Personal Injury Webinar Afternoon 2023

Steven Snowden KC

Steven Snowden KC is Head of Chambers at 12KBW. He is recognised in the independent legal directories as one of the leading barristers in the country in his chosen areas of work. He is ranked in band 1 for personal injury and industrial disease in both the C&P and the L500 guides and also ranked for Public Inquiries and Inquests by the Legal 500.

Steven’s main areas of practice are high-value, complex or sensitive personal injury and industrial disease cases. His practice extends to associated clinical negligence and professional negligence work, Court of Protection, insurance, sports, group litigation and public inquiries. He works for claimants and for defendants.

Steven is a very experienced trial advocate and regularly deals with substantial and complex cases in court and in settlement meetings. 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 disease work he deals with mesothelioma and other asbestos claims, and other occupational illness claims involving difficult issues of liability, causation or quantum. He represented the largest group of the infected and affected individuals and families (1,400+ core participants) in the Infected Blood Public Inquiry.  He is instructed in the professional footballers’ concussive injury claims. He is retained to represent patients and families in the Essex Mental Health Public Inquiry.

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 to 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.

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.

Henry F. Charles

Henry is recognised as a leading personal injury and clinical negligence practitioner.  He acts for Claimants and Defendants typically in complex and high value claims.  He has negotiated settlements as high as nearly £7,000,000.

He was awarded Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Junior Barrister of the Year award in 2014 by Chambers & Partners.  He has appeared in their guide for many years, recommended in both personal injury and clinical negligence.  Observers have said, for example,  “I am impressed by his attention to detail and his commitment to ensure that no stone gets left unturned. He has a very agile and adaptable approach to things" and that he is “A tower of strength; he is calm in the midst of battle, knows how to read judges and is an excellent strategist”  He has also been described as "unflappable and laser-like in terms of his focus.", an "extremely safe pair of hands," and as “delightful” with both “panache and a beautiful manner". “He knows when to fight,” declare observers.

Henry encourages a team approach, he is happy to travel to see claimants and insurers alike.

Daniel Tobin

Dan specialises in high value, complex personal injury, motor claims, property damage and general insurance work.

He has been listed as a Leading Junior in Personal Injury since 2010. He is currently listed as band 2 in The Legal 500 and band 3 in Chambers and Partners.

In Chambers and Partners 2023, he is described as “a very user-friendly barrister who puts clients and witnesses immediately at their ease”. He is also described as “really straight-talking and [with] a great command of the courtroom”.

Other directory’ feedback includes: “An outstanding advocate who presents cases in a straightforward and eloquent manner. (Legal 500, 2021), “a strong negotiator who presses the right buttons to obtain maximum results” (Legal 500, 2019), and “very client-focused, extremely personable and a skilled negotiator” (Legal 500, 2017)

Dan deals with liability and quantum disputes in all forms of RTA, EL and PL claims.  He is equally at home in all aspects of modern personal injury practice, whether it be settling detailed Schedules and Counter Schedules of Loss, preparing for and attending JSMs or cross-examining experts at trial. He is often instructed in cases where there are elements of fraud, malingering and/or exaggeration.

He has extensive experience of amputation and prosthetics, catastrophic brain injury, spinal injuries, chronic pain and somatoform conditions.

He often appears on his own against Leading Counsel.

Recent Defendant cases include:

• a claim against a former employee of a large statutory undertaker who was alleging that CRPS had caused a lifelong loss of earnings, where surveillance evidence utilised at trial established malingering;
• a claim arising from the allegedly negligent installation of a domestic hot water system which caused severe burns leading to amputation;
• proceedings brought by a former Team GB martial artist who claimed seven-figure damages for, inter alia, being deprived of the opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympics;
• a claim arising from the life-altering injuries caused when the claimant was deliberately run down and left for dead by an ex-boyfriend;
• a double fatality caused on the M42 motorway, caused by flooding which was said to have been caused by negligently installed telecommunications apparatus;
• representing a local authority in proceedings brought on behalf of a child who was blinded by the allegedly negligent use of a lawnmower.

In terms of his Claimant work, Dan has been described as “the go-to man for highways claims” (Chambers & Partners, 2018). He is proud of the fact that “he has an excellent knowledge of the Highways Act and a feel for injured cyclists”. (Legal 500, 2018) but remains “a very approachable and down-to-earth barrister”. (Chambers & Partners, 2018).

Recent successfully concluded Claimant cases include:

• representing the Estate of a triathlete killed as a result of a hitting a pothole in the highway whilst training for Ironman Wales;
• acting for a cyclist who suffered C3/C4 spinal cord injury as a result of an accident on the highway;
• representing a dental surgeon who suffered extensive maxillo-facial and dental injuries in a cycling accident;
• acting for a claimant who suffered a significant spinal injury whilst riding a quadbike on the public highway;
• a claim on behalf of an elderly resident in a care home who fell down an open lift shaft;
• acting for a pedestrian who suffered a very significant ankle fracture when tripping on a tree pit located on London Southbank;
• a claim for a cyclist who was deliberately run over by a motorist.

Dan has also, for several years, acted for a number of large institutional defendants in claims arising from the allegedly defective installation of cavity wall systems, being work which in more recent times turns on fairly technical insurance indemnity issues arising from the significant number of CWI claims pursued under the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010.

He has two teenage daughters and lives in London. Outside of work he rides his bike (a lot), enjoys reading, eating out and the cinema. He is a qualified skydiver, has a black belt in Korean kickboxing and still harbours the (albeit ever-diminishing) ambition of completing an Ironman triathlon.

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.

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Thomas Banks

Tom is ranked as a Personal Injury Leading Junior in Legal 500. He specialises in catastrophic, complex and high value Personal Injury claims, Insurance Law, Inquests, Military claims, Fraud and Costs.

His specialist personal injury practice focuses on Brain and Spinal Injuries, Fatal Accidents, Motor Insurance and Indemnity Law,  International and Travel Law, Public and Employers Liability and Industrial Disease

As former Tank Commander and Intelligence Officer in the British Army, he is also recognised as an established specialist Counsel in Armed Forces Claims.

Tom has also been instructed in High Court Defamation proceedings.

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 specialises in clinical negligence, abuse, and injury claims with an international element.

Her broader personal injury practice encompasses interests in sports law, motor insurance and military claims. She is also keen to grow her practise in inquests and inquiries.

Charley has been led by William Audland KC, Harry Steinberg KC, Patrick Vincent KC and Andrew Roy KC of 12KBW and regularly does work for other members of chambers in high value cases.

In addition to a busy paperwork practice, Charley is regularly in court for trials, PTRs, CCMCs, interim applications and approval hearings.

As a member of Advocate (formerly the Bar Pro Bono Unit), Charley is willing to act in a pro bono capacity, where appropriate.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Charley studied English Literature at Merton College, Oxford, and was awarded a Blue for football.

When she is not in chambers Charley plays for Camden Town Football Club and is a loyal participant in the annual Blenheim Palace Triathlon.

Charley is clerked by George Boggis (boggis@12kbw.co.uk) and Daniella Evans (evans@12kbw.co.uk).

Christopher Fleming

Christopher specialises in personal injury claims, with a particular focus in clinical negligence, cross-border disputes and industrial disease. He has a busy practice and 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 has a busy paper-based practice, 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.

Henry King

Henry specialises predominantly in costs and funding litigation arising from all manner of actions.

He routinely appears for both paying parties and receiving parties in detailed assessments as well as on discrete points of law. Henry is particularly interested in solicitor/client assessments at all values.

He also maintains a substantial practice in personal injury, as well as insurance work including property damage, indemnity disputes and cases involving suspicions of fraud.

Henry’s practice is managed by:

• Lily Baker – Practice Manager (baker@12kbw.co.uk); and
• George Gosling – Assistant Practice Manager (gosling@12kbw.co.uk)

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.