Areas of Expertise

• Personal Injury

  Personal injury forms by far the largest part of Philip’s advocacy and paperwork practices.  He maintains a fairly equal split between claimant and defendant work and is experienced in Fast and Multi Track claims, including on appeal.

  His current caseload includes advocacy and drafting in road traffic accidents, accidents at work, Highways Act cases, occupiers’ liability, defective premises and product liability.

  He has particular experience of cases involving limitation and complicated issues of causation. He is regularly instructed on CICA appeals.

  He has acted in several multi-day inquests, including those where his own client also has one eye on bringing, or potentially having to defend, subsequent civil proceedings.

  He is more than happy to consider instructions on a CFA basis, and will act on that basis where the merits of a particular case permit.

• Disease

  Philip has considerable experience dealing with trials and interim applications in disease cases, for claimants and defendants alike, on both the Fast- and Multi-Tracks.  He routinely appears against significantly more senior opponents.

  He is always available at short notice to draft pleadings (and where particularly urgent, he can turnaround papers often within 24 hours).  He is also available to attend conferences with clients/experts in disease cases.

  There has recently been a meteoric rise in the number of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) cases, which represents about 80% of Philip’s disease practice, but his caseload also includes HAVS, dermatitis, upper limb disorders, occupational asthma and other respiratory conditions.

  Where limitation is being dealt with as a preliminary issue, Philip is happy to advise and to act at the limitation trial.  He has a 100% success rate acting for defendants at limitation trials.

• Abuse

  Philip has appeared at all levels of court in abuse cases, including in the Supreme Court in Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council [2017] UKSC 60, in hindsight the high water mark for the expansion of the doctrine of vicarious liability.  The outcome of the case was that the doctrine was extended so as to make local authorities liable, even without fault on their part, for abuse perpetrated by foster parents upon foster children in the home, despite foster parents not in fact being employees of the local authority.

  He is as comfortable with single-claimant claims as he is with group actions.  He is available at short notice for drafting and advisory work.  He appreciates the need in such cases for a forensic and methodical approach, as well as for tact and empathy given both the serious nature of the allegations being made in this area of work, as well as the potentially serious and long-lasting consequences abuse can have.

  Instructions are accepted from claimants and defendants alike.  On behalf of claimants, Philip is happy to accept instructions on a CFA basis if the prospects of success are sufficient.

• Motor

  A large amount of Philip’s time in court is spent on motor cases, whether for claimant or defendant usually where allegations of dishonesty have been raised.

  He is very familiar with ‘low-velocity impact’ (LVI) cases and those where personal injury claims are presented long after the event.

  He appears in Fast and Multi Track trials in motor cases, at least once a week and usually even more frequently.

• Credit Hire

  Philip has acted in many credit hire cases with values of up to £100,000, including on appeal. He has appeared successfully for claimants seeking to pursue often high-value claims, as well as for defendants seeking to minimise their exposure in such cases.

• Counter Fraud

  Philip is frequently instructed by defendant insurers in cases arising out of (alleged) accidents where dishonesty/fraud is raised.  He is, likewise, often trusted by claimants to represent their interests in such cases.

  He has successfully obtained findings of ‘fundamental dishonesty’ for defendants in several claims for damages arising out of (alleged) accidents, both in a motoring context as well as in public and employers’ liability claims.

  Likewise, he has successfully resisted findings of fundamental dishonesty on behalf of claimants accused of the same in motor and other claims.

• Clinical Negligence

  Philip’s current caseload includes several claims arising out of (allegedly) negligent cosmetic surgery, botched beauty treatments, dental treatment and delayed diagnosis (or misdiagnosis) of serious medical conditions.

  He appreciates the need in such cases for a tactful and sympathetic approach.

  Philip is familiar with cases involving multiple sets of expert witnesses and recognises the need for early identification (and, where possible, the narrowing) of the significant issues in such cases.

• Inquests

  Philip has appeared at numerous inquests for all sorts of interested parties.  He appreciates the need at such hearings to adopt a tactful and sympathetic approach, whilst still being prepared to ask the difficult questions which often arise.

• Animals & Equine

  Philip has acted for both claimants and defendants in cases involving injuries caused by both domestic animals and livestock.  He is familiar with the Animals Act 1971 and the particular breed of liability which arises under that Act.

  He is available at short notice for drafting and advisory work, as well as representation at trial or at interim hearings.

• Costs & Litigation Funding

  Philip regularly attends CCMCs, as well as oral detailed assessment hearings following provisional assessments of costs, for both paying and receiving parties.

  In addition, he has particular experience of arguments in favour and against QOCS (qualified one-way costs shifting) being disapplied, including where strike-out applications have been made shortly before a discontinuance and where fundamental dishonesty has been found.

• Professional Negligence

  Philip acts for Claimants and Defendants.

  He has successfully argued cases arising out of negligence on the part of solicitors (whether in their handling of personal injury matters, or non-PI work including conveyancing), as well as non-lawyers (including accountants, social workers etc). Currently dealing with a long-running claim against 4 separate parties (specialists in various professional disciplines), arising out of their alleged negligence relating to the purchase of a hotel at a substantially inflated sum.

  He also has experience acting for the defence, including in striking-out professional negligence claims against solicitors at an early stage, to avoid the incidence of substantial defence costs.

• Property & Real Estate

  Philip deals with cases on all tracks. He has recently been involved in claims concerning spillages and leaks causing property damage, nuisance, trespass and the Party Walls Act.

• Data Protection & Information

  Philip has experience of dealing with, and defending against, claims relating to the DPA, GDPR and other associated causes of action.

  This is a rapidly expanding area of law and Philip is well-versed in the developing arguments relating to both the underlying legal regime and the costs position governing data breach cases.

  Philip’s recent caseload includes acting for a local authority in relation to inadvertent disclosure of personal data, as well as acting in claims against financial institutions, local authorities and clubs/societies.  He is also involved in an ongoing defamation case against a national newspaper.

  Philip is happy to discuss your needs before embarking upon any data-related work and the available means of funding this work, particularly in light of the ever-changing landscape regarding costs recovery/liability in such cases.

About

• Notable Cases

  SKX v Manchester City Council [2021] EWHC 782 (QB).  For more on this case, please click here.

   

  (1) Worthington (2) Parkin v Metropolitan Housing Trust Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 1125.  For more on this case, please click here.

   

  Armes v Nottinghamshire County Council [2017] UKSC 60.  For more on this case, please click here.

• Awards

  Nominated for Personal Injury Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2022

   

• Professional Memberships

  Personal Injuries Bar Association

  Midland Circuit

• Qualifications

  Nottingham High School

  University of Sheffield (Law LLB)

  Wolfson and Hardwicke scholar of Lincoln’s Inn