The Legal 500

Old Square Chambers

Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC

10-11 BEDFORD ROW, LONDON, WC1R 4BU, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7269 0300
Fax:
Fax 020 7405 1387
DX:
1046 LONDON CHANCERY LANE
Web:
www.oldsquare.co.uk
Email:
London, Bristol

What we say about the set's legal practice in London Bar

Civil liberties and human rights (including public inquiry law and actions against the police)

Clinical negligence and healthcare

Within Clinical negligence and healthcare, tier 4

At Old Square Chambers, ‘a highly specialist service is consistently experienced’. David Wilby QC is noted for his experience in high-value claims. The set has particular expertise in brain damage and cerebral palsy claims.

Consumer and product liability

Within Consumer and product liability, tier 4

Old Square Chambers has ‘some of the most talented product liability and personal injury practitioners at the Bar’. Marcus Pilgerstorfer is a ‘walking encyclopaedia of all matters product liability’; ‘his wealth of knowledge on European consumer law is impressive’. Charles Pugh is highly regarded, and recently acted in a 150-claimant multi-party action.

Employment

Within Employment, Old Square Chambers (Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC) is a second tier firm,

Old Square Chambers has ‘excellent strength in depth’ and a ‘well-trained team of clerks, who are always helpful and available’. John Hendy QC is an ‘outstanding leader with unrivalled knowledge of trade union law’, and Jane McNeill QC is ‘a very safe pair of hands and always prepares meticulously’. Jennifer Eady QC has ‘strong advocacy skills’ with expertise in civil service equal pay and large-scale discrimination litigation. Of the juniors, the ‘reliableMichael Fordcovers all angles’; and Ijeoma Omambala is ‘user friendly, decisive and practical’. Melanie Tetherrelishes a thorny issue to advise on’ and, having previously been a solicitor, ‘she understands the pressures of law firms and therefore always looks to provide a practical, workable solution’.

Environment

Within Environment, Old Square Chambers (Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC) is a third tier firm,

At Old Square Chambers, David Wilby QC is ‘extremely knowledgeable, practical and tactical’. Ben Cooper is ‘a very gifted lawyer’.

Health and safety

Within Health and safety,

Other respected silks include Gerard Forlin QC at 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square, who has ‘encyclopaedic knowledge of health and safety’; Jonathan Caplan QC of 5 Paper Buildings, who ‘explains points clearly and is truly exceptional on his feet’; Devereux’s Stephen Killalea QC, who ‘really knows his way around the criminal court’; Patrick Harrington QC at Farrar’s Building, a ‘first-class trial barrister who is approachable and a pleasure to work with’; and the ‘excellentJohn Hendy QC at Old Square Chambers, who acted in the high-profile enquiries into the train crashes at Ladbrooke Grove and Paddington.

Other New Silks

Within Other New Silks Other New Silks

Personal injury

Within Personal injury, Old Square Chambers (Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC) is a third tier firm,

Old Square Chambers’ ‘reassuringly good’ set includes David Wilby QC, whose clients have ‘enormous confidence in his technical capability’. Of the juniors, Christopher Makeyreally packs a punch, but is measured and polite’, and Katherine Howells has ‘an innovative approach’ and is ‘unfazed by difficult adversaries in court’. Brian Cummins has ‘excellent client care skills’, and Alan Smith is ‘strategically able’.

Professional discipline and regulatory law (including police law)

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

Treasury Panel Lists

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


Further information on Old Square Chambers (Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC)

Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Old Square Chambers (Chambers of Jane McNeill QC & Nigel Cooksley QC) in other jurisdictions.

London Bar

Offices in London

Regional Bar

Offices in Bristol

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
    - 11KBW
  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
    - 11KBW
  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
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  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
    - 11KBW
  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
    - 11KBW
  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
    - 11KBW
  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
    - 11KBW
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
    - 11KBW
  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: