The Legal 500

Within Chancery and commercial litigation,

Atlantic Chambers’ Graham Sellers has a national insolvency practice. David Green and Nicholas Jackson are recommended for property litigation, commercial and chancery matters.

Within Crime,

Atlantic Chambers’ Stuart Driver QC is a very busy and excellent practitioner on circuit. Peter Sigee and Lee Bonner are recommended for POCA instructions, and new silk Anne Whyte QC handles a large volume of police-related work.

Within Employment,

Atlantic Chambers’ ‘strong team’ includes John Benson QC and David Tinkler.

Within Family,

At Atlantic Chambers, the ‘very good’ Samantha Hillas is strong on the financial front and is particularly interested in pre-nuptial agreements. Malcolm Sharpe is a leading senior on finance, trusts, land and pre-nuptial agreements, and Andrew Banks is recommended for the same work at the junior end. Michael Sellars is a leading senior for complex childcare matters and Christine Johnson is a busy childcare junior. Abigail Bennett recently joined the team from 3 Dr Johnson’s Buildings.

Within Overview, Atlantic Chambers (Chambers of Scott Donovan) is a second tier firm,

The Northern Circuit comprises the largest volume of sets and barristers outside of London. Now that Manchester is home to the GMC and the new Administrative Court, and, combined with the fact that it is a strong Bar, local sets retain more of the complex work than historically was the case. The circuit is hugely receptive to the challenges the modern Bar faces; many sets are waiting on the sideline with a ProcureCo in place, and yet another set, namely Young Street Chambers, has folded. St Johns Buildings, which houses the leading family team, is in the process of merging with Paradise Chambers and India Buildings Chambers to have greater leverage for LSC tendering. Kings Chambers is the leading chancery, commercial and planning set; Lincoln House Chambers is top for crime; Byrom Street Chambers is the go-to set for personal injury and clinical negligence; and 9 St John Street is known for its employment offering. Deans Court Chambers and Exchange Chambers are solid sets with sound reputations. Garden Court North Chambers has notable prison and immigration law practitioners and has seen the recent arrival of three new tenants. St James’s Chambers, Cobden House Chambers and 18 St John Street Chambers, which recently took on several former Young Street Chambers members, are efficient and effective sets. In Liverpool, 7 Harrington Street has an incredible selection of criminal silks; Atlantic Chambers is a well-liked set and has several members who have national credit hire practices; and Liverpool Civil Law is a specialist civil set with several key PI practitioners.

Within Personal injury and clinical negligence,

Atlantic Chambers’ head of chambers Scott Donovan has a busy clinical negligence practice, and the ‘highly intelligent’ Ivan Woolfenden has a strong PI practice, including occupational and industrial disease work. Michael Armstrong is also recommended for PI and RTA work.

Within Treasury Panel Lists Welsh Assembly Government Panel (Appointments are for three years from January 2009)