The Legal 500

Within Overview ,

Broad Chare Chambers is highly praised for its public law work. Sheffield’s Paradise Chambers is to merge with Manchester’s St Johns Buildings and India Buildings Chambers in Liverpool in order to increase chances in pitches for publicly funded work.

Within Chancery and commercial litigation,

St Johns Buildings’ David Berkley QC, who is a recognised PPI expert, is ‘clear, concise and very commercial’. Susanne Muth, Pépin Aslett and David Uff continue to have strong commercial practices, and the ‘very careful, easy to work with and bright’ James Malam has a practice that is ahead of his call.

Within Crime,

At St Johns Buildings, Andrew O’Byrne QC is a ‘very intelligent and able counsel, whose formidable skills are enhanced by a polite and amiable nature’. Richard Marks QC is highly recommended for his extensive criminal practice, and Hugh McKee is a ‘big hitter in financial crime’, and is a ‘very diligent and attentive advocate who works tirelessly for clients’. Jeffrey Samuels QC has ‘excellent judgement’, and Philip Parry is ‘bright, technical, personable, and mature beyond his call’. Patrick Thompson, Paul Hodgkinson and Keith Harrison are also recommended.

Within Employment,

St Johns Buildings’ Ghazan Mahmood, Annette Gumbs, Jason Searle and Louise Quigley are recommended juniors.

Within Family,

St Johns Buildings’ Anthony Hayden QC is routinely involved in the most high-profile cases and is the ‘“the star of the north” when it comes to difficult children work’. Sarah Singleton QC is the ‘complete package for a local authority’; she is ‘grounded, has great interpersonal skills, and is a great legal intellect and advocate’. Karl Rowley is the ‘best childcare junior in Manchester’, Sally Harrison QC is the ‘best ancillary relief barrister in Manchester’ and a ‘robust advocate’; Charles Eastwood has a mixed family law practice and is a ‘real detail man’; and Alexander Kloss, who ‘exudes confidence and calmness’, has a strong ancillary relief practice. Lorraine Cavanagh’s ‘attention to detail is fantastic, and her immediate grasp of any given situation, and ability to think on her feet, is awe inspiring’. Gaynor Lloyd recently joined from 1 Stanley Place.

Within Overview, St Johns Buildings (Chambers of Michael Redfern QC) is a first tier firm,

The Northern Circuit comprises the largest volume of sets and barristers outside of London. Now that Manchester is home to the GMC and the new Administrative Court, and, combined with the fact that it is a strong Bar, local sets retain more of the complex work than historically was the case. The circuit is hugely receptive to the challenges the modern Bar faces; many sets are waiting on the sideline with a ProcureCo in place, and yet another set, namely Young Street Chambers, has folded. St Johns Buildings, which houses the leading family team, is in the process of merging with Paradise Chambers and India Buildings Chambers to have greater leverage for LSC tendering. Kings Chambers is the leading chancery, commercial and planning set; Lincoln House Chambers is top for crime; Byrom Street Chambers is the go-to set for personal injury and clinical negligence; and 9 St John Street is known for its employment offering. Deans Court Chambers and Exchange Chambers are solid sets with sound reputations. Garden Court North Chambers has notable prison and immigration law practitioners and has seen the recent arrival of three new tenants. St James’s Chambers, Cobden House Chambers and 18 St John Street Chambers, which recently took on several former Young Street Chambers members, are efficient and effective sets. In Liverpool, 7 Harrington Street has an incredible selection of criminal silks; Atlantic Chambers is a well-liked set and has several members who have national credit hire practices; and Liverpool Civil Law is a specialist civil set with several key PI practitioners.

Within Personal injury and clinical negligence,

At St Johns Buildings, Michael Redfern QC is ‘tenacious, shrewd and has vast experience’. Jeremy Roussak’s ‘medical qualifications allows him to get to the heart of the medical issues on these cases’. Peter Harrison has ‘in-depth, up-to-date technical knowledge of complex industrial disease claims’. John Ratledge handles the full spectrum of road traffic and workplace-related accidents. Richard Norton ‘manages difficult conferences superbly, is utterly reliable and technically on the ball’. John McNeill is recommended for maximum severity cases, Andrew Bridgman for dental matters, and Darrel Crilley for specialist disease claims.

Within Regulatory and public law,

India Buildings Chambers’ Matthew Stockwell is praised for his expertise in community care law.

Within Treasury Panel Lists Region 1