Stephanie David > Chambers of Charlie Cory-Wright KC and Richard Harwood KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

39 Essex Chambers garners praise as ‘a premier set for planning and environmental law‘, with conservation matters forming a key pillar of strength for the group. Stephen Tromans KC is ‘an outstanding barrister and an expert in his field‘. Richard Harwood OBE KC is acting for a large offshore wind farm in a case involving alleged conflict between the client’s operations and the operations of the Net Zero Teesside project, which involves a carbon capture and storage scheme. At the junior end of chambers, James Burton is well known for his expertise in handling group litigation cases; Stephanie David is ‘an engaging, courageous advocate‘; and the ‘highly organised and disciplined’ Daniel Stedman Jones has established strength in advising on renewable energy matters.

39 Essex Chambers is home to ‘an incredibly strong team of counsel‘ within the public law arena, with the set acting for a diverse range of public bodies and claimants. Recent work highlights include the ‘super‘ Jenni Richards KC, Catherine Dobson and Stephanie David acting for the claimant in Jennings v Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, involving an application for a declaration that it was lawful for the claimant to use an embryo with a surrogate following the death of the claimant’s wife. The claim was brought on the grounds that preventing the use of the posthumous embryo would act as a breach of the claimant’s Article 8 rights; the High Court permitted the declaration. In a separate matter, Richards KC successfully represented the claimant in R (Timson) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a judicial review challenge to the DWP’s policy of allowing automatic deductions, without presenting the claimant with an opportunity to make representations, from welfare benefits to pay debts to utility providers. Katherine Apps KC and Nicola Greaney KC were elevated to silk in March 2023.