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"He has an unrivalled passion for his work, and a commitment and dedication to winning every case."
Legal 500
Andrew specialises in cases involving costs, personal injury (all areas including, clinical negligence and disease work), fraudulent claims and employment law.
For the last three years Andrew has been a leading Junior in the Legal 500 and is rated as a leading junior in personal injury, clinical negligence and costs.
Andrew was appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel in 2015.
He was appointed to the Education and Training Committee of the Bar Standards Board from 2010 until the end of 2015. From 2014 until the end of 2015 he was appointed to the Bar Standards Board Pupillage Committee.
Away from the Bar, his interests include wine, squash and travelling.
Personal injury is a core area of Andrew’s practice. He regularly appears in a range of final and interim hearings for both Claimants and Defendants.
He specialises in employer’s and occupiers’ liability cases, predominately in the Multi Track and on appeal.
He has advised and conducted hearings on product liability matters dealing with cases as varied as faulty exploding batteries to allergic reactions due to chemical hair dyes.
As an experienced employment practitioner, Andrew is able to provide additional skills to the elements of personal injury practice that have a cross-over element with employment practice. In this regard Andrew has particular interest and experience of dealing with stress at work claims.
He has acted in many personal injury claims in claims for more than £100,000 and has successfully represented Claimants who have secured compensation well in excess of £500,000.
A very substantial part of Andrew’s practice (almost 50%) relates to costs litigation. He is one of only three leading costs juniors recognised by the Legal 500 in the Midlands.
Andrew is experienced in settling points of dispute, replies to points of dispute and advises solicitors as to appropriate Part 36 offers.
Despite provisional assessment and various well known costs reforms having taken place, over the last few years the number of costs instructions which he has received has rapidly increased.
Andrew very regularly appears before Masters in the SCCO and before Regional Costs Judges. He has received instructions on several occasions in this area from solicitors and costs draftsman whom he has been on the other side in previous cases.
Andrew regularly settles opinions on costs matters as well as drafting replies and points of dispute.
Andrew is very experienced in handling complex claims relating to allegations of sexual abuse and failure to protect, particularly on behalf of Claimants.
Examples of recent work include successful claims by children with special needs against a school for failing to protect these children from another student and historic allegations of sexual abuse whilst the Claimant was a student.
Andrew has represented and advised both Claimants and Defendants in personal injury claims related to animals. He has conducted lengthy hearings in this field where various animal experts have given oral evidence at trial.
Andrew has dealt with many claims for Defendants and Claimants involving severe and long term injuries as well as Fatal Accident Acts claims.
Andrew predominately deals with credit hire claims on the Multi Track and of significant value. He is extremely experienced in dealing with claims which involve high value credit hire claims (in excess of £100,000), both at an interlocutory stage and at trial. Almost exclusively these instructions are from the Defendant.
Andrew is very experienced in the handling of claims involving a range of conditions, including asbestos exposure, repetitive strain injuries, noise-induced hearing loss and hand-arm vibration syndrome.
He has conducted many Multi Track trials on issues concerning limitation, causation and breach of duty. Andrew has considerable experience of cross-examining medical experts where medical causation is in dispute.
Andrew has appeared in many multi day inquests and is particularly experienced in inquests where there has been a death in custody.
Andrew is experienced in trials involving serious injuries arising out of motor accidents.
Andrew’s clinical negligence is in the main for Claimants and examples of work includes claims involving, dental negligence, failed plastic surgery and failed hospital care involving both minors and adults.
Andrew is frequently instructed in this area, almost exclusively on behalf of Defendants where fraudulent claims are suspected. Recently, however, he has received some instructions from Claimants where fraud has been alleged due to appearing as counsel for the Defendant in cases where the Claimant’s solicitor has been on the other side.
He is experienced in all aspects of civil fraud, particularly in the areas of staged accidents (both in the workplace and involving road traffic accidents), exaggerated injuries, phantom passengers and low velocity impact claims.
He settles defences, advises and settles part 18 requests in this area.
Andrew has conducted numerous Multi Track trials where fraud has been alleged and has succeeded in these claims for both the Defendant and the Claimant. He recently conducted a two day fraud trial before a High Court judge where it was found by the judge if he had not taken a technical point the Defendant would probably have succeeded in establishing fraud with the Judge going on to give judgment for the Claimants.
Andrew represents both Claimants and Respondents in roughly equal measure at employment tribunals and has conducted many trials over a week and up to three weeks in the areas such as TUPE, unfair dismissal, race and sex discrimination, disability discrimination, constructive dismissal and unlawful deduction from wages.
He has conducted many lengthy trials involving NHS staff both for the Claimant and the Respondent and has acquired a good working knowledge of NHS practices.
As well as being experienced in the employment tribunal, Andrew has dealt with a number of employment restrictive covenant claims both in the County Court and the High Court.
“He is very knowledgeable about costs and brings this to the table whenever instructed.”
Legal 500 2017 – Costs
“An effective barrister who is knowledgeable on costs related to personal injury and clinical negligence matters.”
Legal 500 2017 – Personal injury and clinical negligence
“He has an unrivalled passion for his work, and a commitment and dedication to winning every case.”
Legal 500 2016 – Personal injury and clinical negligence
For further information please contact our clerks on:
+44 (0) 115 947 2581
Postal address:
Ropewalk Chambers
24, The Ropewalk,
Nottingham, NG1 5EF.
Telephone: +44 (0) 115 947 2581
Fax: +44 (0) 115 947 6532
Document Exchange:
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Email: clerks@ropewalk.co.uk
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Out of hours:
Tony Hill – 07850 086097
Alan Odiam – 07771 603929