The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance (including consumer credit), Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a second tier firm,

‘You pay for what you get and you get the highest quality of advice’ at Serle Court, which has ‘great strength in depth’. Elizabeth Jones QC is ‘a superb strategist and ferocious in attack’. Philip Marshall QC ‘always provides incisive and practical advice’, and has recently been very busy in JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov. Nicholas Lavender QC is ‘a good tactician and advocate and extremely good on quantum issues’; his ‘expertise in banking and finance matters is first-rate’. David Blayney is commended for his ‘clear and unequivocal advice’. Andrew Bruce has a ‘thorough grasp of the law’, and his ‘paperwork is excellent’. Simon Hattan ‘has an impressive eye for detail’ and an ‘ability to think extremely quickly on his feet’. Geraldine Clark is ‘excellent with clients, and has a great ability to get the salient points with speed and efficiency’.

Within Charities,

Individuals of note include Serle Court’s William Henderson (‘exceptionally bright’ and ‘amazingly conscientious’); Hubert Picarda QC at 9 Old Square (who has ‘a fantastic understanding of the history and scope of charity law’); Ten Old Square’s Simon Taube QC (‘nothing short of brilliant’); XXIV Old Buildings’ Michael King (a ‘great advocate and tenacious in cross-examination’); Elspeth Talbot Rice QC (‘a skilled strategist’); and 15 Old Square’s ‘ingenious’ James Kessler QC and Robert Venables QC, who are noted for their charities-related tax practices.

Within Commercial litigation, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a second tier firm,

Serle Court is ‘establishing itself as a go-to set amongst the larger City firms’. ‘Its barristers provide excellent value for money without sacrificing any intellectual horsepower’. Patrick Talbot QC ‘is very good at finding the right touch’, and ‘judges respond well to him’. Dominic Dowley QC, who has been involved in the epic Fiona Trust litigation, is ‘a complete pleasure to work with. He is responsive, available and good humoured’. Philip Marshall QC is ‘very hardworking and responsive, and always provides incisive and practical analysis’. One of ‘the intellectually brilliant’ Philip Jones QC’s most significant matters has been representing the second defendant Henry Cameron in Sibir v Tchigirinsky. The ‘bright and enthusiastic’ David Blayney ‘thinks constructively when faced with difficult legal problems’.

Within Company and partnership, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a second tier firm,

Serle Court has ‘genuine expertise on shareholders rights and partnerships and LLPs’. Clients see it as ‘value for money’, and the ‘clerking team is also friendly and responsive’. The ‘enormously hardworking’ Alan Boyle QC is ‘first choice for high-value, complicated Chancery cases’. The ‘excellent’ Victor Joffe QC has ‘an encyclopaedic knowledge of shareholder and company law’. Philip Marshall QC is an ‘impressive operator’, and the ‘pragmatic and commercial’ Philip Jones QC is a ‘smooth operator in court’ who ‘very quickly gets to the nub of the issue and gives clear, comprehensible advice’. John Machell is ‘an excellent lawyer with a keen intellect and a thorough grasp of partnership law’. For partnership matters, clients also praise the ‘excellent’ Jennifer Haywood, who ‘is one of the few who is a true expert in this area. A star of the future’. The ‘bright and enthusiastic’ David Blayney is ‘willing to roll his sleeves up and thinks constructively when faced with difficult legal problems’. The ‘phenomenally bright’ Daniel Lightman ‘stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries for company work and is unquestionably destined for great things’. The ‘incredibly hardworking, very bright’ Jonathan Adkin is ‘an absolute star’ and ‘all one could ask for from a junior’. Thomas Braithwaite is ‘incredibly good at recalling minor details on very complex matters’.

Within EU and competition,

Other recommended individuals include: Gregory Jones QC at FTB, who is ‘at the top of his game’, and has ‘deep knowledge and experience’; the ‘very well-regarded’ Deok Joo Rhee at 11KBW; and ‘brilliant advocate’ Conor Quigley QC at Serle Court.

Within Energy,

Also recommended are Christopher Nugee QC at Wilberforce Chambers; Stuart Isaacs QC of 3-4 South Square; Hodge Malek QC of 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square; Peter McMaster QC at Serle Court, who is ‘a strong performer on his feet’; and Andrew Newcombe QC from FTB, who has ‘in-depth knowledge of the energy sector’.

Within Fraud: civil, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a first tier firm,

Serle Court’s ‘strength in depth, both on national and international work, is second to none’. The ‘immensely authoritative’ Alan Boyle QC is ‘first choice for high-value, complicated Chancery cases’, and Elizabeth Jones QC’s ‘forensic insight and intellectual capacity are huge benefits’. Kuldip Singh QC is acting for a major bank in cross-border litigation involving £1bn fraud claims, and Victor Joffe QC exhibits ‘good commercial acumen and calm under pressure’. Philip Marshall QC is also recommended, as is Richard Walford, who is ‘hugely knowledgeable on injunction-related matters’. The ‘tremendously supportive’ Andrew Moran is ‘top of his field’, and Justin Higgo is ‘extremely impressive under pressure’. Ruth den Besten is ‘very bright, aggressive and sensible’.

Within Insolvency, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a second tier firm,

Serle Court is many clients’ ‘chambers of choice’ with ‘excellent response times’, ‘impressive strength in depth on a national and international level’, and clerking that is ‘second to none’. Victor Joffe QC is a ‘Superman’ and has the ‘highest level of business acumen of any barrister’, and Philip Marshall QC is an ‘impressive operator’. Philip Jones QC has a ‘strong reputation’ in company litigation and insolvency and has appeared in several aspects of the collapse of Northern Rock, Lehman Brothers, and the various Icelandic banks. Timothy Collingwood is praised for his ‘high standards’, ‘prompt’ paperwork, and ‘good level of service’, and the ‘highly intelligent and thoughtful’ David Blayney is praised for his ‘tight and persuasive’ drafting. Further recommended juniors include Ruth Jordan and David Drake.

Within Intellectual property,

Also recommended are highly respected silks Ian Mill QC at Blackstone Chambers (whose ‘grasp of soft IP – copyright in particular – is first class’); and Michael Edenborough QC of Serle Court (‘an excellent all-rounder who gives quick, practical advice’). Of the juniors, clients single out Mark Engelman at Hardwicke, who acted in The Estate of Adrian Jacobs v JK Rowling & Bloomsbury Publishing. Other noteworthy practitioners include Brick Court Chambers’ new recruit Nicholas Saunders (formerly of Hogarth Chambers); the ‘pragmatic and commercially minded’ Malcolm Chapple of New Square Chambers; and the ‘most helpful’ Robert Deacon at 11 Stone Buildings.

Within International arbitration International arbitration – Leading Silks

Within Media, entertainment and sport, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a third tier firm,

The ‘well-run and organised’ Serle Court houses Elizabeth Jones QC, who is commended for her music business experience; ‘she gets to the heart of a problem and is good at coming up with new ideas’. Sports litigator Kuldip Singh QC ‘combines determination with a strong advocacy style’, and Victor Joffe QC, who has acted for numerous leading football and rugby clubs, ‘absorbs large quantities of factual material very rapidly, with excellent recall’. Christopher Stoner QC, who took silk in 2010, has built a niche practice in handling paralympic classification issues and also acts for British Swimming in regulatory and disciplinary matters.

Within Private client: trusts and probate, Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a second tier firm,

Serle Court is an ‘outstanding Chancery set at the very top of its game’, with clerks that are ‘probably the best or certainly the equal best in London’. Frank Hinks QC is regarded as a leading silk in the traditional Chancery field, and is a ‘superb draftsman’ and ‘uniquely creative’. Elizabeth Jones QC is ‘highly intelligent, exceptionally thorough, and a formidable opponent’, and Philip Jones QC is a ‘recognised star of the Bar’. William Henderson is a senior junior ‘of the highest calibre’, who is ‘unparalleled’ for trusts and probate work and one who commands ‘enormous respect’. Other juniors include Dakis Hagen (‘hardworking, charming, clever and reliable’); Jonathan Adkin (‘an ideal all-rounder for large cases’); Andrew Francis (‘a restrictive covenants whizz’); and Beverly-Ann Rogers, who is recommended for her mediation skills.

Within Professional discipline and regulatory law (including police law) Professional discipline and regulatory law (including police law) – Leading Silks

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

Serle Court provides a ‘first-class service’, with ‘strong juniors to back the silks’. Philip Marshall QC ‘finds good points where others would not’, and Philip Jones QC has ‘a remarkable ability to get to the heart of technical legal issues in a pragmatic manner’. Also recognised are the ‘commercial and knowledgeable ’ Richard Walford, the ‘hardworking’ Ruth den Besten, Daniel Lightman, and the ‘bright’ David Drake.

Within Property litigation (including agriculture and housing), Serle Court (Chambers of Alan Boyle QC) is a third tier firm,

Serle Court is a ‘dynamic and well-focused’ set, where Frank Hinks QC is ‘extremely intelligent and very good tactically’, and Philip Jones QC is ‘particularly impressive in conference with clients’. Christopher Stoner QC, who took silk in 2010, is ‘an absolutely first-class advocate and a real fighter in court’. Highly recommended juniors include Andrew Francis (‘a real leader in rights of light work’); Thomas Braithwaite, who has a ‘superb, businesslike manner with clients’; and Andrew Bruce (‘very quick at analysing a situation and cutting through to the issues’).

Within Public international law,

Other recommendations include the ‘extremely persuasive and effective’ Khawar Qureshi QC at Serle Court, and ‘the clear, eloquent and focused’ Rodney Dixon of Temple Garden Chambers, who ‘is one of the best counsel who appears before the ICC’. Richard Hermer QC at Doughty Street Chambers is ‘a great strategist’ and ‘a pleasure to work with’.

Within Shipping Shipping – Leading Juniors

Within Tax: corporate and VAT,

Also recommended are the ‘very thorough, professional and concise’ Timothy Brennan QC at Devereux; tax avoidance and transfer pricing expert Michael Green QC (an ‘excellent advocate, with a clear and authoritative delivery’) at Fountain Court Chambers; Philippa Whipple QC of One Crown Office Row; Laurence Rabinowitz QC (‘intellectually outstanding with a calm, reassuring demeanour’) at One Essex Court; the ‘brilliant, smooth, polished, accessible’ Philip Jones QC at Serle Court; and ‘top-level’ silk Timothy Lyons QC, an authority on EU customs and trade duties at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.

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