Anna Barr

Anna is a solicitor in the international department who specialises in litigating UK and  international human rights, abuse, environmental, corruption and whistleblowing cases. 

Anna has worked on several complex cases across multiple jurisdictions, including: 

• San San Aye & Others v Tesco Plc & Others: 130 Burmese workers in a landmark class action have sued Tesco and an auditing company for negligence and unjust enrichment following allegations of forced labour at a Thai factory supplying F&F clothing to Tesco.  
• Milasi Josiya & Others v British American Tobacco Plc & Others: thousands of Malawians sue tobacco companies for negligence and unjust enrichment following allegations of forced and child labour.  
• Claims against Associated British Foods: thousands of villagers from Malawi sue UK multinational Associated British Foods, claiming flood defences protecting a sugar plantation it owns diverted floodwater following a tropical storm into their village, destroying it and killing seven people, including two children. 
• Claims against Dyson: 23 migrant workers and the estate of one deceased migrant worker who worked at factories in Malaysia making Dyson products sue Dyson. They allege they experienced forced labour, false imprisonment, assault, battery, cruel and degrading treatment and exposure to extremely hazardous working conditions and abusive living conditions. 
• Claims on behalf of whistleblowers working overseas who have spoken out about corruption in their workplaces and have suffered devastating impacts on their careers and lives as a result. 
• Emission claims: hundreds of thousands of UK vehicle owners sue car manufacturers following allegations that manufacturers fitted 'defeat' devices to their diesel vehicles to cheat the EU and UK emissions laws.  
• Ella Janneh Claimant - and – (1) Michael Lousada; (2)Anteros Books Limited: child sex abuse survivor, Ella Janneh, successfully sued a therapist for sexual assault and negligence during a session.  The Judge ruled there was “no doubt” that her account of rape and sexual assault was true. 
• Spectrum care home residents: potential claims relating to abuse, mistreatment and breaches of human rights on behalf of a group of vulnerable Spectrum care home residents. 
• Whitefield School pupils: potential claims under the Human Rights Act and in negligence following alleged abuse suffered by pupils of Whitefield School.  
• Claims for survivors of sexual abuse and physical abuse, and claims for the mistreatment of children and adults at risk of harm in care settings. 
• Human rights cases involving clients with learning disabilities in cases relating to poor care and treatment, restrictive practices, and unlawful deprivation of liberty. 

Prior to qualification Anna worked on clinical negligence, tribunal and regulatory cases. She also volunteered with International Citizen Service in Ghana and assisted marginalised women.  

Anna has also contributed to supporting Ella Janneh’s campaign for bringing in statutory regulation for therapists. 

Anna has a sincere commitment to challenging the class inequality that exists within the legal profession. She co-founded and previously vice-chaired the Social Mobility Committee at Leigh Day and has contributed to the London Irish Lawyers Association Trailblazer Programme, aimed at improving social mobility in the London legal industry.  

Publications:  

• Quoted in the Guardian report: Girl, 7, raped at Thai factory supplying clothes for Tesco while mother worked.
• Eliminating child labour: how changes to the Modern Slavery Act can help. 
• EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: no plans for replication in the UK. 
• The EU Corporate Due Diligence and Corporate Accountability Directive.
• Child labour can only be eliminated by greater accountability in supply chains