Aidan O'Brien

Aidan is an absolute dream to work with - he's hardworking, he goes the extra mile and is charming and persuasive with clients, witnesses and experts

Legal 500 2023

Personal Injury

Aidan enjoys a busy personal injury practice and has particular experience of catastrophic injury and chronic pain claims. He is frequently instructed to deal with complex and high value Schedules of Loss and contribution proceedings.  Aidan has been commended for his grasp of complex medical issues and causation disputes.  Many of his instructions arise from claims where dishonesty is alleged.  Aidan acts for both claimants and defendants, giving him a useful insight into the approach taken by each side.

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Notable Cases


Jarman v Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust [2021] EWHC 323 (QB)
Aidan successfully defended a £2.4 million Cauda Equina Syndrome (‘CES’) claim, in circumstances where the Claimant was permitted to rely upon her own experts, as well as a suite of experts instructed by a second defendant in separate, but related, proceedings, who discontinued prior to trial.

X v Y NHS Trust [2021]
Aidan obtained a >£600,000 settlement on behalf of a family after the suicide of the husband/father. The deceased’s death would have been prevented if the defendant trust’s mental health team had appropriately assessed him in the days prior to his death.

KS v BH Healthcare [2020]
Aidan secured a £90,000 settlement on behalf of an elderly patient who suffered pressure sores as a consequence of the defendant’s negligence.

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Putta v Royal Sun Alliance [2020] EWHC 117 (QB)
Aidan successfully resisted an appeal against HHJ Venn’s finding that a Claimant was sufficiently pecunious to self-fund vehicle repairs and an alternative vehicle, pending those repairs, in circumstances where the Claimant would be required to use his credit cards and overdraft.

Kadir v Thompson (2016, Central London County Court, HHJ Luba QC)
Aidan successfully defended a credit hire claim on the basis of fraudulent misrepresentation at first instance and on appeal.

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If you would like to instruct Aidan O’Brien or would like help or advice in doing so, please call and talk to our excellent clerking team, led by Chief Executive/Director of Clerking, Paul Cray. Our phone number is +44 (0)20 7583 9241. Alternatively, please email us at chambers@farrarsbuilding.co.uk

For more information about our clerking team, please click here for the clerks page.

Appointments & Memberships


    • Football Association, Judicial Panel Member
    • World Rugby, Judicial Officer
    • European Professional Cup Rugby (‘ECPR’), Judicial Officer
    • Rugby Football Union Judicial Panel
    • British Association for Sport & Law.
    • Personal Injuries Bar Association.
    • London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association.
    • Association of Regulatory & Disciplinary Lawyers.
    • Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists ‘ACTAPS’

Education & Qualifications


  • BPTC, City Law School, London.
  • MA Healthcare Law & Ethics, University of Manchester.
  • BA Law & Politics, University of Manchester.
  • St Colman’s College Grammar School, Newry, Northern Ireland.

Testimonials


I have had the pleasure of working with Aidan for the last four/five years. Aidan is an excellent barrister and in my view, stands out from other barristers because of his attention to detail and his quick thinking when faced with a difficult situation. Aidan also goes the extra mile with the witnesses, to make them feel at ease and keeping me happy at the same time.

Recently, we attended a Trial together. I normally pride myself in my attention to detail but Aidan spotted something that I had not and, as a result, got us out of what could have been a very sticky situation. Following the Trial, although we settled, the witness told me how impressed he was with Aidan; in particular the calm manner in which he dealt with the situation and the way Aidan made him feel at ease.

Aidan is also very helpful when it comes to “non fee” work and has carried out a number of seminars for my firm and is always happy to help. Recently I managed to persuade him to undertake the Three Peaks Challenge with me! I am not sure Aidan has forgiven me for that yet! I look forward to working with Aidan in the future.

Narrinder Taggar

Partner

Shakespeare Martineau

 

At DWF, my causation team and I have worked with Aidan over the past few years  and he has provided exceptional success with his advocacy. We believe that he is thorough, evidences strong technical ability, is enthusiastic and is well liked by our clients.

Jewels Chamberlain

Director, Fraud & Insurance Team

DWF

 

Thorough, knowledgeable, very responsive and personable…

Avinder Sidhu

Senior Associate, Clinical Negligence Department

Kennedys

 

Approachable and very client friendly. Knowledgeable in the area of contentious probate in which I would not hesitate to instruct Aidan again.

Tracey Leathley

Specialist Probate Solicitor

Lyons Davidson

 

 

Directory Quotes


‘Aidan is a brilliant barrister. He is very good on his feet at court and in ADR.’

Legal 500 2024 – Ranked Leading Junior in Clinical Negligence – Tier 3

‘Aidan is an absolute dream to work with – he’s hardworking, he goes the extra mile and is charming and persuasive with clients, witnesses and experts’

Legal 500 2023 – Ranked Leading Junior in Clinical Negligence – Tier 3

‘Aidan always provides very sensible advice. An excellent barrister who understands the client’s needs.’ 

Legal 500 2022 – Ranked Leading Junior in Clinical Negligence – Tier 4

 

Publications


  • The British Medical Journal: ‘Lessons from the Ashya King case’.
  • The Guardian: ‘Nothing but the Truth’.
  • Farrar’s Building Website: ‘Consent to Medical Treatment – Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board’
  • Farrar’s Building PI Update: ‘Accidents Abroad: Jurisdiction, Liability and Damages’
  • Employment Law Update 2014: ‘Third Party Harassment after the Repeal of S.40 EqA’.
  • Farrar’s Building EL Seminar ‘S. 69 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013’