Pupillage Open Evening

John-Paul Swoboda KC

John-Paul specialises in Personal Injury, Asbestos Litigation, Clinical Negligence, International injury litigation (including aviation), Indemnity and insurance, Professional Negligence, Group litigation and Sports. He undertakes high value work appearing in the High Court and Appellate Courts. He enjoys working as part of a team. He won the Legal 500 Personal Injury Junior of the Year Award in 2023. John-Paul was elected joint Deputy Head of Chambers in July 2024. He took silk in 2025.

In relation to asbestos claims, he is instructed by most, if not all, well-regarded claimant firms with an established asbestos team. He is ranked in Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500. Recent reported cases include:

• Johnstone v Fawcett’s Garage (Newbury) [2025]  PIQR P15 (Court of Appeal)
• Keegan v Independent Insurance Co Ltd [2022] EWHC 1992 (QB);
• Brooks v Zurich Insurance Plc [2022] EWHC 1170 (QB);
• Witham v Steve Hill Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 1312 (led by Steven Snowden KC);
• Gregory v H J Haynes Ltd [2020] EWHC 911 (Ch);
• Helm v Kenyon & Sons Ltd v Somewatch Ltd [2019] EWHC 1108 (QB);
• Cary v Vauxhall Motors Ltd [2019] EWHC 238 (QB);
• Mark v Universal Coatings and Services Ltd v Barrier Ltd [2018] EWHC 3206 (QB);
• Stacey v Triplex Safety Glass Company Ltd [2017] EWHC 1945 (QB).

His private international law expertise spans jurisdiction (pre and post-Brexit), applicable law (pre and post-Brexit), forum non conveniens cases and service out of the jurisdiction in both injury and non-injury commercial work. John-Paul also has expertise in Aviation, having worked on cases arising from air disasters. He regularly appears in Package Holidays claims, Admiralty matters, Athens and Montreal Convention cases and clinical negligence cases with a foreign element. As a result of his Spanish language skills, John-Paul is often instructed in Spanish cases and has appeared as an expert in English law in the Spanish Courts. Recent reported cases include: Chouza v Martins & Ors [2021] EWHC 1669 (QB) (Spanish law); Haggerty-Garton v ICI [2021] EWHC 2924 (QB) (Scots law); Maddison v TUI [2023] EWHC (to be heard by the Court of Appeal). John-Paul is ranked in the Legal 500 for Travel Law including Jurisdictional issues.

John-Paul’s clinical negligence work is high value work often relating to birth injury, brain injury, spinal injury, amputation, other catastrophic outcomes and fatalities. He receives instructions from most ranked firms. He is ranked in the directories for his clinical negligence work. He enjoys the medical and scientific aspects of such litigation and works closely with his instructing solicitors and experts.

He undertakes all personal injury work including EL, PL and RTA cases. Reported cases include Irani v Duchon [2019] EWCA Civ 1846.

John-Paul has expertise and experience in professional negligence claims acting for claimants and defendants. He is often instructed in relation to claims relating to solicitors and barristers and also has experience of many other professions. He successfully represented the Claimant in the Court of Appeal in Witcomb v Keith Park Solicitors [2023] PNLR 20.

He practices Sports Law where he is able to bring his extensive Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence knowledge to bear on such matters. He also has expertise in respect of non-injury Sports work of a contractual or regulatory nature. He has received instructions relating to those in the English Premier League, for professional jockeys and for other professional sports people.

John-Paul has expertise and litigation experience in indemnity and insurance work. In respect of motor indemnity, he has a broad range of experience and expertise in cases which involve consideration where the insurer may fall within the liability tree (from contractual, hybrid, RTA, Article 75 or MIB). He has expertise in respect of issues arising under the Insurance Act 2015, and the Third Parties (Rights against insurers) Act 2010.

Vanessa Cashman

Vanessa specialises in clinical negligence. She acts predominantly for claimants and her practice encompasses a huge range of medical specialties. She has particular expertise in birth and obstetric injuries, spinal injury and brain injury. Vanessa is Joint Head of our Clinical Negligence Team.

Vanessa is ranked for clinical negligence in both the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. She is known for her warmth and sensitivity and her extensive medical knowledge.

She also has considerable experience in personal injury, inquests and costs.

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.

Farhana Mukith

Farhana accepts instructions in most areas of chambers’ work with a particular interest in costs, fraud, personal injury, and credit hire. Farhana has a varied practice representing Claimants and Defendants across many areas of chambers’ 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 or oral review hearing following a provisional assessment.

Farhana’s costs practice also crosses over with her specialism in credit hire cases as she is regularly instructed to advise on applications for non-party costs orders against a credit hire companies.

David Green

David is a leading personal injury and employment junior. He is the head of Chambers’ employment team.

"He is really impressive - smart and efficient" (Chambers & Partners (personal injury: industrial disease), 2025).

“David is simply outstanding” (Chambers & Partners (employment), 2025)

David is ranked as a leading junior for both personal injury and employment law, in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.

David is the head of the 12KBW employment team. He appears regularly in the Employment Tribunal and the EAT in every kind of statutory employment case.

Cases include:

Minis Childcare Ltd v Hilton-Webb [2024] EAT 108: successful appeal concerning the relationship between indirect discrimination and the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.

Barry v Ministry of Defence [2023] EWHC 459 (KB): military noise-induced hearing loss case with widespread implications for the quantum of earnings-related damages for disabled claimants.

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

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.

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.

Henry King

Henry is a barrister who specialises in costs, insurance, and commercial disputes. He also has a Multi-Track personal injury practice on high value, complex matters which require an extra level of attention to detail.

He was ranked in the Legal 500 2025 as having an “encyclopaedic knowledge of costs law” and appears for both receiving parties and paying parties at all levels of costs assessment. This includes solicitor client costs. He has been instructed (unled) on matters involving seven figure bills.

His insurance practice covers the full spectrum from complex policy wording disputes and declinatures of cover to straightforward property damage claims. He regularly acts in cases worth over £500,000 for both Claimants and Defendants. This has included matters where brokers are alleged to have been negligent, claims under the Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 and claims involving interpretation of the Insurance Act 2015.

As to his commercial practice, he has worked on all manner of commercial claims from multi-million-pound cases about titanium parts sold to a household name car manufacturer to supply chain disputes between perfume companies. Clients appreciate his ability to get to grips with their business quickly in order to understand the heart of the dispute.

Henry is an adept personal injury litigator specialising in claims pleaded in excess of £200,000. He acts for both Claimants and Defendants, and both have equally praised his approach to litigation, as well as his tactical, commercially sensible mindset.

Henry’s practice is managed by Lily Baker, Practice Manager (baker@12kbw.co.uk).

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.

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.