Julian
Chamberlayne
Head of Aviation and International Injury
Risk and Funding Partner
Compliance Officer for Legal Practice
+44 (0)20 7822 8034
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Julian’s market-leading work involves the rare dual speciality of acting for clients who have sustained life-changing or fatal injuries in an international context. He is the only lawyer acting for claimants in International Personal Injury named a Star Individual by Chambers and Partners UK. Julian is also Stewarts’ Risk and Funding Partner and heads the Cost and Funding Disputes team.
Expertise
Julian acts for claimants who have sustained spinal cord and severe brain injury, amputations, and for the families of fatal accident victims. He is also a leading legal commentator, author and lobbyist on legal issues relating to complex injury claims. Julian has successfully recovered more than £160m for clients injured in the UK and across the globe.
In addition, Julian specialises in the costs, insurance and funding of high-value and complex litigation across all Stewarts practice areas. He heads the firms and Cost and Funding Disputes and advisory services to external clients. As Risk and Funding partner, Julian is responsible for developing improvements to the legal services Stewarts provides, including development of the Stewarts Litigate and Stewarts Advance insurance facilities.
Julian is Stewarts’ Compliance Officer for Legal Practice.
Publications and media
Julian has authored and contributed to:
- Funding International Arbitration by Petit et al, Globe Law and Business
- Compensation for Future Losses: An International Comparative Review; JPIL
- Personal Injury Schedules textbook by Latimer-Sayer et al; Bloomsbury Press
- Ogden Tables, 8th Edition, lead author of section D (Fatal Accidents), summer 2020.
Accreditations and memberships
- Chair of the Forum of Complex Injuries Solicitors (FOCIS)
- APIL Fellow and accredited specialist in Accidents Abroad, Spinal Injury and Fatal Accidents
- Member of International Spinal Cord Society (ISCOS)
- PEOPIL member
- CJC wider consultation group and CIArb working group, both on third party funding
- Member of the European Law Institute (ELI).
Foreign jurisdictions
Julian has global experience and has been involved in cases throughout Europe (includING Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Jersey, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland.), Middle East and Asia (Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Africa (Morocco, South Africa, Zambia), Bermuda and the USA.
Personal
Julian cycled solo the length of the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in 1999-2000, a total of 15,000 miles. He still braves the streets of London on a bike on a daily basis. He is also an avid off-piste snowboarder, keen dog walker of three, father of two and lapsed gardener.
Experience
Julian fought the case of Harding v Wealands up to the House of Lords, who agreed the assessment of damages for this Australian accident should be in accordance with English law. Not only did that lead to Mr Harding recovering £5.5m compensation for his spinal cord injury, it also set a precedent which helped countless others injured in accidents abroad to recover full compensation.
Another prominent example of Julian’s work is acting for the family of Jules Bianchi, who died nine months after suffering a severe brain injury during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix in 2014.
Career
Julian joined Stewarts in 2000 and was appointed as partner in 2002. He founded the International Injury department in 2007, and built it to become top tier in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500. He is the firm’s Compliance Officer for Legal Practice, Risk and Funding Partner and chair of the Risk and Funding Committee responsible for developing and implementing innovative cost and funding options.
Recognition
Julian is a member of Legal 500’s illustrious Hall of Fame and the sole recipient of Chambers and Partners Star Individual rating in his field. “Julian Chamberlayne is a legend, responsible for developing this outstanding team,”
He also has the rare accolade of a ranking in both the Claimant Personal Injury and Travel: International Injury sections of Chambers and Partners: “Julian Chamberlayne handles an impressive catastrophic injury and fatal claims portfolio…including high-profile mandates. He is a standout practitioner in the travel law space.” Commentators say: “Julian is at the top of his field. He’s details-driven and handles very difficult cases extremely well.”
In 2024 Julian was appointed an APIL Ambassador, in recognition of his long-standing lobbying and commentary on the personal injury discount rate.
In 2025 Julian was individually ranked by Chambers and Partners as Litigation Finance Deal Counsel and was the only lawyer nominated in the Outstanding Advisor section at the International Legal Finance Association awards.
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