The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law (including local government) Administrative and public law – Leading Juniors

Within Banking and finance (including consumer credit and financial regulation), One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a second tier set,

One Essex Court is ‘a great chambers’ for banking litigation. Laurence Rabinowitz QC has ‘an unassuming and down-to-earth style which belies his fierce intellect’, and ‘masters the detail of cases incredibly quickly’. Lord Grabiner QC has ‘a great personal force and presence in court and commands considerable respect from the bench’. Rhodri Davies QC is ‘exceptional in dealing with complex legal arguments and expert evidence’. Stephen Auld QC is ‘a superb trial advocate and cross-examiner, and a great pleasure to work with’; David Wolfson QC’s ‘knowledge of the banking market and attention to detail are very impressive’; and Daniel Toledano QC has ‘excellent judgement about which points to push and which not to push’. Among the juniors, Ben Strong ‘consistently comes up with creative ideas and new angles to improve the client’s position’. Jamie Goldsmith ‘eats, breathes and sleeps the cases he is working on, and then produces flawless results’. Orlando Gledhill ‘combines a first-class intellect with a terrific attention to detail’.

Within Commercial litigation, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a first tier set,

One Essex Court boasts some of the Bar’s leading silks and is a breeding ground for future stars. Laurence Rabinowitz QC is ‘about the best in the business’ and is representing Boris Berezovsky in his high-profile dispute with Roman Abramovich. Lord Grabiner QC ‘shows no sign of slowing down or losing his hunger for a fight’, and Ian Glick QC is ‘an incredibly motivated cross-examiner who gets on top of every detail’. The ‘excellent, understated and very sensible’ Rhodri Davies QC has recently been in the limelight through his representation of News International in the Leveson Inquiry. Anthony de Garr Robinson QC is ‘an exceptional advocate and draftsman’ who is ‘incredibly clever, tactically savvy and a real team player’. ‘The epitome of what a senior junior should be’, Orlando Gledhill is praised for his ‘first-rate drafting skills’ and ‘brilliant legal analysis’. Steven Elliott has ‘an unbelievable grasp of detail which translates into maximising the client’s case’.

Within Company and partnership, tier 4

One Essex Court has several well-regarded specialists in company law. At the senior end, Anthony de Garr Robinson QC’s ‘mastery of documents allows him to be fearless, direct and persuasive in his advocacy’, and Neil Kitchener QC is ‘pugnacious, highly effective in court, and terrifyingly good at cross-examination’. Camilla Bingham is ‘an excellent advocate and fantastic team player. She has a first-class mind and is great on paper as well as on her feet’.

Within EU and competition, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a third tier set,

‘A brilliant set that is really going places’, One Essex Court is known for the EU and competition expertise of ‘unflappable heavyweight’ Thomas Sharpe QC, who appeared in the Competition Commission investigation into local bus services. Matthew Cook is ‘conscientious, thorough and unafraid to consider new angles’, and ‘definitely one to watch for the future’. Conall Patton is ‘diligent and incredibly knowledgeable’, and the ‘thorough, considered and robust’ Derek Spitz ‘benefits from having been involved in UK anti-trust litigation from early days’.

Within Energy, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a first tier set,

One Essex Court is particularly noted for the quality of its ‘excellent’ clerks, who complement a skilled team of barristers. Lord Grabiner QC combines ‘gravitas and tremendous legal depth with an open approach that welcomes collaboration’, and John McCaughran QC is ‘astoundingly commercially and tactically astute’. The ‘hugely intelligent and intellectually quick’ Jeffery Onions QC is recommended for upstream oil and gas dispute resolution work, and the ‘clear and persuasive’ Daniel Toledano QC has ‘an excellent grasp’ of the UK oil and gas industry. Of the juniors, Michael Fealy has ‘an incisive understanding of the law, complemented by a commercial and practical approach to disputes’; Alan Griffiths is ‘fast, accurate, and has a quick grasp of the underlying commercial as well as legal issues’; and Conall Patton is ‘hardworking, extremely clever and an undoubted star’.

Within Fraud: civil, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a first tier set,

One Essex Court’s Laurence Rabinowitz QC and Lord Grabiner QC are heavy hitters of the London civil fraud Bar, and Neil Kitchener QC is ‘one of the hardest-working silks around’. Richard Gillis QC has particular expertise in Russian and CIS-related litigation. Anthony de Garr Robinson QC ‘combines a first-class mind with highly persuasive skills as an advocate’; and Stephen Auld QC is ‘an excellent barrister to have on your side in complex fraud cases’. Of the juniors, Steven Elliott and Henry Forbes Smith have ‘good analytical minds’, and Clare Reffin has ‘an eye for the nuts and bolts of fraud’.

Within Information technology,

Other recommended practitioners include Quadrant Chambers’ Simon Croall QC; Alan Gourgey QC at 11 Stone Buildings; Graham Read QC of Devereux; 7 Bedford Row’s Derek Sweeting QC; Nicholas Saunders at Brick Court Chambers; new silk Lawrence Akka QC at 20 Essex Street, who has an ‘excellent grasp of complex matters’; One Essex Court’s Geoffrey Hobbs QC and Philip Roberts, who is ‘very strong on his feet’; the ‘clear and persuasive’ Mark Shaw QC at Blackstone Chambers, which is well known for its telecoms expertise; and Cyril Chern of Crown Office Chambers, who has ‘exceptional knowledge and experience in IT both in the UK and throughout Europe’.

Within Insolvency Insolvency – Leading Silks

Within Insurance and reinsurance, tier 5

One Essex Court’s Jefferey Onions QC is recommended for high-value, complex insurance and reinsurance disputes, and provides ‘robust and intelligent advice’. Craig Orr QC is also highly recommended.

Within Intellectual property, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a third tier set,

One Essex Court’s Geoffrey Hobbs QC is ‘an oracle for trade mark matters’ and ‘a top-notch UK silk for soft IP’. The set’s offering at silk level was enhanced with the appointment of Emma Himsworth QC in 2012. At junior level, Philip Roberts is ‘an expert in online media and technology-related cases’, and Guy Hollingworth is ‘bright, intuitive, innovative and a pleasure to deal with’.

Within International arbitration, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a second tier set,

One Essex Court has a selection of quality arbitration counsel, particularly at the junior end. The ‘unflappable’ John McCaughran QC has ‘impressive analytical abilities and a low-key manner which is also very welcome in an arbitration setting’. Praised for his ‘phenomenal energy and commitment’, Charles Graham QC is ‘a pleasure to work with and does a great job’. A ‘real team player’, Daniel Toledano QC has ‘a very sure touch with tribunals and a great delivery style’. Of the juniors, the ‘likeable, analytical and bold’ Michael Fealy is ‘a highly effective and highly regarded arbitration lawyer’. Sa’ad Hossain is ‘relentlessly on point’ and ‘a very effective advocate’. Orlando Gledhill is ‘surgical in his approach’ and ‘will be an extraordinary silk’. The ‘outstanding’ Conall Patton ‘responds quickly to procedural developments to maintain the upper hand’.

Within Licensing, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a third tier set,

One Essex Court’s Susanna Fitzgerald QC’s ‘knowledge and experience of the gambling and alcohol sectors are second to none’.

Within Media, entertainment and sport, One Essex Court (Lord Grabiner QC) is a second tier set,

At One Essex Court, Geoffrey Hobbs QC and new silk Emma Himsworth QC act for broadcasters, producers and media companies on copyright and IP matters. Highlights included representing Marks & Spencer in the adwords case. ‘Star performer’ David Wolfson QC, who has represented Chelsea FC, ‘will not shy away from a difficult argument’. Anthony de Garr Robinson QC is recommended for sports disputes, and the ‘clever, sensible, pragmatic’ Daniel Toledano QC handles Formula 1 cases.

Within Professional negligence, tier 5

At One Essex Court, Alain Choo Choy QC is ‘highly regarded’. Recent work for Andrew Lenon QC includes advising Katsouris Fine Foods in a breach of contract claim against Katsouris Brothers Limited relating to the supply of contaminated tahini.

Within Tax: corporate and VAT Tax: corporate – Leading Silks

Within Treasury Panel Lists Junior Counsel to the Crown – B Panel