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Hendersons - Barristers' Chambers

Celia Oldham

"Celia is all over the details of her matters and is a pleasure to work with."

Legal 500 2022


Call
2015

Celia Oldham has a commercial litigation practice with a particular focus on group litigation, product liability, and consumer law. She has been ranked by the Legal 500 in Tier 1 as a “Rising Star” in Product Liability in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and was named the Group Litigation and Consumer Junior of the year 2022 by Legal 500.

She regularly appears in large scale group litigation and product liability claims. In 2022-2023 she represented Qatar Airways in one of the Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2023.

She has significant experience of consumer and commercial law, and regularly represents banks, large and small, in a range of different disputes at courts and tribunals of multiple levels, and is experienced at representing clients either as a sole advocate, or as part of a team of counsel.

Celia’s practice focuses on group claims, product liability, commercial law and consumer law, but she also regularly appears in disputes across chambers’ practice areas, and has been instructed in a wide range of matters ranging from property law, to public procurement, to clinical negligence, to advising the High Court Enforcement Office on proposed amendments to legislation.

Celia graduated from Trinity Hall, Cambridge, with a Double First in History. She was awarded a distinction on the GDL and an outstanding on the BPTC, and joined Chambers in 2017.


For more information about the way barristers at Henderson Chambers work, including our terms of engagement, fee transparency statement and our complaints process, please click here.  Barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

Please click here for a copy of Celia Oldham’s privacy policy.

 

Expertise


Product Liability & Group Actions

Celia is recognised by the Legal 500 as a rising star in this field, in which she is ranked in Tier 1. Celia was awarded the Legal 500 Group Litigation and Consumer Junior of the year 2022.

She has appeared, and continues to appear, as a junior in high profile group actions, ranging from disputes with a clinical angle to environmental claims, raising complex issues of breach of contract, deceit, and competition law, as well as causes of action brought under a wide range of consumer statutes. She represented Volkswagen in the original VW NOx Emissions Litigation, and currently represents Volkswagen in further Emissions Litigation, as well as a school trust in pre-action group litigation concerning infected blood products.

Celia also appears in unitary product liability actions, both as a sole advocate and in a led capacity. She recently represented Qatar Airways in a billion pound aviation dispute against Airbus concerning the accelerated surface degradation of A350 aircraft and exposure of the expanded copper foil (ECF) lightning protection system.

Representative cases

grid list
  • VW NOx Emissions Group Litigation and Ongoing Emissions Litigation

    Instructed on behalf of multiple Volkswagen entities in a group action in which the Claimants bring a wide range of claims, based on contract law, consumer law, tort and breach of statute.

  • Qatar Airways v Airbus

    Represented Qatar in a high profile dispute concerning surface degradation of aircraft, which raised a wide range of regulatory, contractual and expert issues. Celia worked in particular on the technical and expert aspects of the case, ranging from aeronautical engineering, to materials and polymer science, to finite element method modelling. This case is one of The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of 2023.

  • The Pre-Action Treloar Trust Litigation

    Instructed on behalf of the defendant school trust in a set of pre-action claims advanced by former pupils in respect of blood products they received from NHS institutions while they attended the school

  • The Pandemrix vaccine damage issue

    Instructed as a junior in this high profile vaccine damage dispute arising from allegations that a flu vaccination caused narcolepsy and cataplexy.

Consumer

Celia is instructed in a wide range of consumer disputes, both on her own account and as a junior, enabling

her to offer in-depth advice and representation in all sorts of disputes. Celia was awarded the Legal 500 Group Litigation and Consumer Junior of the year 2022.

She regularly advises and appears on behalf of banks and other creditors in matters arising out of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. She has appeared in a wide range of final and application hearings at courts of different levels, and has significant expertise in relation to the various causes of actions contained in the Consumer Credit Acts 1974 and 2006, as well as under the Consumer Protection Act 2015 and “CPUT”.

She also appears in group actions brought by consumers, and is experienced in advising in relation to the particular issues that arise when large numbers of consumers bring claims against a defendant.

Representative cases

grid list
  • VW NOx Emissions Group Litigation and Ongoing Emissions Litigation

    Both actions raise extensive issues of consumer law, including under CPUT and the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

  • Arnold v Santander

    Successfully represented the defendant bank in a claim brought under the unfair relationship provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. This case is representative of a wide range of claims in which Celia appears for defendant banks.

Commercial & Insurance

Celia advises, drafts and represents clients in a broad range of different commercial disputes, raising a wide range of issues including sale of goods, insurance law, and product liability.

Representative cases

grid list
  • Stirling Mortimer Fund

    Instructed as a junior on behalf of a Guernsey fund in a dispute raising issues of large-scale fraud, an auditor’s professional negligence, insurance notification, and insurance aggregation.

Administrative and Public Law

Celia has been instructed by both local and central government in matters ranging from immigration to public inquiries to public procurement.

Her practice in this area encompasses drafting, providing advice, and advocacy. She has appeared in the Technology and Construction Court on behalf of a local authority in the context of a complicated procurement dispute relating to information technology platforms.

Property

Celia has experience of residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes, including forfeiture proceedings and collective leasehold enfranchisement.

She also has experience of property-related disputes relating to defective products and negligence.

 

What the directories say


"Celia is excellent in getting on top of the detail. She is knowledgeable, personable and a real pleasure to work with."
Legal 500 2023

"Celia is hard working, personable and very conscientious. Celia is all over the details of her matters and is a pleasure to work with."
Legal 500 2022

"The obvious choice of one to watch for product liability."
Legal 500 2021

Instructing Celia Oldham

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team

Call +44 (0)20 7583 9020
or email

Memberships
  • Administrative Law Bar Association
  • British Insurance Law Association
  • Human Rights Law Associaton
  • Health & Safety Lawyers’ Association
Education
  • History BA (Hons), Double First, Trinity Hall, Cambridge University
  • GDL, Distinction, City University
  • BPTC, Outstanding, City University
  • Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincolns Inn
  • Megarry Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Buchanan Award, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Kitty Crawley History Award, Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Regulatory Information

All members of Chambers are registered with the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales. For our standard contractual terms click here.

For more information about the way barristers at Henderson Chambers work, including our fee transparency statement and our complaints process, please click here.

Bar Council Number: 66474

VAT Registration Number: 266620496

Legal Status: Barrister

Professional Insurance: All members of Chambers have professional liability insurance provided by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Ltd. Territorial coverage is world-wide and subject to the term of the Bar Mutual. Click here for details.

Regulated by the Bar Standards Board.

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