The Legal 500

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Index of tables

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

Employment – Leading Juniors

Eminently professional in approach’, Blackstone Chambers has ‘real strength in depth, delivering high quality at all levels of call’. The ‘thoroughly excellentPaul Goulding QC has ‘a calm demeanour which belies a tough interior’. Dinah Rose QCis a top-rate barrister who has no downsides to her performance’. Monica Carss-Frisk QC is ‘adored by clients for her ability to remain cool and efficient under pressure’. Of the juniors, Gerard Clarke is ‘a passionate and committed advocate, who will argue his case forcefully and fearlessly’; Thomas Croxfordcombines unquestionable technical skills with strategic thinking’; and Diya Sen Gupta is ‘a pleasure to work with’. Also recommended are the ‘bright, capable and responsiveJane Mulcahy, and ‘the very commercial and drivenNick De Marco.

First-choice set11KBW is ‘top notch for employment law, demonstrating sound commercial acumen and a down-to-earth approach’. ‘Unequalled in the field’, Christopher Jeans QC is ‘an absolute star, able to work with any type of client’; ‘his approach is both understated and impressive’. John Cavanagh QC provides ‘helpful commercial advice and is always clear, concise and to the point’. James Goudie QC is ‘approachable and easy to deal with’. Alistair McGregor QC is ‘a first-class advocate, who is excellent on strategy’. Praised for his ‘excellent knowledge of the law and shrewd tactical brain’, Clive Sheldon QC took silk in 2011, and is ‘not afraid to tell you how it is’. Top juniors include Seán Jones, who has ‘a phenomenal grasp of the detail and is hugely impressive on cross-examination’; Richard Leiper, who is ‘exceptionally bright, client focused and practical’; and Paul Nicholls, who is appreciated for his ‘can-do attitude’.

Littleton Chambers is ‘a must-have for serious employment cases’; ‘the members are technically able, commercially aware and solution orientated’. Andrew Clarke QC is a ‘top silk’, and Selwyn Bloch QC is a ‘true gentleman who really knows his stuff’. John Bowers QC is ‘an absolute star’ who is ‘approachable, good humoured and superb on his feet’, and David Reade QCsuccessfully combines great intellect with sense of humour and empathy’. Of the juniors, Damian Brown is ‘very bright and calm under fire’, and Gavin Mansfield is ‘remarkably quick at assessing the facts and getting the case into shape’. Also recommended are Antony Sendall (‘a pleasure to work with and very generous with his time’) and Sam Neaman (‘engaging with clients, incredibly thorough and well prepared at all times’).

The ‘incredibly strongCloisters has ‘a sense of intellectual rigour running throughout’, and ‘the clerking team goes above and beyond for its clients’. Demonstrating a ‘high level of professional commitment’, Robin Allen QC’s ‘analytical and appellate skills are unsurpassed’, and Paul Epstein QC is ‘commercially aware and very hardworking’. Daphne Romney QC is ‘absolutely brilliant – not just well prepared but really intuitive and doesn’t let any point pass’. Noteworthy juniors include Jason Galbraith-Marten (who ‘inspires confidence in his clients, through his superb legal knowledge and great communication skills’); Caspar Glyn (‘a stickler for detail and a tenacious barrister’); and Jacques Algazy, whose ‘cross-examination produces results’.

Old Square Chambers has ‘excellent strength in depth’ and a ‘well-trained team of clerks, who are always helpful and available’. John Hendy QC is an ‘outstanding leader with unrivalled knowledge of trade union law’, and Jane McNeill QC is ‘a very safe pair of hands and always prepares meticulously’. Jennifer Eady QC has ‘strong advocacy skills’ with expertise in civil service equal pay and large-scale discrimination litigation. Of the juniors, the ‘reliableMichael Fordcovers all angles’; and Ijeoma Omambala is ‘user friendly, decisive and practical’. Melanie Tetherrelishes a thorny issue to advise on’ and, having previously been a solicitor, ‘she understands the pressures of law firms and therefore always looks to provide a practical, workable solution’.

Devereux is an ‘excellent’ employment set, where ‘there is always a barrister available at the level required’. A ‘formidable advocate and ferocious cross-examiner’, Ingrid Simler QC is well known for her experience in handling cases with an EU dimension. Timothy Brennan QCturns advice around very efficiently’, and Bruce Carr QC is ‘a real class act – he never seems to get phased and thinks incredibly fast on his feet’. At junior level, Nicholas Randall is ‘a genuine star of the employment bar, who offers QC ability and presence, first-class judgment and a complete command of the subject’. Suzanne McKie brings a ‘commercial and strategic perspective to any case management; she is almost entirely unflappable and absorbs pressure like a sponge’.

The ‘highly professional and reliableMatrix Chambers houses the well-regarded Thomas Linden QC, who is ‘consistently impressive’ and commended for his ability to ‘master and distil complex legal issues’. Thomas Kibling is ‘very hardworking, committed and knowledgeable’. James Laddie is ‘easy to work with’. Mark Afeeva remains ‘very calm under pressure and is always unfazed by whatever is thrown at him’. Cherie Booth QC and Antony White QC are also recommended.

Essex Court ChambersAndrew Hochhauser QC is a ‘tenacious lawyer, who drills down, very quickly, into the important legal issues’, and Martin Griffiths QC has a ‘strong command of the law and sound judgement’. Charles Ciumei is ‘without question, one of the brightest members of the Bar’, and David Craig has ‘amazing attention to detail’.

At Fountain Court Chambers, Charles Béar QC is the leading employment silk. Paul Gott and the ‘enthusiastic and committedAdam Tolley are also recommended.

Richard Lissack QC at Outer Temple Chambers is a ‘tough and insightful litigator with strong commercial nous’. Andrew Short QC, who took silk in 2010, is ‘extremely down-to-earth and is a pleasure to work with’. Of the juniors, Jill Brown has ‘sound technical knowledge and judgement combined with a very effective advocacy style’. The ‘engagingKeith Bryant and the ‘excellentBenjimin Burgher are also well respected. Daniel Barnett recently joined from Temple Garden Chambers.

Other recommended silks include: Robert Griffiths QC at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square; FTB’s Simon Mehigan QC; Andrew Hogarth QC at 12 King’s Bench Walk, who is ‘a robust and forthright advocate and persuasive on paper’; and Gavin Millar QC of Doughty Street Chambers, who ‘always seeks strategic solutions’. At the junior end, the ‘exceptionalRachel Toney at Stone Chambersdemonstrates a keen grasp of the law and is a formidable asset in any Employment Tribunal case’; Ben Collins of One Crown Office Row has a ‘very calm, measured approach’; Tooks ChambersJane Russell shows ‘excellent legal knowledge and very strong cross-examination skills’; and the ‘ten out of tenDavid Brook and ‘extremely brightPatrick Green at Henderson Chambers, who are also well respected in the field.

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