Christopher Sharp (barrister)
Christopher Sharp (QC) is a British barrister and Deputy High Court Judge residing in Bristol UK, and notable for his high-profile cases and popularity with some of the biggest insurers in the land. As a prominent figure in his field, Christopher Sharp has been included in Who's Who in recognition of the distinction he has attained in his professional life. He has also been recommended by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK every year since 2009. Sharp was awarded the top honour of 'star individual' by Chambers UK 2012, which describes him as "one of  the top silks in the West" and "exceptionally thorough, hard-working and excellent in terms of his presentation skills". He is also acknowledged by the Legal 500 as "one of the leading family and personal injury silks on the circuit", having "wide experience of the appellate courts, both Court of Appeal and the House of Lords". He acts for the claimant and the defendant with equal frequency. Career. Educated at Oxford University, Sharp was called to the bar in 1975, and took silk in 1999. He became a Recorder in 2004, and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2011. He  holds an honorary MA from Oxford University. A member and co-founder of St John's Chambers in Bristol UK, Sharp was head of that Chambers for many years, and accepted an invitation to become an associate member of Harcourt Chambers in London. Frances Judd QC (the head of Harcourt Chambers) described the addition of "such a distinguished silk" as "an honour" for the Chambers. A visiting fellow at the University of the West of England, Sharp regularly lectures on subjects related to his areas of practice. He also contributes articles to legal journals in the UK and abroad. Personal  Injury. Rated as 'Band 1' by Chambers UK and commended by the Legal 500 for complex brain and spinal injury cases, Sharp specialises in catastrophic injury and is described as "one of the leading Personal Injury Silks on Circuit". Family/Matrimonial. Head of the family practice group at St John's Chambers, Sharp "is widely known for his expertise in high-value ancillary relief cases in which he is equally at home negotiating multimillion-pound settlements or fighting them in court". Personal life. The only son of Charles and Lillian, Sharp married Sarah Cripps in 1978. He has one daughter , Melanie, and a son, Charles, both doctors, and both married. Sharp enjoys real tennis, skiing, sailing and theatre.