Background, Education & Training

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Home

Born in the mining community of Blaenavon, Monmouthshire (now Torfaen) within a large and supportive mining family. Third of four children brought up by single parent home economics teacher mother.

See further at 'Theo+'

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Travel

Rustily fluent in German after limited learning at school but working and making friends in Germany from 1981.

Travelled solo around the world in 80 days Feb-April 1986.

 

Sport

Brought up as a rugby union player and played for West Mon school and Cambridge University. Switched to rowing after lower back problems in late teens. 

Competed in time trial and bumping races on the Cam, at the Tideway Head, Marlow, and twice at Henley Regatta, before joining Llandaff RC in 1986.

Now exercises by sculling, skiing, hill-walking, swimming including open water swimming and cold water immersion, and Iyengar yoga.

 

Jones's West Mon.School, Pontypool  1973-80

State Grammar School selected by 11-plus examination).

 

Jesus College, Cambridge 1980-5 

B.A., LL.M. (International), M.A. (all Cantab.).First in family to attend university and fully grant aided throughout.

Titular Exhibitioner of Jesus College.

College colour in rugby and rowing.

Jesus College Cambridge Society Exec. 2021-

 

Lincoln's Inn

Called to the Bar 1985 as  Hardwicke Scholar & Megarry Major Scholar.
 

Bar Council courses undertaken: 

Public Access Course 2020; 

Introductory and Advanced Equality & Diversity Training Courses (refreshers) 2020; 

Mental Health Training Course 2019

 

Other training

Welsh Government Ministerial Media Training 2012

Sport Wales National Governing Body Directorship Course 2021

 

Public Positions and Leadership Roles

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Professional career

Barrister 1985-

Queen's Counsel 2011-

King's Counsel 2022-

Founder Member and Chair of Steering Committee, and Head of Personal Injury Team, Civitas Chambers, Cardiff 2008-15

Head of Doughty Street Chambers Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury Team 2016-21

 

Counsel General for Wales 2011-16 Member of the Welsh Government under ss45 and 49 of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

Ministerial lead on legal affairs and senior legal advisor to and lead advocate for WelshGovernment.

The Counsel General is the Prosecuting Authority (instead of ‘The Crown’) for devolved prosecutions in Welsh care standards and fisheries prosecutions, with responsibility personally to review of all prosecution cases brought by Welsh Government. Several interventions as to under- or over-charging of offences.

Multiple governmental leadership roles including lead liaison with senior judiciary (LCJ, MR, liaison SC Justice), with UK Attorney General, Lord Advocate (Scotland), Attorney General for Northern Ireland and the comparable legal officers in Isle of Man and Channel Islands.

Lead for structural reorganisation of Welsh Government Legal Services to create independent Offices of the Counsel General and First Legislative Counsel.

Lead liaison for Welsh Government with Lord Murphy as to his report on elite university outreachto Wales and establishment of WG's Seren project

 

Sports Administration - Rowing

Welsh Rowing Chair 2019-23 (Board 2016-23)

British Rowing Home Nations Director and Finance Committee member 2020

 

King's College London 

Dickson Poon School of Law Visiting Professor of Law 2016-

 

Lincoln's Inn 

Bencher (managing Council Member) 2012-

Liaison Bencher for Wales&C Circuit 2020-3

Lead member of Audit & Risk Committee 2024-.

 

Bar Council

Chair, Bar Council Wellbeing At The Bar Working Group 2021 (Member 2018-21)

Member of the Bar Council 1990-2007

Bar Council Human Rights Act Education Team Lecturer 1999-2000

 

Wales & Chester Circuit

Circuit Junior 2005 (Cardiff Junior 2003-5)

Personal Injury Bar Association Executive Committee Member 2000-2022

 

Charitable bodies

JUSTICE.org.uk                Director/Trustee 2016-22; Council member 2022-

Advocate (BarProBono)   Director/Trustee 2020-24

Speakers For Schools      Speaker 2015- (promoting Diversity/Aspiration from state sector)

Contributing supporter of JUSTICE, Reprieve, Advocate (Bar Pro Bono), Free Representation Unit, Alzheimer's Society, CancerResearch UK, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK, Macmillan, The Wallich (homelessness support), Médecins sans frontières and Jesus College Cambridge (diversity outreach funding).

 

Dispute Resolution and Adjudication Experience 

Dual accredited Mediator (ADR Group; LSM)

Accredited Arbitrator (PICArbs)

Doughty Street Chambers QC/KC Complaints Investigator 2015-23

Welsh Rowing Safeguarding Panel Chair

Welsh Rowing Disciplinary Panel Chair

Extensive practical experience of litigation and settlement including management hearings and trials, appeals and settlement processes including joint settlement meetings and mediation.Working entirely digitally wherever possible even pre-Covid19; extensive experience of 'remote'meetings and hearings.

 

Panels

(As Counsel General, selected and appointed Welsh Government’s panel of counsel and FirstCounsel.)

Treasury Panel 1994-2004

Serious Fraud Office Panel 1999-2004

National Assembly for Wales Civil Panel

Welsh Assembly Government Clinical Negligence Speedy Resolution Scheme Panel

 

Cases of Note

 

Constitutional (all Supreme Court)

Agricultural Sector (Wales) Bill Reference [2014]SC

Recovery of Medical Costs for Asbestos Diseases (Wales) Bill [2014]SC

Byelaws (Wales) Bill Reference [2012]SC

Axa v Lord Advocate [2011]SC

 

Personal Injury

The Grenfell Tower Litigation (2020-25, settled)

Supreme Court: Baker v Quantum [2011]SC

Court of Appeal: Chell v Tarmac [2021]CA; Mackenzie v Alcoa Manufacturing (GB) Ltd [2019]CA; Royal Opera House v Goldscheider [2019]CA; Lougheed v OnTheBeach [2014]CA; Smith vDECC [2013]CA; Ward v Allies & Morrison [2012]CA.

 

Teaching and Publications

 

Lecturing

Regular lecturing to professional bodies (PIBA, APIL, AvMA) and as VP at KCL.

 

Editorial

Halsbury's Laws Damages Division Vol. 29 Consulting editor 2019-

Butterworths Personal Injury Litigation Service General Editor 2016-21

Munkman on Employer’s Liability Butterworths; Contributing Editor 2009-

Occupational Illness Litigation Sweet & Maxwell (HAVS/VWF section) (2005-2010)

 

Books

Apil Guide to Noise Claims Jordans (2016)

Future Loss in Practice: Periodical Payments & Lump Sums Butterworths (2007)

Mutual Judicial Assistance and Economic Crime (Commonwealth Secretariat 1985)

 

Articles

Regular contributor to legal periodicals including New Law Journal,Journal of Personal Injury Law, PI Focus, Personal Injury Law Journal.

 

Memberships

Llandaff Rowing Club

Fishguard Goodwick Jemima Coastal Rowing Club (Hon.)

Ronnie Scott’s Club

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

Human Rights Bar Association

Wales Public Law &Human Rights Association

Criminal Bar Association

Howard League for Penal Reform (Life Member)

 

Practice

 

Primary sole practice since St David's Day 2021.

Member Old Square Chambers, London 2024-.

Member then Associate Member of Doughty Street Chambers, London 2015-23

Head of Doughty Street Chambers Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury Team 2016-21

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Current Associate Memberships:

Apex Chambers, Cardiff; Cornwall St Chambers,Birmingham/Oxford/Shrewsbury; No. 18 Chambers, Southampton.

 

Practised from Cardiff Chambers 1986-2015 as Junior Counsel and then as first and so far only Leading Counsel to be appointed from Civitas Chambers in 2011. Initial broad common law practice(crime/family/general civil work) include senior junior criminal practice (10 murder cases) before specialising from c. 2002 in civil complex injury cases.

 

Current practice specialisations: 

Personal Injury (especially Occupational Illness/DiseaseLitigation, Spinal, Head Injury)

Clinical Disputes (mainly Medical Negligence)

Constitutional and UK Devolution Matters(especially in respect of Wales), 

Human Rights.

 

Recognition 

Times Lawyer of the Week, December 2016; 

Awards finalist: Claimant Lawyer of the Year, PI Awards 2017, 2018, 2019 Case of the Year, PI Awards 2019; PI Silk of the Year,Legal 500 Awards 2014; Barrister of the Year, PI Awards 2011, 2012, 2013

Has been regularly recommended as first tier counsel in personal injury by Legal 500 andChambers & Partners including as specialist disease counsel. Recent editions summarise:

A charismatic, clear calm and compelling advocate who can be trusted entirely to do a brilliant job. 

An amazingly erudite and skilful advocate. 

His attention to detail is second to none and heis excellent with clients. 

An astute tactician.

See further specific recommendations at 'Testimonials'

 

Media appearances

Law in Action (Joshua Rozenberg) on BBC Radio 4

Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2

Julia Hartley-Brewer Show on talkRadio

BBC Wales Today

BBC Radio Wales

 

Other

 

Eclectic and catholic tastes in music including opera: playing, singing and listening.

 

Interest in current and (geo)political affairs and modern history, especially WWII.