Chambers & partners UK

Chambers UK: Independent guide to the UK legal profession

The Firm: The power of this firm rests in its “worldwide expertise,” comprising five partners and 48 lawyers. Its talent covers a range of jurisdictions and accident areas. It is particularly famous for class actions, having won a massive victory acting for 1,650 clients following an outbreak of cryptosporidium in a swimming pool. Although collecting a massive volume of instructions ranging from minor to catastrophic injury claims, sources note its ability to “consider each case carefully in light of the implications of local law and achieve some fantastic results with it .” It won record damages of £2 million in a French court for an Englishman who was seriously injured in a road traffic accident. Its predominance has been acquired through two decades of experience in the market, and it also has an extensive web of agents throughout the world that few can equal. The firm is currently receiving an uptake in work from Scotland following its merger with a Scottish firm.

The Lawyers: Industry veteran Clive Garner has “really proved himself” handling group actions claims, especially involving coach crashes. He is one of the “most experienced lawyers in the UK” in this area. Stuart Henderson heads the personal injury department of the Midlands branch. “A wily operator,” he excels at multiparty actions arising from illnesses contracted abroad. Suki Chhokar’s forthright manner has won him a reputation as a “true litigator” who “pushes claims to the maximum .” He has made his name on claims relating to large food poisoning incidents on board cruise liners.

Clients/Work Highlights: The team recovered £340,000 in damages for a couple who sustained serious injuries in a plane crash in Tanzania. The firm represents a cast of blue-chip insurers including AXA; IGI; Norwich Union; AA and HSBC.

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