JUNIOR PROFILE
Niamh Cleary

Niamh Cleary

UK Bar 2026

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Ranked in 3 practice areas

About

Provided by Fountain Court Chambers

UK Bar

Practice Areas

Niamh Cleary has a broad and varied commercial practice, with a particular emphasis on aviation, insurance and reinsurance, competition, and professional negligence. Her practice also encompasses banking and finance, public procurement, and regulatory/consumer law. She is ranked by the directories in Aviation (C&P Band 3; Legal 500 Band 4), Insurance and Reinsurance (L500 Band 3) and Group Litigation (C&P Band 4; L500 Band 3).

Niamh has extensive experience of heavy litigation and complex disputes, both domestic and international, as well as of large scale multi-partly claims. She is regularly instructed in the High Court both as sole advocate and as part of a wider team. She has also acted in arbitration claims under a range of procedural rules.

• Instructed by various reinsurers in respect of claims under hull war risks policies, arising out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Instructed by FW Aviation (Holdings) 1 Limited in its aircraft leasing dispute with VietJet Aviation JSC.

• Pollack v Google: Instructed in a class the action on behalf of UK publishers who have suffered loss as a result of Google’s abuse of its dominant position in the adtech sector.

• Acted in various LCIA arbitrations relating to political risk insurance disputes.

Career

Called 2012 (England and Wales); 2020 (Ireland).

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Aviation - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Niamh Cleary is a respected junior barrister handling a range of commercial disputes. She handles leasing and travel litigation and is regularly selected by airlines and instructing solicitors to advise on insurance disputes.

Competition Law - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Niamh Cleary is a well-regarded junior who frequently acts in high-value competition cases. Her experience in collective proceedings and abuse of dominance claims, including the Ad Tech Collective Action and Trucks claims, is of particular note.

Group Litigation - All Circuits

Band 4
Band 4

Individual Editorial

Niamh Cleary has a growing reputation in the group litigation sphere. She has appeared in collective proceedings before the competition appeal tribunal including the Trucks claim.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Niamh is on top of the material and makes her points persuasively. She is extremely diligent and great at marshalling evidence and arguments. The process always goes to plan when she's involved.

    AviationUK Bar
  • Technically excellent and commercially excellent as well, she's really impressive.

    AviationUK Bar
  • Niamh is a really good, tenacious and delightful advocate. She has a disarmingly friendly style but there's real steel in her advocacy.

    AviationUK Bar
  • Niamh is really energetic and not afraid to grapple with really difficult issues. She sorts out the most complex issues.

    Competition LawUK Bar
  • Her ability to cross-fertilise is a big advantage; it makes her very versatile. She is strategically and tactically strong, and her instincts are way beyond her year of call.

    Competition LawUK Bar
  • Niamh is phenomenally intelligent, organised and the all-round package - extremely impressive.

    Group LitigationUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Fountain Court Chambers (259)

All Circuits

London (Bar)

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