

Patrick is a specialist in Insurance, Personal Injury and International/Travel law. He acts for Claimants and Defendants in insurance and policy construction disputes, complex catastrophic personal injury claims, property damage claims and cross jurisdictional litigation.

Navjot Atwal

Navjot Atwal is a highly experienced practitioner with a strong reputation in travel litigation and complex personal injury claims arising out of accidents occurring domestically and abroad. He has acted in a number of serious and high value cases (at all court levels) and regularly appears on his own against leading counsel.

Navjot is recognised in the legal directories (both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500) as a leading junior in travel litigation. He is regularly instructed by major tour operators to defend claims under the Package Travel Regulations and common law. He has particular expertise when it comes to advising on issues relating to the scope of the Regulations, locally applicable standards, excursions and contractual recovery actions by tour operators.

Navjot regularly advises and acts for claimants and defendant insurers in significant cases involving public, employers’ and motor liability (including indemnity issues) arising out of severe and catastrophic injuries as well as fatal accident claims. Navjot has considerable experience of cross border claims involving issues of foreign law and in cases where issues of jurisdiction and conflict of laws arise. He frequently acts in claims involving foreign domiciled defendants, overseas insurers and the MIB in relation to accidents abroad. He has particular experience of claims in respect of the Judgments Regulation and Rome II.

Navjot is regularly instructed by air carriers and cruise operators in relation to claims brought under the international carriage conventions (Warsaw, Montreal and Athens Conventions). He has been involved in a broad range of cases involving accidents during embarkation and disembarkation, cases of sexual assault and race discrimination. He recently successfully defended a major airline accused of race discrimination by a large number of passengers during a flight from Jamaica. He is currently acting for the insurer of a well-known cruise company in defending a claim arising out of the death of a passenger on board. He regularly appears in the Admiralty Court.

He has been commended in the directories for his commercial approach to cases and his effective and robust advocacy in court.

Rachit Buch

Rachit specialises in industrial disease, clinical negligence, international & travel law and personal injury. Rachit is joint head of pupillage. He is ranked in the legal directories for personal injury: industrial disease (Band 2, Chambers & Partners), clinical negligence (Tier 4, Legal 500) and personal injury (Tier 4, Legal 500). He is described as “an outstanding barrister”; and his “strategic insight and calm, confident advocacy make him highly effective in achieving successful outcomes”.

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, where he has been described as "really excellent", "very, very intelligent", and "a brilliant lawyer" who "cuts through all issues and understands the client’s needs."

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 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 the early stages of 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.

Spencer Turner

Spencer specialises in sports disputes, personal injury, clinical negligence, international and travel law, industrial disease, information law, and group litigation. He is regularly instructed in complex and high-profile matters for claimants and defendants, both as led and as sole counsel across all of his core practice areas and before a range of different courts and tribunals. He is a sought-after junior barrister who is often praised for his diligence, excellent client care, strong advocacy and ability to work well in teams.

The legal directories recognise Spencer’s expertise across a broad range of practice areas where he is ranked as a ‘rising star’ or ‘up and coming’ in personal injury, industrial disease, insurance fraud, international personal injury, clinical negligence and sports law. They variously describe him as “great” with “impressive advocacy”, “already having developed a practice that exceeds his seniority”, “absolutely superb”, and “thorough, professional and well-liked by clients”.

Spencer’s sports disputes practice sees him regularly instructed on behalf of sports governing bodies, players/athletes, clubs, coaches and agents across the full range of sports matters. His personal injury, clinical negligence, industrial disease and travel work involves cases of the utmost severity, and he has experience of large-scale litigation, being led, and acting as sole counsel.

Charley Turton

Charley is a specialist in complex personal injury and clinical negligence and is instructed in some of the largest group injury claims brought in the English courts. She is recognised in the directories for both personal injury and clinical negligence, where she is described as “brilliant”, a “rising star”, “a clear and confident advocate” and “a really intelligent barrister who thinks things through carefully”.

Charley’s practice spans sports law, aviation, abuse, and international injury. Charley is regularly instructed as sole counsel in complex, high-value litigation, frequently against opponents of significantly greater seniority. She also thrives as part of a team, particularly in the context of group litigation. Her past and ongoing instructions include:

• The Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Litigation. Led by Michael Rawlinson KC, Charley acts for a large cohort of claimants alleging that Baby Powder was contaminated with asbestos and other harmful substances, and that talc used in the product was itself a cause of injury.
• Rugby Concussion Litigation. Led by William Audland KC, Charley acts for the Rugby Football League in high-profile head injury litigation brought by over 1,000 rugby league and union players and former players.
• Harrods Abuse Claims. Led by Michael Rawlinson KC, Charley acts for the survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed.
• LaMia Flight 2933 Air Accident. Led by Steven Thompson KC, Charley acts for injured passengers and families of deceased following the 2016 crash in Colombia.
• Inquest into the death of Adam Johnson. Led by William Audland KC, Charley acts for the bereaved family of the ice hockey player who died when his neck was cut by a skate during a 2023 match between Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers.
• Fundão Dam Collapse Litigation. Led by Harry Steinberg KC and Patrick Vincent KC, in 2018-19, Charley acted for the claimants in this action arising from Brazil’s worst ever environmental disaster.

Before coming to the Bar, Charley read English Literature at Merton College, Oxford, where she was awarded a ‘Blue’ for football. She still turns out for the occasional Friday night match.

In her free time, Charley is a keen traveller and, whenever possible, she plans her trips around opportunities to scuba dive.

Christopher Fleming

Christopher specialises in personal injury claims, with a particular focus in clinical negligence, cross-border disputes and industrial disease. He is regularly instructed in high value and complex matters. He appears for Claimants and Defendants in trials, application hearings and case management conferences. Christopher is a skilled and tenacious advocate with a good eye for detail.

Christopher is frequently insrtucted on paper-based matters, and regularly advises clients on questions of law, procedure, and strategy.

Christopher is also qualified to practice in Northern Ireland and regularly receives instructions to appear in court in both jurisdictions.

Peter Hale

Peter is an experienced courtroom advocate, appearing on a daily basis in trials, interim hearings and applications on behalf of both claimants and defendants. He is also known for his robust and thorough pleadings and provides detailed and tailored advice in writing or in conference on all aspects of claims which fall within his various areas of specialism.

Peter accepts instructions in all of chambers’ practice areas but has developed particular expertise in claims arising from road traffic accidents, credit hire, public liability and highways claims, employers’ liability and workplace accidents, international and cross-border litigation, military claims and industrial disease.

Peter is regularly instructed to act on behalf of claimants and defendants and is prepared to consider accepting instructions on a CFA basis where appropriate. Peter is happy to attend court in London and further afield, in person or remotely.

Before coming to the Bar, Peter worked in the International Injury department of a well-known specialist injury firm, dealing with catastrophic injuries sustained abroad or involving international elements. This has given Peter additional insight into cross-border litigation and catastrophic injury claims as well as the demands of running a busy caseload within a firm of solicitors, which enables Peter to give meaningful and practical advice on complex claims.

Peter has a postgraduate degree in European Law from the University of Rennes, France and has professional working proficiency in French as well as basic proficiency in German.

Away from Chambers, Peter enjoys classical singing, having previously worked as a cathedral musician, and currently directs an amateur chamber choir. His sporting career, which has included competing at various levels in hockey, mixed netball, shooting and chess, is more noted for its variety than its finesse.

Private: Jessica Franklin

Jessica specialises in personal injury, disease and employment.

Jessica writes robust pleadings, offers realistic advice on liability and settlement and is a confident advocate. In employment, she is particularly experienced in whistleblowing, discrimination and unfair dismissal claims. In personal injury, she is experienced in a range of areas including complex vicarious liability, disease and military disputes.

Jessica is interested in appellate work and was recently junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and in the Employment Appeal Tribunal.

Jessica is a scholar of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. She achieved a Distinction in the GDL and the BVS. She was awarded academic scholarships by the City Law School and the Inner Temple to undertake her legal studies.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Jessica had a career in advertising and marketing. She worked in Beijing for a year and has a great interest in Chinese culture, language and food.