Department profile
St John's Chambers

Personal Injury

UK Bar Guide 2026 : Western (Bar)


St John's Chambers

Rankings

About

Provided by St John's Chambers

With two leading King’s Counsel (KCs) and over twenty barristers, St John’s Chambers hosts one of the largest and most established Personal Injury teams in the South West. We are recognised for combining intellectual rigour with practical, solution-focused advice. From modest trauma claims to the most complex catastrophic injury litigation, we deliver consistently high-quality advocacy, advisory work, and client service.

Expertise includes: catastrophic injury (spinal/brain) and payment structures; chronic pain (fibromyalgia, CRPS, somatic disorders); historical sexual abuse claims; costs disputes; employers’ liability (including stress at work); equine/animal accidents; fatal accidents and inquests (including Article 2); industrial disease (NIHL, VWF, asbestos-related illness, mesothelioma); insurance and indemnity disputes; motorcycle, road traffic, travel, and maritime accidents; occupiers’ and public liability; personal injury fraud; and product liability.

Our excellence is reflected in consistent recognition by Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

We are thought leaders, delivering seminars, workshops, and bespoke training for solicitors, insurers, and healthcare professionals, with many barristers active in PIBA and widely published.

Our clients include major insurers, trades unions, local authorities, public bodies, and private individuals. We are also panel or preferred chambers for several leading insurers.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Personal Injury - Western (Bar)

Band 1

Band 1


What the Team is Known For

A market-leading set on the Western Circuit, St John's Chambers is "a set that you can rely on from start to finish". It is well regarded for its formidable personal injury offering and "personable barristers with excellent technical and client facing skills. Its barristers regularly act for and advise both claimant and defendant clients, including numerous key insurance companies, in high-value catastrophic and fatal injury claims. Industrial disease and stress at work claims serve as further sources of instruction for members, and the set houses additional experience in the handling of cases involving allegations of dishonesty and fraud. Recent instructions have seen members represent a farm worker who fell approximately twelve metres into an empty grain silo, suffering life-altering injuries.

Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire lead the personal injury and clinical negligence clerks as joint practice managers.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Hugh and Adam are both really responsive, helpful, communicative and organised. They keep things running really smoothly. They are forward-thinking and keen to develop new business and their practice.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • St John's clerks are extremely approachable, easy to get hold of and very quick to respond to queries.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • St John's Chambers clerks are key to the excellent service provided by counsel.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Adam and Hugh are both fantastic. They are really responsive and accommodating and they will do whatever they can to get us what we need.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks are outstandingly helpful. They go out of their way to provide an excellent and friendly service.

    Personal Injury respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Band 1Andrew McLaughlin
    Band 1Andrew McLaughlin

    Andrew McLaughlin

    Andrew McLaughlin is a leading personal injury barrister on the Western Circuit, adept at handling a variety of issues including stress, RTA and industrial disease claims. His cases concern serious injuries sustained during accidents at work.

    • Andrew McLaughlin fights an extremely good fight. He is a tenacious barrister.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Andrew McLaughlin is fabulous. He is tenacious, robust and great on his feet at trial.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Andrew consistently delivers an excellent level of service that elicits praise from all our clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Andrew is faultless. He is a tenacious advocate and forensic in his detailed analysis.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Andrew McLaughlin would be my go-to barrister. He is very accessible and very good with clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Julian Horne
    Band 1Julian Horne

    Julian Horne

    Julian Horne handles the full spectrum of personal injury matters, including fatal accident, RTA and employers' liability claims. He predominantly acts on behalf of defendants and insurers.

    • Julian's written analyses are insightful and thorough and his approach is pragmatic.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Julian Horne is excellent all round.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Julian Horne is extremely good.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Julian has superb knowledge and attention to detail. He is able to see an angle in a case that most others cannot.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Richard Stead
    Band 1Richard Stead

    Richard Stead

    Richard Stead is highly experienced in a variety of issues, including accident at work claims and road accidents. He focuses on matters involving brain and spinal injuries.

    • Richard really knows his stuff and is a very well-known Bristol-based personal injury barrister.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Richard is very easy to deal with. He is very calm and experienced in court and has a great advocacy style.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Richard Stead is very competent indeed.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Richard provides a first class service. His strength lies not only in the vastness of his experience, but his ability to wield that experience for the benefit of clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • He is a very impressive courtroom advocate. He is absolutely wonderful.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2Ben Handy
    Band 2Ben Handy

    Ben Handy

    Ben Handy acts for claimants and defendants in complex catastrophic injury cases, including those involving allegations of fundamental dishonesty. He has notable experience handling cases concerning psychological injury and catastrophic spinal injury, and RTAs.

    • Ben adds value as counsel should. He is really sensible and finds practical ways of working through complex situations.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Ben really cuts to the crux of the issues and clients really like working with him.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Ben is really user-friendly. He is accessible, helpful and knowledgeable.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 2James Marwick
    Band 2James Marwick

    James Marwick

    James Marwick has a strong personal injury practice, with experience handling cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal. He has expertise in pain disorder claims as well as across the span of road accident injuries.

    • James is very enthusiastic and a huge favourite of my team and our clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James is a very gifted advocate who can read a judge and adapt his style accordingly. He can be robust and forensic, but also effective for witnesses and judges.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James Marwick is one of my very go-to people in this area.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James is extremely knowledgeable and practical, putting clients at ease.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James Marwick has a charming way about him which puts clients and witnesses at ease. Despite his friendly approach, James is a tenacious advocate.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Darren Lewis
    Band 3Darren Lewis

    Darren Lewis

    Darren Lewis is an experienced personal injury junior. He is routinely instructed by defendants in brain and children injury matters.

    • Darren is a first rate trial barrister, out of the top drawer.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darren's advocacy is excellent and consistently rigorous and tenacious. He is a compelling and persuasive presence in the courtroom.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darren is a tenacious advocate and works well with clients and witnesses from every type of background, providing sensible advice with a reassuring nature.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Darren is a pleasure to work with. He is commercial, astute, tenacious and thinks outside the box. He is good fun.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • It is impossible to find anything bad to say about Darren and the good comments would fill a book.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3James Hughes
    Band 3James Hughes

    James Hughes

    James Hughes often represents claimants in matters regarding spinal injuries, injuries sustained from RTAs and chronic pain matters. He is also proficient in claims involving amputation.

    • James Hughes always delivers excellent service. He is good on paper as well as a tenacious advocate, who is very good in court.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James Hughes is an excellent advocate. He makes me feel like a real part of the team, is always available and is very courteous.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James's advice has been really thorough and always spot-on.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James has a good manner with clients, an eye for detail and is a well reasoned advocate.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • James Hughes is very robust with clients and very plain-talking, meaning expectations are always well managed.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Jimmy Barber
    Band 3Jimmy Barber

    Jimmy Barber

    Jimmy Barber of St John's Chambers focuses his practice on personal injury, industrial disease and clinical negligence matters. He is sought out for his experience dealing with a range of cases, including amputation, broken bones and industrial RTCs.

    • Jimmy Barber was very aware of client needs and put them at ease while managing expectations.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Jimmy Barber is very much a safe pair of hands, reliable and he has a keen attention to detail.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Jimmy has a great knowledge of the pre-trial settlement procedures in the South East.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Jimmy's attention to detail is unrivalled. He leaves no stone unturned and his detailed advice is always appreciated by both us and clients.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Jimmy's empathy towards my clients and the clarity of his advice in difficult circumstances is impressive.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Rachel Russell
    Band 3Rachel Russell

    Rachel Russell

    Rachel Russell is a well-respected personal injury barrister who demonstrates expertise in industrial disease, employers' liability and public liability matters. She is instructed on behalf of both claimants and defendants.

  • Band 3Rachel Segal
    Band 3Rachel Segal

    Rachel Segal

    Rachel Segal acts on behalf of claimants and defendants in a variety of personal injury matters. She has experience with employers' liability as well as a broad range of RTAs including collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.

    • Rachel's expertise is second to none. She is a fierce advocate with exceptional attention to detail.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rachel is brilliant with our clients and very detailed.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Rachel is very knowledgeable and professional.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksMatthew White
    New SilksMatthew White

    Matthew White

    Matthew White advises both claimants and defendants on a variety of issues, including asbestos, stress, accident at work and Highway Act claims. He has appeared in a number of inquests relating to Article 2 of the ECHR. His clients include several local authorities and statutory undertakers.

    • Matthew White is a superb counsel in all respects.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Matthew is a skilled barrister and we will often utilise his services for our more complex cases.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar
    • Matthew White has an exceptional eye and understanding for numbers.

      Personal Injury respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at St John's Chambers (11)

Western (Bar)

Members

Provided by St John's Chambers

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