Skip to content
Hendersons - Barristers' Chambers

Lawrence West KC

"An imposing and dynamic advocate with a commercial approach."

Legal 500 2019


Call
1979
Silk
2003

Lawrence West KC is a highly experienced, effective and dynamic advocate. He has achieved recognition from independent legal directories such as Legal 500, Chambers UK and Legal Business.

He is prominent in such fields as product liability, environmental law and clinical negligence. He is widely experienced in commercial, regulatory, environmental and general common law matters.

He regularly advises and represents local and other public authorities, utilities, industrial concerns and insurers. In doing so, he combines sound legal knowledge and judgment with sensitivity to the practical, political and economic realities affecting his clients.

What Does Lawrence West Bring to Your Case?

  • A keen legal mind
  • A broad range of real experience
  • An open, approachable,  relaxed and friendly manner creating an easy working relationship and impressing your clients with your acumen
  • A client-friendly approach which puts your client and witnesses at their ease so as to permit them to react effectively to the demands of litigation
  • A sensitivity to the practical, personal, economic and political needs and wants of your clients
  • An ability quickly to come to grasp with complicated factual matters, including scientific and medical matters so as to get to the heart of your case

A real talent in deploying his detailed knowledge of your case to engage your opponents with devastating cross-examination


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 Lawrence West’s privacy policy.

 

Expertise


Commercial

Lawrence regularly advises private businesses, local governments and insurers on matters of contract and business regulation. Lately he has been engaged in advising utilities and businesses in such matters as licensing rights, contractual liabilities, commercial strategy, including PFI contracts.

Representative cases

grid list
  • Re a Yorkshire Water Company

    Advising in respect of financial liabilities for licensing rights.

  • Palms Resort Ltd v PPC Privy Council (2010)

    Liability for commercial electricity rates.

  • Providenciales Airport Co v YVR Airport Co

    Advising on contractual liabilities.

  • Islandcom v PPC

    Advising in respect of telecommunications licensing and interference with mobile telephone services.

  • Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation

    Large scale action regarding the liability of Employers Liability Insurers for mesothelioma claims.

  • Combustion Engineering Inc  524(g) Asbestos PI Trust

    Advising American Attorneys, Stutzman Bromberg Esserman & Plifka, in respect of the administration of the trust providing for compensation to asbestos suffers resulting from exposure to Combustion Engineering products sold world-wide.

Health & Safety, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence

Lawrence has developed a substantial practice including the defence of heavier personal injury claims, especially those in which a degree of fraud is suspected and those in which difficult technical scientific or medical issues are raised, including pure clinical medical negligence claims and asbestos claims. He has recent experience in guiding a team through a number of medical claims involving injuries to children and adults resulting in catastrophic disabilities, in bringing to book a plastic surgeon who overreached his abilities securing a judgment exceeding £6 million and in representing 10 local authorities in the Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation.

Representative cases

grid list
  • Wembridge,Wicker & Othrs & ESFRS & Alpha Fireworks

    Personal injury claims – judgment is an important analysis of the health and safety duties of a public employer.

  • Johnson v Fourie

    Clinical negligence claim for nerve damage occasioned by negligent plastic surgery.

  • KHR v Dartford & Gravesham NHS

    Brain damage to child.

  • Page v Barnet and Chase Farm NHS

    Infant brain injury due to midwifery negligence.

  • French v Mayday Healthcare NHS

    Clinical negligence.

  • Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation

    Large scale action regarding the liability of Employers Liability Insurers for mesothelioma claims

Environment

Lawrence regularly advises water undertakers, other utilities, industrial concerns and others on environmental matters including asbestosis, and has extensive experience of product liability cases including those involving food products; agrochemicals; petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals and other medical products; electrical equipment; and exposure to contaminants. He was recently engaged in the very significant Mesothelioma Trigger Litigation in which he represented the interests of all local authorities in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal.

Representative cases

grid list
  • Bampton et al v Powertrain

    Defence of a large series of claims of respiratory illness allegedly caused by exposure to oil mists.

  • Hazelwood v Teignbridge District Council

    Defence of flooding claims.

  • Environment Agency v Hutchison 3G

    Defence of Environment Act prosecution.

  • HSE v Cleanaway Ltd

    Defence of H&S prosecutions arising out industrial fatalities.

  • Merchant Retail Group Plc v Northumberland County Council (Bell J 13th April 2000 - All England Official Transcript 2000)

    Local authority’s liability for flooding.

  • Cambridge Water Co v Eastern Counties Leather Plc [1994] 2 AC 264

    Rylands v Fletcher – chemical solvent – pollution of underground water supply.

Product Liability

Lawrence has extensive experience of product liability cases including those involving food products; agrochemicals; petrochemicals; pharmaceuticals and other medical products; electrical equipment; and exposure to contaminants. He has been instructed in the PIP Breast Implants group litigation, the Sudan Red litigation, the Skania 4 Series Group Action (defective lorry designs), Powertrain Group Action (exposure to defective metal working fluids), UPVC pinking claims, litigation in respect of defective UV lamps, flooding claims arising out of defectively manufactured radiators installed in large commercial premises, defective hip prosthesis, heart defibrillators and defective food and food packaging claims.

 

What the directories say


"Has extensive experience of product liability cases."
Legal 500 2019

"Lawrence West offers 'robust, precise advice' and 'is great on his feet'."

"A strong player in water and sewerage matters."
Legal 500 2020

Instructing Lawrence West KC

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team

Call +44 (0)20 7583 9020
or email

Appointments
  • Recorder (2000)
  • King’s Counsel (QC 2003)
  • Accredited Mediator
  • MCIArb
Memberships
  • Bar European Groud
  • London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
  • PEBA
  • Personal Injuries Bar Association
Education
  • BA University of Toronto (1967)
  • LLB University of Toronto (1970)
  • LLM London (LSE) (1971)
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: 18584

VAT Registration Number: 245778817

Legal Status: King’s Counsel

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.

Shortlist Builder

Close

Select the Expertise that you would like to download or add to the shortlist

Download Add to shortlist
Shortlist close
Title Type CV

Remove All

Download


Click here to email this list.