Stephen Killalea KC *

Year of Silk: 2006

Year of Call: 1981


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  • "Stephen Killalea KC has an outstanding reputation in maximum severity spinal injury cases and for his adroit handling of the most complex liability disputes for claimants who have suffered life-changing injuries. He is able to advise both children and adult claimants on cases with substantial future care complexities. He is also noted for his handling of cases involving industrial injuries." - Star Individual (Personal Injury) 

    Chambers UK 2023
  • ‘Stephen is outstanding; his down-to-earth nature does not detract from his tremendous authority. He is one of the top silks in the field.'

    The Legal 500 (2023)
  • 'An exceptional negotiator and advocate and a thoroughly nice human being. ’

    The Legal 500 (2022)
  • ‘An exceptional advocate who rises to the challenge however formidable or complex the case may be and invariably with great success.’

    The Legal 500 (2021)
  • ‘Very strong client care and good instincts for tough cases.’ - Travel law (including jurisdictional issues)

    The Legal 500 (2021)
  • "He is a talented advocate with very good knowledge of catastrophic brain injury cases. He's also well liked by clients and is very personable."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "He is a fantastic courtroom advocate."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "He is very good on his feet and is always extremely well prepared - he is a force of nature in court. His written work is clear, concise and easy for clients to understand."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "Very responsive and provides an excellent service for his clients."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • 'A gifted advocate who is excellent at cross-examination and always one step ahead.’ - Personal Injury

    The Legal 500 (2020)
  • "He is absolutely fantastic with clients." - Travel: International Personal Injury,

    Chambers & Partners (2020)
  • "He's an absolute go-to person for complex liability disputes." Personal Injury

    Chambers & Partners (2019)
  • "He cuts to the chase and is able to identify the key issues in a case immediately." "Great with clients, puts people at ease and helps to make them feel comfortable in difficult circumstances." - Travel: International Personal Injury,

    Chambers & Partners (2019)
  • ‘Probably one of the best negotiators at the PI Bar; he is fearless and thinks outside of the box.’ - Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Insurance Fraud

    The Legal 500 (2019)

Professional Memberships

Personal Injury Bar Association
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Health & Safety Lawyers Association


  • "Stephen Killalea KC has an outstanding reputation in maximum severity spinal injury cases and for his adroit handling of the most complex liability disputes for claimants who have suffered life-changing injuries. He is able to advise both children and adult claimants on cases with substantial future care complexities. He is also noted for his handling of cases involving industrial injuries." - Star Individual (Personal Injury) 

    Chambers UK 2023
  • ‘Stephen is outstanding; his down-to-earth nature does not detract from his tremendous authority. He is one of the top silks in the field.'

    The Legal 500 (2023)
  • 'An exceptional negotiator and advocate and a thoroughly nice human being. ’

    The Legal 500 (2022)
  • ‘An exceptional advocate who rises to the challenge however formidable or complex the case may be and invariably with great success.’

    The Legal 500 (2021)
  • ‘Very strong client care and good instincts for tough cases.’ - Travel law (including jurisdictional issues)

    The Legal 500 (2021)
  • "He is a talented advocate with very good knowledge of catastrophic brain injury cases. He's also well liked by clients and is very personable."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "He is a fantastic courtroom advocate."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "He is very good on his feet and is always extremely well prepared - he is a force of nature in court. His written work is clear, concise and easy for clients to understand."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • "Very responsive and provides an excellent service for his clients."

    Chambers & Partners (2021)
  • 'A gifted advocate who is excellent at cross-examination and always one step ahead.’ - Personal Injury

    The Legal 500 (2020)
  • "He is absolutely fantastic with clients." - Travel: International Personal Injury,

    Chambers & Partners (2020)
  • "He's an absolute go-to person for complex liability disputes." Personal Injury

    Chambers & Partners (2019)
  • "He cuts to the chase and is able to identify the key issues in a case immediately." "Great with clients, puts people at ease and helps to make them feel comfortable in difficult circumstances." - Travel: International Personal Injury,

    Chambers & Partners (2019)
  • ‘Probably one of the best negotiators at the PI Bar; he is fearless and thinks outside of the box.’ - Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Insurance Fraud

    The Legal 500 (2019)

Steve Killalea KC has a leading silk’s practice in personal injury specialising in representing claimants in catastrophic brain and spinal cases.

Steve has also extensive experience of Inquests, Health and Safety prosecutions, and civil Actions against the Police, based upon his substantial criminal trial experience.

Steve is a leading personal injury silk (Star Individual – Chambers UK 2023), with one of the most substantial catastrophic injury practices in the country. He acts for claimants with significant brain and spinal injuries both nationally and internationally

He is known for his advocacy and ability to tackle the most difficult and contentious cases whilst being attentive to the needs of clients. He is frequently instructed in high-value cases in which there is a need for delicate and sensitive handling of the claimant, and family, with a substantial number of cases involving brain damaged children.

Chambers UK latest guide recognised Steve Killalea KC as “Star Individual” (Personal Injury).

“Stephen Killalea KC has an outstanding reputation in maximum severity spinal injury cases and for his adroit handling of the most complex liability disputes for claimants who have suffered life-changing injuries. He is able to advise both children and adult claimants on cases with substantial future care complexities. He is also noted for his handling of cases involving industrial injuries.” – Star Individual (Personal Injury), Chambers UK 2023

Recent notable cases include:

-Acting for a 67 year old Claimant who sustained a catastrophic spinal and traumatic brain injury, rendering him tetraplegic, when his car was struck by a Turkish lorry on the M1 near Luton in November 2017. Although Claimant was not wearing a seatbelt, medical causation led to the case being compromised on a full liability basis.

-Acting for a 58 year old male who was injured in an RTA, rendering him incomplete tetrapl egic, when Defendant driver allegedly had a heart attack. Liability in dispute but approached by Claimant as full liability case at JSM. Compromised at £3,500,000. An unusual element was a claim for costs of spending four months a year for several years in Australia.

View Notable Cases

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ABC (BY OS) v XYZ (2020) (Leading Kane Simons): Acted for a claimant in a brain injury case for a man in his mid-fifties which settled for a lump sum of £2.65 million and an annual periodical payment of £275,000 – an assumed capitalised value in excess of £6 million.

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