Clerking team

Chris Shaw

Senior Clerk – Civil, Commercial & Employment Clerk

Martin Craggs

Assistant Senior Clerk

Jennifer Carr

Civil Clerk

Matthew Smith

Civil Clerk

Amie Finch

Junior Civil Clerk

Alex joined St John’s Buildings as a pupil in October 2019 under the supervision of Alastair Wright and Daniel Metcalfe. He became a tenant in October 2020 and is quickly developing a broad civil practice, with a focus on commercial, personal injury/clinical negligence and data protection law. He also gained some experience of employment law during pupillage.

Aside from his regular court work, Alex enjoys a busy paperwork practice, and prides himself on his ability to meet tight deadlines when returning papers.

Commercial & chancery litigation

Alex provides advices and pleadings in matters across the spectrum of commercial and chancery law, in relation to liability, quantum and procedure. Alex has acted as a junior in cases worth seven figures, and in his own right on cases worth six figures.

Alex regularly appears in court on commercial matters, in trials, interlocutory hearings and successful appeal hearings. Alex has particular interest in consumer law, and is instructed for both claimants and defendants in litigation within this area. Alex has also been instructed as counsel in several successful mediations concerning commercial disputes.

Personal injury

Alex accepts instructions in all areas of personal injury and clinical negligence work. He provides advices on both liability and quantum in a variety of clinical negligence, personal injury and industrial disease cases, and has experience of drafting pleadings and schedules across these areas both for claimants and defendants. He receives instructions on cases worth in excess of £25,000.

In court, Alex regularly conducts fast-track personal injury trials for both claimants and defendants.

Recent cases of note:

Murray v Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (First-Tier Tribunal, 2024): Successfully appealed CICA’s decision to award a victim of historic sexual abuse the sum of £27,000.  The Claimant was awarded compensation of £200,000 gross of interim payments.

(1) Masih (2) Ghafoor v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Appeal Ref: KA 2022 BHM 000049: Led by Michael Redfern KC for the Claimant in an appeal on a clinical negligence case concerning an alleged avoidable death in hospital.

L v W: Employer’s liability case involving fall from scaffolding. Settled pre-trial for £60,000.

X v MoD (2023): Advised on a six-figure NIHL claim. Matter settled favourably pre-issue.

Blackpool Council on behalf of WG v Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (First-Tier Tribunal, 2023): Successfully appealed the Authority’s decision that an infant who suffered burn marks as a result of parental neglect could not be entitled to compensation within the CICA compensation scheme.

Data & information law

Alex has a particular interest in data protection law. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and receives regular instructions for advice on liability and quantum, and drafting letters of claim, letters of response and pleadings.

When acting for claimants, Alex has twice appeared in the High Court. He is regularly instructed for infant approval advices and hearings, and interlocutory hearings.

For defendants, Alex receives regular instructions from large companies and bodies facing claims, and had successfully had data breach claims dismissed at trial.

Cases

X (anonymous) v ICO (2023): Successfully challenged the ICO’s decision to levy a £120,000 fine against a company for alleged breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2013. The fine was dropped in its entirety.

Farley & Ors v Paymaster (1836) Limited [2024] EWHC 383 (KB): Acted as second junior led by Oliver Campbell KC in a High Court claim concerning the sending of data of over 400 police officers to incorrect addresses.

Munteanu v Heathrow Airport Limited (County Court, 2022): Successfully obtained reverse summary judgment in a data protection claim brought against Heathrow Airport.

Widdop v Farfield Group Practice (County Court, 2023): Appeared for the Defendant in the Claimant’s appeal against his claim having being struck out at trial.

Education

  • BA (1st) and M.Phil (71) in Music, University of Cambridge (2013-14)
  • GDL (Distinction, first in year), University of Sussex (2018)
  • BPTC (Outstanding), City Law School (2019)

Memberships

  • Lincoln’s Inn
  • Northern Circuit
  • Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association
  • Northern Circuit Chancery Bar Association
  • Personal Injury Bar Association

Awards

  • Canon Greville Cooke prize/graduate scholarship, Christ’s College, Cambridge (2013)
  • Brougham Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2017)
  • Draper Prize, University of Sussex (2018)
  • Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2018)
  • Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn (2019)