Stephen Innes

Practice Areas

Stephen's main areas of specialism are professional liability, costs, professional discipline/regulatory and property damage. Wide experience of employment, personal injury, insurance, and chancery litigation proves invaluable for professional liability and costs work.

Stephen is accredited under the PNBA adjudication scheme, as well as an accredited mediator. Stephen is regularly instructed as an arbitrator to provide binding or non-binding determinations in matters of insurance and costs.

Stephen accepts clients under the Bar's direct access scheme, and details can be found on his website verycivilbarrister.co.uk

Recent cases include:

• Wells v Full Moon Events Ltd [2020] EWHC 1265 (QB)

Stephen acted with Graham Eklund KC in successfully defending a motorsports centre from a large negligence claim by an injured rider.

• Harding v BMA [2017] EWHC 5 (QB)

Stephen defended a “lost litigation” claim against the BMA by a consultant, concerning issues of “whistleblowing” in the NHS.

• ECU v HSBC [2022] EWHC 1616 (Comm)

Stephen acted, with Ben Williams KC, for commercial funders facing costs orders following a group action.

• Godo Kaisa IP Bridge v Huawei [2021] EWHC 2826 (Pat)

Stephen successfully resisted an application for £8 million security for costs.

• Koza Ltd v Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS [2020] EWHC 1092 (Ch)

Stephen made costs submissions in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

• Masten v London Britannia Hotel [2020] 12 WLUK 319

An example of Stephen’s particular expertise in applications for relief from sanctions.