The Legal 500

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

Within Civil liberties and human rights (including public inquiry law and actions against the police), 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a third tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane fields barristers with experience in representing local authorities, the police, and other public bodies in claims involving human rights issues. Lord Faulks QC is recommended, together with juniors Andrew Warnock and Paul Stagg. Edward Bishop QC took silk in 2011.

Within Clinical negligence and healthcare, 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a second tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane is ‘a strong set with excellent clerking’ and the capacity to ‘meet all clinical negligence needs’. In particular, head clerk Clark Chassis is ‘immensely understanding and accommodating’. Lord Faulks QC is ‘a renowned performer’ who has a ‘thorough and penetrating legal mind combined with an approachable and charming manner’, and Simon Readhead QC is ‘a very astute and clever counsel’ who ‘continues to be a superstar’. New silk Edward Bishop QC is ‘a good all-rounder’ and ‘adored by clients’. Recommended juniors include the ‘approachable’ Dr David Thomson, whose medical background is ‘invaluable’, and the ‘utterly committed’ Sophie Mortimer. Simon Trigger gives ‘consistently reliable advice’, and Nicholas Yell is ‘an excellent advocate’.

Within Consumer and product liability, 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a third tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane is ‘very highly regarded for travel personal injury cases, both claimant and defendant’, and is praised for its ‘informative lectures on travel law’. John Ross QC is highly recommended, and recently acted against the Royal Yachting Association. Sarah Prager is ‘an excellent advocate’; and Matthew Chapman has ‘fantastic knowledge and insight into travel and international law issues’, and is regarded as ‘one of the leading counsel in travel law’. Jack Harding is ‘very technically able’, and John Norman is ‘excellent in court’.

Within Education, 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a third tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane has ‘carved out a niche’ and is now classed as a ‘specialist heavyweight’ in education negligence cases brought against schools and local education authorities. The ‘legendary’ Lord Faulks QC ‘does everything brilliantly’, and the ‘extremely bright’ John Norman and ‘outstanding’ Andrew Warnock are ‘both very formidable juniors’, and provide ‘a silk-level service in everything but name’. Paul Stagg has ‘superb knowledge and a feel for statutory provisions’.

Within Personal injury, 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a second tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane ‘has a wealth of talent at all levels’ and is praised for the quality of its clerking. Lord Faulks QC enjoys an exceptional reputation as an advocate; John Ross QC ‘has proven himself to be an exceptional catastrophic injury silk’; and Marc Rivalland is ‘the bulldog of choice when you need someone with presence’. Other notable juniors include Andrew Warnock, Simon Trigger, Matthew Chapman and Angus Piper.

Within Professional discipline and regulatory law (including police law), 1 Chancery Lane (Chambers of John Ross QC) is a second tier firm,

1 Chancery Lane ‘has strength in depth’, and the ‘quality of clerking is excellent’. Leading silks include the ‘superb’ Lord Faulks QC, who has recently been instructed by the Metropolitan Police in a slavery case involving the failure to investigate or prosecute; the ‘formidable’ John Ross QC, who remains active in a number of disciplinary cases involving members of the Bar; and the ‘outstanding’ Edward Bishop QC, who made silk in 2011. Geoffrey Weddell is ‘articulate, personable and persuasive, both on paper and on his feet’, Dr David Thomson is ‘incredibly good’, and Laura Johnson is recognised for her ‘high level of intellect’.

Within Professional negligence, tier 4

With ‘good variety and depth’, leading silks at 1 Chancery Lane include Lord Faulks QC, who has a ‘calm but commanding manner in court’; and John Ross QC, who ‘leaves no stone unturned’, and recently represented the building owner in Baylis Farms Ltd v Dymott Builders Ltd, which involved a complaint of defective workmanship during the construction of an office building. Leading juniors include Alastair Hammerton, who is ‘excellent on strategy’, Angus Piper, and Andrew Warnock, who has a ‘good eye for detail’.

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