Abigail has advocacy and advisory experience in health and safety prosecutions in the Magistrates and Crown Courts.  She regularly advises and acts for Defendant companies facing prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and related health and safety regulations.  
Abigail also has advocacy and advisory experience in civil litigation arising out of workplace accidents.  

Representative Cases

• Instructed as a junior to Roger Henderson QC and Prashant Popat QC in the Buncefield criminal prosecution which led to a 3 month jury trial at St Albans Crown Court.  
• Acted on behalf of a company being prosecuted under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (led by Prashant Popat QC).  The prosecution was dismissed at a pre trial review following legal argument as to the correct interpretation of the RRO.
  

Abigail regularly acts for commercial clients in contractual disputes in areas such as sale of goods, insurance, insolvency and construction.

She has drafting and advisory experience in cases for the recovery of debts and regularly appears in the High Court and county courts in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings.

Abigail also has experience of advising on insurance coverage disputes, for example, whether a products liability policy responded in circumstances where a food product had become contaminated during production.

Abigail often advises in cases in which cross jurisdictional issues arise and she has experience of advising on conflicts of law problems in respect of both jurisdiction and choice of law.

Representative Cases

• Abigail was instructed as a junior to Charles Gibson QC and Geraint Webb in a Commercial Court trial of a £50 million subrogated insurance claim arising out of the failure of a turbine blade which caused a large scale explosion in a power station in South Africa.  

Abigail’s personal injury practice covers the full range of accidents from slipping and tripping to workplace accidents resulting in serious injury or death.  Abigail is regularly instructed to advise on issues of liability and quantum and to appear at interlocutory and final hearings.

Abigail accepts instructions in all areas of residential and commercial property disputes.  She is frequently instructed by private and social landlords and local authorities in possession actions against tenants and trespassers and in applications for injunctive relief, particularly in respect of anti social behaviour.

Abigail has drafting and advisory experience in matters such as adverse possession and boundary disputes.

Abigail is regularly instructed to act on behalf of finance companies in respect of claims for the return of goods and arrears under both regulated and unregulated agreements.

Abigail also has experience of acting for financial institutions in claims brought by consumers relating to bank or credit card charges, mis-selling of PPI and other arguments under the CCA, UCTA or the UTCCR.

Abigail appears in the Employment Tribunal in claims for unfair dismissal and discrimination and has experience of advising on specific matters such as restrictive covenants and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. 

Abigail has assisted a number of members of Chambers in group actions and product liability claims.  For example, claims involving contaminated food products, motor vehicles and pharmaceutical products.  She also has advisory experience in respect of product recalls and the procedures which a company needs to have in place to ensure an effective recall. 

Representative Cases

• Abigail assisted in preparing submissions to the House of Lords and the ECJ in the matter of O’Byrne v Sanofi in respect of the limitation period in product liability cases.

• Eskom Holdings Limited v Alstom - instructed as a junior to Charles Gibson QC and Geraint Webb in a Commercial Court trial of a £50 million subrogated insurance claim arising out of the failure of a turbine blade which caused a large scale explosion in a power station. 
• R v Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited - Instructed as a junior to Roger Henderson QC and Prashant Popat QC in the criminal prosecution arising out of the explosion at the Buncefield Oil Depot which led to a 3 month jury trial at St Albans Crown Court. 
• Instructed on behalf of a company being prosecuted by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (led by Prashant Popat QC).  The prosecution was dismissed at a pre trial review following legal argument as to the correct interpretation of the RRO.
• Earthshine Ltd v Commissioners for Revenue and Customs – instructed as a junior to Patrick Green in an appeal against the withholding of VAT by HMRC on the basis that the appellant company participated in MTIC fraud.