St. Joseph Chambers Mail
Spotlight on our Talent: Stuart Nicol
Called to the Bar in 1994, Stuart Nicol has 30 years of experience in common and commercial law and is recognised as one of the leading barristers in the field of credit hire. He joined St. Joseph Chambers in February 2025.
We spoke to Stuart about his experience of working with our commercial set over the past 12 months.
“Joining a thriving Chambers with big ambitions has been a pleasure.
Having been self-employed for many years, it is refreshing to be back amongst peers and part of such a focused, driven team. Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging. I have been incredibly busy with cases, and Virginie Waldron, our Practice Manager, has been an outstanding support.”
Right from the start, St. Joseph Chambers understood my practice and how my Credit Hire expertise could complement their existing commercial set.
Over the past 30 years, I have been involved in virtually all of the leading credit hire cases. My career began in defendant work, representing insurance companies, before moving into claimant credit hire work, where I am now regularly instructed by solicitors. Having worked on both sides gives me an advantage. I strongly believe I am a better advocate as a result. I understand the defendant’s psychological approach and can predict the arguments they will present in court.
I have acted in cases against all the principal defendant companies, solicitors and counsels in credit hire. There isn’t an argument I haven’t heard in court. It is an area I know inside out. I love the overlap between the complexity of the law and the handling of factual scenarios, the cut and thrust of advocacy alongside the broader academic legal issues. Providing a replacement vehicle for someone who has been in an accident and does not have a car is quite simple, but it routinely gives rise to complex legal arguments and cases.
Alongside my credit hire work, I also have a diverse commercial practice in Insurance Law, Intellectual Property and Media Law. I have considerable experience in obtaining and defending applications for interim injunctive relief, especially national and international freezing orders. These orders can span many legal areas, but I am increasingly involved in cryptocurrency cases. I have successfully obtained interim and freezing injunctions against persons unknown and identified parties in cases involving Bitcoin scams and Cryptocurrency Exchanges outside of the jurisdiction. It’s been fascinating to see the development of this niche but growing aspect of the law.
What do you think makes a great barrister?
Empathy is the single most important characteristic. Without that, you have nothing. A great barrister needs to be able to look at a case holistically, from both the claimant and defendant perspectives, and to relate to clients, judges and the other legal professionals involved.
When it comes to advocacy, knowing when to stop is essential. Great advocates are precise in their questioning. They know exactly how little to say to ensure their arguments are clear, concise, and heard.
If you say too much, it’s easy for your point to become lost or to alienate judges. The ability to be precise in both oral and written communication is actually very difficult and something I think we should all aspire to. Less is definitely more.
Why did you become a barrister in the first place?
My sister became a solicitor, and as a teenager, I followed in her footsteps by securing an opportunity to shadow a criminal barrister. I loved seeing the law in action in court, and it inspired me to want to become a barrister myself. I have always enjoyed the balance between the academic challenge of working on cases and the interactive experience of the court. I read Law at Queen Mary, University of London and completed my pupillage at 13 King’s Bench Walk, Temple.
What has been the most memorable case of your career so far?
I was junior counsel with Richard Spearman QC in the seminal decision by the Court of Appeal in Dunnage v. UK Insurance [2015] EWCA Civ 673. This case is the leading authority on the defence of insanity in Civil claims.
It was a tragic and emotional case which I was involved in for ten years. At its heart, it was a simple issue, yet it was a highly complex and challenging case which went all the way to the Court of Appeal. At that time, there was very little basis in English law on whether insurance companies were liable in cases of insanity. We had to draw on a lot of Commonwealth legal precedent. The case opened up a real argument about insurance policy and whether people with mental health conditions owe a duty of care to the public.
The claimant, Terry, was a brilliant, inspirational young man who wrote a book about this experience, which includes several chapters on the legal process. As Richard Spearman QC said, rewarding cases like this one remind us of why we chose to become barristers in the first place – to get people the justice they deserve.
Through my Intellectual Property and Media Law work, I have represented household names such as David Essex, The Village People and Bruce Foxton of The Jam. I successfully obtained interim injunctive relief against Bauer Publications Limited in the highly unusual case of breach of a House of Lords anonymity order: B v. Bauer Publications Limited [2022] EMLR 8.
Practical and personable, Stuart is regularly commended for his ability to work with clients and the court, and to achieve results even in challenging, complex cases. If your client is facing commercial legal issues and you need help with advice, pleadings and/ or representation at court, please get in touch. You can complete our instruction form or call our commercial team on 02045 203505.
We can provide you with a quote for a fixed fee up-front. The services included in the price will be clearly detailed in the quote. Where we need to review the brief and discuss the fee with counsel, we will do so and come back to you within 24 hours.
If you are facing commercial litigation or would like advice on a legal issue, please get in touch. You can complete our instruction form or call our commercial team on 02045 203505.