Chesca specialises in contested quantum-only cases of the utmost severity. Since becoming a tenant at Cloisters, Chesca has been involved in the recovery of over £500 million for injured claimants. This has included some of the highest ever individual awards at their respective discount rates.

She has significant experience across a wide range of difficult or controversial quantum issues including unconventional accommodation claims, claims for home hydrotherapy pools, motor homes and exoskeletons, complex career-long loss of earnings claims for young adults, difficult medical causation disputes, borderline capacity issues, structuring primarily periodical payment settlements in very short life expectancy cases, religious or cultural sensitivities, practical solutions to meet care cost shortfalls in discounted liability cases, and novel issues in fatal accidents claims. She has a particular interest in amputee claims, sparked by a two-week quantum trial early in her career, and developed through extensive experience in serious amputation cases.

Chesca also has particular expertise in securing substantial interim payments - often seven-figure sums and against silks – including to fund the purchase and adaptation of suitable accommodation before trial.

Selected cases:

Brain Injury

• ‍Secured, as sole counsel, a £2.3 million settlement on the brink of a 10-day quantum trial in a claim arising from delayed diagnosis of a subarachnoid haemorrhage, resulting in significant brain injury and involving complex medical causation issues (2026).

• Led by William Latimer-Sayer KC in claim which settled for £31.7 million (capitalised) for a law student who sustained a very severe traumatic brain injury after being run over by a bus, but continued to make remarkable progress over several years (2024).

• PAL v Davidson & Ors (2024)– led by William Latimer-Sayer KC, achieving a £41.7 million settlement for a seriously injured child pedestrian. During the claim, Chesca was closely involved in helping to secure over £6.5 million of interim payments, including £2m at a contested hearing: [2021] EWHC 1108 (QB). See further detail here.

• Acted as junior counsel in over 20 cases of cerebral palsy arising from clinical negligence at birth or infancy, including obtaining a settlement with a capitalised value of over £34 million in 2017, and many other 8-figure settlements.‍ ‍

Amputations‍ ‍

• Acted unled against a silk to secure a settlement of £3 million for an above knee amputee who had been run over by a forklift truck at work, in a case involving allegations of contributory negligence allegations (2025)

• Achieved a c. £15m capitalised settlement, including millions of pounds worth of interim payments during the course of the litigation, for a double arm amputee, who was injured after absconding from a secure mental health unit (2023, led by William Latimer-Sayer KC).‍

• Brown v Morley LTLPI 14/3/2014: above knee amputation sustained in motorcycle RTA. Settled for then-highest recorded AKA figure (c. £4.5 million capitalised) after 10 days of contested remedies trial, led by William Latimer-Sayer.

• Led by Matthew Philips KC in a particularly complex above knee amputation case combined with a traumatic brain injury and visual impairment after a child fell from a moving bus due to a faulty door (2023).

• Acted as junior counsel in a number of other lower limb amputee claims, including several motorcyclists, workplace injuries, and one client who underwent successful osseointegration surgery pre settlement.‍ ‍

Spinal Injury‍ ‍

• Led by William Latimer-Sayer KC in a claim arising from tetraplegia caused by negligent management of meningitis, which settled for a capitalised value of £39 million. In the year before settlement, Chesca led in respect of two interim payment applications, securing over £2 million to adapt a property and meet ongoing needs (2026).

• Led by William Latimer-Sayer KC for a claimant who suffered C6 tetraplegia in an RTA. Shortly before a JSM, they were violently attacked in their home by a carer, sustaining significant further injures. This necessitated a complex re-evaluation of the claim, a second action against the care provider, and dealing with apportionment of injury as between the two defendants (2022).

• Acted as junior counsel in over a dozen SCI cases sustained at various levels, by way of trauma or clinical negligence. One client had also lost their sight at the time of injury. Some clients have become proficient exoskeleton users.

• Currently acting unled in a delayed diagnosis of spinal tumour case, resulting in the loss of the ability to walk and a requirement for hoisting.  Liability is admitted but causation is complex.

• Currently leading on quantum against a silk in a high-value traumatic cauda equina case arsing from a fall from height.

Other Catastrophic Injuries & Fatal Accidents

• Meron v Heartcore (2026) – acted in a highly unusual claim arising from injury caused by defective reformer Pilates equipment, resulting in the loss of a professional viola player’s career, and involving very complex causation issues. Chesca ran the case unled at times, before being led by Gerard Martin KC. The case settled for a confidential sum shortly before trial and attracted press coverage in The Times, Daily Mail and Ynet.

• Currently acting unled in what the claimant’s medical expert describes as the worst case of metal-on-metal hip replacement they have ever reviewed.

• Settled a fatal accidents claim (unled) following delayed diagnosis of cancer for £975,000 (2019).

• Advised on seven-figure inheritance tax claim arising from succession planning of a farm business in a fatal accidents claim (2019).‍ ‍

Chesca is currently only taking on new employment instructions closely aligned with her personal injury quantum practice, including drafting complex Schedules of Loss and advice or representation in complex and/or high-value remedies issues.

For the first 12 years of practice, Chesca regularly advised and acted across the full spectrum of employment law, with a particular focus on discrimination. She has substantial experience in complex multi-day litigation, remedies hearings and appeals.

Highlight cases include

• (1) Ministry of Justice (2) Lord Chancellor -v- Mr R Dodds and Others [2023] EAT 31 – whether c. 50 judges who ‘acted up’ were part time workers, led by Robin Allen KC.

• Carryl v Governing Body of Manford Primary School [2023] EAT 167 – successful appeal against imposition of a deposit order.

• Shannon v Rampersad [2018] EWCA Civ 1641 & Supreme Court [2021] UKSC 8 – whether sleep in workers should receive NMW while asleep, led by Caspar Glyn KC.

• A v Burke and Hare EA-2020-SCO-000067-DT – appeal against refusal of anonymity in a stripper worker status case.

• Pye v Queen Mary University of London [2017] EWCA Civ 1820 – in which Lord Justice Bean praised Chesca's “high quality” advocacy.

Oxford University, BA, History

City Law School, GDL and BPTC (Outstanding)

Scholarships and Prizes

Hardwicke Scholarship, Lincoln's Inn

Cholmeley Studentship, Lincoln's Inn

Buchanan Prize, Lincoln's Inn

City Law School/Falcon Chambers Land Law Essay Prize

Shortlisted for the Legal 500 Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year 2025

Chambers & Partners 2026: (Personal injury): “Chesca Lord is a respected junior who has significant expertise in complex quantum cases.” “Chesca is detail-focused and sensible.” “Chesca is excellent. She is fantastic at preparing complex schedules of loss and dealing with expert evidence.”‍ ‍

(Clinical Negligence) “Chesca is my go-to junior in all weighty quantum cases. She excels in maximising heads of claim in ways which others may overlook.” “Chesca demonstrates attention to meticulous detail, is always very thorough in the production of detailed schedules of loss and has a very good client manner.”  “She is brilliant, especially on the quantum side.”‍ ‍

(Employment) “Chesca Lord's legal expertise is exceptional. She always provide strategic and practical solutions to support clients while also mitigating the legal risks.”‍ ‍

Legal 500 2026: (Clinical Negligence) “She is incisive in marshalling evidence, and brings clarity to the most complex of scenarios.” (Employment) “Chesca’s strengths lie in her measured approach to advocacy, she has a very calm authority in tribunals, and ability to break down complex legal issues into practical advice that resonates well with clients.” (Personal injury) “Chesca has a huge grasp of quantum. She’s very bright and always well prepared.”‍ ‍

Legal 500 2025: (Clinical Negligence) “Phenomenal forensic analysis of expert reports, particularly on quantum and an ability to retain details of the minutiae of cases, and to identify deficiencies in evidence.”‍ ‍

(Employment) “A junior who demonstrates great clarify of thought.”‍ ‍

(Personal Injury “She is superb on quantum issues. Her eye for detail and ability to marshal large quantities of detailed information and evidence is exceptional. Her schedules are top drawer. Excellent judgment when it comes to valuations.”‍ ‍

Chambers & Partners 2025: (Clinical Negligence) "Her grasp of quantification of high-value claims in particular is very impressive." "Chesca is great with clients and is approachable and knowledgeable." "Chesca is a pleasure to work with, wonderful with clients, meticulous with her papers and an incisive advocate." "She has a great manner with clients and an eye for detail." "Chesca is a brilliant team player." "Chesca has excellent attention to detail, especially when it comes to preparing complex schedules of loss."‍ ‍

(Employment) "She is very good at providing clear, concise advice." "Chesca is sharp, commercially-focused and clients feel completely at ease with her."‍ ‍

(Personal Injury) "Chesca has an impressive ability to get to grips with a large volume of information." "Chesca is first class when it comes to preparing high-value and complex schedules of loss."‍ ‍

Who’s Who Legal 2024: Recommended for Labour, Employment & Immigration.‍ ‍

Legal 500 2024[CL1] : (Personal Injury) “Chesca is excellent for quantum PI quantification work. Her attention to detail and novel points for pushing the boundaries for valuing claims is brilliant.”‍ ‍

(Clinical Negligence) “Chesca has a brilliant eye for detail, especially where complex Schedules of Loss are concerned. Fantastic attention to minutiae of detail and an amazingly quick analytical brain.”‍ ‍

Chambers & Partners 2024: (Employment) “Chesca Lord is a skilled litigator who is deeply experienced in employment and equality law, including substantial discrimination claims. She has notable expertise in relation to part-time workers and sleep-in shifts.” “Chesca is very sharp, extremely clever and provides calmness and clarity in the most complicated cases. Clients appreciate her tenacity in tribunal and that she is commercially focused." “Chesca is extremely sharp and an impressive advocate while also very personable and excellent with our client." "She is very good, providing clarity in complexity."‍ ‍

(Personal Injury) “Chesca Lord is a respected junior who has significant expertise in complex quantum cases. She often acts for claimants in matters arising from motor accidents.” "Chesca has attention to detail. Her manner and sensitivity with clients is fantastic." "Chesca is very thorough. She has excellent knowledge of any quantum issues which allows her to draft very detailed schedules of loss."‍ ‍

(Clinical Negligence) “Chesca Lord is an experienced advocate who specialises in maximum severity quantum-only cases. She is regularly instructed to draft schedules of loss and secure large interim payments for amputations, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries.” "Chesca is very thorough and has a great eye for detail. Her work on complex schedules of loss is excellent." "She is a meticulous advocate, measured and exuding calm in the face of the fiercest opposition." "Chesca's eye for detail is outstanding. Her ability to quickly assimilate information, pick up discrepancies in reports and her speed of analysis has always amazed me."‍ ‍

Legal 500 2023: (Employment) “Calm, clever and strategic. She is great with clients, who find her presence in hearings reassuring but also appreciate her determination to fight for the best result at all times.”‍ ‍

(Personal Injury) “Very approachable and has a clear understanding of the relevant issues to the claim. Clients like her and she is without a doubt, a future personal injury star.”

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(Clinical Negligence) “Chesca is very experienced in catastrophic work.”‍ ‍

Chambers & Partners 2023: "Chesca is a rising star and a delight to work with; she always gets to the heart of any issue with the minimum of faff." "She is able to think creatively and commercially on a technical level." "Chesca is very bright and knowledgeable, she has an intuitive commercial focus and works incredibly hard for clients."‍ ‍

Who's Who Legal 2022: "Chesca Lord is highly regarded for her extensive experience in the Labour space and is considered by sources as an expert on discrimination-related matters."‍ ‍

Legal 500 2022: (Clinical Negligence) "Chesca is a good strategic thinker, and always provides clear, detailed advice."‍ ‍

(Employment) "Thorough and thoughtful in approach – works well with leading counsel."‍ ‍

Chambers & Partners 2022: "She is a very personable barrister and she has excellent knowledge of the law but she is also pragmatic. She is organised, she completes tasks on time and she goes the extra mile." "She has a lovely manner, she works really hard and her advocacy is very attractive."‍ ‍

Legal 500 2021: "Extremely clever, tactically astute and commercially focused. She is always calm and reassuring (particularly with witnesses), while at the same time fiercely competitive - our go-to counsel for all employment law work."‍ ‍

Chambers & Partners 2021: "Super bright, commercially focused in all her advice and a clever and tactically astute litigator. Also very easy to work with." "Produces super quality work."‍ ‍

Who's Who Legal 2017: Ranked as an Expert in Labour, Employment & Benefits.‍ ‍

Appointed to EHRC Panel of Preferred Counsel 2019-2023

Member of ELA, ELBA, ILS, DLA, Advocate (formerly Bar Bro Bono Unit), PIBA, APIL and AvMA

Contributing author to ‘Lewis and Buchan: Clinical Negligence – A Practical Guide' (8th Ed, Bloomsbury Professional 2019) and From Counsel.

Chesca regularly provides training on a wide range of topics, in particular on personal injury issues for employment lawyers, and quantum issues in PI/CN. Please contact the clerks if you wish to arrange bespoke training.