Louisa Brown

Call 2019

Louisa Brown | Call 2019

Back to Our People

Overview

Louisa is taking up an exciting opportunity at Pogust Goodhead, a leading class action law firm to work on the biggest group action ever brought in England and Wales. Louisa will be working on behalf of over 720,000 victims of the Mariana Dam disaster in Brazil to seek redress against BHP, the world’s largest mining company. The Mariana Dam case will be a landmark trial for 2024, raising some of the most important legal issues in group actions, environmental litigation, and multinationals’ accountability for foreign subsidiaries.

Louisa remains a member of Chambers but she is not currently taking instructions at this time.

 

Louisa has advised a number of international organisations in relation to human rights abuses and transitional justice, most notably the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia. Her experience advising on policy means she understands the importance of providing clear, practical advice.

Louisa was junior to Gerry Boyle KC in the Inquest into the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall, London Bridge in November 2019.

Experience and Expertise

Prior to the Bar, Louisa was a Fellow at Yale Law School’s Center for International Human Rights. At the Bar, Louisa has a thriving practice across all areas of Chambers’ work, including clinical negligence, inquests and inquiries, Court of Protection, disciplinary proceedings, police, product liability and regulatory and financial crime. Louisa has appeared in high profile and sensitive matters and been praised for her clarity, judgement and pragmatic approach. She regularly appears in court and has a significant paperwork and advisory practice.

Clinical Negligence

Louisa has a busy clinical negligence practice acting for both claimants and defendants in a variety of claims including those involving a delay in diagnosis, failures to obtain informed consent, negligently performed surgery, nervous shock, pure diagnosis claims and Fatal Accident Act cases. She is regularly instructed by leading firms to advise on liability and quantum, draft particulars of claim, defences, schedules and counter-schedules. In 2021, Louisa enjoyed a secondment with a leading clinical negligence firm, where she advised NHSR on both liability and quantum.

Louisa enjoys speaking to experts in conference and working alongside solicitors to test the strength of the evidence, identify the key issues and put together a clear plan to achieve the best possible outcome. Louisa often appears in the High Court and County Court for interim hearings, CCMCs and approval hearings on behalf of children or protected parties.

Louisa is acutely interested in cases that raise issues concerning medical ethics and has co authored chapter one: Consent – General  of the fourth edition of the book Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law, edited by Christopher Johnston KC and Sophia Roper KC and written by 27 members of Serjeants’ Inn. The book is published by Bloomsbury Professional.

Louisa was exposed to complex and prominent product liability cases as a pupil under the supervision of Eloise Power and she has a keen interest in building her experience in product liability cases.

Inquests, Inquiries and Investigations

Louisa has an extensive inquest practice. She regularly acts in Article 2 and jury inquests on behalf of families, individual clinician’s, NHS Trusts, public and private bodies. In 2020, Louisa was junior to Gerry Boyle KC in the six-week inquest into the deaths of those killed in the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall in November 2019.

Louisa is regularly instructed to represent IPs in sensitive inquests which raise issues of neglect, serious systemic shortcomings, complex medical issues and often involve multiple experts.

Cases of note include:

  • MD [2022]
    Louisa acted on behalf of the bereaved family in an inquest of a woman who tragically died of sepsis at home after repeatedly presenting to her GP and A&E. The Coroner concluded the death was avoidable and issued a PFD report against both the urgent GP Centre and the Trust.
  • LG [2022]
    Louisa acted on behalf of a local authority in an inquest concerning the death of a vulnerable woman living in a care home who was subject to a deprivation of liberty.
  • RB [2021]
    Louisa acted on behalf of a Welsh Health Board in a multi-day jury inquest concerning a man who died whilst an in-patient in a psychiatric ward.
  • Fishmongers’ Hall Inquest [2020-2021]
    Louisa was junior to Gerry Boyle KC in the inquests touching upon the deaths of those killed in the terrorist attack at an event at Fishmongers’ Hall, London Bridge in November 2019.
  • CS [2020]
    Louisa acted on behalf of the widow in a six-day jury inquest concerning the death of a man who died whilst detained as a psychiatric patient. The jury identified multiple shortcomings and failings in care including “no formal review, care plan or risk assessment”. Following submissions, the Coroner issued a PFD report against the Trust.
  • AS [2020]
    This inquest concerned the death of a 9-day old baby who died as a result of a rare hereditary disorder. Louisa acted on behalf of a Welsh Health Board.
  • Infected Blood Inquiry [2020]
    Louisa provided assistance to NHS Wales in preparing for the inquiry into the circumstances in which men, women and children treated by the NHS were given infected blood and blood products.

Court of Protection

Louisa appears in the Court of Protection in both health and welfare matters and property and affairs cases on behalf of the Office of the Public Guardian.

Louisa is regularly instructed in section 21A applications on behalf of ‘P’ by the Official Solicitor, RPR and litigation friend. She has also appeared in the Court of Protection on behalf of local authorities, NHS Trusts and CCGs.

Police

Louisa is often instructed by various police forces to appear on behalf of the Appropriate Authority to prosecute disciplinary charges against police officers involving a range of issues such as computer misuse, dishonesty, and discreditable conduct. She has also acted as a legal advisor to chief officers in accelerated misconduct hearings.

Louisa also advises police forces in relation to civil actions, public interest immunity and legal professional privilege. In pupillage, under the supervision of James Berry, Louisa was exposed to a number of high-profile and sensitive police cases involving human rights claims (specifically involving Articles 2, 3, 8, and 14) and RIPA/IPA matters.

In addition, Louisa co-contributed to the latest edition of Blackstone Police Manuals- General Police Duties 2022, and drafted Q&As for police officers to complete for two chapters: ‘Complaints and Misconduct’ and ‘Unsatisfactory Performance.’

Prior to the Bar

Prior to the Bar, Louisa was a Fellow at Yale Law School’s Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights where Louisa worked on a range of different projects including a state-wide campaign to end solitary confinement. From 2015-2017, Louisa was a Fellow within the Sociology Department at Yale, where her research focused on the limitations of criminal law in addressing refugee flows. During this period, Louisa worked closely with a former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, to develop and teach a graduate seminar on humanitarian law and action.

Louisa’s background prior to the Bar was in international law and policy. She has previously advised the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bogotá, Colombia in relation to the peace negotiations, specifically: recruitment of child soldiers, security sector reform, demobilisation and reintegration, and forced disappearances. Whilst in Colombia, she was praised on her “extraordinary sensibility and professionalism” in meeting with victims of human rights violations.

Louisa has previously worked with other international organisations including, HIAS, Reprieve and the Texas Defender Service.

Qualifications

Louisa graduated with First Class Honours from Clare College Cambridge (2013). She was awarded a scholarship to complete a Masters degree at Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (2013-2015). On return to the UK, Louisa studied the GDL and BPTC at BPP University Law School.

PRIZES, SCHOLARSHIPS & ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Grays Inn “Prince of Wales”, full scholarship for the BPTC
  • Lord Blunkett Award (BPP University) GDL scholarship
  • Mellon Fellowship (2013-2015), full scholarship for MA at Yale University
  • Kirby Simon Human Rights Fellowship (2014), scholarship for work in Colombia with United Nations

PUBLICATIONS

Louisa co-authored chapter one: Consent – General in the fourth edition of the book Medical Treatment: Decisions and the Law, edited by Christopher Johnston KC and Sophia Roper KC and written by 27 members of Serjeants’ Inn.

With Sarah Clarke KC, Louisa regularly writes case notes for the Lloyds Law Reports: Financial Crime discussing the practical effects of both domestic and international decisions. Examples include:

  • Ashbolt v HMRC [2020] EWHC 1588 (Admin)
  • CPS v Aquila Advisory Ltd [2021] UKSC 49
  • AA & Others v BB and CC [2021] EWCA Civ 1107

In addition, Louisa and Rachel Gourley have contributed to the latest edition of Blackstone Police Manuals – General Police Duties 2022, by drafting questions for the following chapters: ‘Complaints and Misconduct’ and ‘Unsatisfactory Performance.’

Louisa contributes to Chambers’ blogs, including the UK Inquest Law Blog, a recent blog post includes:

privacy policy

Louisa adopts and adheres to the provisions of her privacy notice which can be accessed here.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further details of Louisa’s practice please contact a member of the clerking or Client Care team.

Bar Council Membership No: 71983
Registered Name: Louisa Felicity Brown