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Index of tables

  1. Personal injury – Leading Sets
  2. Personal injury – Leading Silks
  3. Personal injury – New Silks
  4. Personal injury – Leading Juniors

Personal injury – Leading Silks

Personal injury – Leading Juniors

Crown Office Chambers has ‘significant strength’, and its clerks are ‘approachable, efficient, friendly and helpful’. Christopher Purchas QC is ‘one of the leading silks in this field’, the ‘doyen of the PI bar’ and the ‘go-to leader for difficult cases’. Michael Kent QC has a ‘high level of technical capability combined with an easy charm’. Juniors include Andrew Davis, who has ‘particular strength in jurisdictional matters’, and Shaun Ferris, ‘one of the best senior juniors in personal injury’. Patrick Blakesley is ‘a superb advocate’ and Steven Snowdenshines as a particularly good example of the strengths of the set’.

A real powerhouse in the field of PI’, Thirty Nine Essex Street is a ‘very slick organisation, from the clerks through to junior and senior counsel’. William Norris QC is ‘loved by lay clients, solicitors and juniors alike’, and widely considered ‘one of the best in the business’. Other impressive silks include the ‘technically and tactically excellentNeil Block QC, and the ‘extremely sharpSusan Rodway QC. David Melville QC is ‘a charming character whose courtroom style is spot on the mark’. Christian Du Cann is ‘brilliant on his feet’, and Derek O’Sullivan is ‘excellent at cross-examination’.

12 King’s Bench Walkthoroughly deserves its reputation’, and its counsel are ‘able and ethical’. Frank Burton QC is particularly respected as ‘a top man at the top of his game’, who has ‘real gravitas in court’. Ronald Walker QC is ‘one of the best in his field’ and Richard Methuen QC is ‘a top-class silk’ with a ‘backbone of steel’. Recommended juniors include Andrew Roy, Hugh Hamill and Simon Levene.

1 Chancery Lanehas a wealth of talent at all levels’ and is praised for the quality of its clerking. Lord Faulks QC enjoys an exceptional reputation as an advocate; John Ross QChas proven himself to be an exceptional catastrophic injury silk’; and Marc Rivalland is ‘the bulldog of choice when you need someone with presence’. Other notable juniors include Andrew Warnock, Simon Trigger, Matthew Chapman and Angus Piper.

9 Gough Square is ‘proactive and innovative’ and has ‘good emerging talent coming through’. The set is praised for its excellent and ‘ferocious clerking’, led by Michael Goodridge. It includes ‘PI heavyweightJohn Foy QC; Grahame Aldous QC, ‘one of the best PI QCs out there’; and Andrew Ritchie QC, who has ‘unrivalled speed of thought’. ‘Excellent senior juniorJacob Levyconsistently delivers’, Laura Begley is ‘strong all round’, Stephen Glynn has ‘enviable knowledge’, Roger Hiornscannot be faulted’, and Stuart McKechnie is ‘seriously talented’. Jeremy Ford is also recommended for his ‘reassuring manner with clients’.

Outer Temple Chambers is rated highly both for its counsel and clerking. Gerard McDermott QC is ‘a first-choice leader for many’, and David Westcott QC is a ‘silk of choice’. Christopher Wilson-Smith QC is ‘a spectacular advocate’ with considerable ‘gravitas and experience’. Leading juniors include Eliot Woolf, ‘a real star’, and Nathan Tavares, who is ‘destined for silk’. Christopher Kemp is ‘a talented adviser’, Harry Trusted is ‘excellent and thorough’, and Jonathan Hand has ‘first-rate knowledge’.

2 Temple Gardens has ‘very good service standards’ and ‘few can rival its technical skills’. Michael de Navarro QC is highly thought of for his ‘enthusiasm’ and ‘vast experience’. Benjamin Browne QC has ‘a superb analytical mind’ and is ‘excellent on high-value claims’. Roger Harris is ‘a formidable force’, and other notable juniors include Anastasia Karseras, who ‘goes the extra mile’ and ‘gets good results’; Christopher Russell, ‘an excellent negotiator’; and Nina Goolamali, ‘a pragmatist who quickly gets to the core issues of complex claims’.

7 Bedford Row’s Simon King is ‘a superb leader, hugely respected by his peers’. Other stars include Simeon Maskrey QC, who has ‘many strengths’ including a ‘sharp intellect’. Julian Matthews’ ‘work exudes excellence and common sense’. Jeremy Pendlebury, Adam Weitzman and Richard Baker are also recommended.

Devereux is ‘clearly a strong set’ and includes Robert Glancy QC, rated for his ‘outstanding advice’, and ‘formidable advocateStephen Killalea QC. Standout juniors include Colin Mendoza, who ‘strives to achieve the best possible outcome’, and Richard Cartwright. Robert Hunter is an ‘exceptionally promising junior’ who ‘sees the woods from the trees in getting to the issues at the heart of a case’. Other up-and-comers include Bruce Silvester, who ‘takes no prisoners’, and Peter Edwards, ‘a very persuasive negotiator’.

Farrar’s Building has ‘a fine set of barristers’ with ‘broad knowledge of personal injury law’. John Leighton Williams QC is ‘of the highest calibre’, and Alan Jeffreys QC is ‘top quality’. Jonathan Watt-Pringle QC is ‘supremely intelligent’. Juniors include Nigel Spencer Ley, whose ‘client care and commitment is legendary’, and Helen Hobhouse, whose ‘intellect enables her to swiftly absorb extensive material’.

A ‘firm favourite’ for many, Hardwicke’s set includes Charles Bagot, praised for his ‘analytical approach’, and John Gallagher, who has ‘excellent technical knowledge’. Up-and-comers include Steven Weddle, ‘an excellent tactician’, and Sarah Venn, who is ‘easily on a par with juniors twice her call’.

Old Square Chambers’ ‘reassuringly good’ set includes David Wilby QC, whose clients have ‘enormous confidence in his technical capability’. Of the juniors, Christopher Makeyreally packs a punch, but is measured and polite’, and Katherine Howells has ‘an innovative approach’ and is ‘unfazed by difficult adversaries in court’. Brian Cummins has ‘excellent client care skills’, and Alan Smith is ‘strategically able’.

Temple Garden ChambersAndrew Prynne QC has considerable strengths, such as his ability to ‘identify the key issues and arguments that will resonate with the court’. Leading juniors among the set include the ‘simply immenseMarcus Grant; Charles Curtis, who has ‘a very commanding presence in court’; James Laughland, who is ‘a class act’; and James Arney, ‘a classic pair of safe hands’.

CloistersWilliam Latimer-Sayer is ‘destined for very high places’ and is currently a ‘first-rate senior junior’. Andrew Buchan is ‘incredibly knowledgeable’, and Martyn McLeish is ‘a worthy opponent’.

Ely Place Chambers’ standout individuals include William Evans, Simon Butler and Johnathan Payne.

3 Hare Court has carved a particular niche in travel-related PI cases. James Dingemans QChas a great eye for detail’, and Katherine Deal is ‘a fine legal brain who is excellent in court’ and ‘technically flawless’. Howard Stevens is consistently described as ‘one of the most thorough members of the bar’.

Henderson ChambersAngus Withington is ‘bright and thorough’ with ‘a superb skill of conveying technical and detailed areas of law into easily understandable advice’. Malcolm Sheehan is ‘bright and thoughtful and expresses himself clearly both on paper and in court’.

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