Partner, International Injury, Stewarts
Chris is a specialist international injury lawyer who acts exclusively for the victims of accidents abroad and in disputes with tour operators, hotels, travel providers and insurers. He is ranked as a leading travel lawyer in both Chambers and The Legal 500. Chambers 2021 commented "He is a very experienced and very clever lawyer" and The Legal 500 describes Chris as a “superb travel lawyer; he is knowledgeable, tenacious, compassionate and intellectually astute.”
Expertise
Chris represents clients following serious international accidents, usually UK residents injured overseas but also foreign nationals who sustain life-changing injuries in the UK. Fluent in French, his background in international law means he is well placed to advise in relation to claims arising from incidents across the globe. He has written, presented and advised on the implications of Brexit for international injury claims.
Recognition
Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 rank Chris as a leading individual in travel law and international injury.
The Legal 500 2021 comments he is a “Fantastic lawyer, personable and very savvy. Achieves excellent results in all of his cases”. They call Chris “hugely experienced and very thorough” and name him as one of their ‘next generation partners’. Chambers 2021 quoted one market commentator as saying: “I would trust him with a case of any value and complexity.”
In previous editions Chambers has called Chris “intellectually gifted and amazingly conscientious…all-round class act; he puts the extra 10% on top of the 100%.”
Chris was once again listed as a rising star in Chambers 2019, sources describe him as an “absolutely fabulous guy” who has “lots of good ideas” and is “very much on top of international work and issues.” He is also praised for his client service, as well as his “in-depth knowledge and sympathy to traumatic circumstances.”
The Legal 500 has previously described Chris as “absolutely dedicated and organised” and “outstanding” noting his “good judgement and calm approach”. Satisfied clients praise “his invaluable ability to put technical terms into language a lay client can understand”.
Experience
Chris represents clients in a range of serious international personal injury cases.
In April 2021 Chris secured High Court approval for a £13.35m settlement in the case of FGH v XS Direct and others, where Chris represented a child who suffered a spinal cord injury and multiple trauma in a road traffic accident in Poland. The settlement includes staged periodical payments for future care and case management.
He represented the claimant in Lackey v (1) Mallorca Mega Resort SL and (2) Generali, successfully establishing jurisdiction against both the hotel and its insurer in the English courts.
Chris acted for the claimant in Thomas v (1) Baker and (2) ICWA (2015), securing damages of £6.25m following a spinal cord injury she sustained in Australia.
He represented the family of F1 driver Jules Bianchi following his accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and F2 driver Juan Manuel Correa following his serious accident at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix.
He is currently representing a number of seriously injured clients and their families following accidents overseas, including a UK national who suffered serious burns in a dune buggy fire in Dubai.
Career
Chris studied European and French law at the University of Warwick and Lille II, France. He trained at Blake Lapthorn, qualifying into travel litigation before moving to Stewarts in 2013.
Accreditations and Memberships
Chris is an APIL accredited accidents abroad specialist and assessor. He is a member of the Travel and Tourism Lawyers Association, APIL and PEOPIL, and joint coordinator of the APIL International Special Interest Group.
Publications
Chris regularly comments on travel law issues and has appeared on the BBC. He has written for the New Law Journal, the Law Society Gazette, International Travel Insurance Journal and City AM.
Personal
Chris’s interests include theatre and travel. He sits on the board of a national street theatre company in a voluntary capacity and is usually always planning his next adventure abroad.
Address:
5 New Street Square
London
EC41 3BF
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7936 8129
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.stewartslaw.com