News & Events
News & Events
Harry Lambert’s article Is social media a defective product? is featured today on the front cover of the New Law Journal. In the first part of a new series focused on the legal obligation of social media companies, digital product liability expert Harry Lambert puts social media firms under the spotlight, asking: to what extent are they liable for harm? In a booming industry where regulation struggles to keep pace, social media companies have been frequently accused of not doing enough to protect users and/or take accountability. Harry Lambert’s series of articles evaluates the potential liability of social media companies for the harms caused by their algorithms and platform design. Part 1, available now, considers whether it is possible to sue…
External Publications, News 17 Apr, 2025
The Employment Tribunal handed down judgment in the case of Mr S Kalar v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, dismissing all claims brought against the Metropolitan Police. Martina Murphy acted for the successful Respondent. Mr S Kalar had been employed as a police officer by the Metropolitan Police from 1993 until he retired in 2023. Mr Kalar brought wide-ranging discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010 in relation to both race and disability and whistleblowing claims under the Employment Rights Act 1996 comprising over 270 individual allegations. The Claimant referred to an “an overarching culture of institutional racism, misogyny and disablism” with allegations spanning several years. The case also involved procedural issues concerning grievance handling, medical accommodations due…
News 19 Mar, 2025
James Counsell KC recently acted on behalf of the Solicitors Regulatory Authority, successfully prosecuting Simpson Thacher & Bartlett for failing to have anti-money laundering (AML) risk assessments and procedures in place in its London office. A fine of £300,000 was issued by the regulatory body. The SRA identified various issues during a routine review of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in 2021 and referred the matter to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) in November 2023, instructing James Counsell KC to act on its behalf. Simpson Thacher admitted its failure to comply with AML regulations between June 2017 and 2023 including: Firm-Wide Risk Assessment: Between June 2017 and March 2020, the firm did not have a compliant risk assessment covering the entire…
News 18 Mar, 2025
Outer Temple Chambers is pleased to welcome James Smith as a new tenant, upon completion of his probationary tenancy. We are delighted to announce that after successfully completing his probationary tenancy, James Smith has accepted an offer of tenancy in Chambers. Head of Pupillage, Saul Margo says, “James has been an exemplary probationary tenant and we have no doubt that he will be a great asset to Chambers in the years to come.” We wish James every success in Chambers. James Smith James has a broad practice which covers all aspects of Outer Temple Chambers’ business work, including commercial and chancery, pensions and employment, private client, and sanctions-related matters. He has appeared as sole counsel in the High Court, County…
News 12 Mar, 2025
We are delighted to welcome Calixto Salomão Filho to Outer Temple’s award-winning Commercial Litigation team as a Professional Associate. Calixto Salomão Filho is a professional associate and a Brazilian legal scholar and attorney specialising in comparative commercial law, Brazilian corporate law, and Brazilian antitrust law and regulation. He most recently acted as leading consultant in Município de Mariana & Others v. BHP Group, which is thought to be ‘the biggest class action ever brought in the UK’ and has over 25 years of experience of integrating his wide-ranging academic expertise with practical insight. Calixto is a professor at the University of São Paulo Law School and the Gide Loyrette Nouel Chair of Law and Development at Sciences Po, Paris. He…
News 11 Mar, 2025
Outer Temple barrister and founder of the Centre for Neurotechnology & Law, Harry Lambert, has been published in New Law Journal, outlining the game-changing implications of advances in neurotechnology for victims of personal injury and clinical negligence. The predicted advances in neurotechnology will be “nothing short of transformational” in their potential impact upon rehabilitation, says New Law Journal. Huge strides are being made in developing neurotechnologies with the potential to combat a wide range of conditions, from cerebral palsy and limb loss to blindness and chronic depression. Harry’s feature in a recent edition of their weekly legal publication looks at personal injury quantum and the paradigm shift that is emerging. The fields of neurology, neurosurgery and neuro-rehabilitation are experiencing a…
External Publications, News 5 Mar, 2025
Last week, the International Injury Team at Outer Temple Chambers welcomed Instituto Marítimo Español to Chambers as part of their legal study trip to London. Instituto Marítimo Español is an institution dedicated to maritime training in its various branches across the Spanish speaking world; in legal, technical, commercial and operational functions. The two day trip to London consisted of a number of stops for the IMO team and the students of their Master’s Degree in Business and Maritime Law, as well as their education partners, and we were delighted to be involved. The first leg was organised by the Clyde & Co Madrid office, where the group heard about the implications of English law in the global maritime sector in…
News 4 Mar, 2025
We are delighted to announce that Chris Gittins has joined Outer Temple Chambers as our Director of Clerking. Chris joins Outer Temple Chambers this week to take on the post of Director of Clerking, overseeing the management of the clerking teams, the business development function and its strategic leadership. Chris is thrilled to take up this position, having previously been part of the Outer Temple family in the early 2000s. In all, he has enjoyed over 25 successful years in senior clerking roles in some of London’s leading commercial, chancery and family sets, and brings a wealth of management experience back to where it all started for him. He cut his clerking teeth at Outer Temple before swiftly moving up…
News 3 Mar, 2025
Oliver Powell, led by Prashant Popat KC of Henderson Chambers, and instructed by Mike Grant and James Muller of Weightmans, acted for a very large organisation. Their client was indicted before Chester Crown Court on two counts pursuant to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Following service of a 27-page Defence Statement, expert report and written representations, Cheshire Fire Rescue Authority (‘CFRA’) agreed to offer no evidence against their client. Background On 8 August 2019, the Beechmere retirement village in Crewe was destroyed by fire. More than 150 residents lost their homes and possessions. The fire was one of the biggest ever attended by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (‘CFRS’) with 70 firefighters deployed at its height to bring…
News 28 Feb, 2025
Event Date: 27 Mar, 2025
Following the success of our first Group Litigation Series seminar last month, we are delighted to invite you to the second talk of the 2025 series, ‘How to Start a Group Action – funding and communications’ on Thursday 27th March 2025 at Outer Temple Chambers. You are invited to join our panel of experienced barristers and expert guest speakers to discuss crowdfunding and communications for group actions. David E. Grant KC of Outer Temple Chambers, alongside Professor Ewan McGaughey of King’s College London will discuss the role of crowdfunding in McGaughey v Universities Superannuation Scheme, a climate related derivative action. Carin Hunt of Outer Temple Chambers, alongside Tara Flores of Thorndon Partners will focus on group litigation communications. Agenda Registration…
Outer Temple Chambers is pleased to announce that John McKendrick KC has been appointed to serve as a Judge of the High Court. It has been announced today that John McKendrick KC has been appointed to serve as a Judge of the High Court, assigned to the Family Division. His appointment takes effect from 10th March. Whilst we are sad that this means that John will no longer be able to practise at Outer Temple Chambers, everybody here wholeheartedly congratulates him. John enjoyed a varied civil practice for 25 years and has held a number of part-time judicial roles. James Counsell, Head of Chambers, said of the appointment; “John will be missed here as a valued member of chambers. I…
News 26 Feb, 2025
Outer Temple Chambers is delighted to welcome leading health and technology Junior, Harry Lambert, to the team. Harry Lambert joins Outer Temple Chambers in February, further expanding our stable of innovative barristers shaping the law in the fields of product liability, personal injury, clinical negligence, human rights, and related group litigation. His passion for technology and emerging trends provides for a unique and unrivalled practice touching on the interplay between tech and health. He is particularly well known for his dynamism in the world of emerging medical tech, founding the Centre for Neurotechnology & Law, and authoring a 12 Part Series on Neurotechnology and The Law which has garnered much academic acclaim. It has been translated into several European languages…
News 25 Feb, 2025
