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Claire practices in a wide range of public and civil areas. She joined Garden Court after successfully completing pupillage under the supervision of Nadine Finch and Liz Davies. PracticeAsylum and ImmigrationClaire appears in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-Tier and Upper Tribunal for appeals in the full range of immigration, deportation and asylum matters. She has developed particular experience in working on asylum appeals for vulnerable individuals such as victims of trafficking and unaccompanied minors Claire acts in applications for judicial review, notably urgent applications for interim relief, with particular experience in fresh claims. She also acts in cross-over judicial review claims, such as challenging age-assessments or dispersal of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors. Claire has a strong track record in Point Based System cases, litigated both in the Tribunals and the High Court, where she gives clear advice and helps clients achieve positive outcomes. Claire gained appellate experience when assisting in the case of UE (Nigeria) v SSHD [2010] EWCA Civ 975 which concerned the weight of public interest considerations in Article 8 claims for leave to remain. HousingClaire is rapidly building substantial housing expertise, including in representing clients in claims for illegal eviction, disrepair and advising on contempt of court proceedings in the context mortgage possession cases. Her opinions on disrepair claims are thorough, user-friendly and offer strategic advice on progressing the claim. She consistently obtains positive outcomes for her clients in possession hearings and applications to suspend warrants of eviction. She has developed particular experience arguing disability discrimination in defending possession claims. Court of Protection and community careClaire advises in cases raising community care and mental capacity issues. She offers practical advice on securing positive results and sensitive handling of complex cases. In particular, Claire gained experience in cross-over community care and immigration issues when assisting on the case of R (Clue) v Birmingham CC [2010] EWCA Civ 460, which concerned the availability of local authority support for families with pending ILR application. Public LawClaire is instructed in judicial review claims stemming from immigration and asylum cases, as well as education claims arising from education appeal panels. Complex Tort and the EnvironmentAs well as practising in a range of civil areas, Claire is instructed in complex tort cases, where environmental damage leads to claims for personal injury and financial loss. These regularly involve negligence committed abroad and Claire advises on the private international law issues which typically arise, such as forum and jurisdiction. Claire is currently instructed in proceedings against Shell subsidiaries in Nigeria by local communities and fishermen for extensive oil spillage affecting their livelihoods and causing long-term damage to the environment. Claire also has experience working on large group litigation cases and advises on the procedural issues which emerge in such proceedings. Family LawClaire regularly appears in the County Courts and Family Proceedings Court for family matters, including private family law cases and injunctions under the Family Law Act 1997. BackgroundBefore joining the bar, Claire worked for three years at Leigh Day and Co solicitors. She was particularly involved in the 'Trafigura case' in which some 30,000 claimants from the Ivory Coast sued oil multinational Trafigura for compensation following a toxic waste spillage in Abidjan. This became the largest group litigation case in the UK and resulted in a compensation settlement for the claimants. Claire also worked for a year as a legal advisor for refugees at Africa and Middle-East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), an NGO based in Cairo, Egypt. There, she provided legal advice and representation to refugees from across Africa, but specialised in francophone countries. Profile updated January 2012
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