Practice overview
Sadly, our remarkable friend and colleague George Pulman QC passed away on 15 January 2021.
We have such fond (and funny) memories of our friend and colleague George, who was a colourful and kind man. He was in every sense a larger than life character. He loved a party and/or celebration, and he was very much a people person who took a genuine delight in the achievements of others. He especially enjoyed giving time to and assisting the young, especially students whom he could guide and mentor.
George made a valuable contribution to Gatehouse Chambers over many years. The Bar must have seemed like a very different place at the point he retired from practise to the profession he joined in 1971. He had a great and distinguished career as a barrister and a judge.
George was an active Bencher of his Inn, was the Chancellor of the Diocese of Chelmsford where he was loved and appreciated, and had been Deputy Chancellor of the Diocese of Peterborough for many years. He was very proud of having been made a Fellow of his old college, Downing College Cambridge, and was a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers.
He was truly a collegiate man, and one who loved friendship and fellowship, and was rightly proud of and loving towards his family. He will be sadly missed.
During the course of his career, George was an experienced insurance lawyer and was instrumental in building Gatehouse Chambers's formidable reputation in commercial circles. He accepted instructions from clients on all sides of the insurance arena, including Lloyd’s underwriters, insurers and mutual insurance associations, brokers and assureds.
George’s practice included advising and representing doctors and consultants on their liability, often in cases with complex clinical dimensions. He was equally experienced in bringing cases against negligent medical practitioners by patients, local authorities and the NHS. His work in the mental health arena naturally overlapped with his work in medical negligence and public liability.
He was a leading silk in the personal injury field and gained significant recognition for his appearances in court. He had decades of experience in both employment and personal injury law and acted in many multi-party and test cases.
George was also a leading expert on product liability and regulatory compliance. He represented clients who have been injured by dangerous products, and in the defence of HSE and corporate manslaughter prosecutions.
In addition to his extensive knowledge in these practice areas, George had particular experience in cases concerning:
- Churches
- Costs sharing orders (multi-party actions)
- Costs limiting orders (CPR)
- Firemen and fires
- Horticultural machinery (e.g. mowers, cultivators etc.)
- Part 36 offers (claimant/defendant)
- Railway accidents
- Schools
- TV and film
- Tyres (e.g. blow outs) and seat belts.
He was formerly junior counsel to the Crown, defending judicial review and damages claims for the Crown, and he had an interest in the ecclesiastical Canon Law of the Church of England.
George established himself as an extremely capable legal advisor and was involved with the Hong Kong Government Legal Aid Study Group, the Legal Aid Green Paper and the Personal Injury Bar Association. He was also a lecturer for the Judicial Studies Board, the University of Kent and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.