Toby Riley-Smith KC

Ranked in 7 Practice Areas

Band 1

Consumer Law

London (Bar)

18 Years Ranked

Band 1

Consumer Finance

All Circuits

2 Years Ranked

Band 1

Product Liability

London (Bar)

25 Years Ranked

Band 2

Group Litigation

All Circuits

3 Years Ranked

Band 2

Health & Safety

London (Bar)

20 Years Ranked

Band 3

Environment

London (Bar)

11 Years Ranked

Band 3

Inquests & Public Inquiries

London (Bar)

5 Years Ranked

About

Provided by Toby Riley-Smith KC

UK Bar

Practice Areas

He is a leading silk in the fields of (1) consumer law, (2) environmental law, (3) group litigation, (4) health and safety, (5) inquests/inquiries and (6) product liability. He acts for organisations and individuals in claims, prosecutions, mediations, public inquiries and/or inquests – often representing clients in all of the different processes that follow product failures, accidents or disasters. He has particular expertise in group litigation, having acted in some of the most significant group actions of the last two decades including The Tobacco Litigation, The MMR Vaccine Litigation, The PIP Breast Implant Litigation, The Bodo Oil Pipeline Litigation, The Corin Metal-on-Metal Hip Litigation, The Vaginal Mesch Litigation, the Essure Litigation and the Pan Nox Diesel Emissions Litigation.

Career

Jules Thorne Scholar, Middle Temple (1994). Cal (1995). CEDR accredited mediator (2000). Attorney General's A Panel (2012-2016). Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (2015). Queen's Counsel (2016). Middle Temple Advocacy Trainer (2018). Recorder (Western Circuit) (2019). Standing Counsel (Consumer Law) to the Competition and Markets Authority (2021).

Professional Memberships

PIBA, COMBAR, Medico-Legal Society and Health and Safety Lawyers' Association.

Publications

Contributor to / co-editor of: 'Product Liability Law and Insurance'(2000); Halsbury’s Laws of England (Consumer Credit) (2000); Halsbury's Laws of England (Practice and Procedure) (2001); Blackstone's 'Guide to Consumer Credit Act 2006' (2006); Goode: Consumer Credit Law and Practice (Looseleaf)(2007-018); Butterworths' Commercial and Consumer Law Handbook (2009-2020); The Law of Artificial Intelligence (2nd ed) (Thomson Reuters 2024).

Personal

Born 1969; educated Eton College; Trinity College, University of Cambridge; City University; Inns of Court School of Law. Married with three children.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK-Bar

Consumer Law - London (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a highly regarded silk with an established reputation for his work on consumer credit and other civil and criminal consumer law matters. He is further recognised for his ability in group litigation. Riley-Smith is standing counsel to the Competition and Markets Authority.

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Consumer Finance - All Circuits

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a well-regarded silk who is an expert in consumer finance. He is the standing counsel to the Competition and Markets Authority.

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Product Liability - London (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC is highly regarded for his broad product liability expertise, which includes handling group actions in the medical and pharmaceutical spheres, as well as property damage and consumer product claims. He predominantly defends manufacturers and other companies in product liability litigation.

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Group Litigation - All Circuits

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC is widely instructed to defend medical manufacturers and those in other industries in consumer group claims. He has acted in the vaginal mesh litigation, among other notable matters.

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Health & Safety - London (Bar)

Band 2

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC is an experienced litigator who is regularly called upon to represent multinational corporations and government bodies. Riley-Smith is also routinely instructed to represent individuals at inquests.

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Inquests & Public Inquiries - London (Bar)

Band 3

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC represents organisations from the retail, transport and manufacturing sectors at inquests. He is particularly adept at acting on behalf of clients in inquests relating to health and safety incidents. He has additional experience representing healthcare providers in Article 2 inquests.

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Environment - London (Bar)

Band 3

Individual Editorial

Toby Riley-Smith KC specialises in the civil and criminal elements of cases relating to environmental disasters. He is an expert on nuisance and pollution claims linked to flooding and waste operations.

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Toby has broad experience at a very high level. He's a man with natural authority.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates. He sees the bigger strategic picture, whilst also being across the detail, and is a great tactician.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a real team player, who is very good to work with. He really gets into the detail of the case.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a really intelligent and insightful performer.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC exudes real gravitas in court..

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is knowledgeable, easy-going and someone with a wonderful ability to explain really complex legal definitions in simple, plain English.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby offers meticulously reasoned advice and has a great handle on all the materials in a case.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player; he gets into the details and is great to work with.

Product Liability respondent
UK-Bar

Toby has a tremendous eye for detail.

Product Liability respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates and seeing the bigger strategic picture, while being across the detail. He is a great tactician.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player. He is really good to work with and gets into the detail.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is happy to talk about issues and in a way that reaches consensus.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is very good at getting the confidence of the court. He is very well prepared and fantastic with clients.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a complete Rolls-Royce who is absolutely first class and strong in all the areas he needs to be.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is my go-to for regulatory matters that need a silk. He is excellent at thinking strategically and seeing the wood from the trees. He breaks stuff down and gets straight to the point.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is hugely experienced and very capable.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates and seeing the bigger strategic picture while being across the detail. He is a great tactician in that sense.

Inquests & Public Inquiries respondent
UK-Bar

He is an amazing advocate. Toby is terrifically hard-working and has a very good bedside manner with clients. He's very reassuring.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

Toby was really great.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player. He's really good to work with and gets into the details. He's just great.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

Toby has broad experience at a very high level. He's a man with natural authority.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates. He sees the bigger strategic picture, whilst also being across the detail, and is a great tactician.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a real team player, who is very good to work with. He really gets into the detail of the case.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC is a really intelligent and insightful performer.

Consumer Law respondent
UK-Bar

Toby Riley-Smith KC exudes real gravitas in court..

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is knowledgeable, easy-going and someone with a wonderful ability to explain really complex legal definitions in simple, plain English.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby offers meticulously reasoned advice and has a great handle on all the materials in a case.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player; he gets into the details and is great to work with.

Product Liability respondent
UK-Bar

Toby has a tremendous eye for detail.

Product Liability respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates and seeing the bigger strategic picture, while being across the detail. He is a great tactician.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player. He is really good to work with and gets into the detail.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is happy to talk about issues and in a way that reaches consensus.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is very good at getting the confidence of the court. He is very well prepared and fantastic with clients.

Group Litigation respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a complete Rolls-Royce who is absolutely first class and strong in all the areas he needs to be.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is my go-to for regulatory matters that need a silk. He is excellent at thinking strategically and seeing the wood from the trees. He breaks stuff down and gets straight to the point.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is hugely experienced and very capable.

Health & Safety respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is brilliant at dealing with multiple spinning plates and seeing the bigger strategic picture while being across the detail. He is a great tactician in that sense.

Inquests & Public Inquiries respondent
UK-Bar

He is an amazing advocate. Toby is terrifically hard-working and has a very good bedside manner with clients. He's very reassuring.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

Toby was really great.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

Toby is a real team player. He's really good to work with and gets into the details. He's just great.

Environment respondent
UK-Bar

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