Joel Donovan KC is a prominent and highly-regarded clinical negligence and personal injury specialist.

In the clinical negligence field he is particularly known for his expertise in cauda equina cases, claims involving delayed recognition and treatment of spinal cord compression, birth injuries, and secondary brain injury.

His personal injury work centres on traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and claims arising from workplace stress. Joel has a longstanding interest in limitation and in secondary claims against legal advisers, going back to his early practice as a solicitor. He is also noted for his quantum expertise, including in the field of pension loss and discrimination compensation.

He is practiced in advising lay clients who are cognitively impaired, mentally ill and/or educationally disadvantaged. His professional clients range in size from unions through specialist firms to small high street practices; he is also able to accept instructions direct from members of the public and from organisations.

Joel is a veteran negotiator, and a highly experienced arbitrator and mediator.

Chambers & Partners 2025: (Clinical Negligence) "He is very forensic in terms of looking at quantum." "He has a very business-like approach with good client-handling skills." "Joel has a brilliant manner with clients and an ability to pick up complex issues extremely quickly."

(Personal Injury) "His conference notes and agendas are comprehensive, and he is always well prepared." "Joel has provided excellent advice and support on complex cases and builds a good relationship with the clients." "He is a great silk with sensitivity to social and family issues in cases." "He cuts to the core of matters and explains them to clients in layman's terms." "He is excellent with clients and quick to get a grasp of issues."

Legal 500 2025: (Clinical Negligence) “Very experienced barrister, who gives clear advice and strong advocacy.”

(Personal Injury) “Joel is a hugely personable experienced barrister. He is clear and well liked and trusted by clients.”

Chambers & Partners 2024: "Joel is a great all-round lawyer who is deeply caring of his clients." "Joel is enormously experienced and a pragmatic barrister." "Joel easily gets to grips with all evidence and can, where necessary, think of novel solutions to problems." "He is enormously experienced and very likeable as well as being quite a pragmatic barrister."

Legal 500 2024: (Clinical Negligence) “Hugely experienced and one of the greats in this field. Very safe pair of hands and brilliant manner with clients. Clearly well respected by his opponents and the judiciary when on his feet.”

(Personal Injury) “Joel has a talent for cutting through the complexities of a case and making the picture appear clear and straightforward.”

Chambers & Partners 2023: "Joel is empathetic and quickly makes clients feel at ease." "His advice is well considered and detailed, and he works collaboratively throughout his involvement in the case." "Joel is a great all-round performer." "He provides calm and focused guidance in cases of utmost severity and complexity." "His knowledge and command of the technical issues is second to none."

Legal 500 2023: (Personal Injury) “Joel is very clever, sees the issues in a case for what they are and has a strategy to get the best possible outcome.”

(Clinical Negligence) “A quiet assassin. He is tactically very astute, super bright, and has a steely resolve when required.”

Chambers & Partners 2022: (Personal Injury) "He is very engaging and operates at a high level. He is absolutely unflappable."

(Clinical Negligence) "He's excellent - extremely knowledgeable and fantastic in joint settlement meetings." "He is very calm and there is a steely determination about him but he is kind and sympathetic to clients." "He's very effective and impressive."

Legal 500 2022: (Personal Injury) "He has a thorough and considered approach, as well as an ability to maintain a calm demeanour in demanding negotiations."

(Clinical Negligence) "A quiet assassin. He is tactically very astute, super bright, and has a steely resolve when required."

Chambers & Partners 2021: "He has a brilliant mind and a clear vision of where a case needs to go." "He has a very sympathetic ear and is very accessible and collaborative." "He leaves no stone unturned and is a bright and tenacious advocate." "Excellent with clients and maintains an air of calm even in the most difficult of cases. His attention to detail is excellent and he is always approachable and responsive." "He is very thorough and his legal analysis is very strong."

Legal 500 2021: “A good tactician who has a steely determination when dealing with opponents.” “Quickly grasps issues and can develop sound arguments in unusual situations.”

Chambers & Partners 2020: "He is excellent with clients and maintains an air of calm even in the most difficult of cases. His attention to detail is excellent, and he is always approachable and responsive." "He is a bright and tenacious advocate." "Knowledgeable, concise and pragmatic."

Legal 500 2020: "Provides thorough advice and adapts to the approach needed with any individual client."

Chambers & Partners 2019: (Personal Injury) "Concentrates on maximum severity psychiatric, spinal and brain injury cases for claimants. He has a deep understanding of claims arising from RTAs and his practice also includes clinical negligence work. He is regularly instructed in cases involving disclosure, limitation and multiparty issues." "He has a pragmatic and straightforward approach." "He's a very safe pair of hands and is very responsive. He has real intellectual prowess."

(Clinical Negligence) "Highly sought after for cases of the greatest complexity and highest value. Much of his practice is devoted to handling claims relating to serious brain and spinal injuries, such as cauda equina syndrome." "He captains a steady ship and is a safe pair of hands. He's incredibly helpful and approachable." He steers complex, high-value cases with great authority and charm."

Chambers & Partners 2018: (Clinical Negligence) "Highly sought after for cases of the greatest complexity and highest value. Much of his practice is devoted to handling claims relating to serious brain and spinal injuries, such as cauda equina syndrome." "Very professional and very approachable." "Excellent with clients, and maintains an air of calm even in the most difficult of cases."

"Very thorough and conscientious, he takes a very methodical approach to cases and is reassuringly cautious and thoughtful." "Very clever at deciphering complex technical detail and getting to the heart of issues", "A standout on technical issues and someone who thinks on his feet incredibly well."

Chambers & Partners 2017: "a fantastic strategist, with an ability to see all the complexities of a case before they actually play out in court.", “phenomenally intelligent and a real pleasure to work with.” And “incredible in terms of his ability to absorb folders of information and drill down to the key issues. He makes the instructing solicitor's job so much easier. He combines being calm, sensible and unflappable with a determined desire to win.”

Chambers & Partners 2016: "Growing in stature as a silk, having acted on numerous multimillion-pound cases..."

Legal 500 2016: "His technical knowledge of the law is second to none."

Chambers & Partners 2014: "He is calm, thorough, and masterfully in control, especially in cases concerning multiple experts and complex issues. He is sensible and practical in his advice, responsive, and compassionate with clients."

Panel arbitrator under the MIB Untraced Drivers' Agreements, and the Personal Injury claims Arbitration Service (PIcARBS)

CEDR-accredited mediator

Personal Injury Bar Association

Professional Negligence Bar Association

Action against Medical Accidents

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)

Bar Pro Bono Unit - member of case review panel

Accredited as Tutor Trainer, Lead Tutor and Course Director - Lincoln's Inn Advocacy Training Programme

Joel is a very experienced advocacy trainer. In addition to his Lincoln's Inn work he has taught in Dubai and Singapore on behalf of the Advocacy Training Council, and on the South East Circuit's renowned Keble course. He has developed and delivered a number of specialist advocacy courses and masterclasses for the Personal Injury Bar Association.

BA Law, Durham

Former solicitor

Fluent in French

Working knowledge of Spanish

• Hadley v LB Redbridge: successful appeal to Mr Justice Soole against County Court judge's order that claimant pay costs of aborted harassment trial (leading Andrew Buchan).

• Bowman v Thomson: successful resistance before Mr Justice Dingemans to defendant GP's appeal against refusal of County Court judge to order disclosure of previously-instructed urology expert's report.

• Hewes v Tanna: successful appeal to Mr Justice Foskett against Master's order granting summary judgment to defendant GP prior to exchange of expert evidence (leading Martyn McLeish).

• Mohamud v Morrisons [2016] AC 677: key Supreme Court decision extending the ‘close connection' test for vicarious liability arising from employee misconduct

• Griffin v Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust [2014] IRLR 962: important Court of Appeal decision on the appropriate basis of assessment of pension loss, leading to revised guidance

• M v A Highway Authority approved liability settlement arising from catastrophic motorcycle vs. pothole collision; quantum ongoing

• X v A Company approved liability settlement following attempted suicide in custody, causing utmost-severity brain injury; quantum ongoing

• Z v K six-figure approved settlement of challenging catastrophic injury claim arising from drunken joyriding

• K v L multimillion pound settlement of severe chronic regional pain syndrome case (with Dan Lawson), believed to be the highest ever settlement for CRPS

• D v P NHS Trust seven-figure lump sum/PP approved settlement arising from delayed spinal immobilisation, leading to quadriplegia

• Y v L NHS Trust ongoing high-value claim arising from alleged contamination of spinal anaesthetic causing severe arachnoiditis

• W v K seven-figure lump sum/PP approved settlement in GP claim arising from devastating subarachnoid haemorrhage

• X v Y high-value wrongful birth case for mother of child with severe global developmental delay

• Z v A Trust cerebral palsy: seven-figure lump sum/PP approved settlement

• S v P Trust severe secondary brain injury case arising from delayed diagnosis of cerebral abscess; very high value lump sum/periodical payment settlement at JSM, approved by Mr Justice Jeremy Baker

• N v Y Trust spinal discitis case, causing incomplete paraplegia; multimillion-pound lump sum/periodical payment settlement at JSM.

• R v A Trust maximum severity wrongful birth case arising from failed fetal medical management; child born with perisylvian polymicrogyria and severe global developmental delay. Liability admitted at pleadings stage; quantum ongoing.

• C v D difficult workplace stress case arising from alleged financial whistleblowing: settled at mediation.

• W v K and others 100% approved settlement in claim against GPs for failure to recognise signs of 'sentinel bleed' prior to devastating sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. Quantum ongoing.

• Hort v Charles Trent Ltd Mr Justice Eady: successful appeal against refusal of District Judge to allow substitution of new expert for expert in whom confidence had been lost

• Sutherland v Turnbull successful costs application to Mr Justice Stadlen, following disputed interpretation of rule 36.10(2) CPR after claimant's acceptance of an offer to compensate her for only some of her injuries

• Mabiriizi v HSBC consideration and application by Mrs Justice Sharp in this utmost severity case of the Eeles v Cobham Hire Services principles governing interim payments

• H v A Local Health Board complex secondary brain injury claim eventually resulting in seven-figure lump sum/periodical payment settlement following protracted negotiations, approved by Mr Justice Kenneth Parker

• Connor v Surrey County Council highly-publicised stress-at-work case involving a head teacher targeted by Muslim governors. Joel represented the victorious claimant at trial in the High Court and (led by Simon Taylor KC) in the Court of Appeal ([2010] IRLR 521). The Defendant unsuccessfully sought permission to appeal to the Supreme Court.

• Oakes v Dr Neininger and others hotly-contested multi-party cauda equina case involving difficult issues of timing and causation. Joel successfully represented the claimant at the liability trial before Mr Justice Akenhead.

• At appellate level Joel's important cases also include Lucas v Barking etc NHS Trust [2004] 1 WLR 220, CA (disclosure of expert's "material instructions" under rule 35.10(4) CPR) and Mold v Hayton and Newson, CA, Lawtel (reasons need to be given for a long limitation extension).