Rachel Russell
Call 2001 (Gray’s Inn)
Qualifications MA Oxon, Gray’s Inn Scholar
Professional Memberships Member of the Employment Law Bar Association and the Personal Injury Bar Association
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Areas of Practice
Rachel began her career in London where she had a mixed practice including general common law and crime. Having developed a strong advocacy style Rachel joined St John’s Chambers in March 2005 to focus on and expand her personal injury practice.
She now has a busy personal injury practice acting for both Claimants and Defendants in equal measure in Fast and Multi Track matters. Her practice encompasses all aspects of personal injury law and related areas including costs, inquests and travel litigation.
Personal Injury
Rachel is able to advise and represent clients in all areas of personal injury law and has experience of a broad range of work from fast track matters to cases involving, for example, stress at work and injuries of the utmost severity.
She regularly advises and represents several local authorities throughout South West England and Wales on highways claims, accidents at work and occupiers’ liability matters.
Appearing regularly in road traffic matters, she has advised and represented both claimants and defendants in low velocity impact cases, including cases where fraud was an issue.
She has a particular interest and specialism in credit hire matters and frequently advises and represents both claimants and defendants in high value cases of this type.
Inquests
Rachel often appears at inquests and has experience of representing all types of interested party. She has a particular interest and expertise in acting at inquests concerning deaths on construction sites and has recently appeared at a 7-day inquest into a death on the construction site of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Costs
As one of St John’s Chambers’ most experienced costs practitioners, Rachel represents both paying and receiving parties at detailed assessments and appeals, often in cases involving lengthy and complex bills of costs. She regularly acts in costs cases involving CFAs and CCFAs.
Travel litigation
Rachel has an expanding travel litigation practice and has advised and represented several tour operators at both interlocutory hearings and trials in claims arising from holidays both in the UK and EU. These cases have included, for example, claims for breach of contract, claims for personal injury (including cases of food poisoning), and claims where the court’s jurisdiction was in issue.
CRU
Rachel has had conduct of many CRU appeals and enjoys a good level of success in reducing, either in part or entirely, her clients’ CRU liabilities.
Reported cases
Coles v Passmore (CL 767/2007)
Other Information
Rachel regularly acts for clients in appropriate cases on a CFA basis.
