St John’s Chambers is one of the ‘go-to’ clinical negligence sets on the Western Circuit and beyond.”

The Legal 500 2024, Clinical Negligence

St John’s Chambers is the leading clinical negligence set in the South West with an enviable reputation for the breadth of expertise within this specialist team. We advise and represent clients nationally in the full range of cases, from minor injuries to catastrophic injuries and death. We are praised by instructing solicitors as “a fantastic set with very strong barristers.”

Our clinical negligence barristers have detailed medical as well as legal knowledge to provide the best possible result in every dispute. Our set can cover claims in a number of medical areas including those involving; doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare professionals. We pride ourselves on our sensitive, pragmatic approach to cases ranging from pharmacology and medical product liability claims to GP and dental negligence with our clerks always providing a professional, friendly service.

We act for both claimants and defendants, and work on behalf of a wide range of clients including private individuals, NHS Trusts and Health Boards, Ambulance Trusts, medical defence organisations, government bodies, and private medical and related institutions, in complex and high-value disputes and in clinical negligence inquest proceedings.

Areas of particular expertise for the team include cases arising from surgical negligence, dental negligence and failures in diagnosis. Members are also regularly instructed in obstetric and neonatal injury, gynaecology and fatal accident claims.

Our clinical negligence barristers also appear in a variety of healthcare related tribunals such as those covering professional negligence, personal injury and Court of Protection hearings.

Our expertise includes:

  • All cases in which complex issues of medical and legal causation arise
  • Catastrophic injuries
  • Surgical negligence
  • Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis claims
  • Obstetric, neonatal and perinatal injuries
  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Coloproctology
  • Oncology
  • Gynaecology
  • Pharmacology and medical product liability claims
  • GP and dental negligence
  • Ophthalmic cases

Our team also provide representation at Coroners’ Inquests and Public Inquiries in which death has followed medical treatment.

WINNER - TEAM OF THE YEAROur Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Clerking team won ‘Team of the Year 2023’ by Bristol Law Society.

Our Clerking team enjoy a national reputation for the reliable, helpful and efficient service they provide to clients, always going that extra mile. The  clerks headed up by Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire and their team, Lara Hanney and Jordan Yandell, are consistently praised for their high standard client service in Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

Training

We are committed to providing training to the wider legal and medical communities, and we design and deliver many seminars and workshops; we are always happy to provide bespoke training to meet your team’s individual needs. Please contact Adam Marston or Hugh Maguire to discuss the extensive portfolio of workshops and bespoke seminars that we offer clients.

Conditional Fee Agreements

Barristers are happy to act under Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) where appropriate.

Public Access

Some barristers accept instructions direct from members of the public under our Direct Access to a barrister programme.

Clinical Negligence Team

Christopher Sharp QC

Christopher Sharp KC

  • Call: 1975
  • Silk: 1999

Christopher has been described by solicitors and the legal directories as an “outstanding silk” in clinical negligence and personal injury with a national reputation. He conducts the highest level of cerebral palsy/catastrophic injury claims in terms of both...

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Matthew Phillips QC

Matthew Phillips KC

  • Call: 1993
  • Silk: 2017

Matthew leads a successful and expanding Clinical Negligence team, and represents both claimants and defendants in a wide variety of claims of significant value. He has particular experience in the fields of birth injury, failed spinal surgery and...

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Richard Stead

  • Call: 1979

One of Chambers’ most senior barristers, Richard has extensive experience in high-value claims in clinical negligence and personal injury. Most recently he represented the claimant in a successful claim arising out of the treatment of mental illness. Renowned...

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Andrew McLaughlin

Andrew McLaughlin

  • Call: 1993

Andrew undertakes complex clinical negligence work involving difficult issues surrounding breach of duty and causation primarily on behalf of NHS Trusts in England and Local Health Boards in Wales. He had notable success in the latter part of...

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Justin Valentine

  • Call: 1999

Justin has been ranked as a Tier 1 Legal 500 clinical negligence specialist for several years.  He acts almost exclusively for claimants in cases of significant value.  He has particular interest in obstetrics and gynaecology cases where consent...

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Louise Asprey

Louise Asprey

  • Call: 2007

Louise has many years of experience representing both claimants and defendants in personal injury and clinical negligence matters. She regularly deals with claims arising out of road traffic accidents and is experienced in dealing with claims brought under...

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Patrick West website

Patrick West

  • Call: 2007

Patrick has an established clinical negligence practice. He acts for claimants and defendants in clinical negligence claims across a broad spectrum including dental treatment, general surgical errors and mental health care both in terms of liability and quantum...

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Jimmy Barber

  • Call: 2008

In clinical negligence, Jimmy has experience of a wide array of areas of medicine and dentistry and acts for healthcare providers, clinicians and claimants. He has advised on cases involving delays in diagnosis, injuries caused by or in...

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James Marwick

James Marwick

  • Call: 2008

James is ranked as a leading junior in clinical negligence by The Legal 500. He acts for both claimants and defendants in a wide range of clinical negligence matters but with a particular specialism in cauda equina and spinal...

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Ben Handy

Ben Handy

  • Call: 2008

Ben is a specialist clinical negligence barrister, mediator, and now a part-time Crown Court judge after he was appointed Recorder by the King in May. Ben’s recent clinical negligence and inquest work has focused on claimants, and the...

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James Hughes

  • Call: 2011

James has experience acting for both claimants and defendant trusts or clinicians, in cases where there is more than one defendant, in clinical negligence claims. Recent work includes: Injury to external iliac artery during laparoscopic sterilisation surgery Wrongful...

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Rachel Segal

Rachel Segal

  • Call: 2013

Rachel is ranked as a leading junior (Tier 2) for clinical negligence in Legal 500 2023. She has a thriving practice and has developed a particular focus on delayed diagnosis and treatment of cancers (primary and metastatic disease),...

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Sophie Howard

  • Call: 2016

Sophie is a member of the Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence, and Inquest teams. She joined Chambers in May 2022 after completing a specialist third six pupillage under the supervision of Jimmy Barber. Having successfully completed a common law...

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Jonathan Lindfield

Jonathan Lindfield

  • Call: 2017

Jonathan has experience of a wide range of Clinical Negligence matters, including cases of failed/late diagnosis, consent, operative techniques, dental negligence and many others. He has drafted a wide variety of pleadings for Claimants and Defendants, including Part...

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Rhodri Jones

Rhodri Jones

  • Call: 2017

Rhodri specialises in clinical negligence, acting for both claimants and defendants. Before retraining as a barrister, Rhodri practiced as a medical doctor for 18 years, principally in A&E and general practice. His wealth of knowledge and clinical experience...

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Lauren Karmel

  • Call: 2017

Lauren is ranked as a leading junior (Tier 2) in The Legal 500 2024 guide. She accepts instructions in all areas of clinical negligence and inquest work, and is developing a strong paper-based practice in all areas of...

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David Forster

  • Call: 2018

David is a specialist Personal Injury barrister who has a balanced practice acting for both Claimants and Defendants. His practice encompasses all aspects of Personal Injury and he is regularly instructed to advise on claims relating to RTAs,...

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Beatrice Baskett

Beatrice Baskett

  • Call: 2021

Beatrice joined our Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Inquests teams in October 2023 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision Robert Mills and Benjamin Handy. Beatrice is instructed regularly in fast-track trials, interlocutory applications and...

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Directory Quotes

Always able to provide a simplistic and easy to follow format, despite cases being complex. This helps to then advise clients on their claim and give them a better understanding of the legal implications.”

Chambers UK 2024, Clinical Negligence

St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its expert representation of both claimants and defendants, including several NHS trusts, medical defence organisations and private individuals, in complex and high-value disputes and in clinical negligence inquest proceedings.”

Chambers UK 2024, Clinical Negligence

St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its expert representation in complex and high-value disputes in clinical negligence and inquest proceedings. Barristers are very analytical and able to forensically examine expert reports in conference.”

Chambers UK 2023, Clinical Negligence

The clerks are helpful and get things done quickly. They are very responsive and go out of their way to help.”

Chambers UK 2023, Clinical Negligence (Client Service)

A ‘go-to set’ in the South West for clinical negligence.”

Legal 500 2023, Clinical Negligence

The clerks are fantastic. The clerks are always very on the ball and have always been very helpful, approachable and friendly.”

Legal 500 2023, Clinical Negligence (Clerking)

St John’s Chambers is well regarded for its expert representation of both claimants and defendants, including several NHS trusts, medical defence organisations and private individuals, in complex and high-value disputes and in clinical negligence inquest proceedings.”

Chambers UK 2022, Clinical Negligence

The clerks are very on the ball and are always very helpful, approachable and friendly. The team all work like a well-oiled machine and they always call you back. The set provides an excellent clerking service – it is prompt, efficient and personable.”

Chambers UK 2022, Clinical Negligence (Client Service)

The ‘fantastic’ St John’s Chambers is ‘a strong clinical negligence set’, housing members with strength in handling a range of defendant and claimant work.”

Legal 500 2022, Clinical Negligence

Client Quotes

“I use St John’s Chambers a great deal for all my clinical negligence cases. They have a large number of very competent and experienced clinical negligence barristers all of whom I trust, and find brilliant. They provide excellent training courses.”

Legal 500 client feedback

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