United Kingdom > Regional Bar > Midland Circuit
Overview
Midland Circuit – Leading Sets
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- No5 Chambers Birmingham (Bleasdale)
- St Philips Chambers Birmingham (Hegarty)
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- Cornwall Street Chambers Birmingham (Smith)
- Ropewalk Chambers Nottingham
- St Ive’s Chambers Birmingham (Keehan)
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- 1 High Pavement Nottingham (Joyce)
- KCH Garden Square Nottingham, Leicester (Howlett)
- St Mary’s Chambers Nottingham (Page)
The leading sets in Birmingham are St Philips Chambers, which is a ‘commercially astute set’ with clerks who are ‘phenomenal at securing the barrister clients wish to instruct’; and No5 Chambers, which is the ‘number-one set’ for personal injury matters and has an outstanding planning and environmental team. St Ive’s Chambers is the preeminent family and housing law set on circuit; 1 High Pavement houses strong criminal law practitioners; and Cornwall Street Chambers’ family team is well respected. In Nottingham, the civil and chancery Ropewalk Chambers, which is an ‘excellent set’ that is ‘underpinned by the excellence of its clerks and solid administrative support’, has recently moved into state-of-the-art premises. KCH Garden Square has merged with a local Leicester set, taking the set’s head count to over 60. St Mary’s Chambers remains a prominent family law set.
Chancery, commercial, insolvency and banking
St Philips Chambers is ‘undoubtedly the “go to” set for chancery and insolvency work’. John Randall QC is ‘enormously talented, hugely energetic, and has superb client skills’, and is the ‘best insolvency silk outside of London’. Jeremy Richmond’s ‘commercial litigation and insolvency experience is invaluable’, and he ‘fights with spirit’. Paul Burton is recommended for partnership and estate disputes, contentious trust and probate work: he ‘always provides commercially sensible advice’. Lance Ashworth QC is ‘exceptionally responsive, sharp as a pin, and a fearsome advocate’. Avtar Khangure QC is a ‘very polished and persuasive advocate’, and Mohammed Zaman QC is a ‘superb performer’. Chancery and commercial practitioner James Morgan is a ‘silk in the making’. Matthew Weaver, who has a ‘bright future ahead of him’, is rated for his insolvency work, and Aubrey Craig is a specialist IP practitioner. Other recommended practitioners include John Brennan, Edward Pepperall, Andrew Charman, Duncan Bagshaw, Sandra Bristoll and Stephen Eyre.
No5 Chambers’ Richard Jones QC is a general commercial litigator and is ‘thorough and down to earth’. The ‘charming’ David Taylor, who is recommended for property, landlord and tenant and contractual matters, is ‘blessed with clarity of thought and fine intellect’. David Mitchell has a ‘very keen legal mind’ and has a traditional chancery practice. The ‘pragmatic, robust and determined’ Nicola Preston handles wills, probate, tax planning matters and commercial litigation. Glenn Willetts is a ‘strong trial advocate’ and is a commercial practitioner. David Holloway, who is a ‘very good technical lawyer who is always available and highly responsive’, deals with international commercial dispute resolution in the energy, construction and shipping sectors. Newly made up silk Mark Anderson QC is recommended for complex commercial litigation and company-related disputes.
St Ive’s Chambers’ Tony Watkin’s ‘incredible legal ability coupled with exceptional preparation makes him the full package with the ability to provide unbelievably comprehensive advice and outstanding advocacy’.
At Ropewalk Chambers, Stephen Beresford, who provides ‘clear, crisp and insightful legal advice, which combines technical expertise with commercial awareness’, is a commercial practitioner and regularly sits as a mediator. Richard Hedley, whose ‘strengths are his level of expertise, speed of response, ease of contact and integrity’, is recommended for banking and professional negligence matters. Jonathan Owen is recommended for commercial and insurance litigation.
KCH Garden Square’s James Howlett has a wide-ranging chancery and commercial practice, and has ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of land law and related issues’.
Crime
St Philips Chambers is a ‘leading set of criminal chambers in Birmingham’. Head of chambers James Burbidge QC is a ‘superstar’, and handles a wide range of heavyweight criminal matters including complex medico-legal cases. Andrew Smith is ‘punctilious in his thorough preparation’; his ‘judgement on the approach to be taken and the evidential aspects needed is extremely sound’. Andrew Lockhart QC and the ‘fantastic’ Ben Mills are highly recommended for fraud matters. David Crigman QC is an ‘outstanding performer on circuit’ for non-fraud work. Other recommended juniors include Timothy Green, Kristina Montgomery, Simon Ward and Jonas Hankin.
No5 Chambers’ saw the recent appointment of three silks to its criminal team, namely Michael Duck QC, the ‘very able and experienced’ Simon Drew QC, and Adrian Keeling QC, who takes a ‘common-sense approach to matters and cuts through the irrelevancies’. Other notable silks include Anthony Barker QC, who is recommended for corporate manslaughter, Christopher Hotten QC, who is adept at handling the most high-profile and complex murders, and the ‘exceptional’ Rex Tedd QC. Mark Heywood has a prosecution-oriented practice, and Sally Hancox has a mixed practice with a particular interest in mental health issues. Alexander Stein is ‘very hardworking and efficient’, and is recommended for regulatory crime.
St Ive’s Chambers’ David Jackson and Peter Cooper continue to appear in top-end criminal cases.
1 High Pavement’s strong criminal team includes Greg Dickinson QC, Adrian Reynolds, Richard Thatcher, Michael Auty, Steven Gosnell, Steven Coupland and Mark Achurch.
KCH Garden Square’s Caroline Bradley and Julie Warburton are recommended for serious violence and rape cases. Mark Van Der Zwart has a ‘robust, but fair, cross-examination technique’, and Ian Way is ‘particularly good with clients who have mental health issues, and, indeed, with difficult clients’. Clients also have no hesitation in using Michael Cranmer-Brown in child murder and rape cases without a silk’
Employment
No5 Chambers has an ‘excellent reputation within the employment field’. Richard Hignett is ‘tactically astute’ as well as a ‘shrewd and incisive cross-examiner’. Adrienne Morgan is ‘unflappable’ and a ‘very safe pair of hands’, and Anthony Korn is ‘diligent, technical and thorough’. Andrew McGrath is ‘thoroughly reliable’, and his ‘significant experience and vast knowledge of employment law allows him to identify the key issues quickly’. Russell Bailey is a ‘first-tier barrister’ who has a ‘great ability to tease out the real issues in a complex legal dispute’. Richard Case is ‘very impressive’, and Helen Barney ‘absorbs papers and information quickly’, and is ‘personable and easy to deal with’.
St Philips Chambers’ Edmund Beever is a ‘calm litigator who is able to take the fire out of very tense situations’, and Jonathan Gidney is ‘first rate at putting clients at ease’. David Maxwell ‘seems to know the facts better than anyone else in the room and he applies them very precisely to the legal issues’. Elizabeth Hodgetts, Sophie Garner and Jim Tindal are all technically strong and client-friendly.
Ropewalk Chambers’ Richard Seabrook is a recognised practitioner on circuit for employment matters.
Family
St Ive’s Chambers houses ‘some of the best family practitioners in the Midlands’. The ‘exceptional’ Michael Keehan QC, who is ‘charming in court and very aware of clients ’ needs’, has a child-focused practice, as does Jeremey Weston QC, who is ‘intellectually astute and creative in the application of cutting-edge developments’ and ‘provides comprehensive and elegantly crafted documents’. Nina Bache, who ‘excels in her advocacy and ensures that the client’s case is put to the court accurately, with passion and compassion’, is also recommended for childcare work, as are the ‘superb’ Elizabeth Isaacs and Timothy Bowe. Paul Lopez, who is recommended for Court of Protection work, is a ‘charming and confident advocate, who is able to put even the most anxious clients at ease’. Sarah Pritchard is a popular junior for private and public children work. Jayne Mullen ‘sees her role and involvement with the client to be more than just her brief’: she is recommended for financial cases and is particularly strong where there are complex business assets. Nicholas Cole and Andrew Day are very good juniors and are recommended for matrimonial finance work.
St Philips Chambers has seen Alistair MacDonald QC take his ‘thoroughly deserved appointment to silk’: he has the ‘ability to absorb the detail of complex cases, while retaining a clear focus on the most important issues’. Louise McCabe is a ‘leader in the Birmingham market’ for ancillary relief work and is an ‘absolute star’, and the ‘extremely intelligent’ Jonathan Nosworthy is a team player who is also recommended for financial briefs. Vanessa Meachin’s ‘sensible approach often assists settlement, but she is prepared for a contest if necessary’. Lawrence Messling is an ‘extremely competent advocate whose measured and professional approach has promoted the resolution of complicated and emotionally charged matters’. Martine Kushner is a very popular senior junior, and Elizabeth McGrath is highly rated on circuit.
No5 Chambers’ ‘very strong family team’ includes the following ancillary relief practitioners: Robin Rowland, who is a ‘leader at the senior level’; Ashley Wynne, who is ‘always exceptionally well prepared for every case’; and Christopher James. Michele Friel is a ‘regional leader’ on Children Act matters, and Lorna Meyer QC also comes highly recommended for children matters. Victoria Clifford is ‘extremely good at her level in relation to children and finance work’, and Stephanie Brown is a ‘favourite’ on circuit. Dewinder Birk recently joined from St Mary’s Chambers.
Cornwall Street Chambers’ Anthony Lowe is a ‘leading light’ in the family field. Bryce Somerville and Amanda Pittaway are both highly recommended for ancillary relief matters.
St Mary’s Chambers’ Nigel Page continues to handle high-value, complex ancillary relief matters, and Maria Mulrennan is recommended for complex care work involving sexual abuse and neglect. Victoria Hodges is a respected practitioner and has a general family law practice. Vivien Buchanan’s financial practice extends to inheritance and co-habitee disputes. Jason Reece is a popular choice and has a thriving, all-encompassing family practice, as does Beryl Gilead.
KCH Garden Square’s Pami Dhadli is ‘always fully prepared, has a thorough understanding of all of the issues in the case, and is imperious when dealing with (often) massive volumes of paperwork’.
Personal injury and clinical negligence
No5 Chambers is the ‘number-one set in Birmingham for personal injury work’, and has ‘a plethora of excellent clinical negligence barristers’. The ‘technically flawless and accomplished advocate’ Satinder Hunjan QC and Paul Bleasdale QC, who is ‘very much in demand’, are recommended for PI. Other recommended PI practitioners include Simon Michael ( who is‘easily at a level higher than many silks’); Richard Moat (‘excellent’); Matthew Brunning (‘high level of service’); and Henry Pitchers (‘very personable, thorough, and thoughtful’). The clinical negligence team includes Dr Jonathan Punt (‘truly exceptional’; will ‘find a case that others would not be able to’); Jonathan Jones (‘clear with clients and is able to give strong advice when it is needed’); Karl Hirst (‘a real star in the senior junior group’); and Chris Bright QC (‘first-class advocate’).
St Philips Chambers’ Thomas Rochford has a substantial PI practice.
2010 saw Ropewalk Chambers’ Dominic Nolan QC (catastrophic injury and clinical negligence), Simon Beard (industrial disease), Toby Stewart (‘very approachable’, ‘reliable’) and Patrick Limb QC (‘superb technical skills’) appear in the Supreme Court in the landmark Baker v Quantum Clothing Group. Tom Panton, who is ‘thorough, knowledgeable and personable’, has a busy personal injury and regulatory law practice. Jason Cox is an ‘experienced junior who deals with the whole spectrum of clinical negligence cases’.
Planning, public law and regulatory
No5 Chambers’ has a ‘very strong planning and environmental team’, which includes heavyweight silks such as Jeremy Cahill QC, Martin Kingston QC and Anthony Crean QC. Ian Dove QC is ‘simply a star’ and has a notable regeneration and environmental law practice. At the junior end, Christopher Young and Peter Goatley, who is ‘thorough, easy to work with, and a good advocate’, are also recommended. Omar Ensaff is recommended for construction matters. Sarah Clover, who is ‘exceptional and handles clients ’ more complex hearings’, is rated for her ‘attention to detail on licensing matters, particularly for gaming’. David Lock QC is highly recommended for complex public law matters, as is Bernard Thorogood for regulatory matters.
Ropewalk Chambers’ planning law team includes Andrew Hogan, who provides ‘clear and concise’ advice; Jonathan Mitchell, who has ‘in-depth knowledge’ of planning law; and Graham Machin.
St Ive’s Chambers’ leading housing law team includes Michelle Caney, who is ‘hugely talented’, ‘consistently excellent and utterly reliable’, and is praised for her ‘immaculate preparation’; and the ‘excellent’ Michael Singleton, whose ‘reputation as a leading housing barrister is well deserved’.
St Philips Chambers’ Barry Berlin is an ‘excellent barrister in every sense of the phrase’, and is highly recommended for environmental offences and regulatory crime. Andrew Evans is an expert on licensing matters.