Senior Clerk Glenn HudsonClerk Rod McGurkClerk Mark SkippClerk Andrew Hunter Clerk Gary CarneyChambers Administrator Alessandra FanoneSenior Fees Clerk Tony OunsworthFees Clerk Alberta SharpeMEMBERS
- Robin Allen QC (1974) (QC-1995)
- Brian Napier QC (1986) (QC-2002) Scotland
- Simon W Taylor QC (1984) (QC-2003)
- Paul Epstein QC (1988) (QC-2006)
- Daphne Romney QC (1979) (QC-2009)
- Jonathan Crystal (1972)
- Martin Seaward (1978)
- Philip Engelman (1979)
- Jacques Algazy
- Andrew Buchan (1981)
- Simon Dyer (1987)
- Declan O'Dempsey (1987)
- Patricia Hitchcock (1988)
- Paul Spencer (1988)
- Anthony Bradley (1989)
- Joel Donovan (1991)
- Jason Galbraith-Marten (1991)
- Yvette Genn (1991)
- Paul Michell (1991)
- Catherine Casserley (1991)
- Caspar Glyn (1992)
- John Horan (1993)
- Rachel Crasnow (1994)
- Damian McCarthy (1994)
- Sally Robertson (1995)
- William Latimer-Sayer (1995)
- Sally Cowen (1995)
- Lisa Sullivan (1997)
- Martyn McLeish (1997)
- Thomas Coghlin (1998)
- Schona Jolly (1999)
- David Massarella (1999)
- Akua Reindorf (1999)
- Claire McCann (2000)
- Thomas Brown (2000)
- Linda Jacobs (2000)
- Ed Williams (2000)
- Anna Beale (2001)
- Rachel Chambers (2002)
- Hannah Tucker (2002)
- Dee Masters (2004)
- Sarah Fraser Butlin (2005)
- John Mehrzad (2005)
- Daniel Dyal (2006)
- Olivia-Faith Dobbie (2007)
- Arthur Davidson QC (1953) (QC-1976) ++
- Alan Neal (1972) ++
- David Jones (1985) ++
- Peter J Pimm (1991) ++
++ Associate member
The Chambers Cloisters is a leading set with particular expertise in employment, equality, discrimination and human rights, personal injury and clinical negligence, media and sport, and public and regulatory law. It combines cutting-edge insights with solid professionalism to deliver a quality service. Cloisters is known for its legal excellence, approachability, superb customer service and cost-effectiveness. It recruits only barristers who can offer these qualities. Cloisters operate in areas that are constantly developing. This calls for unflaggingly fresh, creative thinking that focuses on both the human and legal dimensions. Members undertake the whole range of civil court, tribunal and appellate work from the smallest claims to high profile cases in the House of Lords and European courts. They work for the UK Equality Commissions and other European equality bodies. Other services include mediation; training for solicitors, in-house legal departments, HR professionals, the judiciary, trade unions and politicians; and regular legal updates.
Work Undertaken Cloisters acts for both claimants and defendants in all its practice areas.
Employment & Discrimination: Cloisters continues to be involved in the leading Employment Law cases such as the two biggest equal pay cases Surtees v Middlesbrough , Bainbridge v Cleveland , and Hartley the Agenda for Change NHS litigation which concerns the whole of the NHS pay of every NHS employee; Coleman v Attridge Law , the case that changed the way carers who work are protected throughout Europe allowing a whole new class of people to claim protection when they used to have none; Heyday the leading age case as to compulsory age retirement referred to Europe; Malcolm v Lewisham which is the House of Lords case and the single most important disability case in 2008. Cloisters barristers represent clients in some of the most high profile continuing litigation such as Tariq Ghaffur and Newcastle United. Looking forwards to 2009, Cloisters barristers are involved in more of the leading cases as identified by the Equal Opportunities Review than any other chambers. Cloisters act for employers and employees and expertise ranges from discrimination to employment jurisdiction and contractual / commercial work. Head of Chambers, Robin Allen QC, was recognised as being the Employment Silk of the Year 2008.
Personal Injury: Cloisters' Personal Injury Team continues to appear in landmark cases and highly complex cases involving large sums. One of their specialisms is in cases involving occupational stressor bullying at work, which contain elements of both personal injury and employment law. Recent high profile cases include: A v Hoare (the Lotto Rapist) (HL) - limitation periods; Sarwar v (1) Ali (2) MIB - highest-ever gross award in a personal injury case of £9.5 million; Majrowski v Guy's and St Thomas'NHS Trust (HL) - employers' vicarious liability for harassment by employees to other employees at work; Moore v Welwyn Components (CA) - employers' liability for psychiatric injury caused by stress at work; Hawley v Luminar Leisure & Ors (HC) - a complicated multi-defendant claim for personal injury caused by a contract worker's assault on a customer; Barber v Somerset CC (HL) - the UK's leading occupational stress case; and Millward v Oxfordshire CC (HC/CA) - bullying at work.
Clinical Negligence: In 2007, members of the PI and Clinical Negligence Team and their instructing solicitors secured more than £100 million for claimants. The set has the knowledge and experience to handle the full spectrum of work, right up to the multi-million pound catastrophic claims, and regularly appears on such instructions. They handle a full range of cases, including cases worth more than £10 million. Recent major cases include: H v Powys Health Board - highest-ever clinical negligence award of £10.7 million; Crofton v NHSLA - defendant awarded £2.35 million for brain injuries; Darley-Jones v Ling - catastrophic brain injury settled for £2.6 million; and W v SouthendHospitals NHS Trust - brain injury case settled for £3.1 million.
Sport: Cloisters' sport practitioners handle disciplinary regulations, consultative work, litigation, non-professional sporting activity cases and matters arising from sports and entertainment cases, such as employment or contractual issues. For example, Cloisters has acted for Dwayne Chambers, Sam Allardyce, Status Quo and Frank Warren, among others.
Public & Administrative Law: Many local authorities, health authorities and other public sector bodies instruct Cloisters. Specialisms include education law, immigration law, social security, mental health, and registered homes. The 5,000 Chagos Islanders were represented by a Cloisters team in their claim for compensation for their removal 30 years ago to make way for a US airbase and have been represented in relation to their claims to be able to return.
Regulatory: Cloisters are frequently instructed in the full range of regulatory matters acting for professionals and professional bodies, and regulatory bodies of all kinds.
Professional Negligence: Cloisters are retained legal advisers for several professional bodies, and regularly appear in cases concerning dentists, psychologists, doctors, other health professionals, teachers, barristers and solicitors. The most recent high profile case being Hickman v Blake Lapthorn (HC) - claim for damages against a solicitor and barrister who under-settled a personal injury claim. The client list continues to grow and now includes 'magic circle' solicitors' firms, in-house legal departments of blue-chip companies, local authorities, trade unions, law centres and professional associations.