David is used to working in large teams of experts and lawyers and is happy to assist instructing solicitors to select appropriate experts for a particular case.
David has been consistently recommended as a leading barrister for clinical negligence cases. He is recommended as a band one clinical negligence barrister in the most recent edition of Chambers and Partners 2021 and as a leading personal injury and clinical negligence barrister in the most recent Legal 500 guide 2021.
David also undertakes high value personal injury cases involving serious and catastrophic injuries. His experience of doing so adds to his background knowledge of and familiarity with medical issues which helps him quickly to get to the heart of clinical negligence cases.
David has experience of a variety of clinical negligence cases, including the following areas: brain injury and cerebral palsy; cancer; gynaecology and obstetrics; medical; spinal injury and surgical.
David is on the Spinal Injuries Association list of barristers recommended for spinal injury litigation. David often gives talks to solicitors and other professionals involved in clinical negligence litigation. He has been an invited speaker to AVMA events.
David was nominated in the 2022 Legal 500 awards as Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year.
Recommendations
“His preparation for conference and attention to detail are excellent. I know that he explores every aspect of a claim.” “He is calm, measured and convincing on his feet.” “David is a great technical lawyer and a tenacious advocate.” “He is technically outstanding.” “He is very intelligent and fights hard for the client.” “David is an excellent barrister who works on very complex cases.”
Chambers and Partners 2023 (Clinical Negligence)
“David is thorough, meticulous and always willing to go the extra mile for clients.” “a safe pair of hands who shows great resilience in difficult cases.”
Legal 500 2023 (Personal Injury)
“David is extremely knowledgeable, tenacious and very focused. He is methodical and has great client empathy.” "David is one of the go-to silks and has brilliant attention to detail. He identifies all the key issues in cases missed by an expert. He richly deserves his recent appointment as a KC." “David is superbly thorough and an excellent advocate on technical matters especially.”
Legal 500 2023 (Clinical Negligence)
“His drafting skills are excellent and he demonstrates significant attention to detail. He is always well prepared.”
Chambers UK 2022 (Clinical Negligence)
“A very strong advocate with a meticulous eye for detail.” “He is very good at advising on tricky points of law and is very thorough in his work.”
Chambers UK 2021 (Clinical Negligence)
“His meticulous approach and grasp of complex areas of law and medicine makes him one of the strongest practitioners on circuit.”
Legal 500 2021 (Clinical Negligence)
“His drafting skills are excellent, and he has very good attention to detail.” “A very diligent and incredibly hard-working barrister with great client care skills.”
Chambers UK 2021 (Clinical Negligence)
“Unflappable even in the most complex of cases, with client care skills that make him a good choice for vulnerable claimants.”
Legal 500 2021 (Clinical Negligence)
“Calm, measured and has great attention to detail and analytical skills.”
Legal 500 2021 (Personal Injury)
He is approachable and a good negotiator, and he is keen to get the right result for his client.” “He has a very good eye for detail and he is immensely helpful when discussing cases.” “He is a very meticulous and knowledgeable barrister and I am always impressed by his advice.”
Chambers UK 2020
Notable Cases
The following is a selection of cases in which David has been involved recently:
Claim involving young professional who underwent bilateral above knee amputations, and developed defunctioned upper limbs and renal failure (leading to dialysis) as a result of delay in diagnosing and treating hyperoxaluria
Claim involving young woman who had life changing stroke as a result of delay in diagnosing and treating Moyamoya Syndrome.
Numerous birth injury cases, including claim involving child who suffered a fractured skull at birth as a result of negligent delivery leading to severe cognitive deficits.
Claim involving delay in diagnosing skull fracture and haemorrhage in young boy leading to life changing brain injury.
Claim involving air embolism in the brain as a result of cardiopulmonary bypass procedure leading to catastrophic brain injury.
Claim involving mother who was the subject of missed cervical cancer diagnosis, leading to intensive chemoradiotherapy, vesisco-vaginal fistula, dependence on bilateral nephrostomies and kidney failure.
Claim involving young mother who sustained catastrophic injuries during suicide attempt and who now requires 24 hour 2:1 care.
Claim involving development of Cauda Equina syndrome as a result of failure to refer/investigate. Claim recently settled.
Claim involving development of Cauda Equina syndrome as a result of failure to refer/investigate. Claim successful at trial.
Claim involving negligent failure to treat eye infection leading to blindness.
- David is instructed as Leading Counsel for the Claimant Purchase in the conjoined appeals due to be heard by the Supreme Court in the case of Paul v The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and other appeals. This is a case of potential significance to secondary victim claims in both personal injury and clinical negligence claims.
The following is a selection of cases in which David has been involved:
Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust [2022] EWCA Civ 12
Negus v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust [2021] EWHC 643 (QB)
SE Wood v Days Health UK Ltd [2016] EWHC 1079 (QB)
Nottinghamshire County Council v Bottomley [2010] EWCA Civ 756
Memberships
Personal Injuries Bar Association
AvMA
Qualifications
MA Juris, Christ Church, Oxon
