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Index of tables

  1. Education – Leading Sets
  2. Education – Leading Silks
  3. Education – New Silks
  4. Education – Leading Juniors

11KBW is an ‘exceptional set with a uniformly high quality of counsel’. ‘Response times always match the urgency of the matter and its willingness to work in an informal way is greatly appreciated’. At silk level, Nigel Giffin QC is ‘immensely impressive in whatever he does, owing to his formidable legal mind and humble nature’, and John Cavanagh QC is ‘obviously very good, but also down-to-earth and excellent with clients – a rare combination’. Tim Kerr QC is ‘a formidable barrister’ with ‘one of the great legal minds’, and Peter Oldham QC is a ‘highly respected, exceptional advocate’. Recently appointed silk and ‘innovative thinker’ Clive Sheldon QC is ‘very strong, with a clear, analytic mind’, and at junior level, Holly Stout is ‘unflappable and instils confidence in those who instruct her by her intelligence and draftsmanship’.

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square is a ‘very strong education law set’ which includes public law barrister Richard McManus QC. Among the juniors, Jonathan Moffett continues to be instructed by both local education authorities and the Department for Education, and Andrew Sharland advises on all aspects of education including special educational needs. Paul Greatorex is ‘extremely quick to understand the cases’ and Jonathan Auburn is ‘concise’ and displays ‘common sense’. Lisa Busch is also recommended.

Hardwicke provides an ‘exceptional level of service’, through high-quality clerks and a number of experienced counsel. Deborah Hay is an ‘outstanding barrister’ and a ‘formidable negotiator’ with ‘excellent knowledge of the law’, and Clive Rawlings and John Friel are both ‘competent and experienced’. David Lawson has ‘extensive knowledge of the technical aspects of education law, the workings of the Local Government Ombudsman and the Special Educational Needs Tribunal’. The ‘excellent and very client-friendly’ Fiona Scolding is also recommended.

Matrix Chambers has a ‘very strong team of counsel’ which includes recently appointed silk Sam Grodzinski QC and highly respected senior junior David Wolfe. Wolfe is ‘brilliant, accessible and intuitive’, and the ‘safest pair of hands in the business’. Other recommended juniors include Nick Armstrong, who is a ‘particularly strong and robust advocate, and one of the best in the field’, Daniel Squires and Mathew Purchase.

Blackstone Chambers ‘continues to excel at understanding the business realities of litigation’. At senior level, Michael Beloff QC is noted for his discrimination work, Beverley Lang QC practises in all areas of education and public law, and Monica Carss-Frisk QC is recommended. Juniors include Gerard Clarke and Gemma White, who has ‘outstanding analytical skills’ and is ‘excellent at getting to the heart of legal problems’.

1 Chancery Lane has ‘carved out a niche’ and is now classed as a ‘specialist heavyweight’ in education negligence cases brought against schools and local education authorities. The ‘legendary’ Lord Faulks QC ‘does everything brilliantly’, and the ‘extremely bright’ John Norman and ‘outstanding’ Andrew Warnock are ‘both very formidable juniors’, and provide ‘a silk-level service in everything but name’. Paul Stagg has ‘superb knowledge and a feel for statutory provisions’.

Doughty Street Chambers has a number of experienced barristers in education, including ‘solid and measured advocate’ Ian Wise QC, who ‘has been the driving force in all the landmark test cases for children in recent years’. The ‘very bright, very ingenious and strategic’ Nicholas Bowen QC has ‘a brilliant mind’ and a broad practice which covers special educational needs.

Landmark Chambers is recommended for its educational experience within public law matters. Nathalie Lieven QC is ‘a natural first choice on most public law matters’, and Galina Ward is ‘approachable, with good knowledge of the law’.

Other notable practitioners include Outer Temple Chambers’ John McKendrick, who has ‘excellent knowledge of the law’; Fenella Morris at Thirty Nine Essex Street, who is ‘absolutely excellent on all issues which raise public law arguments’; Oliver Hyams at Devereux; and the ‘clear, concise and very helpful’ Francesca Quint at Radcliffe Chambers.

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