The Legal 500

Within Administrative and public law (including local government), tier 4

The clerks at New Square Chambers are ‘helpful, and enquiries are answered promptly’. George Laurence QC is ‘first choice for any advice on town and village greens’. Ross Crail is ‘thorough, knowledgeable and professional’, and Edwin Simpson is appreciated for his ‘willingness to meet clients in their homes and to take site visits early’. New tenant Madeleine Heal is noted for ‘her fighting spirit’.

Within Commercial litigation, New Square Chambers (Robin Hollington QC) is a third tier set,

Barristers at New Square Chambers ‘have always been quick to respond, provide good coverage and offer value for money’. The highly regarded Stephen Smith QC is currently involved in the JSC BTA Bank trials. ‘A tremendous asset to the team’, Simon Adamyk is praised for his ‘forensic attention to detail and thorough, rigorous approach’; and Nigel Hood is ‘an outstanding senior junior who is great in cross-examinations’.

Within Company and partnership, New Square Chambers (Robin Hollington QC) is a third tier set,

New Square Chambers is a popular choice for company law, helped not just by the quality barristers, but also the ‘excellent clerking’. Robin Hollington QC is ‘marvellous on shareholder disputes’. Among the juniors, David Eaton Turner is ‘a phenomenal advocate and has all the facts at his fingertips’; Simon Adamyk’s ‘forensic attention to detail and thorough, rigorous approach are a tremendous asset’; and the ‘friendly, accessible and very bright’ Sebastian Prentis is ‘a very safe pair of hands on all company matters’.

Within Fraud: civil, New Square Chambers (Robin Hollington QC) is a third tier set,

New Square Chambers is recognised for its international experience and cross-border caseload. Stephen Smith QC is ‘undoubtedly one of the leading counsel for civil fraud work’. Simon Adamyk has ‘forensic attention to detail’, and Nigel Hood is ‘extremely committed and tenacious’. Tim Akkouh and Mark Hubbard are also recommended.

Within Insolvency, New Square Chambers (Robin Hollington QC) is a third tier set,

New Square Chambers is known for its expertise in insolvency matters with a fraud element. The ‘first-rate’ Robin Hollington QC is recommended for his international practice, and has ‘a real feel for company law principles’. David Eaton Turner is ‘insightful, practical and a very able communicator’, and Mark Hubbard is ‘extremely responsive and enjoyable to work with’. Alexander Learmonth is ‘proactive, insightful and intellectually outstanding’, Watson Pringle is ‘very clear and good on his feet’, and the ‘friendly, accessible and very bright’ Sebastian Prentis is a ‘safe pair of hands on all insolvency matters’.

Within Intellectual property,

Also recommended are Michael Bloch QC at Wilberforce Chambers; Serle Court’s Michael Edenborough QC, who is valued for his ‘attention to detail and responsiveness’; the ‘charismatic’ Ian Mill QC at Blackstone Chambers; the ‘very commercially astute’ Mark Engelman at Hardwicke; and Nicholas Saunders at Brick Court Chambers, who is developing a specialist practice focusing on the interface between IP rights and competition law. The ‘highly intelligent’ Madeleine Heal moved from Hardwicke to New Square Chambers in 2011.

Within Media, entertainment and sport,

Recommended juniors include the ‘honourable and tenacious’ Nicholas Randall at Devereux, who is a panel member for Premier League disciplinary cases; John Critchley of Field Court Chambers; ‘incisive, charming yet deadly’ horseracing expert Louis Weston at 3PB; and XXIV Old Buildings’ Ian Meakin, who handles Formula 1 disputes. Jonathan Crystal moved from Cloisters to Argent Chambers, while Madeleine Heal moved from Hardwicke to New Square Chambers.

Within Private client: trusts and probate, New Square Chambers (Robin Hollington QC) is a second tier set,

Clients of New Square Chambers can call on the ‘technically brilliant’ Nicholas Le Poidevin QC, as well as a raft of able juniors including Lynton Tucker, who is ‘top drawer on almost every level’, and Mark Hubbard, who is ‘one of the finest minds of his generation’. James Brightwell has ‘an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law of trusts’, Charles Holbech is ‘thorough and approachable’, Alexander Learmonth is ‘intellectually and technically remarkable’, and Rodney Stewart Smith is ‘an exceptional Chancery counsel with a broad range of expertise’.

Within Property litigation (including agriculture and housing), tier 4

At New Square Chambers, George Laurence QC has earned a reputation as the ‘leading silk’ on public property and rights of light cases. James Thom QC regularly appears in commercial landlord and tenant disputes, and recently acted in Lorey and another v Llewellyn. The ‘impressive’ Kenneth Munro (a specialist in leasehold enfranchisement) is ‘very efficient’ and deals with matters in a ‘forensically sound way’. Stephen Schaw Miller is ‘efficient’, ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘helpful’.

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