Barrister Profile

Main Areas of Practice

Commercial Law
Employment Law
Personal Injury
Professional Negligence

Biography

1999; Called to the Bar of Northern Ireland

Member of the Advocacy Training Board of the Bar of Northern Ireland

Independently Accredited Advanced Advocacy Trainer

One of the lead trainers in the Bar of Northern Ireland’s Pupil Advocacy Program

Institute of Professional Legal Studies Mediation Course

2009 to date; Member of the panel of counsel for the Directorate of Legal Services

Experience

Extensive experience in:

1. all aspects of personal injury litigation on behalf of many insurers, large companies, health and social care trusts, schools, the Education Authority, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and Plaintiffs, including acting for both Defendants and Plaintiffs in medical negligence claims.
2. a wide range of other non-personal injury litigation for insurers, e.g. property damage claims in respect of both domestic and commercial premises, oil spill and remediation claims etc.

Particular experience in:

• asbestos related illness and death claims;
• occupational stress claims;
• bullying and harassment in the workplace claims;
• personal injury claims where there is an overlap with industrial tribunal proceedings;
• a wide range of other employer’s liability claims including dermatitis, hand arm vibration syndrome etc;
• a wide range of claims brought against schools including alleged bullying, pupil on pupil assault, failure to recognise or adequately respond to SEN;
• noise induced hearing loss claims including against the police and MOD;
• claims for third party violence against employees including health service employees, social workers, care workers and teachers;
• holiday claims including accidents abroad.

Extensive experience in employment law on behalf of both employers and employees, including many local councils, across a wide range of employment law issues including discrimination, harassment, equal pay, TUPE, Service Provision Change, Public Interest Disclosure, unfair dismissal. In addition to being instructed in Tribunal litigation also regularly instructed for advisory work on behalf of employers including local councils. Also experienced in advising and appearing in injunction applications for employers against former employees for alleged breach of employment covenants, misuse of private information, breach of confidence etc.

Considerably experienced in discrimination in the provision of goods and services cases.