The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence.
The areas of work in which we have particular expertise, experience and excellence.
Call: 2018
"Francesca has a calm but punchy style, and adapts deftly to different subjects and audiences."
Legal 500 2024
Francesca Kolar is a busy common law practitioner across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, she appears in court on a daily basis and has experience of conducting hearings and conferences remotely.
Francesca regularly appears in the County Court, Family Court, Crown and Magistrates’ Court.
Since joining Chambers as a Third Six Pupil in October 2019, Francesca has developed particular experience in representing the police and other public bodies in applications for Civil Orders, including account and cash forfeiture, injunctions, sexual risk orders and closure orders.
Francesca also has a promising personal injury and clinical negligence practice, acting for both claimant and defendant in fast track and small claims matters. Prior to pupillage Francesca was a legal assistant to a Silk at a leading property set so is well versed in all aspects of civil procedure and multi track work.
Prior to pupillage Francesca spent two years teaching debating to students in inner-London secondary and primary schools, for the social mobility charity Debate Mate.
Francesca has a busy junior personal injury practice, acting for both claimant and defendant in fast track and multi track cases, small claims, stage 3 hearings, infant approval and disposal hearings.
Francesca is regularly instructed to advise on liability and quantum and draft pleadings in road traffic, credit hire, employer’s liability, public liability and product liability claims.
Francesca also has significant experience dealing with claims for possession involving substantial rent arrears and housing disrepair in the County Court.
Francesca is also willing to go the extra mile for instructing solicitors and appeared in the High Court, upon receipt of a last minute instruction, to deal with an application to adjourn on the first day of trial in a high value personal injury claim.
Francesca has a flourishing clinical negligence practice and has successfully represented both claimants and defendants. Francesca is often instructed at an early stage of the case to advise on liability, draft letters of claim and to give a steer on the direction of travel of a claim.
Francesca also regularly represents claimants and other Interested Parties at inquests prior to any potential civil claim. Francesca’s common law practice means that she has the breadth and depth of experience to advise and represent clients before a multitude of tribunals.
Francesca’s recent cases involve a late diagnosis of colorectal cancer, a missed opportunity to diagnose a severe growth restriction in a foetus which lead to intrapartum foetal death, and fatal injuries following a bladder cystectomy.
Francesca is developing a thriving police law practice and is regularly instructed by police forces across the country to provide representation and advice on technical issues in a range of applications including:
As a result, Francesca is also well placed to advise and represent individuals responding to the same.
In November 2020, Francesca successfully resisted an abuse of process argument in high value account forfeiture proceedings, despite the striking similarities with the case of Merida Oil. Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, sitting as Senior District Judge, expressed “Ms Kolar produced a first rate opening argument which dealt with the issues and the law in a detailed way”.
Francesca regularly acts for local authorities, parents and children’s guardians in public law family proceedings, involving issues of neglect, substance misuse, psychiatric illness, fabricated and/or induced illnesses and non-accidental injury. Francesca is often instructed in Interim Care Orders, Emergency Protection Orders, at Issues Resolution Hearings and Case Management Hearings and to draft threshold.
Francesca also represents parents in private family law and has achieved satisfying results for clients, leading to repeat instruction, in Child Arrangement, Prohibited Steps, Specific Issue, Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders.
Francesca is a CPS Grade 3 prosecutor and is regularly instructed to prosecute and defend in the Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court across London, the South East and the South West.
Francesca has dealt with difficult trials involving vulnerable and child witnesses and issues of fitness to plead.
Francesca also has experience of sensitive cases in the Youth Court involving robbery, child sexual offences, county lines, modern slavery and the National Referral Mechanism.
Francesca completed a 3-month secondment with the Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England, as a Senior Crown Prosecutor, in December 2020. She was responsible for reviewing cases, making case strategy decisions, conducting busy remand courts and first appearances for simple motoring matters through to serious either way offences.
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB)
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and holds a current practising certificate. To see my privacy notice click here.
