Julian Chamberlayne

Partner in the Personal Injury Department, Head of the Travel Team and Knowledge Management Partner

• +44 (0)20 7822 8034
• jchamberlayne@stewartslaw.com

Specialisation

Severe brain, spinal cord, amputee and fatal accident claims, including accidents abroad.

"Julian Chamberlayne is 'technically one of the best personal injury lawyers in the country'" Legal 500 2011

"Julian Chamberlayne handles complex injury cases resulting from RTAs, and is "masterly in his attention to detail," according to sources." Chambers 2011

Memberships

The Law Society's Personal Injury Panel;
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (Fellow);
Treasurer of FOCIS (Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors);
PEOPIL (Pan European Organisation of Personal Injury Lawyers);
London Cycling Campaign.

Publications

• Instructing local safety standards in travel law claims (JPIL) September 2011
• Stick or Twist? - The effect of changing expert witnesses (APIL, PI Focus) June 2011
• The Bitter End (Solicitors Journal) April 2011
• Personal Injury Schedules (Fatal Accidents & Lost Years Chapters) 3rd Edition (June 10) - Latimer-Sayer, Chamberlayne et al
• Periodical Payments (Kemp & Kemp - Chapter 41)
• Stages success fees: fair or foul? (JPIL) December 2010
• Claimant Part 36 Offers: are they working (JPIL) September 2009
• Claimant Part 36 Offers: are they worth it (JPIL) June 2007
• High Stakes - calculating claims for high earners (Legal Week) May 2007

Career

Hutchins & Co. 1992-1999, specialising in the full range of personal injury, clinical negligence and criminal injury compensation claims; Joined Stewarts Law Personal Injury Department in 2000; Appointed Partner 2002.

Recovery of damages of in excess of £70 million for clients during the last five years including the following:-

• Moore v Hotelplan Ltd & Tantera; Snowmobile accident in Italy, successfully pursued against the English travel company on grounds they were the organisers of the excursion, it was within definitions of liability in their brochure and/or they were agents for an undisclosed principal. Proved the instructor failed to advise on any safety cut-out switch. 70% judgment achieved at trial, leading to £2.5 million settlement for the paraplegic claimant.
• Bokhari v Qureshi; 95% settlement weeks before a preliminary issues trial in a single vehicle roll over case for an ejected un-belted passenger, after expert evidence demonstrated the severe roof crush would have caused comparable injuries (to the C6 tetraplegia actually sustained) even if he had worn a seatbelt. At a roundtable settlement meeting just two weeks prior to damages assessment this case settled for the full liability value of £9.316m that is £8.85m at the 95% rate.
• Harding-v- Wealands; Forum established in England for Claimant injured in RTA in New South Wales. Succeeded before the House of Lords with judgment in July 06 establishing that English law applies to the assessment of damages, clarifying the distinction between substantive and procedural law. This is the lead authority on the interpretation of the Private International (Miscellaneous Proceedings) Act 1995. £5.5 million damages recovered on 2nd day of High Court trial in Feb 07.

Quoting on a recent settlement Frank Burton QC said:

"This case was a classic example of where care in the preparation of witness statements and expert evidence made a very substantial difference to the outcome, probably doubling the value of the claim, and is a great credit to Julian Chamberlayne and his team."

Personal

Julian cycled solo 15,000 miles the length of the Americas; from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 1999-2000 and still braves the streets of London on a daily basis.