United Kingdom > London Bar > Administrative and public law (including local government)
Index of tables
- Administrative and public law – Leading Sets
- Administrative and public law – Leading Silks
- Administrative and public law – New Silks
- Administrative and public law – Leading Juniors
Administrative and public law – Leading Sets
Administrative and public law – Leading Silks
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- Michael Beloff QC Blackstone Chambers
- Richard Drabble QC Landmark Chambers
- Michael Fordham QC Blackstone Chambers
- Nigel Giffin QC 11KBW
- Richard Gordon QC Brick Court Chambers
- Philip Havers QC One Crown Office Row
- John Howell QC Blackstone Chambers
- Nigel Pleming QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Dinah Rose QC Blackstone Chambers
- Rabinder Singh QC Matrix Chambers
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- Richard Clayton QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC Doughty Street Chambers
- Charles Flint QC Blackstone Chambers
- Neil Garnham QC One Crown Office Row
- Robert Jay QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Beverley Lang QC Blackstone Chambers
- George Laurence QC New Square Chambers
- Lord Lester of Herne Hill QC Blackstone Chambers
- Tim Owen QC Matrix Chambers
- Pushpinder Saini QC Blackstone Chambers
- Timothy Straker QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Rhodri Thompson QC Matrix Chambers
- Christopher Vajda QC Monckton Chambers
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- Andrew Arden QC Arden Chambers
- Charles Béar QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Michael Bowsher QC Monckton Chambers
- Philip Coppel QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- James Dingemans QC 3 Hare Court
- Alison Foster QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Charles George QC FTB
- James Guthrie QC 3 Hare Court
- David Holgate QC Landmark Chambers
- Hugo Keith QC Three Raymond Buildings
- Sir Sydney Kentridge QC Brick Court Chambers
- Mark Lowe QC 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Jan Luba QC Garden Court Chambers
- Richard Mawrey QC Henderson Chambers
- Richard McManus QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Timothy Otty QC Blackstone Chambers
- Robin Purchas QC FTB
- Mark Shaw QC Blackstone Chambers
- Richard Spearman QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
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- Cherie Booth QC Matrix Chambers
- Timothy Corner QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Timothy Dutton QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Gerard Elias QC Farrar’s Building
- David Elvin QC Landmark Chambers
- Lord Faulks QC 1 Chancery Lane
- James Findlay QC 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Patrick Gibbs QC Three Raymond Buildings
- Richard Glover QC FTB
- Richard Horwell QC Three Raymond Buildings
- Richard Humphreys QC FTB
- Tim Kerr QC 11KBW
- Elisabeth Laing QC 11KBW
- Adam Lewis QC Blackstone Chambers
- James Lewis QC Three Raymond Buildings
- Alan Maclean QC Brick Court Chambers
- David Matthias QC 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Hugh Mercer QC Essex Court Chambers
- Clare Montgomery QC Matrix Chambers
- Helen Mountfield QC Matrix Chambers
- Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC Four New Square
- Aidan Robertson QC Brick Court Chambers
- Guy Roots QC FTB
- Daniel Stilitz QC 11KBW
- Jemima Stratford QC Brick Court Chambers
- Robin Tam QC Temple Garden Chambers
- Ashley Underwood QC Landmark Chambers
- Martin Westgate QC Doughty Street Chambers
Administrative and public law – New Silks
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- Daniel Beard QC Monckton Chambers
- Jason Beer QC 5 Essex Court
- Lisa Giovannetti QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Eleanor Grey QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Sam Grodzinski QC Matrix Chambers
- Javan Herberg QC Blackstone Chambers
- Gregory Jones QC FTB
- Phillippa Kaufmann QC Doughty Street Chambers
- Julian Knowles QC Matrix Chambers
- Tim Morshead QC Landmark Chambers
- Jenni Richards QC Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Clive Sheldon QC 11KBW
- Tim Ward QC Monckton Chambers
Administrative and public law – Leading Juniors
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- Marie Demetriou Brick Court Chambers
- Shaheed Fatima Blackstone Chambers
- Kate Gallafent Blackstone Chambers
- Stephanie Harrison Garden Court Chambers
- Brian Kennelly Blackstone Chambers
- Maya Lester Brick Court Chambers
- Fenella Morris Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Katherine Olley Landmark Chambers
- Karen Steyn 11KBW
- James Strachan 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
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- Kieron Beal Blackstone Chambers
- Catherine Callaghan Blackstone Chambers
- Jason Coppel 11KBW
- David Forsdick Landmark Chambers
- Alan Griffiths One Essex Court
- Barbara Hewson Hardwicke
- Jon Holbrook 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Ben Jaffey Blackstone Chambers
- Andrew Kinnier Henderson Chambers
- Dan Kolinsky Landmark Chambers
- Alison Macdonald Matrix Chambers
- Kate Markus Doughty Street Chambers
- Jane Oldham 11KBW
- James Pereira FTB
- James Ramsden 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Vikram Sachdeva Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Kassie Smith Monckton Chambers
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- Ian Albutt 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Nick Armstrong Matrix Chambers
- Wayne Beglan 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Arthur Blake 13 King’s Bench Walk
- Tracey Bloom Doughty Street Chambers
- David Blundell Landmark Chambers
- Charles Bourne 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Paul Bowen Doughty Street Chambers
- Kerry Bretherton Hardwicke
- Tim Buley Landmark Chambers
- Jamie Burton Doughty Street Chambers
- Lisa Busch 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Victoria Butler-Cole Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Chloe Carpenter Fountain Court Chambers
- Akhlaq Choudhury 11KBW
- Gerard Clarke Blackstone Chambers
- Jane Collier Blackstone Chambers
- Thomas Cosgrove 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Simon Cox Doughty Street Chambers
- Ross Crail New Square Chambers
- Jasbir Dhillon Brick Court Chambers
- Emma Dixon Blackstone Chambers
- Denis Edwards FTB
- Philip Engelman Cloisters
- Nadine Finch Garden Court Chambers
- Robert Fookes FTB
- Caoilfhionn Gallagher Doughty Street Chambers
- Alexander Goodman 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Margaret Gray Brick Court Chambers
- Nicola Greaney Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Paul Greatorex 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Richard Ground 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Robin Green 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Ivan Hare Blackstone Chambers
- Hilton Harrop-Griffiths Field Court Chambers
- Richard Harwood Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Andrew Henshaw Brick Court Chambers
- Tom Hickman Blackstone Chambers
- Ben Hooper 11KBW
- Jonathan Hough Four New Square
- Alexander Ruck Keene Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Robert Kellar One Crown Office Row
- Robert Latham Doughty Street Chambers
- Meyric Lewis FTB
- John McKendrick Outer Temple Chambers
- Jonathan Moffett 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Nicholas Moss Temple Garden Chambers
- Robert Palmer Monckton Chambers
- Parishil Patel Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Jeremy Phillips FTB
- David Pievsky Blackstone Chambers
- Debra Powell 3 Serjeants’ Inn
- Anya Proops 11KBW
- Shaheen Rahman One Crown Office Row
- Fiona Scolding Hardwicke
- Katharine Scott Thirty Nine Essex Street
- Andrew Sharland 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Saira Kabir Sheikh FTB
- Stephen Simblet Garden Court Chambers
- Sarah Simcock 3 Serjeants’ Inn
- Edwin Simpson New Square Chambers
- Jennifer Skilbeck Monckton Chambers
- Daniel Squires Matrix Chambers
- Paul Stagg 1 Chancery Lane
- Holly Stout 11KBW
- Victoria Wakefield Brick Court Chambers
- Geraint Webb Henderson Chambers
- Tom Weisselberg Blackstone Chambers
- Damien Welfare 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square
- Marina Wheeler One Crown Office Row
- Gemma White Blackstone Chambers
The ‘go-to chambers’ for public law, with a ‘wealth of talent in its ranks’, Blackstone Chambers is ‘in a league of its own for star counsel at all levels’. Senior clerk Gary Oliver ‘consistently gives the right recommendations’. A ‘model of clarity’, Lord Pannick QC is ‘superb in both advice and advocacy’. With an ‘outstanding intellect’, Dinah Rose QC is ‘brilliant as always’. The ‘frighteningly fluent’ Michael Beloff QC is ‘thoroughly charming to deal with’ and impresses with his Supreme Court experience, and Michael Fordham QC is ‘one of the most knowledgeable counsel for judicial review’, and combines ‘academic precision with polished trial advocacy’. The ‘exceptional’ John Howell QC has a ‘brilliant mind’. James Eadie QC continues to impress as Treasury Devil. Monica Carss-Frisk QC is ‘awesomely good’, and Charles Flint QC is ‘really excellent’ in judicial reviews. The ‘robust and clear’ Pushpinder Saini QC ‘swiftly engages with clients ’ issues’. ‘A thoroughbred performer’, Mark Shaw QC offers ‘insightful advice combined with case-winning advocacy’, and Beverley Lang QC is ‘excellent’. Timothy Otty QC joined in 2010 from Doughty Street Chambers. ‘Absolute star’ Javan Herberg QC took silk in 2011. Among senior juniors, Tom de la Mare is ‘inventive’, Kate Gallafent has a ‘first-class legal mind’, and Kieron Beal offers ‘enormously comprehensive advice in novel and complex areas of law’. Brian Kennelly is a ‘star performer’, and Catherine Callaghan and Shaheed Fatima are recommended.
Brick Court Chambers fields ‘many talented specialists in public law’ and ‘truly excellent’ clerks. Richard Gordon QC is a ‘human rights expert’ and ‘instils confidence in his approach’. David Anderson QC is rated for judicial review work and recently acted for BAA and Ofcom. ‘Simply superb in every respect’ and ‘magisterial as always’, Jonathan Sumption QC was appointed as a Supreme Court judge in 2011. Sir Sydney Kentridge QC has the ‘absolute respect of the court’, and Alan Maclean QC has a ‘first-rate intellect’ and a ‘refreshing practical approach’. 2010 silk Jemima Stratford QC is an ‘exceptionally clear, analytical and persuasive advocate’. At the junior end, Martin Chamberlain ‘wins over judges with persuasive oral submissions’, Marie Demetriou is ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove’, and Maya Lester is ‘highly intelligent, diligent and thoughtful’. Andrew Henshaw is ‘extremely intelligent’, and Jasbir Dhillon is ‘tenacious and industrious’.
‘Undoubtedly the leading set in Court of Protection work’ and also excelling in mental health cases, Thirty Nine Essex Street ‘unfailingly responds to the most difficult and urgent situations’. The ‘brilliant’ Nigel Pleming QC is currently representing Arriva Trains in a judicial review case. Robert Jay QC is a ‘leading practitioner in public law’. ‘Pragmatic advocate’ Lisa Giovannetti QC took silk in 2010, along with Eleanor Grey QC and Jenni Richards QC, who has an ‘impressive combination of intellectual rigour and ability to communicate in difficult negotiations’. Fenella Morris is ‘extremely bright’, Vikram Sachdeva has ‘real expertise in medical and disciplinary cases’, and Nicola Greaney has ‘excellent courtroom presence’. Parishil Patel is ‘bright, keen and hardworking’, and Richard Harwood is ‘always at the cutting edge of planning and environmental law’. Alexander Ruck Keene is a ‘leading light’ in mental capacity work, and Katharine Scott is ‘thoroughly conscientious’.
‘A very strong set for public law’, 11KBW is ‘excellent for any local government work’, and leads in public procurement and information law cases. Strong at both silk and junior level, the set also fields ‘friendly and efficient’ clerks. James Goudie QC is ‘extremely quick to grasp the nub of any issue’. Nigel Giffin QC impresses with his ‘exceptional breadth of legal knowledge and ability’, and Clive Lewis QC is ‘incisive, pragmatic and eminently approachable’. Elisabeth Laing QC is ‘very effective’. A new silk in 2010, Daniel Stilitz QC has a ‘clear and diplomatic approach in court’. Top-rated juniors include Jason Coppel, who is ‘top quality for procurement issues’, and the ‘excellent’ Karen Steyn. Also recommended are ‘graciously determined advocate’ Jane Oldham, and Ben Hooper, for his ‘integrity and great respect for the court’.
‘One of the best for public law and local government law’ and a ‘leading planning law set’, Landmark Chambers has a superb reputation. Richard Drabble QC is an ‘excellent advocate and highly regarded by the Supreme Court’. Nathalie Lieven QC is ‘a ‘joy to watch on her feet’ and brings an ‘infectious and enthusiastic interest to her cases’. David Elvin QC provides ‘clear and decisive advice’, and David Holgate QC ‘gets to the real nitty gritty’: both were appointed deputy high court judges in 2010. At the junior end, James Maurici is ‘destined for great things’, and Katherine Olley is ‘highly impressive’. David Forsdick has an ‘extremely analytical mind’, and Dan Kolinsky is ‘very bright and able’.
Matrix Chambers is ‘very good indeed’ for public law. Rabinder Singh QC ‘always has the ear of the court’, and Ben Emmerson QC is ‘very smooth and impressive’. Rhodri Thompson QC provides ‘superb and persuasive presentations’, and Tim Owen QC is recommended. ‘Exceptionally quick and thorough’, Helen Mountfield QC took silk in 2010, and notably advised the petitioner in Watkins v Woolas. Leading junior David Wolfe is a ‘fearless campaigning lawyer, and his ethical and intellectual qualities are second to none’. Alison Macdonald ‘fully lives up to her excellent reputation’, and Jessica Simor is ‘excellent’.
Doughty Street Chambers is renowned for social welfare and housing cases, administrative law and human rights work, and the clerks are ‘very good at responding to urgent instructions’. Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC impresses in the Supreme Court, and is ‘extremely clear and persuasive’. Kate Markus ‘strikes an excellent balance between pragmatism and bullishness’, and Stephen Cragg provides an ‘extremely efficient service’. Paul Bowen has a ‘very polished approach’, and Robert Latham is a ‘tenacious and assertive litigator’ rated highly for his pro bono efforts. Caoilfhionn Gallagher is ‘one of the most hardworking and knowledgeable counsel’.
A ‘strong set’ with ‘very efficient clerking’, 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square has planning, environment and local government expertise. Timothy Straker QC has the ‘ear of the court’, and Richard Clayton QC has ‘excellent technical knowledge’. Timothy Corner QC ‘takes ownership of the issues in a case’, and Philip Coppel QC is ‘outstanding on his feet’. Among the ‘excellent and experienced juniors’, James Strachan, Andrew Sharland and Jonathan Moffett are recommended. Charles Bourne provides ‘well-considered and effective input’. Paul Greatorex is rated for his ‘excellent and lucid understanding of the law’, and James Ramsden gives ‘pragmatic and solution-orientated advice’.
Monckton Chambers is a ‘natural choice’ for EU and competition law and public procurement issues, and the clerks are ‘friendly and easy to deal with’. Christopher Vajda QC is recommended for his regulatory expertise and experience before the CAT, High Court and Court of Appeal. Michael Bowsher QC is a ‘leader in procurement law’ and has ‘strong commercial acumen’. Kassie Smith is also recommended.
One Crown Office Row features the ‘absolutely fantastic’ Philip Havers QC, who has ‘great strategic skill’. Neil Garnham QC is recommended, and Angus McCullough QC is ‘absolutely excellent’. Robert Kellar is ‘careful and hardworking’, and has healthcare sector experience.
A renowned planning set and known for property-related judicial reviews, FTB is noted for its ‘exceptionally high-quality work’ and ‘superb clerking’. Robert McCracken QC has a ‘clever brain and a thorough dedication to preparation’. Richard Glover QC and Guy Roots QC are a ‘formidable combination’, and Robin Purchas QC is recommended. James Pereira has ‘exceptional analytical skills’, and Meyric Lewis is ‘nimble on his feet’.
Garden Court Chambers is the ‘pre-eminent chambers for public law work relating to social housing’. Jan Luba QC has a ‘compelling courtroom presence’, Stephanie Harrison provides ‘succinct and well-ordered arguments’, and Stephen Simblet is ‘thorough and committed’.
Providing ‘great customer service’, 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square has local government and planning expertise. The ‘first-class’ James Findlay QC gives ‘no-nonsense, concise advice’. Ranjit Bhose’s landlord and tenant knowledge is ‘up there with the best’.
Henderson Chambers has strength in local government and procurement cases, and the clerks are ‘responsive and helpful’. 2010 silk Rhodri Williams QC is ‘one of the leading counsel on procurement law in the country’. Andrew Kinnier provides ‘constructive and innovative solutions to procurement problems’.
Specialising in rights of way and other property issues, New Square Chambers fields George Laurence QC, who is a ‘pre-eminent silk on town and village green law’. Ross Crail has ‘consummate knowledge of the law on village greens’. Edwin Simpson is an ‘effective communicator and advocate’.
Also recommended are: ‘one of the best community care barristers in practice’ Hilton Harrop-Griffiths at Field Court Chambers; Kerry Bretherton and the ‘highly diplomatic’ Barbara Hewson at Hardwicke for Court of Protection matters; the ‘really impressive’ Robin Tam QC and the ‘encyclopaedic’ Nicholas Moss at Temple Garden Chambers; and the ‘very concise’ Hugo Keith QC, the ‘methodical and thorough’ Richard Horwell QC, the ‘exceptionally bright and incisive’ Patrick Gibbs QC and ‘brilliant tactician’ James Lewis QC at Three Raymond Buildings.