Department profile
Byrom Street Chambers

Personal Injury

UK Bar Guide 2026 : Northern (Bar)


Byrom Street Chambers

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Personal Injury - Northern (Bar)

Band 1

Band 1


What the Team is Known For

Byrom Street Chambers is the leading personal injury set on the Northern Circuit and is recognised for retaining "approachable members at all levels who work collaboratively to find solutions to complex issues that arise." This deep bench of well-regarded barristers is called upon to represent both claimants and defendants in a broad range of personal injury matters. Members are particularly well versed in complex and high-value catastrophic injury claims, and are frequently instructed in cases arising from serious RTAs and sports accidents. The team is also regarded as a top choice for industrial disease matters and injury cases involving historic sexual abuse.

Matt Tudor is head clerk.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Byrom Street Chambers' clerking team are responsive and helpful.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks are really on the ball and are enormously helpful. They are super organised and go the extra mile without being pushed.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks at BSC are excellent. They go out of their way to accommodate any request and their relationship with external contacts mean they are extremely effective and proficient in what they do.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • The service, both from its barristers and clerking staff, is first class.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • The quality of the counsel and clerking combined is truly astonishing. The quality of advice and advocacy is consistent across the set, and the clerking is flawless.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Star IndividualsChristopher Melton
    Star IndividualsChristopher Melton

    Christopher Melton

    Christopher Melton KC is a standout silk who excels at representing claimants in high-value catastrophic injury and fatal accident cases, particularly those involving minors. He does a significant amount of appellate advocacy and has appeared in the Supreme Court numerous times.

    • Christopher builds a great rapport with clients, whether in person or remote. He is approachable, extremely knowledgeable and he cuts through the legal issues whilst explaining his thought process.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is unflappable in court and his advocacy is impressive, both written and oral. Christopher is my preferred silk.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Christopher is a formidable legal representative, with excellent client care and attention to detail. His input is always of incredible value. He is analytical and a superb advocate.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Christopher guides you to the best possible route to success and is not afraid to take cases to trial. He has an almost photographic memory for detail and is well prepared.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • His depth of knowledge and experience in child brain injury work makes him the go-to man for that work. Christopher has a natural ability and excellent communication skills.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Star IndividualsWinston Hunter
    Star IndividualsWinston Hunter

    Winston Hunter

    Winston Hunter KC is the head of chambers and a catastrophic injury specialist who also has extensive knowledge of issues surrounding loss of earnings and insurance indemnity. He applies his exceptional technical abilities to representing both claimants and defendants in complex, high-value cases.

    • Winston is an extremely experienced and safe pairs of hands, and he will have seen all the issues many times before.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Winston is a silk without peer in relation to matters of the upmost legal complexity. He possesses a formidable intellect which he exercises to achieve the best commercial outcome.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Winston is an excellent advocate. He is tough, but great when he is on your side. Clients respect him and lawyers admire him.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Winston is a silk of choice for claimants and defendants alike. He has a masterful ability to distil complex case law into a clear and simple approach.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Winston has incredible intellect, is always accessible and has brilliant client skills.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Darrel Crilley
    Band 1Darrel Crilley

    Darrel Crilley

    Darrel Crilley is a specialist in catastrophic injury claims, especially those relating to the brain or spine. He regularly acts in industrial disease claims, amputations and cases involving accidents at work, including upper limb disorder and hand-arm vibration claims. He acts for both claimants and defendants.

    • Darrel Crilley's place as a leading junior for complex brain injury work in Manchester is not in doubt. He challenges the evidence, adopts a sensible and progressive approach and adds clarity.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darrel Crilley is a great barrister. His attention to detail is fantastic and he is not afraid to have a go. He is a guiding hand and a great advocate. He is a true team player.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darrel is always extremely well prepared, and in court he is poised and his advocacy is both measured and persuasive.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darrel is an impressive individual. He is a very efficient and shrewd opponent.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is outstanding. He is a delightful opponent and he cuts to the case. Darrel knows exactly what he's doing. He is a really excellent barrister.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Darryl Allen
    Band 1Darryl Allen

    Darryl Allen

    Darryl Allen KC is a highly respected silk who maintains an outstanding catastrophic injury practice. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and has been instructed in relation to a wide variety of cases including those concerning brain and spinal cord injuries.

    • Darryl is intellectually powerful. He quickly grasps complex issues and finds weak points in opponents cases.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darryl's drafting is second to none and his documents are always absolutely fantastic and really well prepared, pragmatic and sensible.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darryl has an exceptional forensic mind and is able to process and evaluate large volumes of evidence in the most complex of TBI cases.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darryl provides an outstanding service and is a silk at the top of his game. His commercial awareness is exceptional, as are his negotiating and personal skills.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is approachable and refreshingly down to earth.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1James Rowley
    Band 1James Rowley

    James Rowley

    James Rowley KC maintains a balanced practice representing both claimants and defendants in catastrophic injury cases. He deals with claims of the utmost severity, including amputations along with brain and spinal injuries. He is lauded by sources for his attention to detail and understanding of complex quantum issues.

    • He is a top level KC. James is my go-to for really complex cases requiring forensic attention to detail.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James is an unbelievable barrister and his knowledge is exceptional.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James is incredibly cerebral about his work and is very intelligent and very on it.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James mediated a very difficult case and he was just superb, and his knowledge and expertise is just unrivalled in the field.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Michael Lemmy
    Band 1Michael Lemmy

    Michael Lemmy

    Michael Lemmy regularly represents claimants and defendants alike in multi-track cases of significant value. He has extensive experience in employment liability and RTA claims, and is particularly knowledgeable on brain and spinal injuries. He also handles claims relating to amputations and chronic pain.

    • Michael Lemmy's attention to detail is incredible and his approach to complex liability issues provides the legal team with firm, measured advice and support.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Michael Lemmy is a great barrister, advocate and a true team player. Michael gets the results on difficult cases. He is outstanding in his presentation of a case.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Michael has had a number of good results. He is excellent on his feet and very thorough on the papers.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is impressive both on papers and on his feet. His preparation is second to none. Michael is a formidable, all-round barrister to have in any legal team.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Michael is a brilliant advocate. He is able to get to grips with complex issues quickly. His manner with the court is very effective. He makes complex problems sound simple and gets good results.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Peter Burns
    Band 1Peter Burns

    Peter Burns

    Peter Burns KC specialises in personal injury and industrial disease claims, with additional expertise in insurance matters. He is very able to handle cases related to injuries of some severity, including high-value claims for brain and spinal injury. He primarily represents defendants, and is regularly instructed in cases involving complex medical causation issues.

    • He's a top level KC. Peter has an ability to break down even the most complex aspects so they are manageable, and he is very user-friendly.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is calm, sensible and measured and concentrates on the essential points.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is excellent. Peter is mostly on the defense side. He is very pragmatic and finds solutions to problems and finds solutions for his clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Peter really adds value with his approach and clients like his manner. He is very accessible and adds real value to every case.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Peter is excellent on high-value matters. He gets the best result for the clients working multiple angles.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Rhiannon Jones
    Band 1Rhiannon Jones

    Rhiannon Jones

    Rhiannon Jones KC appears for both claimants and defendants in serious injury and chronic pain cases, with particular expertise in spinal and brain injury claims involving complex issues of quantum. Her practice also encompasses fatal accident and sexual abuse claims.

    • Rhiannon is strong-willed and edgy.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rhiannon is a clever, talented counsel. She is experienced in taking a pragmatic view and has excellent advocacy skills.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rhiannon is trusted with our most complex and highest value personal injury litigation. She has an ability to cut straight to the issues at the heart of the case.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rhiannon is really good at distilling complex issues in simple ways. She is good with clients and experts. She is a go-to KC.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rhiannon is excellent. She is pragmatic and straight talking. She is accessible, knowledgeable and very good with clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Simon Kilvington
    Band 1Simon Kilvington

    Simon Kilvington

    Simon Kilvington KC continues to develop his outstanding practice handling industrial disease and serious injury claims. He is well known for his expertise in asbestos-related cases. He is regularly instructed in cases involving complex medical and accountancy evidence.

    • Simon's ability to grasp and process detail in a claim is extremely impressive, even in a case with voluminous documentation.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Simon is an all-around excellent choice for claimants. He is knowledgeable, approachable and a great advocate too. He is prepared to argue the point to get the right result.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Simon builds a good rapport with clients and he is incredibly detailed. His measured approach to the evidence is valued, and he is always incredibly well prepared for any meeting or discussion.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Simon is a hugely engaging leading counsel with bags of experience and a charismatic deployment of capabilities.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Simon is very thorough in his approach and leaves no stone unturned. He is a very safe pair of hands.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Sally Hatfield
    Band 2Sally Hatfield

    Sally Hatfield

    Sally Hatfield KC is recognised for her expert handling of severe or fatal personal injury cases, often involving complex medical causation and disputed liability. She has handled complex accident cases and abuse claims.

    • Sally is an excellent lawyer and her client care skills are extremely good.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Sally is great with claimants.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Byrom Street Chambers (10)

Northern (Bar)

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