Our Expertise

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Harriet Williams

Harriet joined chambers in April 2022 after spending the first few years of her career at the Bar at KBW Chambers. She accepts instructions in all aspects of public and private law children proceedings. Prior to joining the Bar, Harriet worked in the clinical negligence department of the UK’s leading litigation-only law firm. Her experience in reviewing medical evidence and attending expert conferences in cases of the utmost severity, including spinal and birth injuries, enables her to analyse complex medical evidence, forensic reports and voluminous police disclosure with ease. Harriet is experienced in particularly sensitive care proceedings, including those heard in the High Court due to legal complexity. She has a special interest in complex care proceedings relating to serious non-accidental injuries, including fractures, significant bruising, fabricated and induced illness, and sexual abuse. She is experienced in representing local authorities, parents, and children via their Children’s Guardian, as well as other relatives or third parties who have been invited to intervene in proceedings. Her wide-ranging experience includes the representation of care-leavers, disabled children and their parents, victims of serious domestic violence, children and adults with complex mental health needs, and those with drug and alcohol addictions. Harriet’s instructions in private law proceedings regularly include complex cases requiring expert assessment, fact-finding hearings, jurisdictional issues, and the appointment of a Children’s Guardian. She is also experienced in providing advice and representation in Cost Order applications both as an interim position and at the conclusion of proceedings. Harriet is approachable and builds rapport quickly with lay and professional clients, resulting in regular repeat instructions. She is known for her calm and measured approach and ensures that the client fully understands what to expect from each hearing. Lay clients appreciate not only her compassion and empathy, but her honesty and tactical insight, understanding that she has their best interests at heart, whilst her professional clients appreciate her pragmatic and comprehensive advice, approachable manner, and meticulous preparation to every case.

Bethan Davies

Bethan has a busy junior employment and personal injury practice. She is currently seeking to develop her work in inquests, clinical negligence and education law. &nbsp; <em>"Bethan is friendly, detailed and thorough."</em> &nbsp; Bethan joined Chambers in 2020 following the successful completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Elizabeth Hodgson and Dominic Bayne. Bethan graduated from Newcastle University in 2016 with first class honours and went on to complete the BPTC in Leeds, gaining outstanding grades in a number of modules. In 2018 Bethan graduated from UCL with an LLM (distinction). Bethan focussed her LLM on international law and whilst studying advised clients in immigration and asylum matters. Bethan’s LLM thesis analysed the relationship between the provision of abortion and the European Charter of Human Rights, a response to the Supreme Court decision of In Re Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission [2018] UKSC 27. During her masters year Bethan worked pro-bono for a number of charities completing family reunification applications. Prior to commencing pupillage, Bethan worked as a County Court Advocate: taking instructions from clients in a range of civil matters including infant approvals, landlord and tenant disputes and bankruptcy proceedings. Bethan has a particular interest in personal injury, clinical negligence and employment law. &nbsp; <p style="margin: 0in; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8.25pt; color: black;"><span style="font-size: 8.25pt;"> </span></p>

Megan Crowther

Megan is a specialist personal injury, clinical negligence and inquests barrister. She was listed as a “<em>rising star</em>” for both personal injury and clinical negligence in the 2024 Legal 500. Her solicitors say: “<em>Megan is highly knowledgeable. She prepares meticulously and communicates in a clear and concise manner. Her advocacy is understated and excellent</em>”. In 2021, an Assistant Coroner said: “<em>[Megan’s] command of the material and the focus of her questioning was very impressive. Certainly, I have seen counsel of many more years call make a far less effective job of far more straightforward inquests</em>”. Megan accepts instructions from claimants and defendants in a wide range of injury claims in both liability admitted and disputed matters. Megan’s clinical negligence experience includes claims involving obstetric injury, surgical negligence, cosmetic procedures, orthopaedic injury, infant and fatal claims. Megan’s practice involves working at the beginning of a claim through to trial or settlement, including drafting pleadings, advising on prospects and quantum, attending expert and client conferences, CCMCs and JSMs. Before joining Chambers Megan worked as a catastrophic injury paralegal at a top ranked law firm in The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners focusing on brain and spinal cord injury cases. She was graded as ‘<em>Outstanding</em>’ at bar school and achieved the highest grade nationally at the University of Law. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 17px;"> </span>

Amy Rumble

<em style="font-size: 1.1rem;"><strong>"An excellent communicator who gets to grips with complex cases quickly. An impressive advocate who makes claimants and respondents feel at ease." </strong>- Legal 500 2023 (Rising Star - Employment) </em> <em><strong>"Amy gets to grips with complex cases quickly and homes in on the key legal issues to brief clients in an efficient and practical way. Very approachable and makes clients feel at ease." </strong></em>- <em>Chambers and Partners 2023 (Up and Coming - Employment) </em> &nbsp; Amy is recognised as a ‘Rising Star’ (Legal 500, 2023) and an ‘Up and Coming’ (Chambers and Partners,2023). Amy is appointed to the Attorney General’s Civil Panel of Counsel (C Panel). Amy is an experienced employment law junior and enjoys advising and drafting as well as representing clients at preliminary hearings, final hearings and judicial mediations. Amy acts for both claimants and respondents and is regularly instructed as sole counsel in multi-day hearings. More recently Amy has enjoyed successfully representing a respondent at a full panel appeal hearing before the EAT. Expertise includes, but is not limited to: <ul> <li>Unfair and wrongful dismissals</li> <li>All forms of discrimination claims</li> <li>Jurisdiction issues</li> </ul> &nbsp; Amy also has broad experience of personal injury litigation. She is regularly instructed in trials and interim hearings on all tracks. Amy acts on behalf of claimants and defendants in matters including employers’ liability, occupiers’ liability and Highways Act claims. Many of Amy’s cases involve suspected fraudulent or exaggerated claims. She is experienced in advising on such claims from an early stage through to trial. Prior to starting pupillage Amy studied Law at Queen Mary University of London and gained First Class awards in Medical Law and Company Law. Amy also competed in advocacy competitions at an international level and enjoyed her time advising on employment law matters at a Legal Advice Centre. Amy has previously professionally trained in acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA). In her spare time Amy enjoys going to the theatre, as well as playing netball, surfing and exploring the North East coast with her dog.

Tom Barclay-Semple

Tom specialises in clinical negligence, personal injury, inquests, and Court of Protection work. He has a particular interest in healthcare matters and is skilled at getting to grips with complex medico-legal issues in difficult cases. His clients praise his attention to detail, personable approach, and pragmatic advice. Tom's clinical negligence practice encompasses both claimant and defendant work. It builds upon his time working for a nationally recognised law firm before coming to the bar. He is experienced in a wide range of complex and high value clinical negligence disputes, including birth injuries, surgical negligence, dental negligence, delays in diagnosis, fatal injuries, informed consent, and material contribution claims. Tom also manages to maintain a broad personal injury practice. He acts on behalf of claimants and defendants at High Court and County Court level. His practice includes employers' liability, public liability (including occupiers' liability, Highways Act, and public nuisance), road traffic accidents, product liability, fatal accidents, and CICA appeals. His inquest work involves acting for families and other interested parties, in both <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Jamieson</em></span> and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>Middleton</em></span>-style inquests. Tom regularly acts in inquests concerning hospital and nursing home care, road traffic accidents, and potential breaches of health and safety regulations. He has experience in inquests both with and without a jury sitting. In the Court of Protection, Tom is regularly instructed on behalf of local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, P, and members of P's family. He has appeared in a wide range of disputes, typically arising out of section 16 and section 21A applications. His practice covers both Health &amp; Welfare and Property &amp; Financial Affairs. Recent matters have included disputes over contact arrangements, overlapping jurisdiction with the Mental Health Act 1983, care arrangements, revoking lasting powers of attorney, medical treatment, and capacity assessments.