Crown Office Chambers

Head of Chambers: Andrew Rigney KC and Alexander Antelme KC

Senior Clerk: James Wilkinson

Business Development Consultant: Andy Flanagan

Senior Team Clerks: Steve Purse, James Wilkinson, Toby Sparrow, Rob Frankish

Arbitrator, Mediator Adjudicator’s Clerk: Nick Hamilton

Tenants: 104

THE CHAMBERS Crown Office Chambers is widely regarded as a market leader with a reputation for combining high-quality advice and advocacy with a modern, flexible and commercially-minded approach. Experienced and innovative clerking teams assist highly-rated silks and juniors who provide an efficient, high-quality service for both professional and lay clients. Due to Chambers’ specialist experience in a range of practice areas, it is seen as the go-to set for complex and multifaceted cases where these areas overlap.

WORK UNDERTAKEN

Commercial:

Members undertake a wide range of commercial disputes, including: breach of contract, sale or supply of goods, bailment, directors and fiduciary duties, franchising, licensing and distribution agreements, share and asset sale agreements, civil fraud, financing and securities, bankruptcy and insolvency, shareholder and partnership and commercial agents. Members regularly advise and appear as advocates in the High Court, in connection with applications for injunctions and other forms of urgent relief.

Construction & Engineering:

Ranked as leaders in the field for construction and engineering disputes and related professional negligence, appearing at all levels of the judicial system from the County Court through to the Supreme Court. Chambers has a thriving Arbitration practice, advising and representing clients in both domestic and international disputes, as well as ADR including Adjudication, Mediation, DAB, DRB’s and ad hoc dispute resolution mechanisms. Chambers acts for employers, contractors, developers, local and central government, professionals and consultants, and insurers offering extensive expertise in the full range of construction disputes including bonds, warranties and guarantees, and associated professional negligence.

Criminal Regulatory & Environmental:

Chambers is one of the leading criminal regulatory and environmental law sets. Members have unparalleled experience in health and safety cases including: corporate and individual manslaughter, prosecutions under HSWA, appeals against improvement and prohibition notices, consumer and food safety, inquests and public inquiries. Members also regularly defend prosecutions brought by the Environment Agency involving major pollution incidents. Recent noteworthy cases include: The Bosley Mill explosion, Croydon Tram incident, Grenfell Tower inquiry, Didcot Power Station collapse, Pembroke Refinery explosion, Alton Towers, UK Listeria Outbreak Investigation and The Covid Inquiry.

Healthcare-Related Litigation:

Chambers has broad expertise in healthcare-related litigation including clinical negligence claims for claimants, NHSR, private providers, insurers and medical defence organisations. Many of these claims are of the upmost severity. Crown Office Chambers also represents practitioners at professional disciplinary hearings both before their relevant professional body, at first instance and then through the appropriate court forum for any resultant challenges of those decisions.

Insurance & Reinsurance:

Insurance remains the cornerstone of Chambers' work. Chambers’ strong links with the insurance market means that members are regularly instructed by the major insurers, underwriting syndicates and brokers. Chambers’ experience covers the entire range of insurance and reinsurance disputes including: fraud, product liability, professional liability, property damage, construction, EL/PL, D&O and more recently W&I. Members also have experience in issues such as cyber and force majeure as well as disputes in emerging markets. Chambers have had various members involved in the landmark FCA trial as well as many of the satellite litigation which have followed.

International Arbitration:

Chambers has a sought after team of high-calibre silks and juniors undertaking a range of complex, high-value international arbitrations under ICC, ICSID, SCC, LCIA, DIAC, LMAA, ARIAS, DIA and UNCITRAL rules, together with ad hoc arbitrations. Recent disputes include: airports, power stations, process engineering, chemical plants, pipelines, road construction, railways, wind farms, oil and gas installations, insurance and reinsurance contracts and shipbuilding. Members of Chambers are well respected for their understanding of the ways of working within other jurisdictions and the clerks for being knowledgeable and proactive in tailoring teams of counsel to fit the specific demands of each individual client or case.

Personal Injury:

Chambers is a leading personal injury and industrial disease set. Members are regularly involved in the most serious of cases including brain and spinal injuries, fatal injuries, complex psychiatric and chronic pain, international and travel law and the full gamut of industrial disease claims. As a result of its strength in this area, Chambers is often at the forefront of emerging areas of contention, such as aerotoxic syndrome claims, acoustic shock, toxic mould, and immunotherapy points arising from cancer-related disease cases. Recent notable cases include the following appellate court cases:DSN v Blackpool Football Club; Cunningham v Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council; BXB v Watchtower & Ors;Rix v Paramount Shopfitting Co Ltd;Witham (as executrix of the estate of Witham (deceased)) v Steve Hill Ltd);Aviva Insurance Limited &Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

Product Liability:

Chambers has considerable expertise in litigation and advisory work concerning all types of products: from medical devices and pharmaceuticals to consumer goods, vehicles and industrial manufacturing equipment. We are particularly well versed in complex and high value claims including group litigation. Examples of cases in which we have been, or are, involved include proceedings involving the MMR vaccine, CJD, the Northwick Park pharmaceutical trials, the Haemophiliac/Blood Litigation, PIP Breast Implants, Myodil, Epilim, Vioxx, Seroxat, Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder, Vaginal Mesh, Thalidomide, Allergan breast implants and the Diesel Emissions litigation.

Professional Liability:

Chambers undertakes work across all of the leading professions as well as emerging and non-standard professions, and have been in many of the leading and reported cases in this competitive market. Members of Chambers’ expertise across a range of complimentary practice areas allows us to offer counsel with direct experience of the industry sector from which the alleged negligence originates. This, along with the calibre of counsel is cementing our reputation as a go to set for all Professional Liability work.

Property Damage:

Chambers is a leading set in this practice area. Members act for claimants and defendants in cases involving damage to property and consequential losses both in relation to primary questions of liability and issues of insurance coverage. Chambers has particular expertise in claims arising out of fires, floods, explosions, storms (including hurricanes), subsidence (including tree roots) and have been involved in many of the leading cases. Members are also leader’s in the field of business interruption, an area where claims have increased exponentially due to the Coronavirus pandemic.