Transparency Statement

About me

 I advise and represent clients in relation to the following matters:

• professional negligence: I act for clients or professionals and/or their insurers;

• costs disputes: I act for any party (whether litigants, solicitors or clients) with a dispute about legal costs;

• regulatory and disciplinary: I represent professionals facing regulatory and disciplinary investigations and proceedings;

• property damage: I act for any party in a dispute about property damage; and

• contract disputes: I act for any party involved in a contract or insurance dispute.

Contact me

You may contact me or my clerks for a quote for my services. I invite enquiries from:

• solicitors or other practicing lawyers;

• Licensed Access clients, who may hold either a licence issued by the Bar Standards Board, or be a member of a professional body which has been recognised by the Bar Standards Board; and

• members of the public who wish to instruct a barrister under the Public Access Scheme (also known as Direct Access). I am licensed to accept clients under the Bar Direct Access Scheme, although I do not have the additional authorisation to conduct litigation.

Contact details for me or my clerks can be found on the contact page of this website.

We will provide you with a quote as soon as possible. We always aim to set out quotes clearly, but if you receive your quote and there is something you do not understand, please contact us.

Fees

When I am instructed on a Public Access Basis, I charge a fixed fee for each piece of work I am instructed to undertake. The fee will be calculated by reference to my hourly rate and the amount of work anticipated, and must be agreed in advance.

When I am instructed on any other basis, my fee may be agreed on an hourly rate basis or a fixed fee basis. For a hearing, my fees are most commonly agreed on a fixed fee basis. For written work my fees are more commonly agreed on an hourly rate basis, although I do regularly work on a fixed fee.

If I am instructed by a solicitor, I also accept instructions under conditional fee agreements (“no win, no fee agreements”) in certain circumstances. For information please contact the clerks.

Timescales

Timescales for a piece of work may vary on factors such as my availability, the type and complexity of the case, the amount of work required, and any deadlines imposed by the other side or by the court.

Public Access

If you are a member of the public, the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients can be found here. This will help you to understand how the Public Access scheme works, and explains how you can use it to instruct barristers directly. More information is available on my website here.

Regulatory and Complaints Information

Barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standard’s Board website: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/regulatory-requirements/the-barristers’-register/. This shows (1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy. Alternatively, you can contact the bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 to ask about this (or email ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk).

My chambers, 4 New Square, provides information about:

• the procedure for making a complaint;

• any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) – the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response;

• how to complain to the LeO;

• Any time limits for making a complaint.

You can find this information here.

You can also search the decision data on the LeO’s website: http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/raising-standards/data-and-decisions/#ombudsman-decision-data. This shows providers which received an ombudsman’s decision in the previous calendar year, and whether the LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy. Alternatively, you can contact the LeO on 0300 555 033 to ask about this (or email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk).

Hard copy documents

Please ask me if you require, free of charge, a hard copy of any of the following:

• this Transparency Statement;

• the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients; and/or

• Chambers’ Complaints Procedure