Chiara accepts instructions across all chambers’ practice areas, and regularly appears as sole counsel, including in the High Court.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Chiara has worked across the non-governmental organisation (NGO) and third sector. Chiara worked in the education and social mobility sector before returning to the law by undertaking an LLM in Public International Law at the London School of Economics. She then worked for various legal and human rights organisations, including international work. Her last position before coming to the Bar was as an advice and information officer at Liberty, where she provided free legal advice to members of the public on human rights issues.
Chiara has successfully represented clients from the Free Representation Unit at the Social Security Tribunal.
Administrative & Public
Chiara hopes to develop a broad public law practice and has recently appeared in the High Court on inherent jurisdiction matters representing both Local Authorities and NHS Trusts.
During pupillage Chiara worked on a variety of public law issues including:
- Advising on various judicial reviews encompassing legitimate expectation and discrimination claims
- Assisting with Particulars of Claim
- Drafting a skeleton argument for renewal of permission hearing in judicial review
- Conducting research on a variety of both domestic and European case law and procedure
- Drafting Defences and responses for government departments.
Prior to pupillage Chiara successfully represented Claimants in the Social Security Tribunal with the Free Representation Unit, and provided free written and telephone legal advice on human rights issues to members of the public while at Liberty.
Civil Liability
Chiara regularly appears in the county court in small claims and fast track proceedings in personal injury, road traffic, and credit hire claims. Chiara has experience drafting pleadings in clinical negligence cases.
During pupillage, Chiara gained experience of drafting statements of case, schedules, advices and legal research on a variety of matters including:
- Conducting research for Judith Ayling QC on the Illegality defence in tort and the Human Rights Act
- Drafting pleadings and schedules/counter-schedules of loss in personal injury, fatal accidents and clinical negligence matters
- Advising on liability, pain, suffering and loss of amenity (PSLA) and quantum in personal injury and clinical negligence matters
- Drafting advices for court approval of settlements.
Environmental and Planning
During pupillage, Chiara was involved in a variety of planning and environmental law matters including:
- Resisting a series of judicial reviews to a major housing development
- Assisting on defences to criminal charges brought in relation to enforcement notices
- Advising homeowners on whether developments made to their property were lawful
- Advising commercial real estate owners as to the continuing viability of their planning permission for major development works
- Advising landowners on the removal of planning restrictions on their land following disputes as to proper title.
Commercial and Construction
During pupillage, Chiara gained experience in a variety of construction and commercial matters including:
- Drafting witness statements for construction adjudication proceedings
- Assisting in the preparation of a response to an adjudication referral
- Advising property owners on enforceability of deeds in relation to a cladding issue
- Advising on government procurement procedures
- Assisting in drafting of claim forms for competition law claims
- Drafting particulars of claim for contractual disputes.
