Chelsea Sparks

Chelsea has developed a broad property practice and is happy to provide advice or advocacy services across all areas of property law. She has particular experience dealing with disputes concerning housing disrepair, possession, deposit protection, unlawful eviction, nuisance, tortious interference with goods and boundary disputes.

Chelsea has experience of representing claimants, defendants, landlords and tenants whilst dealing with residential and commercial property matters, giving her a chance to keep her skills sharp.

Most recently, Chelsea has been involved in multiple right to manage cases led by Lamb Chambers’ Winston Jacob. Of particular note is the recent Court of Appeal case which saw the pair instructed to resist an appeal of the Upper Tribunal decision in Avon Freeholds Ltd v Cresta Court E RTM Co Ltd [2024] UKUT 335 (LC); [2025] 1 WLR 1262. They were instructed on behalf of the Respondent who had previously been successful in both the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal.

Prior to completing her pupillage Chelsea worked as a legal assistant to the Head of Media Law at her previous chambers, during which time she gained specific experience in claims of defamation, misuse of private information, breach of confidence, malicious falsehood, data protection, and harassment.

Once qualified, Chelsea continued her work in IP and media law and has been regularly led by senior counsel and instructed independently.

Last year, Chelsea was instructed by a Claimant in relation to his claim for misuse of private information, breach of confidence, breach of data protection and copyright infringement which arose from a covert recording of a private and confidential meeting, a collection of emails and the distortion and unapproved use of an image. At the Defendant’s strike out application hearing, heard in the County Court, Chelsea successfully defended the application and obtained an Unless Order and an award of costs against the Defendant.

Chelsea has also been involved in the following notable cases:

Rinkoff v Baby Cow Productions Ltd [2025] EWHC 39 (IPEC); [2025] E.C.D.R 14: 

Chelsea was instructed on behalf of the comedian Harry Rinkoff, and led by Tim Sampson of Lamb Chambers, in respect of the Claimant’s claim that the Defendant production company had infringed his dramatic work copyright rights in the format for a comedy series known as Shambles when producing its Live at the Moth Club (‘LATMC’) series. The Court determined that the claimed format was at too high a level of generalisation to be protected as a dramatic copyright work (not that formats could never protected as a copyright work) and that there was also no inference of copying in any event.

Mullen v Lyles [2025] EWHC 645 (KB); [2025] 4 WLUK 105:

Chelsea was instructed by the Claimant on a Direct Access basis and led my Mr Jake Rudman of Hatton Chambers. The case concerns defamation and misuse of private information (“MPI”) arising from publication via WhatsApp and over the telephone. Whilst the substantive matter is ongoing the Claimant’s appeal successfully challenged and reversed a previous order of the court which had resulted in the MPI element of the claim being struck out.

The appeal specifically considered the complicated intersection between truth; criminal conduct; sex-life; and conduct in public, within the context of MPI.

Simon Parkes v (1) Toby Hall (2) Stephen Earnshaw [2023] EWHC 794 (KB) and Simon Parkes v (1) Toby Hall (2) Stephen Earnshaw [2021] EWHC 2824 (QB):

Chelsea was part of the legal team representing the Claimant on a Direct Access basis in his High Court claim for defamation, harassment, breach of data protection and misuse of private information in relation to 9 online videos and 4 emails with recipients likely to be in the thousands.

After a substantial strike out application against the Defendant was filed, the case culminated in a favourable judgment for the Claimant consisting of damages, an injunction and costs.

Chelsea is regularly instructed in commercial law matters or cases which have a commercial element. Having been self-employed for a number of years and director, Chelsea has an innate understanding of the practicalities and considerations involved in running a business. It is this understanding which is particularly useful when she is proposing tactical solutions, whilst considering the reputational impact of the claim, and when advising on the strengths and weaknesses of a case.

Given her background and experience, it is no surprise that there is a certain degree of overlap between the areas of law Chelsea is instructed in; her cases often involve property, consumer credit or buildings disputes which stem from a breach of contract.

Chelsea also has experience dealing with insolvency matters, including bankruptcy petitions, winding up petitions and applications to obtain orders for sale or charging orders.

Chelsea is a licensed New York Attorney and, whilst studying for the Bar of England and Wales, she worked as a contract attorney for Magic Circle and international law firms on a variety of matters, often with a US law or jurisdictional element.

Chelsea advised on potential or pending litigation, investigations and ongoing financial and commercial claims alongside other contract attorneys. Chelsea worked on cases concerning a high profile supermarket merger; a pharmaceutical investigation into internal corruption and bribery; a multi-million pound shipping contract dispute; a shareholder dispute on behalf of a US private equity firm; a European Commission investigation into anti-competitive behaviour; an internal investigation into possible breaches of US sanctions; the alleged tax evasion and illegal actions of an international tobacco manufacturer; a patent infringement following a complaint made to the International Trade Commission; and, a large scale contractual dispute concerning IT solutions.

In 2019, she also volunteered in Texas with the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs offering her legal assistance to death row clients who needed help launching their appeals against the death sentence.