Erica Bedford is a leading senior junior who practices exclusively in the law of costs.
She has specialized in this niche area since 2003, qualifying as a Cost Lawyer and Solicitor prior to transfer to the Bar.
Her practical, astute advice, tenacious advocacy and technical capability are married with a personable approach, which together deliver a first-class service in all aspects of cost litigation.
She acts for both paying and receiving parties and is well regarded for her attention to detail in respect of both technical points of principle or in factually heavy multi-day detailed assessments.
She has a strong appellate practice, often being brought in at appellate level to assist with complex, technical, important points of principle. She has experience of appearing against silks, lead and as sole counsel, including in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court.
Her experience spans the full spectrum of costs litigation including:
Notable Cases:
DPP v XXX (“Chinese Crypto Fraud”) (2025)
Sole costs counsel advising the DPP on budgeting and costs strategy in civil recovery proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act in respect of seizer of £5billion in cryptocurrency.
Turner v Coupland Cavendish [2025] EWHC 1605 (KB)
Represented the Respondent before the High Court on the threshold for Part 18 Responses in Solicitor Act Assessments. Currently awaiting permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Afzal & Ikieke v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] UKSC 46 (Detailed Assessment – 2025)
Represented the Paying Party on a detailed assessment in the Supreme Court including the question of the Legal Aid Board’s liability for interest to the Lord Chancellor.
Oakwood Solicitors v Menzies [2024] UKSC34
Represented the Respondent before the Supreme Court on the correct interpretation of ‘payment’ for the purposes of s.70(4) Solicitors Act.
Lead by Craig Ralph of Kings Chambers.
Lord Hamblen commented in the Judgment that her submissions were“persuasively presented”.
Heathcote v Asertis [2024] EWCA Civ 242
Represented the Appellant before the Court of Appeal on the correct approach to making a cost order where there is both success and failure in plural commercial claims brought under one claim form.
Leading Chelsea Carter of Kings Chambers.
Micula v Romania [2020] UKSC 5 – (Detailed Assessment – 2024 ongoing)
Representing the Receiving Parties on a 33 day detailed assessment before the Supreme Court in respect of the Supreme Court costs and in the Senior Court Costs Office in respect of the Court of Appeal and High Court costs in the exceptional arbitration and commercial proceedings between the Micula Brothers, the State of Romania and the European Commission.
Hussain v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] 12 WLRUK64 (Detailed Assessment: 2024)
Represented the Paying Party on a detailed assessment in the Supreme Court as to the correct interpretation of the Supreme Court Costs Guide RSC PD13 as to the recoverability of fees for more than one counsel.
Boodia v Richard Slade (t/a Richard Slade & Co) [2023] EWHC 2963 (KB)
Represented the Appellant on appeal before the High Court as to whether a duty existed upon solicitors to explain and obtain informed consent to the delivery of interim statutory bills.
The Person or Persons Responsible for the Operation and Publication of the Website www.Bitcoin.org (including the person or persons using the pseudonym “Cobra”)vDr Craig Wright [2023] EWHC 2292
Represented the Appellant on appeal before the High Court as to whether the common law duty of open justice for a party to identify themselves to the Court and their opponent in order to take part in proceedings extended to detailed assessments.
Simpsons (Preston) Ltd (T/A Simpsons) v MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd [2023] EWHC 1370 (Comm)
Represented the Defendant Respondent in an application to vary the Cost Budget in the High Court. The Court addressed the threshold question of what amounts to a significant development.
Sellers v Simpkins [2023] EWHC 3296 (SCCO)
Represented the Paying Party Client in a Solicitor Act assessment on the question of whether the correct interpretation of the termination clauses in a CFA and whether the Client could rely upon an overall cap on costs in circumstances where they had terminated the retainer.
JXC v NIS [2023] EWHC 1000 (SCCO)
Represented the Solicitors on a Protected Party Assessment and addressed the question of the application of the presumptions in CPR 46.9(3)(a) and (b) in circumstances where the between the parties cost budget had been exceeded.
EVX v Smith [2022] EWHC 1607 (SCCO)
Represented the Solicitors on a Protected Party Assessment and addressed the question of whether the hourly rates claimed were ‘unusual’ for the purpose of CPR 46.9 such that informed consent had to be obtained from the client.
The Official Receiver v Camila Batmanghelidjh (In the Matter of Keeping Kids Company) [2021] EWHC 175 (Ch)(Detailed Assessment 2021)
Acting for the Paying Party in the costs dispute following the high-profile director disqualification proceedings against the former Trustees of the well-known children’s charity Keeping Kids Company.
Allen v Brethertons LLP [2019] 5 WLRUK 135
Represented the Receiving Party in a Solicitor Act assessment and addressed the question of whether unqualified individuals acting under the supervision of a qualified Cost Lawyer were able to recover their costs given the provisions of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Oliver Havenga (a child suing by his Litigation Friend and Mother Julie Havenga) v Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust [2014] EWHC B25 (QB)
Represented the Respondent in the first appeal from the budgeting regime addressing the correct approach of the appellate court following a budgeting hearing.
Finglands Coachways Ltd v Sebastian O’Hare [2014] EWHC 1513 (QB)
Represented the Appellant on appeal in the High Court on the question of the correct approach to the application of the proportionality test.
She holds the following appointments and memberships:
Education and training have been lifelong passions. She is regularly invited to speak at national events as well as delivering in-house training, including:
Additionally:
She has been consistently recommended as a leading junior in both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 since 2015.
“Erica Bedford has a towering intellect”. Legal 500, 2026
“Erica Bedford holds a presence in the court room which few can match”. Legal 500, 2026
“She’s phenomenal.” Chambers UK, 2025
“Erica Bedford is an absolute force to be reckoned with.” Chambers UK, 2025
“Erica is great in conference, great in court and great in terms of her written work.” Chambers UK, 2025
“She is very tenacious and certainly understands what is best for her client, having previously worked in private practice.” “She has amazing insight and always keeps an eye on the commercial realities of running a point.” Chambers UK, 2025
“Erica’s advice is clear and helpful, her skeleton arguments focus on the issues with razor-sharp precision, she knows her subject inside and out, and always approaches her cases with passion and precision. Attention to detail is her modus operandi and it always pays off, as her breadth of knowledge, ability to communicate and advise productively, and her attention to the finer details is impressive.” Legal 500, 2025
“Erica is the epitome of what you want in a costs advocate. She has an incredible grasp of the technicalities in costs law, and her advocacy is both tenacious and extremely thorough.” Chambers UK, 2024
“Erica is a no-nonsense barrister who will always give her clients a firm opinion and very clear advice. She is able to deal with all types of costs work.” Chambers UK, 2024
“She is a formidable opponent.” Chambers UK, 2024
“Erica Bedford is a pioneer in the field. She has developed the area of costs law not only personally but for women generally. She is a sharp and precise advocate who packs a punch.” Chambers UK, 2024
"Erica has great tenacity, drive, energy and client care, and she provides clear explanations and gets excellent results. She is a fearless advocate who is undaunted by any problems presented and she never fails to deliver." Legal 500, 2023
“She has in-depth knowledge of the area and is a tenacious advocate.” Chambers UK, 2023
“She is a fearless, tenacious advocate who provides no-nonsense, common-sense advice to clients.” Chambers UK, 2023
“Erica has a strong depth of knowledge which is unparalleled.” Chambers UK, 2023
“Always well-prepared, with an eye for detail and technically excellent.” Legal 500, 2022
“Incredibly hard-working and knows costs backwards.” Chambers UK, 2022
“You always up your game when Erica is against you – her preparation is impeccable, she knows the case law and she’s a devil for the detail.” Chambers UK, 2021
“Her written work is superb and the level of research she engages in is fantastic.” Chambers UK, 2021
“Always stunningly well prepared. Excellent advocate with great courtroom presence.” “Can be relied upon to deliver excellent service in costs matters.” Legal 500, 2020
“Her technical knowledge is second to none and is well beyond her year of call. When you instruct her you can have every confidence that she will do the very best for the client.” Chambers UK, 2020
“Erica is a tenacious litigator. She has won consistently for us even when we thought we could not win, because of the power of her advocacy and arguments.” Chambers UK, 2020
“Erica is always willing to go that extra mile for her clients. She is a bright advocate and always a pleasure to deal with.” Chambers UK, 2018
“A skilled advocate who is professional in her manner and convincing both in her presentation to the court and in her advice to the firm.” Chambers UK, 2017
“She is a strong advocate and a pleasure to work with.” Chambers UK, 2017
“Her knowledge of the CPR and case law is second to none and her application of case law to the problem in question is impressive. She is a formidable advocate, with lightning fast recall of case law and a rare ability to interpret the CPR.” Chambers UK, 2016
“Erica has a strong work ethic, a personable approach and the ability to provide astute advice on a variety of issues.” Chambers UK, 2016
“She’s got experience beyond her year of call. You get a lot more than you paid for, and she also gives the impression that she will work her hind legs off for you." Chambers UK, 2015
“She’s incredibly well prepared, very willing to help and excellent on her feet. She argues your corner until she’s blue in the face." Chambers UK, 2015
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ICO Number ICO: ZA018342
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