Gary Oliver
Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227325
Rachel accepts instructions in all of Chambers' main areas of practice. Before coming to Blackstone, Rachel worked as a lawyer at a leading human rights and law reform NGO for two years. She also taught EU Law at Oxford and Medical Law at the LSE. Prior to this, Rachel was a Judicial Assistant in the UK Supreme Court, and spent a year at Harvard Law School as a Kennedy Scholar.
Rachel was seconded to Ofgem from January to April 2020.
Rachel accepts
instructions in all areas of public law. Rachel
worked on public and constitutional law appeals as a Judicial Assistant in
the UK Supreme Court, including: R (ota King) v Secretary of State for
Justice [2016] AC 384 (as to prisoners’ prolonged solitary
confinement, fairness, and the ‘Carltona’ principle), R (ota Evans) v
Attorney General [2015] AC 1787 (a challenge to the Attorney General’s
purported override of a judicial decision ordering the release of memos sent by
Prince Charles to Government departments), R (ota SG and ors) v
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2015] 1 WLR 1449 (on the
‘benefit cap’), and Pham v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015]
1 WLR 1591 (about the deprivation of citizenship and proportionality review
under EU and common law).
Represented the successful Claimant charity in its challenge to the lawfulness of Guidance by which the norm of oral appeal hearings was replaced with a default of paper determinations of statutory asylum and immigration appeals during the Covid-19 pandemic. The President has, in response to the judgment, withdrawn the unlawful guidance. Led by Naina Patel and Charlotte Kilroy QC.
Rachel is instructed in an application to the European Courts of Human Rights in respect of the pre trial detention of a Turkish political dissident and prisoner Ilhan Isbilen, formerly a Member of the Turkish Assembly. Led by Lord Garnier QC, who has written about the case in The Times, here.
Rachel was instructed by Human Rights Watch as Intervener (in support of the claimant) in a claim challenging the legality of the UK Government's policy refusing to issue non-gender-specific "X" passports to UK nationals. Rachel was led by Monica Carss-Frisk QC.
Judicial review regarding the test to be applied by the ASA when deciding whether an advertisement is misleading. The advertisements in question concern fibre broadband. (Assisting Dinah Rose QC and Tristan Jones).
Acting for an individual refused civil legal aid in a judicial review of a decision that the individual’s proposed claim would not produce a “benefit” for them within the meaning of LASPO 2012 (assisting Tom Hickman QC).
Acting for an individual refused civil legal aid in a judicial review of a decision concerning the automatic application of the disposable income threshold, resulting in a settlement (assisting Tom Hickman QC).
Assisting Fraser Campbell
Advice (2018) (assisting Tom Hickman QC)
(assisting Tom Hickman QC)
Rachel accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers' civil liberties and human rights practice. Rachel is currently instructed in four applications before the European Court of Human Rights.
Represented the successful Claimant charity in its challenge to the lawfulness of Guidance by which the norm of oral appeal hearings was replaced with a default of paper determinations of statutory asylum and immigration appeals during the Covid-19 pandemic. The President has, in response to the judgment, withdrawn the unlawful guidance. Led by Naina Patel and Charlotte Kilroy QC.
Successfully represented the Claimant employee in a hearing to determine the issue of State immunity and the compatibility of State immunity with human rights. The judgment is available here.
Rachel is instructed in an application to the European Courts of Human Rights in respect of the pre trial detention of a Turkish political dissident and prisoner Ilhan Isbilen, formerly a Member of the Turkish Assembly. Led by Lord Garnier QC, who has written about the case in The Times, here.
Rachel was instructed by Human Rights Watch as Intervener (in support of the claimant) in a claim challenging the legality of the UK Government's policy refusing to issue non-gender-specific "X" passports to UK nationals. Rachel was led by Monica Carss-Frisk QC.
False imprisonment claim against the Home Office for detention of a trafficking victim, resulting in a settlement (assisting Tom Hickman QC).
Acting for an individual refused civil legal aid in a judicial review of a decision that the individual’s proposed claim would not produce a “benefit” for them within the meaning of LASPO 2012 (assisting Tom Hickman QC).
Acting for an individual refused civil legal aid in a judicial review of a decision concerning the automatic application of the disposable income threshold, resulting in a settlement (assisting Tom Hickman QC).
Assisting Fraser Campbell
Advice (2018) (assisting Tom Hickman QC)
(assisting Tom Hickman QC)
Rachel accepts instructions in all areas of commercial litigation.
Rachel also worked on commercial law appeals as a Judicial Assistant in the UK Supreme Court, including: Arnold v Britton [2015] AC 1619 (as to the proper approach to contractual interpretation), ParkingEye Limited v Beavis [2016] AC 1172 (concerning penalty clauses), Anson v Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs [2015] 4 All ER 288 (as to the UK/US Double Taxation Convention 2001).
Representing Apple at a hearing about applications to stay or set aside patent claims, inter alia on grounds of abuse of a dominant position contrary to Article 102 TFEU. Led by Michael Bloch QC.
$100m claim against various companies in the AIG group by multiple former banker employees. A trial on causation and loss in relation to the claim against AIGFP is listed for 2020. (Assisting Andrew Hunter QC and Peter Head).
Test litigation regarding the employment status of drivers who use the Uber app. Permission to appeal to the Supreme Court was granted by the Court of Appeal in December 2018. (Assisting Dinah Rose QC and Fraser Campbell).
A dispute arising out of rights of first refusal under a share purchase agreement (assisting Peter Head).
$1bn dispute relating to share subscription agreements (assisting Michael Bloch QC and Peter Head).
£657 million claim under a personal guarantee (assisting Harish Salve SA, Robert Howe QC and Peter Head).
(assisting Andrew Green QC and Fraser Campbell)
(assisting Fraser Campbell)
acting for a respondent (assisting Fraser Campbell)
Rachel accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers' public international law practice. Rachel is currently instructed in four applications before the European Court of Human Rights.
Rachel also worked on appeals raising various international law issues as a Judicial Assistant in the UK Supreme Court, including: Pham v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2015] 1 WLR 1591 (as to the 1954 UN Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons), R (ota SG and ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2015] 1 WLR 1449 (as to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989), and Anson v Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs [2015] 4 All ER 288 (concerning the UK/US Double Taxation Convention 2001).
Successfully represented the Claimant employee in a hearing to determine the issue of State immunity and the compatibility of State immunity with human rights. The judgment is available here.
Rachel is instructed in an application to the European Courts of Human Rights in respect of the pre trial detention of a Turkish political dissident and prisoner Ilhan Isbilen, formerly a Member of the Turkish Assembly. Led by Lord Garnier QC, who has written about the case in The Times, here.
on the international law of armed conflict for the Oxford Research Group’s “Remote Warfare” project, 2018 (assisting Tristan Jones)
Rachel accepts instructions on all aspects of employment law.
Acting pro bono for an employee whose employer refused to furlough them under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Acting for one of several respondents to a claim involving alleged whistle-blowing and discrimination.
Successfully represented the Claimant employee in a hearing to determine the issue of State immunity and the compatibility of State immunity with human rights. The judgment is available here.
Representing the Claimant employee, achieving settlement of a complex claim of long-running sex harassment and sex discrimination.
Acting
for the claimant employee. Succeeded in a preliminary hearing on the issue of
disability. The judgment can be found here.
Acting for the respondent employer. Succeeded in having the claim dismissed after a preliminary hearing on the issue of disability. The judgment can be found here.
Test litigation regarding the employment status of drivers who use the Uber app. Permission to appeal to the Supreme Court was granted by the Court of Appeal in December 2018. (Assisting Dinah Rose QC and Fraser Campbell).
$100m claim against various companies in the AIG group by multiple former banker employees. A trial on causation and loss in relation to the claim against AIGFP is listed for 2020. (Assisting Andrew Hunter QC and Peter Head).
EAT case raising issues of disability discrimination and victimisation (assisting Tristan Jones).
Two appeals before the Employment Appeal Tribunal concerning victimisation discrimination and the Police Conduct Regulations (assisting Tristan Jones).
Rachel accepts instructions in all areas of Chambers' Professional Discipline practice.
Representing a student in their complaint as to the fairness of a University’s disciplinary process, involving allegations of sexual misconduct. Led by Tom Richards.
Advising on a disciplinary investigation involving safeguarding issues.
Representing a football club at their County FA disciplinary hearing.
Rachel accepts instructions in all areas of EU and competition law.
Before coming to Blackstone, Rachel taught EU law at Balliol College, Oxford. Rachel was seconded to Ofgem for 3 months, advising on a range of matters relating to the new price control and to judicial review.
Representing Apple at a hearing about applications to stay or set aside patent claims, inter alia on grounds of abuse of a dominant position contrary to Article 102 TFEU. Led by Michael Bloch QC.
Competition Appeal Tribunal decision regarding whether an additional party in a cartel damages claim is entitled to sue the claimants for a negative declaration (assisting Tristan Jones).
A damages claim arising out of the EU-wide cartel in trucks (assisting Tristan Jones).
Rachel regularly acts pro bono, including taking cases through the ADVOCATE scheme (formerly known as the Bar Pro Bono Unit).
VAT registration number: 328381394
Barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board
Gary Oliver
Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227325
Derek Sutton
Deputy Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227327
Adam Sloane
Deputy Senior Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227326
Dean Tolman
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227331
Lewis Walker
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227323
Billy Brian
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227339
Marc Armstrong
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227330
Adam Fuschillo
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227329
Danny Compton
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227338
Sophie Floydd
Clerk
+44 (0) 207 8227324