Mark Cooper

Mark has been a tenant at Oriel Chambers since 2006 and has developed a substantial civil practice. He has vast experience of personal injury litigation and frequently appears in the County Court representing both Claimants and Defendants in interim hearings and trials across all tracks.

In May 2020 he was appointed as a Deputy District Judge (Civil) on the Northern Circuit. In October 2020 he was appointed as a Recorder (Crime) on the North Eastern Circuit.

The majority of his work is road traffic litigation (including credit hire, low velocity impact and fraudulent claims), but he is equally conversant with claims involving employers’ liability, public liability and highway authorities.

In recent years Mark has developed particular expertise in dealing with claims arising from bus accidents. Since 2009 he has been frequently instructed to represent a large national public service vehicle provider at court hearings throughout England and Wales. He has an impressive success rate in defending claims at trial and has developed a close working relationship with the company’s in-house solicitors, claims handlers and depot managers.

Mark also has experience of costs hearings, anti-social behaviour injunctions, committal proceedings and a range of commercial matters (including contractual disputes, sale of goods, debt recovery, possession and insolvency proceedings).

In addition to court work, Mark undertakes advisory and drafting work in all areas of civil litigation. Paperwork is invariably turned around within 14 days, although shorter periods can usually be accommodated on request.

Mark has also provided seminars and workshop training to solicitors and claims handlers on matters of substantive and procedural law (including the RTA Protocol, credit hire, low velocity impact and fraudulent claims).

Outside work, much of Mark’s spare time is taken up with his young family. He is actively engaged in preaching and teaching the Bible to adults and children in his local church and further afield.