Aidan O’Neill KC
King’s Counsel at the Scottish Bar, Bar of England and Wales and Bar of Ireland. A wide ranging legal practice in both London and Edinburgh, with particular experience and expertise in commercial judicial review, environmental/Aarhus law and in employment/equality law. A specialist in EU law, in human rights law and in UK constitutional law. Awarded the Legal 500 UK Bar Award for Scottish Silk of the year for 2020 and EU law Silk of the year in 2015 and Scottish Legal Awards 2017, 2018 and 2019 Silk of the year.
A highly experienced pleader before the top courts. Senior counsel in almost thirty cases to date from across the UK before the UK Supreme Court/ House of Lords, as well before the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights.
Previously teaching fellow at Princeton and Edinburgh universities. Author of substantial academic articles, blog posts and legal practitioner texts.
Selected recent Cases
Back
Lisa Henderson KC FCIArb
Lisa Henderson KC called to the Scottish Bar in 1995. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in September 2016. She was called to the Bar in England and Wales in 2019 and is a tenant at 42 Bedford Row, London. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an Ambassador for the Scottish Arbitration Centre.
Lisa specialises in the most serious clinical negligence and personal injury litigation. She has considerable experience in claims involving cerebral palsy, amputation, complex brain and spinal. She has acted in numerous multi-million-pound settlements.
Lisa is ranked Band 1 in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar for both clinical negligence and personal injury:
“…she has an aptitude for handling cases with complex quantum and causation issues arising from brain and birth injuries”
“Lisa is rigorous, thorough and a really hard worker.” “She is a good advocate and very experienced in clinical negligence.”
The Legal 500 lists her in personal injury and medical negligence saying: “She is extremely hardworking, with extensive experience in high-value personal injury cases.”
Lisa was the author of the personal injury elective for Edinburgh University’s Diploma in Legal Practice and former lead tutor. [2011 and 2017] She is a former honorary senior lecturer at Glasgow University School of Medicine [2012- 2018] and was a visiting lecturer at Pavia University, Italy. [2014 and 2015]. She has also taught at Aberdeen University School of Law. She is regularly invited to chair or present at conferences. She teaches advocacy skills on a regular basis. She is an advocacy skills instructor on the Faculty of Advocates devils [pupils] training programme.
Back
Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick has developed a particular interest in medical negligence actions. Mark has come to act principally for Defenders and has represented the interests of various Health Boards in numerous Fatal Accident Inquiries arising out of unexpected deaths in hospital. He also has an interest in mental health law.
Back
Vinit Khurana KC
Vinit Khurana KC is the only practising member of the Scottish Bar dually qualified in law and medicine. He has the unique distinction of having practised as a medical General Practitioner for over a decade as well as being an Advocate since 1999. He took silk in 2018.
Vinit has a wide ranging practice involving both appearance and advisory work. He has experience of acting for and against private individuals and corporations. He also has experience of acing for and against public bodies. He regularly acts for and against health boards in professional negligence and personal injury cases.
Vinit specialises in all aspects of Medical Law including clinical negligence, judicial review, professional disciplinary matters, regulatory work and mental health. He is one of the most experienced practitioners at the Scottish Bar in relation to Fatal Accident Inquiries having appeared at over 20 such Inquiries since 2000. Since calling in 1999 his medical knowledge has proven to be a valuable asset in a wide variety of cases. His instructions have encompassed both civil and criminal work. Examples of the breadth of his instructions include: fraud cases brought by Health Boards against Optometrists before the NHS Tribunal; the chairing of the NHS Classification Appeal Committee in respect of disciplinary matters; appearances on behalf of the National Appeal Panel in judicial review petitions for entry to the pharmaceutical list; and advisory work in connection with many other matters related to the provision of healthcare including competition law issues in the provision of dispensing services by pharmacists and GPs, optometric and pharmaceutical services regulation, contractual arrangements between Health Boards and GP primary care providers, mental health matters and ECHR issues in the areas of organ donation and treatment refusal.
Vinit was the Chair of the Faculty of Advocates Sub-Committee which responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the reform of mental health legislation. He has also responded on behalf of the Faculty of Advocates to Scottish Government consultations on organ donation and transplant. He is currently a member of the Faculty Committee that oversees all of the Faculty’s responses to Scottish Government consultations.
Throughout his career Vinit has been prepared to work in new areas. He enjoys new challenges. He is a conscientious and hard worker. This has allowed him to gain an understanding of the particular circumstances of and the legal background to the cases in which he has been instructed. As well as appearing in court in complex, high profile and urgent matters, he regularly provides written advice on a wide variety of matters.
Vinit was called to the Bar of England & Wales in 2019. He can accept instructions in England and Wales via his clerks at Whitestone Chambers.
Back
