Pupillage Open Evening

John-Paul Swoboda

John-Paul specialises in Asbestos Litigation, Sports, International litigation, Serious injury, Aviation, Clinical Negligence, Professional Negligence and Inquests. 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.

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) Ltd [2023] EWHC 3010 (KB) (appeal listed in February 2025)
• 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 and he receives instructions from most ranked firms. He is ranked in the Legal 500 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 has significant experience of cases involving birth injury, amputation, unnecessary and negligent surgery, delayed diagnosis, fatal cases, disclosure of risk and the negligent administration of clinical drugs.

John-Paul is listed in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for his more general personal injury work which includes EL, PL and RTA cases. Recent reported cases include Irani v Duchon [2019] EWCA Civ 1846.

John-Paul undertakes professional negligence work, mainly in respect of actions arising from personal injury claims. 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. However, his practice is not restricted to injury related work; he accepts non-injury Sports work of a contractual or regulatory nature. He has received instructions relating to those in the English Premier League.

John-Paul acts for bereaved families, and occasionally acts for other interested parties, at Inquests. John-Paul has particular interest and expertise in Article 2 ECHR enhanced Inquests. He has acted in high profile Inquests such as the Inquest touching the death of Toni Speck (a death in police custody); the Inquest touching the death of Graham Coker (a death following oesophageal cancer surgery where their department was subsequently shut down); the Inquest touching the death of Jodie White-Charles where a young mother died of sickle cell complications as a result of Trust failures.

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 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.

In personal injury he specialises in occupational and environmental disease claims, including all aspects of asbestos disease; noise-induced hearing loss; and cases involving the armed forces. David is instructed in the Military Deafness Litigation, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2025.

In employment he appears regularly in the Employment Tribunal and the EAT in a variety of statutory employment cases.

He leads Chambers’ employment team, which is ranked as a leading group in both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

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 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.

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 frequent paperwork cases, 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.

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 ranked as a rising star in the Legal 500 with “encyclopaedic knowledge” in relation to costs and litigation funding.

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)

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.