Christopher Perry is a member of the Business & Property, Immigration, Inquests, and Personal Injury groups at No5.
Chris practices the following areas:
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where alongside his expertise in Costs law, he has developed a successful Commercial, Credit Hire, Personal Injury (including Insurance Fraud) and Inquest practice.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
Chris’ Commercial and Chancery practice includes advising on the enforceability of legal retainers together with instructions to advise Law firms, Accident Management and Credit Hire companies, ATE/BTE Legal Expense Insurers, national Membership Organisations and Unions together with other Commercial Bodies in respect of regulatory compliance (including advice in respect of business models and compliant procedure post-LASPO), general retainers, commercial contracts and terms of business.
Chris continues to act as retained counsel for a large PLC where he is regularly called upon to advise the board directors on regulatory, contractual and strategic issues.
More recently Chris has developed a ‘niche’ practice involving commercial energy contracts. He is currently instructed by a number of Defendants in a multi-party claim involving the enforceability of a deemed commercial contract pursuant to the Electricity Act and has acted in matters concerning issues of inaccurate metering and the supply of energy to the National Grid.
Christopher is authorised by the Bar Standards Board to provide immigration advice and services, together with the conduct of litigation.
As an addition to his thriving civil and commercial practice, Christopher is experienced in immigration and asylum law, having represented clients in the First-Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal together with advising in relation to judicial review claims brought to challenge immigration and asylum decisions.
More recently Christopher’s practice has focused upon assisting with and advising upon applications from those wishing to relocate to the United Kingdom, taking advantage of the Investor, Business Development or Talent visa programmes.
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where alongside his expertise in Costs law, he has developed a successful Commercial, Credit Hire, Personal Injury (including Insurance Fraud) and Inquest practice.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
Outside of Chris’ broad personal injury practice, he has considerable experience representing (as interested parties) Families, Individuals, Public and Local Authorities and particularly NHS Trusts at Inquests.
In many cases, Chris is instructed to attend pre-inquest conferences with family members, medical staff and other witnesses in order to provide advice and reassurance in respect of the process. Where appropriate Chris will engage with the Coroner and their officers directly in order to ensure that any particular concerns are fully investigated and relevant evidence made available. Such steps can be of critical importance where ‘Article 2’ may be engaged or where a possible verdict of ‘neglect’ could be contemplated.
Following an inquest, Chris is often called upon to advise in respect of any risk management issues or lessons that can be learned by organisations or authorities. Likewise, where litigation may be contemplated on behalf of the estate of the deceased, Chris’ personal injury background ensures that he well placed to provide advice in respect of any potential claim.
Most notably Chris acted for the Probation Service at an ‘Article 2’ inquest held following a high profile prison murder in [2010] Re. C, Leeds Coroners Court.
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where alongside his expertise in Costs law, he has developed a successful Commercial, Credit Hire, Personal Injury (including Insurance Fraud) and Inquest practice.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
Chris has broad experience of conducting trials, applications, case management conferences and appeals in the civil courts and is predominantly instructed in respect of Multi-track and higher value Fast Track trials in respect of Personal Injury matters (Road Traffic Accidents, Employers’ Liability and Public Liability claims) in addition to Clinical Negligence and Solicitor’s Professional Negligence (arising out of Personal Injury claims).
Where appropriate, Chris is prepared to accept instructions on a Conditional Fee Agreement basis.
Chris is currently involved in a significant test case concerning Medico-Legal reporting in Low Value Personal Injury claims arising out of Road Traffic Accidents.
Additionally Chris has considerable experience representing (as interested parties) Individuals, Public and Local Authorities, including NHS Trusts at Inquests. Most notably he acted for the Probation Service at an ‘Article 2’ inquest held following a high profile prison murder.
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where he has continued to specialise in Costs law and has developed a substantial national following due to his expertise and technical acumen within the field, particularly in relation to matters concerning litigation funding and the post-LASPO costs regime.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
In recent years Chris has been involved in a number of test cases and appeals concerning cost estimates, liability for interest, arguments surrounding the premature issue of proceedings, the scope and application of fixed costs especially concerning the MOJ Low Value RTA and EL/PL Protocols (where there has been alleged non-compliance or unreasonable exit) and in respect to pre-LASPO ATE Insurance Premiums and CFA enforceability.
Additionally, Chris represents clients nationally (as paying and receiving parties) in the County Court, High Court and Senior Court Costs Office, dealing with contentious detailed assessments and applications predominantly in respect of complex or high value (in excess of 1 Million) costs claims and is regularly instructed to attend contested Costs Case Management Conferences and prior to settlement of litigated claims or following Judgment where conduct or other factors are likely to play a part in seeking a ‘non-standard’ order for costs.
Chris’ Commercial and Chancery practice includes advising on the enforceability of legal retainers together with instructions to advise Law firms, Accident Management and Credit Hire companies, ATE/BTE Legal Expense Insurers, national Membership Organisations and Unions together with other Commercial Bodies in respect of regulatory compliance (including advice in respect of business models and compliant procedure post-LASPO), general retainers, commercial contracts and terms of business.
Experience
Chris’ ‘inter partes’ costs practice includes work carried out on behalf of individual Claimants and their Solicitors to instructions (either direct access or via solicitors) from Corporations, Liability Insurers, Local and Public Authorities and the NHS Litigation Authority.
Chris is additionally regularly retained in the area of ‘Solicitor/Client’ assessments where he acts in equal measure for Solicitors and their former clients in respect of disputes as to costs arising pursuant to the Solicitors Act 1974.
Recent work
In a large group litigation claim, Chris successfully challenged a Bill of Costs claimed in excess of 1.2 million due to unenforceable client retainers.
Chris was retained by a former client of multi-national firm in a Solicitors Act detailed assessment where he successfully reduced his client’s liability in costs from over 350,000 to 40,000 on account of the provision of inadequate costs information.
In a ‘test case’ appeal concerning ATE insurance premiums, Chris successfully argued that an ATE Insurance Policy incepted for the purposes of Detailed Assessments was both reasonable in principal and amount.
In a credit hire claim (where Chris was instructed by the Defendant insurer both in respect of the substantive claim and then costs), Chris successfully obtained a non-party costs order against the credit hire company following the dismissal of a claim valued in excess of 200,000, one of the largest ever single Claimant hire/storage claims.
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where alongside his expertise in Costs law, he has developed a successful Commercial, Credit Hire, Personal Injury (including Insurance Fraud) and Inquest practice.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
Chris’ credit hire expertise is highly regarded. He regularly receives instructions to act on behalf of both Claimants and Defendant Insurers in Appeals, Multi-Track and higher value Fast Track matters and is noted as preferred Counsel on a number of Defendant insurer and CHO panels. He has a particular specialism in claims arising out of taxi hires and in cases where ‘intervention’ arguments arise.
Chris’ Commercial and Chancery practice has included receipt of direct instructions from Credit Hire and Accident Management companies to advise upon and draft/amend hire, storage and repair agreements.
Chris continues to act as retained Counsel for one of the UK’s largest CHO’s where he is regularly called upon to advise the technical team and main board on regulatory, contractual and strategic issues, including advice in respect of business models and procedure post-LASPO.
Recent work
In a credit hire claim (where Chris was instructed by the Defendant insurer both in respect of the substantive claim and then costs), Chris successfully obtained a non-party costs order against the credit hire company following the dismissal of a claim valued in excess of 200,000, one of the largest ever single Claimant hire/storage claims.
Chris completed pupillage at a leading common law set and additionally undertook the conversion requirements to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris is authorised to accept direct access instructions and was one of the first self-employed barristers to be authorised by the Bar Standards Board to conduct litigation on behalf of his clients.
Chris spent the first few years of his practice employed by a top tier national law firm where he was in-house Counsel and Head of Costs Litigation. In 2010 Chris moved to the independent bar where alongside his expertise in Costs law, he has developed a successful Commercial, Credit Hire, Personal Injury (including Insurance Fraud) and Inquest practice.
Chris’ practice and experience has been built on a foundation of providing clients with quality and straightforward advice and representation. He is renowned for not being afraid to think outside the box and for his ‘entrepreneurial’ backbone.
Types of work undertaken
Aside from Chris’ traditional personal injury practice, his robust cross-examination and forensic preparation has allowed him to develop a substantial following in ‘insurance fraud’ cases, acting both for Claimants and liability insurers where issues of staged accidents, phantom passengers, sham hire claims, illegality, causation and low velocity impacts (LVI) have been raised.
Chris is currently involved in a significant test case concerning Medico-Legal reporting in Low Value Personal Injury claims arising out of Road Traffic Accidents.
This analysis was first published by Lexis®PSL on 5th May 2021. PI & Clinical Negligence Analysis: The Claimant, a licensed taxi driver, brought a claim…
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This analysis was first published by Lexis®PSL on 5th May 2021. PI & Clinical Negligence Analysis: The Claimant, a licensed taxi driver, brought a claim…
From ‘Top Gear’ to ‘Jeremy Kyle’, TV is no stranger to the Courtroom when things go badly wrong in front of the camera. Today we…
