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Leading Juniors

Julian AllsopGuildhall Chambers ‘Julian is methodical, forensic in his approach to litigation, incisive and extremely talented. He knows how to cut to the core of a case, and is so wise; he is able to assess and predict with incredible accuracy how the other side will behave. This of course translates to his cross examination, which is razor sharp.' 
James BromigeQueen Square Chambers ‘James is a superb lawyer. He has many strengths but the one that stands out is how thorough and quick he is recalling case law and devising litigation strategy. He has no weaknesses.'   
Sarah Clarke3PB ‘Sarah has a vibrant personality and clients really warm to her. She explains things thoroughly and clearly, breaking down complex elements so clients can understand them. She is also a skillful advocate and her cross-examination is concise but thorough.'   
Daniella GilbertPump Court Chambers ‘I have to say her advocacy and written skills are first class. The clarity and concise nature of her written submissions is impressive. She is also a tenacious advocate who is razor sharp and a credit to her chambers.’
Gareth Graham3PBGareth is very good at giving advice in a clear and logical way. The manner in which he advises clients gives them confidence in his ability to obtain the best outcome. He is also commercially aware.' 
Debbie GrennanGuildhall ChambersShe is a clear and persuasive advocate who is is completely unfazed, even when the other advocate is extremely challenging. In the run up to a hearing, as well as providing clear advice on the area of law in dispute, she is able to give strategic and pragmatic advice regarding the conduct of litigation.' 
Douglas LeachGuildhall Chambers ‘Douglas excels in his analysis of cases and in teasing out the legal issues and finding a solution. His written submissions are detailed and add real weight to a client's case. He has an excellent ability to think on his feet and has achieved some excellent results.' 
Craig Ludlow3PB ‘Craig is a first class advocate. He quickly gets a grasp of the key issues of a case and is keen to understand a client's objectives and how he can get there.' 
Heather PlattPump Court ChambersHeather is incredibly knowledgeable in this area of law; she is insightful and works efficiently with both instructing solicitors and clients. She conducts herself admirably in court and possesses a great command cases and hearings. Her advocacy is skilled, professional and extremely effective.'
Allan RobertsGuildhall Chambers ‘Allan is a very gifted advocate; clear, persuasive and effective. He has an incredible ability to grasp the crux of a matter and extract the salient points, sometimes at extremely short notice. He is a calm and reasoned counsel, who is forceful at the same time meaning he is incredibly effective at what he does.' 
Nicholas SmithGuildhall Chambers ‘A robust advocate with an ability to create strong client relationships.'
Stephen Wyeth3PBStephen is client-focused, incredibly engaging and a superb advocate.’ 
Naomi Gyane Pump Court Chambers ‘She is able to deal with unexpected difficulties that crop up in an efficient way.’
Matthew Curtis3PB ‘Matthew is the complete all-round package. His technical expertise is excellent and he is incredibly knowledgeable and gets to grips with even the most complex of cases incredibly swiftly. He is also a skillful advocate, easily able to articulate complex arguments.’
Tim DracassPump Court Chambers ‘Tim is a calm, concise and persuasive advocate. He is very knowledgeable in complex areas of employment law and is always keen to get to know clients so that he can gain a greater understanding of the issues in the case.'
Matt JacksonAlbion Chambers ‘Matthew is razor-sharp and his depth of knowledge is staggering. If he feels pressure, he doesn’t show it. He is a persuasive advocate with detailed knowledge of the law.’ 
Barnaby LargeNo.18 Barristers Chambers ‘Barnaby is extremely knowledgeable and takes great care in his work. He is a fantastic advocate who not only knows the case well but also judges the personalities involved on the other side and uses that when considering the best way to attack the case. Barnaby's advocacy is direct and considered, which is the best approach for most employment matters.' 
Andrew MacPhail3PB ‘Andrew is a very strong and commanding advocate, able to put forward his arguments in a clear and concise manner even when addressing matters which have litigants in person. His knowledge of the law and how to get the best out of any situation is second to none.'
Geraint ProbertGuildhall ChambersAn excellent advocate who thoroughly prepares and is always clear on the issues and the strengths and weaknesses of a case. He also gets tribunals onside and ensures his cross-examination goes to the heart of the issue.' 
Mark WilliamsQueen Square Chambers ‘Mark is very thorough in his approach to and preparation of matters. He also has an excellent manner with clients and always does his best to put them at ease in a stressful situations. He is excellent on his feet and has a great way of building up to the killer question to get the answer he is looking for.'
Jennifer Linford – Queen Square Chambers ‘Jennifer has found the perfect balance of being incredibly knowledgeable and competent in her area whilst maintaining a level of approachability which makes her a firm favourite with clients and solicitors alike.’
Fergus Currie - Guildhall Chambers 'He quickly grasps issues and is a highly competent and consistent advocate. He is also accommodating and good to work with.' 
Mark Green  – 3PB ‘He is very knowledgeable in employment matters in general, and the intricacies of national security law in particular. He is also very calm and measured in his advocacy.' 
Sarah Bowen3PBSarah is a superb lawyer. Frankly, she doesn’t have weaknesses.’ 
Daniel PiddingtonCollege Chambers ‘Daniel is excellent at managing client relationships and delivering advice in clear and unambiguous language. He is also an extremely competent advocate who is able to grapple with complex issues.' 
Simon Tibbitts3PB ‘Simon has excellent strategic thinking abilities and quickly gets to grips with even the most complex of issues. He is excellent in cross-examination and summation, carefully treading the line between robustly asserting a client's case and displaying empathy to the position of the other side.' 
Ian WheatonNo.18 Barristers ChambersIan is excellent with clients, always providing them with good explanations of their legal positions and the options open to them. He engages well with strategy sessions and is an excellent advocate.' 

Employment in Regional Bar

3PB


3PB’s ‘go-to’ employment and discrimination group boasts ‘a broad range of technically excellent lawyers across all levels of experience’. Sarah Clarke is a ‘really strong and tenacious advocate’ with a broad practice that includes regular claimant and respondent instructions. She has recently acted for the claimant in Rajput v Commerzbank and Société Générale, a high-value sex and maternity discrimination case against two investment banks. Sarah Bowen, ‘skillful at getting to the nub of an issue’, regularly handles a wide variety of discrimination cases, while Matthew Curtis is ‘fantastic with witnesses’ and specialises in whistleblowing cases in regulated sectors – recently he appeared for the respondent in Biggs v A Bilbrough & Co & others, a widely publicised sex discrimination and whistleblowing case brought by a solicitor employed in a shipping firm.

Testimonials

‘All clerks are very helpful and polite and always willing to help- Patrick Robson in particular goes above and beyond.’

‘Matthew Scanlan is always friendly, efficient and great to work with.’

‘The 3PB clerks are responsive, flexible and helpful – Patrick Steptoe and Patrick Robson are both excellent.’

‘3PB is an excellent set. They have a broad range of technically excellent lawyers across all levels of experience and will always make every effort to meet the needs of clients.’

‘3PB is a go-to barristers chambers. They are friendly, responsive, they invest time in relationships and make you feel like their only client.’

‘The clerks at 3PB are second to none. The level of service is unparalleled and the clerks are proactive, efficient and dedicated to meeting client needs.’





Guildhall Chambers


Guildhall Chambers‘ employment team offers ‘real strength in depth, both in terms of call and expertise‘. Julian Allsop, who heads the team, is ‘forensic in his approach to litigation‘ and regularly instructed in high-value cases in the High Court, often involving director-level remuneration claims, restrictive covenants, and confidentiality agreements. He recently acted for the claimant in Macanovic v Portsmouth NHS Trust, a significant case raising the issue of whistleblowing detriment and involving the cross-examination of several medical consultants. Fergus Currie, ‘a highly competent and consistent advocate‘, has recently focused on claimant instructions, including wrongful and unfair dismissal actions, discrimination cases, and collective and individual redundancies. Debbie Grennan specialises in high-value whistleblowing and discrimination claims for public sector clients, including local authorities and health care bodies, while Douglas Leach ‘has an excellent ability to think on his feet’ and is well-regarded for his expertise in TUPE, whistleblowing, and discrimination matters as well as in employee competition cases involving breach of confidence, restrictive covenants, and injunctive relief.

Testimonials

‘Rob McDonald and Emily Webb are always on hand and happy to help with queries regarding counsel availability and fee quotes.’

‘Stephen Arnold and Rob McDonald are diligent and always helpful. A pleasure to deal with.’

‘The Guildhall employment team has excellent strength in depth – their range of call ensures that there’s always someone right for the job.’ 

‘Guildhall has a strong employment offering with some promising counsel coming through too.’ 

‘Guildhall Chambers has real strength in depth, both in terms of call and expertise.’

‘This chambers is a go-to chambers for employment work and specifically for discrimination cases. They are specialists with discrimination cases and are therefore uniquely placed in Bristol and the South West.’ 

‘The clerks are very good.’ 





Old Square Chambers


Old Square Chambers is one of the leading sets on the Western Circuit for employment law work, with several standout practitioners regularly involved in significant cases. Michael Ford KC is a ‘tour de force’ who recently acted for intervenor UNISON in the Supreme Court case Harpur Trust v Brazel, which considered whether a worker’s right to paid annual leave is accumulated according to the working pattern of the worker, or is pro-rated - the matter affects a large number of seasonal workers. Spencer Keen has recently represented the claimant in Plymouth City Council v ABC, a High Court case concerning the alleged theft of confidential information, evaluating the extent of an employee’s duty of confidentiality and the remedy for breach.

Testimonials

‘A strong set for employment work with high profile counsel.’

‘The clerks at Old Square Chambers are keen to help and quick at responding to requests.’

Work highlights














Pump Court Chambers


Pump Court Chambers’ employment team ‘boasts a number of very capable barristers at various levels of call’. Heather Platt is a ‘tenacious advocate’ with considerable experience in relation to disability discrimination claims. She acted for the claimant in Richards v Brocade Communications UK Ltd, a high-profile disability discrimination and unfair dismissal claim by a man with terminal kidney cancer whose employment was ended by the company he had worked for. Tim Dracass regularly handles respondent work, including for private sector businesses, police forces, fire services, local authorities, and universities, while the ‘excellentDaniella Gilbert acts for and against a wide range of clients, especially in relation to discrimination and whistleblowing claims.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are quick to respond and helpful. Dean Cunniff is particularly adept in recommending suitable available counsel.’

‘All clerks are very helpful and try to develop good working relationships with instructing solicitors. Jon Cue and Dean Cunniff are particularly helpful.’

‘Dean Cunniff is friendly, responsive and helpful.’

‘The set boasts a number of very capable barristers at various levels of call and the clerks reliably recommend suitable counsel.’

‘Pump Court is a good set with strong advocates.’ 

‘Good range of counsel’

Work highlights














Queen Square Chambers


Queen Square Chambers’ employment team possesses ‘excellent depth’, with members appearing in a wide range of cases across the Western Circuit. Mark Williams has considerable experience in cases involving whistleblowing, harassment, victimisation, and discrimination. In 2022 he acted for the respondent in the EAT case of Anis Ali v Heathrow Express & Others, in which a security firm was found not to have harassed a Muslim employee after a security training contractor used a dummy bomb labelled with ‘Allahu Akbar’ as a test suspicious package – Williams successfully argued that in the circumstances the use of the phrase was reasonable. The ‘unflappable and adaptableJennifer Linford is often instructed in relation to claims involving allegations of sex or age discrimination. James Bromige, with a ‘tactical mind’, heads the team and specialises in whistleblowing, discrimination, and constructive dismissal claims.

Testimonials

‘The success and popularity of QSC must be attributed to the conduct of clerks Tom Cole, Sam Anibigno and Naomi Boulton.’

‘The clerks are very responsive and easy to deal with. Tom Cole in particular goes out of his way to assist.’

‘Tom Cole is the best clerk; he is helpful, very responsive to emails and incredibly friendly. He will pick up on niche points in the brief and is always willing to go the extra mile to assist. Sam Anibigno is also excellent.’ 

‘This set has excellent depth.’ 

‘A great chambers.’