Pupillage Open Evening 2024

Farhana Mukith

Farhana accepts instructions in most areas of Chambers’ work, with a particular interest in personal injury, fraud and costs. She has a varied practice representing both Claimants and Defendants across many of 12KBW’s areas of expertise.

Farhana has a growing reputation as a fraud specialist and is often instructed to advise insurers on high value claims involving exaggerated injury and loss to staged accidents.

Her unparalleled knowledge of fundamental dishonesty law makes her a go-to junior in this area. She is regularly instructed at early stages of litigation to shape the case and lead it to a successful resolution.

Farhana’s expertise in dishonesty cases overlaps with her interest in costs law. Her knowledge in this area allows her to robustly pursue a finding of fundamental dishonesty at trial and seamlessly transition to costs law by disapplying QOCS, obtaining a costs order against the Claimant, and assessing those costs in a Detailed Assessment.

Farhana regularly delivers talks on both fraud and costs.

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.

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.

David Green

David is a leading personal injury junior. “The quality of David’s advice is second to none” (Legal 500 2022).

In personal injury he specialises in occupational and environmental disease claims, including all aspects of asbestos disease, and noise-induced hearing loss.

He maintains a particular interest and specialism in military cases, and is instructed in the ongoing military deafness litigation (led by Harry Steinberg KC).

David is also ranked as a rising star in employment law. “David is an excellent advocate and is able to think very well on his feet. He has very good technical knowledge of both the law and procedure” (Legal 500 2022).

Cases include:

Abbott v Ministry of Defence [2022] EWHC 1807 (QB): represented nearly 3,500 claimants for noise-induced hearing loss and/or tinnitus brought against the MOD (led by Harry Steinberg KC).

Wokingham Borough Council v Arshad [2022] EWHC 2419 (KB): successful appeal on behalf of a local authority against claim for psychiatric damage, brought by a taxi driver after a mistake in the taxi licensing process.

David also appeared for the successful Respondent in Greene v Davies [2022] EWCA Civ 414, an appeal concerning an important point of law on abuse of process in regulatory disciplinary proceedings.

Corinne Novell

Corinne joined Chambers in October 2023 following the successful completion of her pupillage. She frequently advocates in court in personal injury, road traffic accidents, credit hire, negligence, breach of contract and occupier’s liability claims. Corinne also has a growing paperwork practice across these areas.

During her pupillage, she gained a wide breadth of experience in clinical negligence, personal injury, inquests, industrial disease, travel, military and employment work. She is interested in all the core areas of Chambers’ expertise.

Prior to pupillage, Corinne obtained a Distinction on the BTC, having been awarded scholarships from Lincoln’s Inn and BPP University to undertake her studies. She obtained a Masters degree, specialising in medical and labour law, from the University of Cambridge. Corinne obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of Durham, where she placed first in her cohort in her first year and ranked first in modules on the law of Individual rights and the State, the EU Internal Market, Tort and the UK Constitution.

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.

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.