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Leading Silks

Paul Gilroy KC – 9 St John StreetPaul is right on top of case law and the attitude of judges regarding industrial relations injunction applications. He is pragmatic and commercial, and also delivers his advice in conference in a very down-to-earth way while at the same time exuding a calm authority.’
Simon Gorton KCExchange Chambers ‘Simon is a super advocate; persuasive and tenacious.'

Leading Juniors

James Boyd – Kings Chambers ‘James is a highly-skilled advocate, he is extremely knowledgeable, and his manner is always friendly and professional. In particular, during cross-examination, he is able to extract weaknesses in evidence while maintaining good rapport with the witness.’
Martin Budworth – Kings ChambersMartin provides practical advice, speaks in plain English, is client friendly, and has exceptional employment expertise.'
David Campion – 9 St John StreetDavid has an incredible depth of knowledge in employment law and this shows in the confidence he brings to his hearings. He lays out his arguments and his method of questioning a witness in a way that is easy for the tribunal to follow.’
Paras Gorasia - Old Square Chambers ‘Paras is an exceptional barrister and his willingness to provide his views at an early stage is essential to helping shape the defence of a claim and it genuinely feels like he is part of the team. His client handling skills are excellent, he has a great ability to cut through complicated scenarios and focus on the issues which really matter, and explain complex issues in simple terms.’
Anisa Niaz-Dickinson – Kings ChambersAnisa is extremely thorough and well-prepared and her client care is exceptional in that she is able to listen empathetically and with attention to detail whilst providing firm and clear advice in a manner that sensibly manages expectations, providing both clients and instructing solicitors with a pragmatic approach to litigation. She is an impressive, knowledgeable, and experienced advocate, putting her clients at ease when giving evidence, and she cross-examines with tenacity.’
Louise Quigley – 9 St John Street ‘Louise has significant experience in dealing with employment tribunal claims. She has a fantastic manner in tribunals, has a sharp mind, and is down to earth with the clients.’
Jason Searle – St John’s BuildingsJason is excellent as an advocate, always thoroughly prepared and clear in his submissions. His cross-examination is particularly good and clients are made to feel thoroughly supported and in safe hands.’
Amy Smith – 9 St John StreetAmy is very client-friendly and is excellent at cross-examining particularly difficult witnesses. She also works very well under pressure and is quick to get stuck into the difficult issues which determine whether a case is won or lost.'
Lena Amartey – 9 St John StreetLena is exceptionally good with detail and can cut through masses of detail and focus the tribunal’s mind on the pertinent matter. Her advocacy is persuasive and skilful, she approaches vulnerable witnesses with sensitivity, and her lines of questioning are always well-thought out, but she is also adaptable in the face of unpredictability.’
Carlo Breen – 9 St John StreetCarlo is a very experienced and competent counsel. Clients love him and he inspires confidence in and out of the employment tribunal setting.'
Laura Gould – Kings Chambers ‘Laura is intellectually very sharp and extremely well-organised. She is able to master large volumes of documentation rapidly and her advocacy is sagely understated and penetrative.’
Nigel Grundy – 9 St John Street ‘You just cannot go wrong instructing Nigel. He is a great all-rounder, he knows the case inside out, he puts the opposing witnesses at ease, and he gets the best out of your own witnesses.’
Bruce Henry – Kenworthy’s ChambersBruce gives clear and firm advice and delivers it in a professional and empathetic way, which is good for lay clients. He is brilliant with claimant matters and his advocacy in the Employment Tribunal is second-to-none.'
James Hurd – 9 St John Street ‘James's preparation is meticulous, which is manifest by the sound legal analysis which he employs in his skeleton arguments. His precise advocacy is easy for any judge to follow such that it undermines the opponent’s application or case with compelling subtlety; a first rate advocate.'
Ghazan Mahmood – St John’s Buildings ‘Ghazan is a forthright and confident advocate. He manages expectations of clients and works as part of the solicitor client team, and he can also bring humour to the table, which can lighten a heavy case.'
Scott Redpath – Exchange Chambers ‘Scott is very sensible in his approach and comes across as thoughtful and considered. He is well-prepared for his cases and his interactions with the clients and witnesses are positive.’
Ben Williams – Kings Chambers 'Ben is very smart. He is all over the detail and inspires confidence in the client.'
Stefan Brochwicz-Lewinski – 9 St John Street ‘Stefan is an outstanding advocate with an impressive ability to quickly absorb large volumes of complex data. He has wonderful client-handling skills and is a first-choice counsel.’
Rachel Levene – 9 St John Street 'Rachel puts forward very credible and compelling submissions on the technical legal arguments. Her approach to cross-examination is balanced and completely appropriate when dealing with a litigant in person, and she makes her points effectively without being aggressive or oppressive.'
Martin Mensah – 9 St John StreetMartin is a phenomenal advocate. He is so knowledgeable and thorough, he is extremely good with each client, providing a very good understanding for legal terminology and support throughout hearings, and he will guide on legal process, and make sure he has a deep understanding of every case.’
Katie Nowell 9 St John Street 'Katie is very thorough and never misses a point. She provides significant strategic input, she is responsive, and she is always willing to make herself available to discuss points.'

Rising Stars

Laura Kaye – 9 St John Street ‘Laura is very knowledgeable, always prepared, and builds great relationships with the client. Her advocacy style is strong, well-thought out, and always comes across well at tribunals; she is a go-to barrister.’
Rosie Kight – Kings ChambersRosie is incredibly organised and gets her head around all the key dates, facts, and documents very quickly. She is able to identify the key issues very quickly and communicates these in a very straightforward and clear way.'
Robert Lassey – 9 St John Street ‘One of Robert’s strengths is getting to the crux of complex issues and claims quickly. He is also very good with the clients, and he is not afraid to tackle the weaknesses of a claim, but in a way the client can understand and can then go on to make an informed choice regarding assessment of risk.’
Sam Proffitt – Kings Chambers 'Sam is intellectually very able, conscientious and rigorous. A very confident and charismatic advocate.'
Thomas Wood – St John’s Buildings ‘Thomas's skills are second to none, he secures excellent results, and he is well-liked by clients due to his down-to-earth nature.'

Employment in Regional Bar

9 St John Street


9 St John Street has ‘significant strength in depth on employment and discrimination matters’ and is ‘one of, if not the best in the country’. Its members handle the entire spectrum of contentious work in employment tribunals, civil courts, and appeal courts. Paul Gilroy KC has significant expertise in contentious and non-contentious employment law mandates; he represented the respondent in USDAW and others v Tesco Stores, a group action concerning a "fire and rehire" of employees in its distribution centres. Employment specialist Amy Smith is strong in whistle-blowing and discrimination cases - she represented the employer in Dabiri v William Hill, in which the tribunal found the claimant had attempted to bribe two witnesses in a mental health-related disability claim.

Testimonials

‘The service from the clerks is always on point. Julia Lanza and Alex Jones are particularly helpful, responding to calls and emails quickly and liaising efficiently with counsel.’

‘Excellent clerking team. Julia Lanza and Alex Jones are extremely helpful, supportive, and deliver a very responsive service.’

‘Timely and efficient, Julia Lanza always does her best to accommodate and arrange availability for hearings, even at short notice.’





Kings Chambers


Kings Chambers is praised as ‘a great set of chambers with great local barristers’ and its employment team acts for employers of all sizes. It also has a thriving High Court practice, with its members representing high-profile clients on complex breach of contract and restrictive covenant claims. Head of the employment group James Boyd predominately represents employers in his national practice. The set also houses employment law specialist Anisa Niaz-Dickinson, who acts for claimants and respondents in the Employment Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and Ben Williams, who is highly adept in cases in the health care context. Martin Budworth is skilled in restrictive covenant cases, as well as matters in the sports context ; he also represented the claimant in Cohen v Leicester Football Club, a case concerning the departure of the Leicester Tigers’ former CEO. Rosie Kight is another notable name – she acted for the respondent Allen v Primark Stores, a discrimination case concerning flexible working upon maternity leave – at issue was constructing the correct pool of comparators.

Testimonials

‘Paul Clarke responds promptly to all requests.’

‘Paul Clarke is efficient and courteous.’

‘Paul Clarke is very personable, replies quickly, and keeps things in good order.’

‘Good clerking team that is very responsive.’

‘One always receives an excellent and timely service from the clerk Paul Clarke.’

‘Kings Chambers is a good employment set.’

‘Kings Chambers has quality practitioners, many of whom are in heavy demand. This reflects their high abilities.’

‘A great set of chambers with great local barristers.’





St John's Buildings


St John’s Buildings ‘has great breadth and depth of skill and experience in the employment team’. Its members appear before the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, as well as varied levels of the court system. Head of the employment group Jason Searle represented the respondent in a case where a shop worker was dismissed for gross misconduct after refusing to sanitise her hands and subsequently lying about it. Thomas Wood is strong in discrimination and whistleblowing cases, often representing executives and large organisations, and Ghazan Mahmood is skilled in representing health professionals in internal and external disciplinary proceedings. The set also houses Jamie Jenkins, who has expertise in discrimination cases and mandates in the education sector - he is instructed to represent the former CEO of Liverpool City Council, who has brought a constructive dismissal claim concerning his resignation in May 2017 after a disciplinary process by the council triggered by his arrest for misconduct in a public office.

Testimonials

‘Robert Lang is friendly, approachable, and provides the highest quality of service delivery.’

‘Chris Brown and Chris Shaw are both fabulous! Unbelievably helpful and endeavour to source counsel.’

‘The clerks are excellent, experienced, professional, friendly, and helpful. Gemma Eachus is proactive and very good, and Rob Lang is also worth a mention as an excellent clerk.’

‘Joe Murphy is very organised and efficient.’

‘The clerks are fantastic, particularly Mark Heald.’ 

‘An excellent set with impressive barristers.’

‘A very strong set as a whole and their seminars and webinars are informative and interesting.’

‘St John’s Buildings has great breadth and depth of skill and experience in the employment team. There is a healthy spread of experience and skillset so that clients’ cases can be matched well. There are some truly excellent counsel in these chambers.’





Exchange Chambers


Members of the employment team at Exchange Chambers represent both employers and employees, including large private sector employers and public sector organisations, before all levels of court, from employment tribunals to the High Court. Catherine Knowles regularly acts on multi-day claims involving allegations of discrimination or whistleblowing, and she represented the local authority in Cunliffe v Wigan Council, in which the claimant was dismissed for accessing records of a service user she knew personally – she alleged that she did so out of concern for the service user’s safety. David Tinkler joined the set from Atlantic Chambers.

Testimonials

‘Neil Wright is an excellent clerk; on the ball and super responsive.’

‘They are responsive and helpful to deal with.’

‘Good strength in depth.’