Robert Golin’s practice focuses on personal injury, employment, commercial and insurance, and general common law. He is in court on a daily basis, acting for both claimants and defendants, in trials, interim applications and costs related hearings.

In terms of paperwork Robert advises regularly on liability, evidence and quantum, and drafts pleadings and other court documents.

Prior to pupillage, Robert worked on death row appeal cases in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received the Andrew Lee Jones Award from charity Amicus. He also gained wide experience of local government and public law as a legal assistant to the Local Government Ombudsman.

At university Robert read Theology. He was awarded a first class BA and completed his MA with Distinction. His specialism was Dante and philosophical theology.

Commercial

Robert’s commercial practice includes claims relating to the sale of goods and the supply of services. He is happy to draft statements of case and advise on liability/tactics/quantum. He also has experience of landlord and tenant matters, with an emphasis on claims arising from disrepair and covenants to repair.

Robert’s recent cases include: a successful claim in a fast-track product liability dispute when flooring tiles fell onto the claimant’s foot from a poorly designed box (2015); the defence of a bicycle company following an RTA when a bicycle’s handlebars snapped (2014).

Costs

Robert deals with costs arguments on a daily basis. He regularly attends CCMCs in multi-track matters and has experience of the costs arguments relating to QOCS, fundamental dishonesty and abuse of process.

Credit Hire

Robert acts for claimants and defendants in credit hire cases. He is happy to draft statements of case and advise on liability/prospects of success. He is well versed in all arguments surrounding enforceability, need, period, impecuniosity and rate.

He recently advised on the prospects of appeal when the trial judge introduced the rarely used principle of “non est factum” to find that a credit hire agreement was unenforceable.

Further, he recently acted for the claimant in a case that included a challenge to the enforceability of a credit hire agreement on the grounds that it had been entered as a result of misrepresentation. He argued, successfully, that a finding of misrepresentation renders a contract voidable, not void, and that the claimant had affirmed the contract by, inter alia, bringing proceedings.

Employment

Robert has experience of multi-day trials in connection with: unfair dismissal; whistle-blowing; discrimination because of disability, sex and race; harassment; unlawful deduction of wages; and wrongful dismissal.

He also acts in pre-trial hearings such as applications for interim relief and case management hearings.

Robert has given talks about: applications for interim relief under Section 128 of the ERA 1996; and TUPE 2006.

He has written articles about: the defence of “lock-out” and “strike action”; paid leave for parents in surrogacy arrangements; and the Simmons v Castle uplift in the context of the employment tribunal.

Criminal Fraud

Robert has experience of dealing with suspected fraudulent claims, exaggerated claims, and low-velocity impact claims.

He co-authored an article on exemplary damages (claimed by defendants against fraudulent claimants) with Howard Cohen and is well versed in the costs arguments relating to QOCS, fundamental dishonesty and abuse of process.

Civil Fraud

Robert has acted, predominantly on behalf of the Defendant,  in numerous cases in which fundamental dishonesty and/or fraud has been raised.

In addition to dealing with medical  and engineering evidence, his cases have involved:

(a) recordings of post-accident telephone conversations with insurers;

(b) Facebook and other social media evidence;

(c) CCTV footage;

(d) previous statements given under caution to police officers.

Where Claimants have sought to discontinue late in the proceedings (on some occasions at the doors of Court), Robert has had success in terms of negotiating favourable costs agreements for Defendants.

He also has experience and success when acting for Claimants in cases where fraud or fundamental dishonesty has been alleged. In such circumstances, Robert has advised Claimants in conference and/or has represented them at trial.

General Common Law

Robert acts in a variety of common law matters, including: landlord and tenant issues, claims under the Animals Act, contractual disputes e.g. the sale of goods and provision of services.

Inquests

Robert has experience of inquests and preliminary hearings. His recent cases have included the issue as to whether or not the coroner should hold an Article 2 inquest.

Insurance

Robert’s insurance practice is varied. He represents insurers in matters related to: personal injury; RTA insurer, Article 75 and MIB issues.

His recent cases have focussed on claims made under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the European Communities (Rights Against Insurers) Regulations 2002. For example, he is involved in an ongoing dispute between contractual and statutory insurers as to their liability to meet an unsatisfied judgment against a negligent driver.

Personal Injury

Robert’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of personal injury work, with a particular focus on road traffic accident, workplace accidents and occupiers liability claims.

He acts for both claimants and defendants in trials, CCMCs and interim applications. He has an active paperwork practice and is happy to draft statements of case, and advise on liability, quantum, and tactics.

Travel and Tourism

Robert has experience in cross-jurisdictional RTA claims, cases brought under the Athens and Montreal conventions, and claims brought under EC Regulation No. 261/2004.

Recent cases include:

  • Advising a firm of Claimant solicitors as to the post-Brexit causes of action available in RTA claims involving foreign drivers and insurers incorporated outside the jurisdiction.
  • Acting for the Defendant in a challenge to jurisdiction following the Claimant’s without notice application for an extension of time for service of the claim form.
  • Acting for the Claimant in an RTA case involving an insolvent Danish insurer, the Danish guarantee fund, and the UK-based MIB and FSCS.
  • Acting in numerous flight cancellation claims under Article 7 of Reg. No. 261/2004.
  • Drafting submissions for the Defendant airline in a claim brought under the CEDR Aviation Adjudication scheme.

Clinical Negligence

Robert acts for both claimants and defendants in a range of clinical negligence matters.

Recent instructions include:

  • Claim arising from “experimental” weight loss surgery not typically recommended in the UK
  • Claim arising from failure to diagnose a Lisfranc injury resulting in necessity for fusion operation to foot
  • Claim arising from failure to institute fluid monitoring resulting in severe dehydration in an uncommunicative patient
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Notable Cases


Re Timmins
Successful in application to strike out £40,000+ credit hire claim following a series of procedural breaches.

Re Podkowka
Successful in fatal accident claim on behalf of the deceased's son and her estate. Settled claim for £125,000 following receipt of accident reconstruction evidence.

Re McArdle
Successful for claimant who fell from a hotel window suffering a nasty injury to his head, teeth and jaw. Robert advised the claimant to wait to issue proceedings until after the result of James v The White Lion Hotel [2021] EWCA Civ 31, the result of which paved the way for a successful settlement.

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Coakley v CF Support Services Ltd
Acted for the Respondent in a 5-day trial in the Employment Tribunal. Claim involved allegations of protected disclosures and constructive dismissal following detrimental treatment. Judgment awaited.

Re Mr U
Successful for the Claimant in a case involving an ankle dislocation injury. Settled for a sum in excess of £100,000. Main issues included: (1) need for orthotics; (2) risk of degenerative arthritis; (3) future surgery; and (4) future loss of earnings.

Re Mr P
Successful for the Claimant in a case involving amputation injuries to the fingertips of the right hand. Defendant abandoned allegations of contributory negligence. Claim settled for £100,000 following receipt of expert prosthetics evidence.

Re Mr Reeves
Successful for the Claimant passenger in a claim against the insurer of the deceased driver. Main issues included: (1) contributory negligence, as the driver's toxicology test revealed the presence of cocaine and 3x the legal alcohol limit; and (2) future loss stemming from a moderate traumatic brain injury. Settled for a sum in excess of £1m gross of contributory negligence.

Samuel v SCF
Acted for the Respondent (SCF) in a 6-day Employment Tribunal hearing. Resisted claims of victimisation and discrimination because of race. Compensation for unfair dismissal reduced by 25% because of contributory fault.

Re Newman
Successful for the Claimant in a claim under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The Claimant's husband died when his car span off the motorway in bad weather and following a collision with another car. Proceedings issued against multiple drivers and the Highways Agency as insufficient drainage had led to hazardous levels of standing water on the motorway.

CPA Consulting Ltd v SV Croydon Ltd
In the Insolvency and Companies Court, Robert successfully resisted SVC's application to restrain CPA from petitioning for a winding-up order against SVC. The key issue was whether part of the sum claimed in CPA's statutory demand was admitted, and therefore whether SVC was "deemed" unable to pay its debts under Section 123(1)(a) of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Turner v (1) Alno UK Ltd (2) SJM Kitchens
Acted for the Claimant (“C”) in ET and EAT proceedings (UKEAT/0349/15/DA). The case concerned whether or not C’s employment had TUPE-transferred from R2 to R1. R1 appealed the judge’s decision at a preliminary hearing that there had been a TUPE transfer from to R1. In the EAT, HHJ Richardson praised the “excellent, focussed oral submissions…” of Counsel.

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If you would like to instruct Robert Golin 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


  • Eastham Pupillage Award (Lincoln’s Inn)
  • Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
  • Lord Haldane Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
  • Hardwicke Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
  • William Frend Prize in Theology (University of Nottingham)
  • Andrew Lee Jones Award (Amicus)

Education & Qualifications


  • BPTC, Kaplan Law School (Very Competent) (2011)
  • GDL, Kaplan Law School (Commendation) (2009)
  • MA, University of Nottingham (Distinction) (2008)
  • BA, University of Nottingham (First Class, 1st place in year) (2007)

Personal Interests


Outside work, Robert enjoys cooking (followed by eating it), good food and drink, golf, jogging, and an eclectic range of music.