Henry Pitchers KC is a leading silk in the field of catastrophic and complex injury work. He is the Head of the Personal Injury Group at No5, but is equally regularly instructed in cases arising out of clinical negligence.
Henry appeared in the Supreme Court for one of the Claimant teams in the secondary victims appeals (Paul and others).
At the seven-week Fishmongers Hall Terrorist Inquest, Henry represented the family of Saskia Jones, one of the two young people killed in the attack.
His caseload is dominated by traumatic and acquired brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and serious polytrauma. Henry tends to be instructed in the early stages of a claim and is an enthusiastic supporter of rehabilitation. He prides himself on the care he takes with clients, ensuring that trust and confidence is established and maintained throughout the case.
Most claims in which Henry is instructed have a value in seven or eight figures and he currently has several cases underway which are likely to have a capitalised value in excess of £30M. Although Henry has very extensive trial experience, he understands the importance of effective representation in alternative dispute resolution, be that in mediation or at joint settlement meetings.
Henry is Head of the Personal Injury Group and has been undertaking personal injury work since he commenced practice in the 1990s. As a result, he has huge court experience across all areas of work, such as road traffic collisions; workplace accidents; industrial disease; public liability (such as highways and occupiers’ liability claims); accidents abroad or with a foreign element; and group litigation (such as the sofa dermatitis claims).
In silk, it is routine for Henry for work closely with experts on liability issues, including accident reconstruction; helmet and seatbelt causation; mechanical and electrical engineering; construction sites; ergonomics; PPE; and CCTV.
The profile of injuries of the claimants in the cases in which Henry is instructed is wide-ranging, but there is a preponderance of traumatic brain injury; spinal cord injury; amputation; complex polytrauma; and psychiatric disorders (such as PTSD and functional or somatic disorders). The claims are generally of high value and/or significant complexity. These cases commonly require a very large number of expert disciplines to be instructed. Henry has substantial experience of working with foreign lawyers and other experts when injuries are sustained outside the jurisdiction.
Henry is often instructed in cases involving fatalities and all the claims which may arise from them. He has attended many inquests across the country, the highest profile of which being the Fishmongers Hall Terrorist Inquest, in which he appeared for the family of one of the two victims.
Henry has real depth of experience in clinical negligence work, having taken many cases to trial and an appeal all the way to the Supreme Court (Paul/Polmear/Purchase).
In silk, cases tend to be of significant complexity and/or very high value. Henry has a sub-specialism of cerebral palsy and birth injuries. At any given time, he is instructed in numerous paediatric brain injury cases of the utmost severity. Henry is aware of the demands and sensitivities of this work and endeavours to work as a team with his junior, his instructing solicitors and his clients.
It is common for Henry to be instructed on behalf of adults with acquired brain injuries, which may have arisen from hypoxia, stroke, haemorrhage, brain tumours or infection.
Spinal injury work, adult and paediatric, forms an important part of Henry’s practice. This may have resulted from surgical negligence or delayed diagnosis of conditions such as cauda equina syndrome or spinal abscess.
With profound and life-changing injuries in particular, Henry supports the claimant’s access to rehabilitation during the claim. Many of these claims will conclude with an order for periodical payments.
Other areas of interest include delayed diagnosis of cancer; surgical negligence, including orthopaedics; other claims arising out of pregnancy and birth; and psychiatric injuries.
Henry has a great deal of inquest experience for deaths arising in medical settings, including suicide and end-of-life care.
Henry Pitchers KC and Richard Grimshaw, instructed by Jodi Newton and Elline Demetriou of Osbornes Law, have recently settled and had approved a very substantial case arising…
Thank you to everyone who attended the On Two-Wheels seminar at No5 Barristers’ Chambers! Your participation made the event a success.A special thanks to our…
"A class act. Henry is excellent, truly excellent." "Henry is a barrister at the very top of his game."
"Henry is excellent, very well informed, takes a practical approach. His advocacy skills are exemplary with a charm that wins over hearts and minds."
"‘Henry makes complex clinical negligence work look effortless. His preparation is second to none and his ability to distill a case down to core issues helps focus the claim."
"Henry is fearless, he is balanced, has excellent written work and his communications are fantastic."
"He is experienced and an asset on complex clinical negligence claims. He has a fantastic manner with clients, solicitors and defendants alike."
"Henry is a superb lawyer - King's Counsel at its very best"
"There is no better counsel for any job. He is a good all-round silk who makes things extremely simple."
"His expertise and level of specialism is truly exceptional and he stands any case to be delivered and positioned tactically through the best possible journey."
"Henry is exceptional with clients and provides a lot of support and reassurance. He also has a phenomenal legal mind."
"Henry is a leader in his field. He is strategic, intelligent, knows his subject inside out, a compelling advocate, and has excellent drafting skills."
"Henry is very good at interrogating the issues in a case and getting the best out of experts. He has a lovely manner with clients. He is an experienced advocate."
"Henry is calm and very approachable. he is able to digest technical evidence and advise in a very down to earth manner to our clients."
"Henry has an amazing ability to take the most complex issues and present them in a straightforward way for clients. He is an excellent negotiator and is fantastic in conference."
"Henry is an experienced barrister. He is fantastic with clients." "Henry has superb judgement and is extremely tenacious."
"Henry is the complete package in terms of expertise, advocacy and preparation."
"Henry is great with clients. He is a superb advocate who is great technically and tactically."
"Henry provides pragmatic and tactical advice to clients."
"Excellent on paper and he sees the bigger picture and strategy." "Quick to get to grips with the issues in even the most complicated clinical negligence cases. He asks all the right questions, identifies all of the key issues and makes it look effortless."
"He is approachable, empathetic and patient - he is one of the easiest QCs to work with and is always keen to help and get involved. He's contactable at all times and genuinely cares about his cases."
"A dream when dealing with clients and a great technician and advocate."
"Henry is extremely thorough with his paperwork and his understanding of a case. I do not think I have come across a counsel as thorough as Henry. As a result, I cannot recall a case we have lost."
"A natural advocate. He is calm and has a way of putting everyone in the room at ease. He leads with quiet confidence."
"Henry is dependable, conscientious, a dream with the clients, and a tough negotiator. He goes the extra mile."
"He has a naturally calm and quietly confident manner about him, which makes him a natural leader who is reassuring to all others in the room."
"He has really good client management skills and is very charming and pragmatic in his advice." "A very thorough and personable barrister."
"A very likeable barrister - clients adore him." "He is consistently excellent and I have 100% confidence in his abilities and his drive to get the best possible result for his clients."
"Great to work with, both for his thoroughness and preparation as well as his very good client care skills."
"A straight-forward negotiator who is well liked by the court and advises with clarity and confidence."
“He’s very personable and nice to work with and makes you feel like you’re part of a team.” “He’s technically able, client friendly and down-to-earth.” “He’s always brilliantly empathic with his clients.”
“He is very adaptable, very personable and puts clients at ease. He thinks quickly on his feet in court and is a very good team player.” “Excellent with clients, a great strategist and excellent on paper. He’s also extremely reliable and down to earth.”
“He puts clients at ease and ensures they fully understand their legal position.”
"Adept at putting clients at ease and managing their expectations.”
Henry Pitchers KC and Richard Grimshaw, instructed by Jodi Newton and Elline Demetriou of Osbornes Law, have recently settled and had approved a very substantial case arising…
Thank you to everyone who attended the On Two-Wheels seminar at No5 Barristers’ Chambers! Your participation made the event a success.A special thanks to our…
