Tara O’Halloran

Tara acts for both claimants and respondents in the Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal, and has a particular interest in employment status, sham contract, unfair dismissal and healthcare-related disputes. She has also appeared in a number of discrimination and victimisation claims on behalf of claimants and NHS Trusts. Tara has assisted the British Medical Association and members of Chambers in their representation of Dr Eva Carneiro v Jose Mourinho & Chelsea F.C. And she was sole counsel in the reported sham contract case, Dynasystems for Trade and General Consulting Ltd v Moseley, EAT, [2018] 1 WLUK 416.

Tara regularly appears in multi-track and high-value fast track trials involving accidents at work, occupiers’ liability and defective product cases. She drafted submissions on behalf of the London Ambulance Service for the inquests into the Westminster and London Bridge Terrorist Attacks. Tara also represented a family in a jury inquest into the death of a lift worker crushed to death on a ferry. The remaining interested parties were represented by Queen’s Counsel and senior juniors. Read more about the case here. She is currently instructed in a case relating to the death of Ms Tahnie Martin: see https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-48841839

Tara has experience in all aspects of clinical negligence law. Recent work includes advising on claims for delay in diagnosis of a knee infection, mismanagement of bladder care during labour and delivery, and psychiatric harm caused by the release of a voluntary inpatient. Tara also regularly appears in CMCs and CCMCs on behalf of claimants and defendants.

• “Just to let you know the client wanted me to extend their thanks to you and said you were ‘unanimously thought of by the [Trust]’s attendees as highly professional, knowledgeable and persuasive but yet humane and down to earth’.”
• “Great compliments from the client…so much so that they have asked if it would be possible for her to do [another] case for them…Their comments included how good she was at cross-examination, but still treated the Claimant with respect. Good barrister, with a human side.”
• “Just to let you know I was very impressed with Tara today and have just heard from client, as I left early, to say that she was brutal in cross-examination.”
• “Thanks again for doing such a fantastic job with this hearing today – you have certainly spared some blushes at this end. I know that you put a lot of hard work into this, which is much appreciated. I have told my MD about this hearing and she is extremely impressed. As a firm we are keen to work with you again once you return from your travels and if we get the chance to before April, and personally I would certainly like to work with you again on some of my cases.”
• “Please pass on my thanks to Tara, an incredible barrister who was so calm but firm and very professional. When we first met her, Sean and I must have looked really worried but almost immediately she put us at ease and said think of it as an experience and what an interesting experience it was. I knew as soon as I met her I would be in good hands. Of course I’m over the moon and grateful with the outcome but even if I didn’t win I would still be sending this email because I could see the dedication and drive Tara has within. Great teamwork all round so many thanks to all involved.”
• “I would be grateful if you could pass on a note to Tara’s head of chambers. I would like to thank her and particularly make note to her chambers how effective and professional she was…Without her we would not have uncovered vital evidence of poor care, and the court may well have retired ignorant of potential further risk to life from the lack of a robust process put in place following a serious medication error leading to the death of my mother. I and my family are hugely grateful to her for the diligent work and the care she took meticulously presenting evidence and questioning the relevant parties. I feel that justice was served that day and I owe much of that to Tara, without whom it may have been impossible to get to the bottom of the case details. She was clearly significantly more professional and better prepared than her opposition, and was a credit to your chambers. You have a young lady to watch, she will go far! Many thanks from a grateful family.”
• “I just want to thank you again; it was a pleasure to meet you and get to know you over the last few days. You are a credit to your profession, the perfect choice for us because of your wonderful passion for justice and fairness and I hope that you never lose that, particularly reflecting on the tough world that you’re in.”
• “Just a quick note to say thanks for doing such a top-rate job today. I can’t overestimate the attention it received from [the] senior management team… It’s been a while since I observed a FT trial, still I thoroughly enjoyed watching you batter the Claimant’s poorly prepared and woefully presented case into oblivion! Will – Tara was excellent today!”

• Hollie Douse v Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2019] EWHC 2294 (QB) – AvMA Newsletter June 2020
• Old Square Chambers Act In Judicial Review of Mayor of London’s Congestion Charge Decision
• Ben Collins QC and Tara O’Halloran feature in the AvMA Newsletter – April 2019
• High Court Grants Permission for Judicial Review of Mayor of London’s Congestion Charge Decision
• Old Square Barristers Acting In Challenge To Mayor Of London’s Congestion Charge Decision