The Legal 500 United Kingdom 2012 > Regional Bar > Wales Circuit

Overview

Index of tables

Wales Circuit – Leading Sets
Annexes

Wales Circuit – Leading Sets

1
- Civitas Law Civil and Public Law Barristers (Cardiff)
- 9 Park Place (Gregg Taylor QC) (Cardiff)
- 30 Park Place (Jonathan Furness QC) (Cardiff)
2
- Apex Chambers (Cardiff)
- Iscoed Chambers (Elwen Evans QC) (Swansea)
3
- Angel Chambers (Geraint Walters) (Swansea)

Annexes

1
- Cornerstone Barristers (Mary Cook and James Findlay QC) (Cardiff)

The Cardiff Bar contracted with the dissolution of Temple Chambers, with several sets taking on new counsel as a result. Civitas Law is the pre-eminent set on circuit for civil and public law, while 9 Park Place and 30 Park Place provide strong all-round expertise. Apex Chambers has a number of recommended criminal counsel. Iscoed Chambers and Angel Chambers are the prominent Swansea sets. Cornerstone Barristers’ Cardiff annexe is also a key player.

Commercial litigation

9 Park Place maintains regional strength in commercial litigation, despite the departure of Andrew Keyser QC to the circuit bench. Richard Kember recently acted in Phillips v Thomas, a high-value dispute over antiques. Jeffrey Littman has a significant insolvency practice, and Gwydion Hughes has a thriving commercial and Chancery practice.

30 Park Place’s Angharad Davies specialises in Chancery law, and Andrew Green has experience in a wide range of commercial and Chancery matters. Charles Parsley is also recommended.

Civitas Law’s Graham Walters undertakes a wide array of commercial litigation work. Gareth Jones specialises in trusts and probate matters. Nicklaus Thomas-Symonds is also recommended.

Iscoed Chambers’ Mark Spackman has a significant commercial and insolvency practice.

Crime

At Apex Chambers, Christopher Rees ‘can be relied upon for the most serious cases’, and Ruth Smith’s ‘confident but personable court demeanour achieves impressive results’. Tim Evans is recommended for serious fraud and confiscation work, and Tom Crowther has ‘a sound understanding of the law’. The ‘unflappable’ John Ryan, Lucy Crowther, Susan Ferrier and Martyn Kelly also have significant criminal practices. Head of chambers Daniel Williams is also recommended.

9 Park Place’s Peter Davies has particular expertise in serious sexual offence cases. Matthew Cobbe and Elizabeth Pearson handle serious criminal offences, David Elias continues to act in high-profile homicide cases, and Heath Edwards is recommended for fraud. Roger Griffiths, Leighton Hughes and Hashim Salmman recently joined from Temple Chambers.

30 Park Place houses a number of impressive criminal barristers, including Peter Murphy QC and the newly appointed Michael Mather-Lees QC, who is recommended for medico-legal cases, as well as fraud and confiscation work. Huw Evans specialises in fraud and sexual offence matters, and Jennet Treharne has particular expertise in serious sexual offences and child cruelty cases. Marian Lewis and Tracey Lloyd-Nesling are also recommended.

Iscoed Chambers’ Elwen Evans QC has a very strong reputation for criminal matters, and Huw Rees is frequently instructed in high-profile cases. John Hipkin and Ian Wright are also recommended.

Employment

At Civitas Law, Jonathan Walters’ employment highlights included discrimination, unfair dismissal and whistleblowing claims. Christopher Howells and Anthony Vines handle complex employment work for both claimants and defendants. Mona Bayoumi is also highly recommended.

9 Park Place’s employment team is led by Richard Kember, who undertakes a variety of complex matters, including gender reassignment cases and constructive unfair dismissal claims. Robert Vernon is also recommended.

Family

30 Park Place maintains a strong reputation on circuit for family law. James Tillyard QC and Jonathan Furness QC undertake children and matrimonial finance matters; and Jane Crowley QC specialises in children work and has particular experience in cases involving ‘honour’ killings and forced marriage. Catrin John, Ruth Henke QC and Kate Hughes have significant childcare practices. Mark Allen and Natalie Sandercock are recommended for their finance and care work.

9 Park Place’s family team is led by Paul Hopkins QC, who has a broad family practice. ‘A silk in the making’, Owen Thomas is frequently instructed in cases of serious violence or abuse. Christopher Felstead is recommended for matrimonial finance work, and Lisa Thomas is recommended for care work. Richard Miller, Christina Thomas, Andrew Barcello, Eifion Williams and Marianne Bennett recently joined from Temple Chambers.

Angel Chambers retains a strong family team despite the departure of Elizabeth Harris to St John’s Chambers. Matthew Rees is recommended.

Personal injury and clinical negligence

At Civitas Law, Nicholas David Jones and Bryan Thomas have excellent reputations for catastrophic injury cases including brain and spinal matters; Theodore Huckle QC and Robert O’Leary have broad practices covering occupational illness and disease litigation; and Andrew Arentsen and Michael Brace continue to act in complex high-value personal injury claims. Joanne Williams recently acted in a number of occupational illness claims, and Simon Hughes is recommended for disease litigation.

30 Park Place’s Lloyd Williams QC is regularly instructed in high-value claims, including head injury and paraplegic matters. Robert Harrison specialises in disease litigation and vibration-induced injury claims, and Ben Davies covers the full spectrum of personal injury claims.

9 Park Place’s Peter Brooks acts exclusively for claimants, with particular expertise in catastrophic head injury, quadriplegia and paraplegia cases.

Iscoed Chambers’ David Harris has particular experience in industrial disease claims and occupational injuries. Catherine Richards regularly represents clients on behalf of trade unions, and Elizabeth Marshall undertakes both claimant and defendant work, particularly on behalf of local authorities.

Public law and planning

At Civitas Law, Graham Walters has particular experience in planning and environmental matters, and Victoria Hillier frequently advises on the applicability of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Anthony Vines has a significant health and safety practice and Mona Bayoumi is recommended for immigration matters.

Apex Chambers’ Lee Reynolds has ‘the ability to think outside of the box’. Nicholas Gedge is recommended for professional discipline matters, and Alex Greenwood has a significant trade mark and copyright disputes practice.

9 Park Place’s Gareth Thomas is recommended for property work, and commercial and Chancery lawyer Emyr Jones has a significant public law and planning practice.

30 Park Place’s Rhodri Williams QC specialises in local government and administrative law matters. David Hughes has a significant judicial review practice.

Cornerstone Barristers’ Cardiff annexe undertakes a significant amount of work for Welsh local authorities. Morag Ellis QC leads the Welsh planning team.

Niche set Portal Chambers specialises in town and country planning and local government matters. Tina Douglass is recommended.

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