No5 Barristers' Chambers - Excellence is at the heart of everything we do.
Background

Gemma Roberts

Deputy Head of Clinical Negligence

Call: 2006

"Gemma is very straightforward and pragmatic with clients. She provides good strong advice both verbally and in writing."

Chambers UK 2025

"Gemma is an incredible barrister. She is approachable and accessible. She is thorough with a keen eye for detail and gets to grips with cases with ease. She also has an excellent way of dealing with experts and clients really like her. Gemma is a very safe pair of hands her judgement and advice can be trust completely. She is a go-to barrister."

Legal 500 2025

"Gemma is absolutely fantastic. She is very astute and really good with clients."

Chambers UK 2025

"Gemma is an approachable, friendly and experienced barrister."

Chambers UK 2025

"She's very good with complicated cases and is also highly intelligent. Gemma is also incredibly empathic and sympathetic to clients' needs and she always goes the extra mile." "Gemma's a very good advocate."

Chambers UK 2024

Gemma Roberts practice focuses solely on Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury related matters, acting on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants.

Expertise

Clinical Negligence

Gemma has established a thriving and busy clinical negligence practice acting on behalf of both Claimants and Defendants. She has a wealth of experience in all stages of a litigation, from inquest to trial, and brings a successful combination of robust advocacy with sensitivity for a client’s individual needs. She regularly advises in writing or in conference and can draft pleadings at short notice where necessary.

Gemma has particular experience of advising in cases of delayed or mis-diagnosis, gynaecological claims, oncological matters and failures in cosmetic procedures. Examples of her recent work include succeeding at trial in a claim involving failure of a hernia repair which caused major internal injury, being lead by Paul Bleasdale QC as part of the group action against Dr Pattinson, disgraced breast surgeon, securing settlement for the family of a young patient who died following a tracheotomy failure, defending an NHS Trust over an alleged failure to obtain consent and acting for the mother in a neo-natal fatality claim.

Gemma has experience of a variety of clinical negligence cases, including the following areas: cancer; gynaecology and obstetrics; medical and surgical.

Personal Injury

Gemma has a broad multi-track Personal Injury practice with an emphasis on fatal, catastrophic and high value injuries. She acts on behalf of both claimants and defendants in all range of interlocutory and final hearings involving RTAs, accidents at work and industrial disease, as well as occupier and public liability claims. She also has a particular interest in insurance fraud work and cases involving allegations of fundamental dishonesty. Gemma enjoys her role as a pupil supervisor and mentor to some of the more junior members of chambers.

In addition to her work in the County and High Court, Gemma appears at Coroners’ Inquests and has experience representing appellants in CICA Appeals Tribunals, a notable success being an award of almost £500,000 for a gun crime victim with severe psychological injuries.

Examples of her recent work include securing a seven-figure settlement at JSM in a fatal accident claim; obtaining a finding of fundamental dishonesty in a multi-track claim against multiple claimants; advising in a prosthesis claim following a severe accident at work and securing settlement for a claimant who suffered significant head, back and psychiatric injuries.

She is willing to accept work on a CFA basis where appropriate.

Catastrophic Injury

Gemma’s busy personal injury practice focuses on high value and serious injury claims. She has expertise in cases concerning spinal injury, brain injury, amputations, fatal accidents and industrial disease.

Notable Personal Injury Cases


B v C

Gemma secured a settlement of over £1 million for the family of a man who was killed in a motor accident. The value of the dependency claim turned upon arguments as to future income expectations from the Deceased’s business, which had he built and which thrived until his death but was later dissolved.


A v B & C

Gemma is being led by Henry Pitchers QC in a catastrophic injury claim, valued in the region of £4 million following a road traffic collision;


A v B

Gemma represents a motorcyclist who suffered serious head, spinal and orthopaedic injuries. The case is ongoing, damages are expected to exceed £500,000


LB v K

Gemma represents a young claimant who suffered a head injury in a RTA and developed post-traumatic epilepsy. He subsequently received negligent hospital treatment, worsening his brain injury and epilepsy. He now requires constant care and has lost all earning capacity; the case is valued at around £1 million


S v An Equestrian Centre

Gemma represented a Claimant who suffered a life-changing shoulder injury in an equestrian accident. Liability was fiercely contested until late in the proceedings, when it was shown that the defendant had dishonestly edited key documents. The claim was then comprised on a full liability basis for a substantial 6 figure sum.


H v T Ltd

Gemma acts for a claimant who suffered severe and life-changing leg injuries when he was struck by a lorry; the claim is complex against a background of pre-existing disability and degenerative co-morbidities but damages are expected to approach £500,000.


Adedeji v University Hospitals Birmingham [2021] EWCA CIV 23

an employment law case concerning the strict application of time limits in discrimination cases.


O and D v A firm

A fatal accident at work gave rise to a complex dependency claim on behalf of the deceased’s three young daughters. Gemma represented the claimants throughout and negotiated a global settlement in excess of £250,000 at a JSM.


D v R

the claimant suffered spinal fractures and cord injury after falling from a horse during a riding lesson at an equestrian centre. Gemma represented the claimant at trial, at which breach of duty, causation and liability were all in dispute.


B v A firm

Gemma acted for the claimant who suffered a partial amputation of his left hand in an accident at work involving a circular saw. The claim was valued in excess of £250,000 and liability and damages were contested until the morning of trial, when the matter was successfully compromised.


C v Motor Insurer

The claimant suffered a relatively modest back injury in a RTA; he underwent discectomy and spinal fusion surgery but a non-negligent complication resulted in him suffering a significant injury to his spinal cord. The matter is ongoing but damages are expected to reach £500,000.


A v CICA

The appellant suffered gun shot wounds and severe psychiatric injury following an assault at her work place. On appeal to the CICA Gemma secured an award of almost £500,000.


Related News, Resources and Events

News


Gemma Roberts discusses Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood’s announcement of a new personal injury discount rate of 0.5% from the 11th January.

The Lord Chancellor this morning announced that the Personal Injury Discount Rate for England and Wales will increase from -0.25% +0.5% from 11 January 2025,…

News


Schedule School Episode 3: Aids and Equipment

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Episode 3: Aids and Equipment from the Schedule School series is now available on YouTube. Following on from Care and Case Management,…

View all related news

    

"Gemma is very thorough and gets to the issues very quickly. She is good with clients and questions experts very well. She always works to time limits, responds quickly and provides clear advice."


"Gemma is highly skilled and has a firm grasp of the issues in a case. She provides prompt advice and responses." "Gemma is able to deal with factually complex cases. She is calm and reassuring when dealing with vulnerable witnesses"


"Gemma is an extremely approachable, able, and hard-working barrister. She is able to properly extract the relevant information from experts at the conference and manages clients' expectations very well"


"She know the law inside and out." "She is incredibly intelligent"


"Reliable and a safe pair of hands. Very responsive and quick grasp of the issues in a case and effective in conference"


  • MCCBA
  • Free Representation Unit
  • Gray’s Inn (Lord Uthwatt Scholarship 2005)
  • M.A Oxon; Philosophy, Politics and Economics (New College, Oxford)
  • GDL BPP Law School (Commendation)
  • BVC BPP Law School (Very Competent)
  • Gemma graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics before qualifying for the Bar in 2006 and undertaking pupillage in London.
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Related News, Resources and Events

News


Gemma Roberts discusses Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood’s announcement of a new personal injury discount rate of 0.5% from the 11th January.

The Lord Chancellor this morning announced that the Personal Injury Discount Rate for England and Wales will increase from -0.25% +0.5% from 11 January 2025,…

News


Schedule School Episode 3: Aids and Equipment

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Episode 3: Aids and Equipment from the Schedule School series is now available on YouTube. Following on from Care and Case Management,…

View all related news

Clerk Team

William Theaker

Practice Director, Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury

williamt@no5.com

07494 070989

Clare Radburn

Practice Director, Family, Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury

clarer@no5.com

07809 407950

Pete Mottram

Practice Manager, Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury (Multi-Track)

peterm@no5.com

Matthew Reeves

Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury (Multi Track) and Regulatory Clerk

matthewr@no5.com

Tracey Witherford

Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury (Multi-Track) Clerk

traceyw@no5.com

Morgan Smith

Clinical Negligence (Multi-Track) & Personal Injury Clerk

morgans@no5.com

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