Myles, a recognised leading junior, is instructed by claimants and defendants for his exemplary client care and effective advocacy be it his deft handling of lay-witnesses or experts, incisive cross-examination skills or his fluent narrative style, as well as his strong and sensible negotiating skills.
Myles also has a flourishing paperwork practice and is highly regarded his ability to identify the core issues and present complex legal arguments in easy-to-follow terms and language, as well as a quick turnaround.
From 2006-2010 Myles returned to live in Spain where he worked for the well-known Anglo-Spanish law firm, De Cotta Law before returning to the Bar to take up his clients’ cudgels.
Myles, an accredited advocacy trainer, regularly lectures and presents seminars to solicitors and insurers. Recently he has given training sessions in person and remotely on recent developments in Cross-border claims, Package Holiday claims, Disease (WRULD & limitation) claims as well as Pre-Action Disclosure applications and Part 36 offers.
In his spare time, Myles enjoys listening to jazz on Spotify and playing the occasional cricket match for his local club, Ham and Petersham CC, as well as the Bar’s very own Refreshers’ CC.
Areas of Expertise
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Personal Injury
Myles has a wide-ranging and substantial personal injury practice and is highly regarded by all who instruct him as well as those who he represents.
Myles is instructed in high value and complex matters, including traumatic brain injury, severe and catastrophic loss.
Myles’ areas of expertise are principally:
- Catastrophic injuries (spinal and brain injuries)
- Chronic pain
- Travel law
- Disease (HAVS, WRULDS, asbestosis and deafness)
- Accidents at work
- Motor insurance issues
- Fatal accidents
- Public liability claims
- Fraudulent and exaggerated claims.
Myles regularly conducts conferences with liability and medical experts, drafts Schedules of Loss and attends joint settlement meetings.
Recent notable cases include:
- Instructed on behalf of a claimant who jumped out of a 3rd floor guesthouse bedroom window in the early hours of the morning during an arson attack perpetrated by a trespasser who had entered the premises via its unlocked front door causing the claimant to suffer life changing spinal injuries. Quantum exceeds £5,000,000.
- Instructed on behalf of a claimant cyclist who was struck by a bus causing him to suffer traumatic brain injuries; settlement was approved in the sum of £460,000.
- Instructed as junior counsel on behalf of a claimant in a disputed claim wherein a pedestrian was struck by a taxi when running out from behind a line of parked cars to cross the road causing him to suffer life-changing traumatic brain injuries thereby; particularised losses exceeded £22,500,000, settlement approved in the sum of £4,500,000.
- Instructed on behalf of a claimant in an employers’ liability claim who landed on the rotating blades of an upturned sit-on lawn mower and suffered catastrophic injuries to the left shoulder, arm and partial amputation of the hand; settlement was negotiated at a joint settlement meeting in the sum of £925,000.
Myles has an established travel law practice and accepts instructions in all areas of the field including:
- Holiday or excursion claims where jurisdiction is an issue
- Package Travel Regulation claims
- Montreal Convention claims (air travel)
- Athens Convention claims (cruise ships)
- Gastric illness claims.
Recent notable cases include:
Instructed upon behalf of a claimant who upon being asked to stand up from his wheelchair when presenting his passport at immigration control in Marrakech airport, collapsed, fell to the floor and suffered traumatic brain injuries when striking his head on the marble floor; an extremely high-risk claim brought under Article 3 of the Montreal Convention and/or the Package Holiday Regulations which had been refused ATE insurance by 3 different insurers. The claim was compromised with both defendants on extremely favourable terms shortly after the case was listed for a 3-day liability-only trial.
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Disease
Myles is an experienced industrial disease practitioner, acting in asbestos/respiratory, NIHL, WRULD and dermatitis cases.
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Clinical Negligence
Myles has a growing clinical negligence practice, representing parties in Accident and Emergency Medicine, Cosmetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dentistry and General Medicine claims.
Increasingly, he is instructed from the very outset of litigation, assessing the merits of potential claims on the medical records as well as advising as to breach of duty reports and causation reports, drafting, valuing claims and advising on settlement, in addition to attending interlocutory and Case and Costs Management Conference hearings.
About
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Professional Membership
- Personal Injuries Bar Association
- Professional Negligence Bar Association
- Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
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Qualifications
- University of York, MA in Political Philosophy (The Idea of Toleration) 1994
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LLB (Hons)) 1992
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“Myles is thorough, methodical, great at thinking outside of the box, and not afraid of a challenge. He is excellent with clients and makes them feel at ease.”
Legal 500 2023 – Personal Injury
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“Myles is very on the ball, his eye for details is second to none, his client care is exceptional and his enthusiasm is contagious.”
Legal 500 2022 – Personal Injury