In Theo’s complex injury practice, he acts for clients who face the challenges of significant physical or psychiatric disability, or both, or, where the injury has sadly resulted in death, for the deceased person’s family and dependants. Theo has been at the forefront of developments in the law of complex and technical medico-legal claims.
Theo acted for celebrated Canadian-Haitian conceptual artist Mr Mathieu in the leading case of Mathieu v Aviva, a case raising a number of important issues, including the link between TBI and subsequent onset of dementia.
Theo has appeared 5 times in the Supreme Court (4 as a leader, including leading 2 current Justices of the Court of Appeal). He led on quantum issues in the Hip Prosthesis group litigation, and advising on appeals to challenge current orthodoxy in cases as different as Williams v Birmingham University (asbestos low exposure liability), Lowe v Guise (care claims in respect of care of claimant’s disabled partner), and Chell v Tarmac (vicarious liability for ‘horseplay’ in the workplace) In 2018-19 he successfully obtained, and then defended the appeal by the Royal Opera House against, the judge’s award for serious noise injury to Christopher Goldscheider, former world class viola player: ROH v Goldscheider (2019).
Theo has particular knowledge of complex quantum issues, dating back to the first of his many Court of Appeal cases in Herring v MOD (2003) (loss of chance of a potential career as a police officer); he wrote Butterworths’ 2007 introductory practice manual on periodical payments: “Future Loss in Practice: Lump Sums and Periodical Payments”. He prefers to work without paper in and out of court, and has pioneered effective systems for digital and automated working as an advocate.
