Alexander Antelme

Alexander Antelme

General Information

MA (Oxon)

 

Practice

The Buncefield Litigation
For a significant part of the last two years, Alex has been involved in the Buncefield Litigation arising out of the massive gas explosion in Hertfordshire in December 2005. He appeared both in the three month trial of preliminary issues in the Commercial Court in 2008 and in the Court of Appeal in January 2010 on behalf of Total. The value of the litigation is in the region of £1bn and involves disputes between oil companies, commercial property owners and private individuals. Issues include contractual disputes, construction of indemnity clauses, insurance, product liability, the recovery of pure economic loss, vicarious liability, public nuisance, private nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher. The matter is ongoing.

 

Clinical Negligence
Alex acts both for Claimants and the NHSLA. Many of his cases are of the highest value and involve the analysis of complex factual and legal issues involving large numbers of experts. Alex regularly represents clients at round table meetings and has a record of achieving the satisfactory resolution of cases without the need for a trial. He has experience of most areas of clinical practice. In the last year, he has been involved in substantial cases involving obstetrics, gynaecology, cardiology, accident and emergency medicine,  neurosurgery, neurology, orthopaedics, colo-rectal surgery, ophthalmology, ENT surgery, the contraction of MRSA, the conduct of out-of-hours GPs and the treatment of epilepsy. He has also been involved in significant cases concerning the impact of alternative funding on claims.

 

Product Liability
Alex is regularly instructed in a range of product liability cases. Many of the cases are of a very high value and have an international element requiring liaison with clients and legal teams in other jurisdictions. His current and recent cases include pharmaceutical products, drug trials, domestic products where defects have led to product withdrawals and defects in commercial and agricultural vehicles. Cases have involved property damages, catastrophic personal injuries and significant loss of profit/business interruption claims. He has acted as a junior to leading counsel, and on his own (often against leading counsel).

 

Professional Negligence/Commercial/Insurance
Alex acts in professional negligence matters including those involving surveyors, insurance brokers, architects, accountants, solicitors, stockbrokers and barristers. He is instructed in a range of commercial disputes for Claimants and Defendants.  He acts in insurance disputes both for major insurers and for Claimants including cases involving issues of double insurance, fraud, fire, property damage, theft, motor and PHI cover.

 

Personal Injury
Alex acts in all areas of personal injury work for both Claimants and Defendants including cases involving catastrophic injuries. He is often instructed where there are difficult causation issues. He has particular experience of fatal accident claims. A number of recent cases have involved allegations of fraud.

 

PROFESSIONAL GUIDES

Chambers & Partners: recommended as a Leader at the Bar in product liability, clinical negligence and personal injury.

  • 2010: continues to enjoy the backing of the market. Sources explain that they always find him to be "on the ball." Solicitors approve of the way that he prepares thoroughly for conferences and covers key areas with care... has "personal injury knowledge that is second to none." Noted for his excellent preparation of cases, he recently acted for a catastrophically injured claimant who was an illegal immigrant, in a case involving complex issues of future funding and domicile... consensus that the talented junior "performs well above his years of call."
  • 2009:  methodical, hard-working, good on paperwork and thorough in conference...Confident and well prepared, detailed and precise.
  • 2008:  punches above his weight...unshakeably reliable even on the most difficult of cases...If I have a sticky problem, he's the barrister I contact first...excellent eye for detail...helpful and accurate... provides ‘excellent advice for clients'.
  • 2007:  someone solicitors say "you can't fault" and is a lawyer who works "extremely hard".
  • 2006:  well prepared and good with clients...punches above his weight ... marked out as a name of the future.

 

Legal 500: recommended as a leading junior in product liability and clinical negligence.

  • 2009: is robust and impressive in round-table negotiations...very competent and a pleasure to work with.
  • 2008:  described as having ‘excellent technical knowledge'.
  • 2007:  his all round skill and knowledge continues to draw plaudits.

 

Legal Week

  • 2005: The remarkably good Alexander Antelme is another junior who attracts superlatives ... He is in a class of his own: works extremely hard... very thorough and very nice which always helps...Antelme is very bright, a very good advocate and very pragmatic.

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Commercial Bar Association, Professional Negligence Bar Association, London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association, Personal Injury Bar Association.

 

Selected Cases

Clinical Negligence

  • Goodwin v Kingston NHS Hospital (2009-).  Alex acts for the infant Claimant who suffered severe brain injury at birth after a failure to administer antibiotics to his mother.
  • Gray v Ubani and others (2009-).  Alex acts for one of the Defendants in this high-profile case. The deceased died from an overdose given by a out-of-hours doctor who had travelled to the UK on the same day. Claims are brought under the Human Rights Act.
  • Wedderburn v Newham University Hospital (2009-). Alex acts for the infant Claimant who suffered severe brain injury at birth.
  • Lockham v Buckinghamshire Hospital NHS Trust (2009). Alex acted for the NHSLA in this claim by the estate and dependants of the deceased who died after giving birth.
  • Gable v Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust (2009). HHJ Hawkesworth QC. The Claimant alleged that there had been a failure to obtain appropriate consent prior to ear surgery. Alex acted for the Defendant at trial successfully defeating allegations in respect of breach of duty and causation.
  • Ashton v MOD (2009). Alex acted for the NHSLA from whom the MOD sought a contribution to the multi-million pound settlement it had reached with a serving soldier catastrophically injured in an RTA. The matter was resolved at a round table meeting.
  • Crofton v NHSLA [2007] 1 WLR 923. Alex acted for the NHSLA in this case. He was led by Philip Havers QC and then by John Grace QC. The issue of whether future local authority funding should be taken into account in future care awards proceeded to the Court of Appeal.
  • Parkin v Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust [2002] EWCA Civ 478, [2002] CP Rep 44. Alex initially acted alone for the Defendant in this very serious brain damage case arising out of peri-natal clinical negligence. He was then led by Robert Owen QC and then Philip Havers QC. It is understood that the eventual settlement remains the largest clinical negligence settlement in the UK.
  • Hunt v NHSLA Potts J. [2000] MLC 0246. He was led by David Foskett QC acting for the Defendant in this peri-natal brain damage case. The Claimant was successful at first instance. The matter was settled prior to appeal.

 

Professional Negligence/Commercial/Insurance

  • The Buncefield litigation [2009] 2 Lloyd's Rep 1. See above. Alex was led by Andrew Bartlett QC and Lord Grabiner QC at first instance and by Christopher Butcher QC and Lord Grabiner QC in the Court of Appeal.
  • London Underground Limited v Metronet Rail BCV Ltd and anr [2008] EWHC 502 TCC. (Ramsey J). Alex was led by Andrew Bartlett QC, The dispute involved the rights of London Underground to issue corrective action notices in respect of the delayed provision of certain station upgrades.
  • Metronet Rail BCV Limited v London Underground Limited [2007] All ER (D) 99 TCC. (Ramsey J). Alex was led by Andrew Bartlett QC. The dispute involved the obligations of the parties under the PPP service contract for provision of power for the Victoria Line Upgrade.
  • Alexander Forbes Europe Limited v SBJ Limited [2003] Lloyds Rep PN 137, [2003] Lloyd's Rep. I.R. 432; [2003] P.N.L.R. 15, Commercial Court; Mr David Mackie QC. Alex was led by Simon Brown QC and acted for the Claimants in their successful action against professional indemnity insurance brokers. The background to the case was the notification of pension misselling in the 1990s.
  • Layland v Fairview New Homes plc & anr [2003] BLR 20 (Ch) (Neuberger J). Alex acted for the local authority in this appeal concerning Part 24 applications and the relevance of expert surveyors' evidence.
  • Hatswell v Goldbergs (a firm) and Wolferstans (a firm) [2002] Lloyds LR (Prof Neg) 359. Alex acted for the Claimant suing his former solicitors for their negligent handling of his clinical negligence claim. He was led by Dr Michael Powers QC at the two first instance hearings. He appeared alone in the Court of Appeal.
  • Mingides v Alexandrou (2001), 4.5.01. Mackay J. Alex acted for the Defendant in this solicitors' negligence case concerning the loss of a chance of an underlying personal injury action.
  • The Wickens Litigation (QBD) (1999) Bell J. Alex acted for a defendant in the extensive litigation arising out of the collapse of a building in the South of England in which 5 people were killed. He was initially retained to deal with insurance issues and was led by John Slater QC. He was led at the trial of the substantive professional negligence issues by Simon Brown QC.
  • Ridley Construction v BP Collins and Co and another (1999) Sullivan J. Alex acted for the third party surveyor in an action brought by a property company against solicitors following purchase of development land.
  • Matrix Securities v Theodore Goddard and David Goldberg QC [1998] PNLR 290 (ChD - Lloyd J). Alex acted as junior to John Slater QC for the Plaintiff who sued its solicitors and barrister for alleged negligence relating to tax advice.
  • Banque Bruxelles Lambert v Zurich Insurance Company Limited (QBD - commercial court). Alex was a member of a team of counsel acting for Defendant insurers against BBL who sought an indemnity following the John D Wood litigation. Insurers avoided on the basis of fraud. The matter was settled.
  • Capital and Counties Plc v Hampshire County Council [1996] 4 All ER 33 (HH Judge Havery QC), Court of Appeal [1997] 2 All ER 865. Alex was part of the successful team of counsel including John Slater QC and Simon Brown QC acting for the Plaintiff in a multi-million pound action arising out of a fire at commercial premises. There were initially five defendants including the fire brigade, architects and building contractors. Settlement was reached with all but the fire brigade against whom an £18m judgment was obtained.

Product liability

  • The Haemophiliac/Blood Litigation. Alex acts for a US Pharmaceutical company in respect of the second general haemophiliac/infected blood litigation. The matter is ongoing.
  • The Northwick Park Hospital/Paraxel Clinical Trials.  Alex acted for five of the Claimants in respect of severe injuries arising from a drug trial. He was led by Michael Spencer QC.
  • The Depuy Hylamer Group Litigation.  Alex was instructed by Depuy International in this group action involving allegedly defective hip prostheses. He was led by Michael Spencer QC.
  • Gordon-Stables and others v Eurocopter SA and FAG Kugelfischer GmbH :  Alex acted for a German component manufacturer in a series of actions (inquest, fatal accident claims and commercial court claim) arising out of the failure of helicopters manufactured in France.

 

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