Una Doherty KC

Year of Call: 1999

07739 639008
una.doherty@advocates.org.uk

Photo of Una Doherty KC

Great attention to detail and particular strengths in high-value medical negligence claims

Legal 500 UK

Una Doherty KC has been ranked in the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023 editions of the Legal 500 UK Bar Directory for Personal Injury, Medical Negligence and Professional Negligence.

  • 2015 edition: “Great attention to detail and particular strengths in high-value medical negligence claims.”
  • 2016 edition: “An impressive ability to assimilate a lot of technical information very quickly.”
  • 2017 edition: “Reliable and well organised.”
  • 2018 edition: “A high calibre advocate.”
  • 2019 edition: “Extremely reliable, quick-witted and efficient.”
  • 2021 edition: “Una has an incredible eye for detail and getting into the minutiae of a case. She runs consultations, negotiations and court hearings very well, making her a go-to senior counsel.”
  • 2023 edition: ‘Una is incredibly calm and instils confidence She is determined and dependable, and has the ability to cut straight through the superfluous and immediately identify the issues at the heart of an action.’

She has also been ranked for clinical negligence in the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions of Chambers UK Bar Guide.

  • 2017 edition: “Very able and efficient. She’s insightful and good at analysing cases.” “She’s always very well prepared.”
  • 2018 edition: “She grasps legal concepts very well, is very tenacious in court, gives very clear advice and is hands-on.” “She has a very broad grasp of how things work on both the defendant and claimant side and is very effective in reaching sensible settlements.”
  • 2019 edition, ranked as a new silk: “Very knowledgeable and very thorough.”
  • 2020 edition: “She is a thoughtful and diligent advocate.” “Her attention to detail is second to none. She’s also great with clients and is quick to spot issues.”
  • 2021 edition: “She is always extremely well prepared and is very thorough. She’s pragmatic and always puts the clients first.” “She is very meticulous, approachable and practical.”
  • 2022 edition: “She is meticulous in her preparation and attention to detail. She turns around work extremely efficiently.” “She is extremely thorough and diligent.”
  • 2023 edition: “Una works with impressive detail, knowledge, diligence and insight.” “She deals with difficult situations with ease.” “Her written work is always clear and concise.” “She has a very good eye for detail.”

Una has a varied civil practice which covers a range of reparation disputes, although her main areas of practice are in personal injury and clinical negligence claims. She is instructed both for pursuers and for defenders and acts for clients ranging from individual litigants to insurers and public bodies. She is regularly instructed by the NHS Central Legal Office. She has extensive experience of high value personal injury claims including those involving catastrophic brain injuries. In the area of clinical negligence, she regularly acts in multi-million pound claims, including cerebral palsy cases. She is currently instructed in the UK and Scottish Covid-19 Inquiries, and the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, representing NHS National Services Scotland.

She has been an Ad Hoc Advocate Depute since 2013, and in that role prosecutes criminal cases in the High Court.

She was a Legal Assessor to the General Teaching Council of Scotland from 2017 to 2021, advising panels on questions of law and procedure in Fitness to Teach proceedings.

In 2017, she completed an International Arbitration Law course at the University of Aberdeen, and was a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators from 2017 to 2021.

Una took silk in 2018.

In 2020, Una qualified as a mediator.

In 2021, Una was appointed as a Legally Qualified Chair by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). In that role Una chairs panels with social service and lay members to decide whether workers’ fitness to practise is impaired.

Recent selected cases:

Confidentiality prohibits the details of the numerous claims which have settled without recourse to the courts or in the course of proof.

Practice areas

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