Lucy read English Language and Literature at Trinity College, Oxford, where she achieved a First Class Degree (and came top of her year in Moderations). She was a Percival Exhibitioner and Scholar at Trinity, and won the Mrs Claude Beddington and Violet Vaughan Morgan university prizes.

She then obtained a distinction in the CPE, spent time on a gap year in Russia, China, Hong Kong and South East Asia, and took the Bar Vocational Course at BPP in London.

Lucy is a member of Lincoln’s Inn, and was awarded the Lord Brougham, Lord Mansfield and Lord Sheldon scholarships for the CPE, BVC and pupillage respectively.

Lucy completed pupillage at chambers in 2008-2009, sitting with Neil Hext, Ben Elkington and Graham Chapman. During that time she experienced and assisted with a wide range of chambers work, including large-scale commercial and insurance disputes, and professional negligence disputes involving, for example, solicitors, auditors, surveyors and financial practitioners. She has also had experience of pleading in construction disputes, and of claims involving investors and trusts issues. In particular, she has experience of pure insurance coverage disputes, and has developed a special interest in that type of work.

Since accepting tenancy in chambers, Lucy has been on secondment to a large firm of solicitors, to advise on coverage issues and on solicitors’ liability in the context of mortgage fraud.

She has recently been instructed, with Graham Chapman, in a multi-million pound mortgage dispute, acting for defendant solicitors. So far, this has involved the challenge of developing the right tactical approach to multiple claims, and has included advising on solicitors’ duties in respect of ex-clients’ confidentiality and privilege.

She has also been instructed, behind Ben Hubble QC and Clare Dixon, to assist on another multi-party mortgage dispute involving buy-to-let schemes and allegations of large-scale fraud, and is interested in the development of law in this area.

She has also recently assisted a senior member of chambers with a very high value auditors’ negligence mediation taking place in Hong Kong, carrying out research into the English and Hong Kong law position for a large firm of solicitors in Hong Kong, and developing a real interest in Hong Kong law.

Lucy appeared as junior counsel to the Secretary of State for Health with Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC in the matter of R (on the application of McVey) v Secretary of State for Health [2010] EWHC 437 and [2010] EWHC 1225, in which the Secretary of State successfully resisted the judicial review brought in respect of the ex gratia compensation scheme set up by the government to compensate those infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, including a challenge by interested parties, who are living victims of the disease.  This judicial review engaged private law questions regarding trusts, and also questions of the court’s jurisdiction in relation to interested parties.

She hopes to develop her public law practice, and enjoys the challenge and flexibility of moving between different types of law.

Lucy is also instructed on her own, in particular:

• To advise and draft in respect of professional negligence claims, often against solicitors;
• To advise in respect of solicitors’ liability for fees and costs;  
• By major banks and other lenders in mortgage related disputes, including applications and possession-related hearings in county courts, and associated debt actions.
• To appear in the county courts in respect of small claims and fast track contract disputes in the county courts, both CMCs and trials, and to advise and draft in respect of contractual disputes.
  

Lucy is looking forward to the challenge of developing her practice in multiple areas of chambers work, and of continuing to work with other members of chambers. She is equally enthusiastic about paperwork and court work, and especially enjoys work which involves client contact and discussion.

Lucy is a member of COMBAR, PNBA and ALBA. She contributes to the Civil Procedure Reports for Westlaw, and has contributed to the UK Human Rights Blog.