Paul Reynolds

Paul has a great deal of experience acting for both claimants and defendants in clinical negligence cases, and regularly appears in the High Court and County Court for trials, applications, and other procedural hearings. His clinical negligence work also frequently includes advising on complex points of law that may arise out of a clinical negligence claim.

Selected Cases

• PDR v Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2020): instructed as junior for the claimant in £37 million settlement awarded to young boy left brain damaged at birth.
• Successfully defended a number of high-value claims against GP involving delayed diagnosis of cancer.
• Acted for the Claimant in a trial arising out of a misinterpreted x-ray, leading to a failure to properly treat a complex fracture.
• Acted for the Claimant who suffered almost total loss of vision in one eye following complications arising from cataract surgery.
• Defended an NHS Trust in a High Court action where claims have been brought by secondary victims who alleged psychiatric injury following death.
• Advised an NHS Foundation Trust as to its liability in respect of the negligent treatment of an NHS patient whose care was provided in a private hospital, but was funded by the Trust as part of its NHS waiting list reduction initiative.
• Advised in relation to pure economic loss, in a claim where failure to diagnose was said to have caused the Claimant to have made a less advantageous redundancy agreement than he would have otherwise.
• Advised as to whether a professional indemnity insurer may refuse to provide indemnity in circumstances where the indemnified party has failed to fully co-operate with its investigation, despite that refusal not prejudicing the insurer.
• Advised a Primary Care Trust as to its liability in respect of the negligent treatment of a seriously disabled patient by a third party contractor.

Between 2014 and 2016 Paul worked as Junior Counsel to the Hillsborough Inquests, where he acted for the Coroner, Sir John Goldring. In this capacity he was closely involved in the running of these inquests, advising the Coroner throughout as part of his team.

Paul regularly appears for both families and medical professionals. He has appeared in a large number of inquests both with and without juries.

Selected Cases

• Acted for family of a patient who died as a result of choking, in which the jury made a series of very critical findings regarding patient care.
• Acted for the family of a man who committed suicide whilst a patient in a psychiatric hospital, in which the jury concluded that a failure to increase observations had contributed to the death.
• Acted for a consultant vascular surgeon in an inquest where a man had died during elective surgery following the use of an innovative technique to treat an aortic aneurysm. Despite the SUI report criticising the surgeon, the Coroner’s conclusions made no such criticism.
• Acted for an NHS Trust in a case where a psychiatric inpatient died of a heart attack, and there were concerns about the attention his medical health had received. The jury made no criticisms of the NHS Trusts.

Paul has advised in relation to a number of public law matters, arising out of British Crown Dependencies, which raised issues of both a constitutional and commercial nature.

Paul has a growing practice in public law cases, and has substantial experience assisting senior members (and previously supervisors) in complex judicial reviews.

Selected Cases

• Provided advice for the independent reviewers carrying out an inquiry into Jimmy Saville’s activities in various NHS sites.
• Advised a local community group in relation to a proposed reconfiguration of local hospital services.
• Advised an indemnity insurer in relation to complex provisions of the Medicines Regulation, regarding the ability of nurses to lawfully administer prescription-only drugs to groups in certain contexts.

Paul has a strong tax practice and. from April 2013 to August 2013 Paul was seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority, working in the Enforcement Division. He advised on points of law, and potential breaches of FSMA arising out of the Keydata case.

Selected Cases

• Represented a taxpayer in important case concerning the correct test for determining when a dwelling's council tax band may be altered.
• Advised taxpayers on the English and European law relating to VAT groups and claims for repayment of overpaid taxes.
• HMRC v Marco Trading: Assisted in drafting the skeleton argument for HMRC who were appealing the decision of the First Tier Tribunal in a matter relating to the EU system for preferential treatment in respect of imports from certain developing countries. HMRC argued that the relevant supplies did not qualify for preferential treatment because, inter alia, their origin had not been adequately proved by the importing company.
• Drafted the skeleton argument resisting an appeal from a decision of HMRC that the appellant company had failed to account for VAT on taxable supplies that it made in the UK. The appeal raised questions relating to place of establishment for tax purposes and allegations of abuse of the EU VAT rules.
• Assisted in providing advice in relation to the Financial Transaction Tax being proposed by the European Commission (2013).