The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law (including local government), Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a third tier firm,

Notwithstanding key departures, Doughty Street Chambers’ claimant-oriented public law group includes the ‘widely respected and admired‘ Edward Fitzgerald QC, Phillippa Kaufmann, who is ‘very tenacious‘, and Kate Markus, who is ‘very good with clients‘. Meanwhile, Ian Wise ‘wages a tireless battle for children in care‘ and Paul Bowen ‘knows mental health law backwards‘.

Within Clinical negligence and healthcare , Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a third tier firm,

Doughty Street Chambers Christopher Gibson QC is ‘provides excellent advice and support‘ and Robin Oppenheim QC is also popular. Christopher Hough is handling claims of increasing value and complexity.

Within Consumer and product liability , tier 4

Doughty Street Chambers’ strength in product liability practice demonstrably lies in claimant group action. Robin Oppenheim QC is currently instructed in the Fetal Anti-Convulsant litigation, which is due for trial in February 2010. Richard Hermer QC’s expertise in toxicity frequently brings him into high-profile international litigation with human rights aspects.

Within Crime, Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a third tier firm,

Doughty Street Chambers ‘provides true strength and depth‘ in criminal defence. Edward Fitzgerald QC is on the silk shortlist for complex extradition; he appeared in Rwanda v Ugirashebuja. Ben Cooper also specialises in extradition. Proceeds of Crime Act guru Richard Fisher is highly recommended.

Within Defamation and privacy, Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a second tier firm,

At Doughty Street Chambers, Sir Andrew Nicol QC’s appointment to the bench has been more than balanced with Heather Rogers QC’ arrival from Matrix Chambers. Heather Rogers QC is ‘incredibly diligent, taking an analytical and academic approach‘. Gavin Millar QC appeared in the appeal in ex parte Trinity Mirror (on reporting restrictions), as well as in The Times Newspapers Ltd (on SAS courts-martial). In R v Kearney, he achieved a celebrated win on the extent of permissible interference with a journalist’s human rights. Guy Vassall-Adams is recommended for ‘client focus and his intellectual calibre‘.

Within Education

Within Education

Within Education

Within Education

Within Fraud: crime

Within Human rights and civil liberties, Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a first tier firm,

Doughty Street Chambers styles itself as being ‘at the heart of human rights‘. That pitch is confirmed by recommendations for seven leading and eleven junior counsel. Expertise in mental health, police cases immigration and extradition places its barristers in developing law in these areas. Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC, James Wood QC and Heather Williams QC, and junior Stephen Cragg, have ‘made a real speciality out of IPCC cases‘. Patrick O’Connor QC and juniors Paul Bowen, Ruth Brander, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Alison Gerry also have expertise in civil actions against the police. Geoffrey Robertson QC’s record on leading freedom of expression cases makes him one of the most ‘celebrated‘ silks in this area. Phillippa Kaufmannn is a leading choice for the central areas of prisoners’ rights, police law, deaths in custody, and mental health law. Kate Markus, Henrietta Hill, John Jones, Robert Latham and Alison Gerry are also strong junior barristers.

Within Immigration and nationality , Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a second tier firm,

Doughty Street Chambers is ‘highly rated for its immigration law expertise‘, with 13 juniors working in this area. With an ‘incredible knowledge of the law‘ Simon Cox notably won the case of Aissaoui where the Court of Appeal reversed guidance on the refusal of indefinite leave to remain for over-stayers working under false names. Mark Henderson acted on the successful judicial review of the Government’s policy of preventing Gurkha veterans from settling in the UK, R (Limbu). The ‘highly intelligent‘ Judith Farbey is commended as ‘one of the best at the immigration Bar‘, boasting a ‘fantastic range of skills‘ while Laura Dubinsky provides work that is at a ‘very high quality‘, being ‘thorough in her preparation for cases‘.

Within Leading claimant sets, Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a first tier firm,

Leading claimant set Doughty Street Chambers is well known for its criminal defence work, civil liberties and police law. Civil law virtues include clinical negligence; public law content is supplied by administrative law, including education and immigration. It is promoted for housing work. Two silks were appointed in 2009.

Within Media, entertainment and sport - Leading Sets, Doughty Street Chambers (Chambers of Geoffrey Robertson QC) is a third tier firm,

Doughty Street Chambers’ Gavin Millar QC successfully represented The Guardian against Elton John. Geoffrey Robertson QC has ‘in-depth knowledge‘ of regulatory issues and represents high-profile individuals.

Within New Silks (February 2009)

Within New Silks (February 2009)

Within Property litigation,

Elsewhere, Field Court Chambers’ Miles Croally, who acted for Porter in the significant House of Lords housing case Porter v Shepherds Bush HA. Doughty Street Chambers housing lawyer Robert Latham, and 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square’s ‘outstanding housing lawyer‘ Kelvin Rutledge.