Hugh Preston KC (ranked as a “Star Individual” by Chambers & Partners 2023) is a leading silk in the fields of Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, Consumer Law and Product Liability. He has particular expertise in all aspects of group litigation.
He was awarded the title “Barrister of the Year” at the PI Awards 2013 and was shortlisted for Barrister of the Year at The Lawyer awards in 2017. He is ranked as a leading silk in Group Litigation (Tier 1), Clinical Negligence (Tier 2) and Product Liability (“Star Individual”) by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.
Hugh’s clinical negligence practice involves complex and maximum severity claims on behalf of claimants. He is currently instructed in over 20 ongoing obstetric and/or neonatal brain damage claims and is regularly instructed in complex birth injury claims involving all aspects of antenatal and neonatal care including failures to respond to CTG indications, excessive bilirubin levels leading to kernicterus, chronic partial and acute asphyxia cases and all aspects of obstetric, midwifery and neonatal management. He also has particular expertise in clinical negligence claims involving medical devices and is currently instructed in the TVT/TOT/TVM Mesh Implant (Consent) litigation arising from allegations of inadequate advice when obtaining consent to vaginal mesh implantations.
Hugh’s product liability practice includes instructions in the highest profile medical device group actions in recent years, including the PIP Breast Implant litigation, the Pinnacle Metal Hip Implant litigation and several other metal hip group actions. He is currently instructed in a large group of vaccine damage claims arising from thrombosis related injuries following administration of the Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine, and by Leigh Day in a group of claims arising from BIA-ALCL cancer caused by textured breast implants (the lead cases were settled in 2022). He is also instructed in infected blood products claims and personal injury and/or property damage following major fire damage incidents (including Grenfell Tower), and for claimants in a group litigation arising from defeat devices used in VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Mercedes motor cars.
He has longstanding wide experience of all aspects of personal injury litigation including historic sexual and physical abuse (particularly group actions involving child abuse and claims against religious and state institutions), claims arising from overseas accidents in the private security industry involved in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the full range of maximum severity claims. More recently he has been consulted in respect of claims arising from the administration of Covid 19 vaccines to vulnerable persons/children.
Hugh is also instructed in a wide variety of commercial and consumer law disputes including consumer credit, sale of goods, supply of services and claims under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPUTR). He is currently instructed in a number of representative actions under CPR 19.6, following the 2021 Supreme Court decision in Lloyd v Google, and has particular expertise in all aspects of group litigation including opt-out consumer law class actions in this rapidly emerging field.
He is currently instructed by Kennedys in a number of Covid-19 related multi-party claims including wedding cancellation claims and a variety of Covid related consumer and Human Rights Law group actions.
Hugh is qualified to accept instructions directly from clients and is registered under the Bar Council’s Public Access Scheme, meaning that members of the public who seek specialist advice can come direct to him. In addition, he welcomes instructions from solicitors, in-house law departments, qualified foreign lawyers, and clients licensed by the Bar Council to give instructions direct to barristers under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access Scheme.