MASTERS LEGAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Media Team
James is a member of the Media Team at Masters, dealing with all aspects of costs in defamation, privacy and misuse of private information litigation, on behalf of both paying and receiving parties. In particular, James is heavily involved in both the Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation ("MTVIL") against Newsgroup Newspapers and the Mirror Group Newspapers Hacking Litigation ("MNHL") as part of the Claimant's costs team. He was also a key part of the receiving party's costs team in the matter of of Shulman-v- Kolomoisky & Bogolyubov, Senior Courts Costs Office (24/06/20), which resulted in the recovery of some of the highest hourly rates allowed at detailed assessment.
James joined Masters in 2019. Prior to this, he worked for a multi-office costs consultancy, dealing with costs issues across a broad spectrum of legal areas, including commercial claims, high value personal injury claims, clinical negligence, mesothelioma, and housing disputes, and dealt with costs in all courts, including the Supreme Court.
Natalie Swales joined Masters in 2013 and is a Costs Lawyer in our Commercial Department. Natalie studied Law at Exeter University, obtaining her LLB (Hons) in 2006. She then went on to undertake the Legal Practice Course at The College of Law, London.
Natalie has extensive legal costing experience, both in-house and in costs consultancies, where she dealt with a broad range of high value commercial; personal injury; clinical negligence; and multi-jurisdictional claims. Natalie has significant experience in both the justification and opposition of costs. She has substantial advocacy experience having attended detailed assessment hearings in both County Courts and the Senior Courts Costs Office. She is also experienced in preparing Points of Dispute and Replies in all aspects of costs litigation.
Since joining Masters, Natalie has been heavily involved in complex and high profile commercial costs matters, including the preparation of multi-million pound Bills of Costs.
Nico Myburgh joined Masters in 2008 and is a Partner in the Commercial Department. Nico completed his undergraduate degree in South Africa and is also an admitted attorney.
Nico has substantial litigation experience, having previously specialised in the defence of complex clinical negligence claims in South Africa. He also practised as a costs consultant in South Africa, specialising primarily in the determination of high value and complex commercial costs claims.
Since joining Masters, Nico has continued to develop his expertise in complex, high quantum costs claims, including in commercial and clinical negligence disputes. Nico deals with all aspects of the costs process and regularly represents litigants in the Senior Courts Costs Office and in other forums. Nico also has considerable experience of the costs budgeting process and frequently attends costs management hearings.
Ravi is a qualified Solicitor, having previously obtained a Masters of Law (corporate and commercial law) from The London School of Economics and Political Science. Ravi has over 10 years' experience in the field of costs, predominantly advising receiving parties. Over the years Ravi has represented the costs interests of various clients in commercial, construction, tort, insurance, tax, contract and banking law cases.
Stephanie joined the Commercial Team in 2014 and has since dealt with high profile, high quantum and complex commercial litigation and was heavily involved in the Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation and the Mirror Newspaper Hacking Litigation. Stephanie is now part of the Media Team, where she continues to primarily deal with "phone-hacking" claims. Stephanie qualified as a Costs Lawyer in 2015.