Michael Kent QC has an extensive practice in a range of common law fields including personal injuries and disease work; liability insurance; product liability; nuisance and property disputes involving developers; land contamination and related litigation. He has considerable experience of handling expert witnesses in varied specialisms and is well regarded as an appellate advocate at all levels. He has appeared in many of the leading cases in the development of the law of tort. Much of his work involves GLOs, subrogated claims by EL and PL insurers and advice on coverage issues. He has been involved in a variety of proceedings for central government departments in judicial review and private law actions. Some of this work involves considerations of European Community law and he has appeared in the ECJ. He has advised the States of Jersey and their Law Officers on various cases proceeding in the Royal Court.
He is recognised as a “leading silk” in the major legal directories.
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- HOLMES v S&B Concrete Ltd [2020] EWHC 2277 (QB): appeal judgment confirms that claimants in personal injury cases are not able to outflank a limitation defence by recourse to the rule that time for limitation purposes ceases to run on a resolution to wind up a defendant company
- Crown Office Chambers feature in three of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2019
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Qualifications
- Inns of Court School of Law (1973 – 1975)
- BA (Hons) Politics, University of Sussex (1970 – 1973)
- Nautical College, Pangbourne (1965 – 1969)
- Recorder of the Crown Court
- Deputy High Court Judge (Queen’s Bench Division and Administrative Court).
- He is a Bencher of the Middle Temple
Memberships
- London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (Chairman 2011-13)
- Administrative Law Bar Association
- Tecbar
- Chairman of working group on expert witnesses for Inns of Court College of Advocacy (2018)
Recommendations
“Regarded with the utmost respect by peers and also by the judiciary.”
Legal 500, 2021
“Always a calm and measured presence in conference and courtroom alike. His advocacy skills are excellent, as is his ability to provide clarity in the most complex of cases.”
Legal 500, 2021
“He has the most wonderful advocacy style – he’s calm, silky and measured.” “He is hugely intelligent and pleasure to work with.”
Chambers & Partners, 2020
“He is particularly strong handling high-profile group litigation.”
Legal 500, 2020
“A highly skilled advocate who is able to get to grips with the most complex of issues…The epitome of a smooth operator. An excellent QC whom I can’t recommend highly enough.”
Chambers & Partners, 2018
“A very high-quality silk.”
Legal 500, 2017
“He has a profound understanding of legal principles and how to construct a case.”
Legal 500, 2017
“he is very well respected and you would instruct him in any significant disease cases”
Chambers & Partners, 2016
very intelligent and capable of very quick thinking on his feet”
Legal 500, 2016
a highly intelligent advocate, who has particular experience in group actions”
Chambers & Partners, 2015
“a highly intelligent, very responsive silk”
Legal 500, 2015
“extremely bright..the finest appeal advocate I have ever seen”
Chambers & Partners, 2014