Set

‘3VB are one of my go to sets for commercial work. They have real strength in depth and numerous members of Chambers are a class act. ‘

‘High-quality throughout, easy to work with and adaptable, flexible barristers. A go-to set.’

‘Huge strength in depth of expertise and availability of counsel. An impressive offering.’

‘Hugh strength-in-depth. My preferred set on complex and/or high-end litigation.’

‘3VB remains the top set for commercial litigation and in our view international arbitration given their strong international roster of associate members. They remain the set of choice of us as firm when its comes to complex litigation dispute or when an opinion is required on commercial law matters.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are very responsive and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble for them.’

‘One of the best clerks’ rooms – responsive and accommodating.’

‘The clerks at 3VB are sensitive to the requirements of the client and do not see fit to push a QC all the time when the work required can be done by a high quality junior barrister of which 3VB has a good line up. Stuart Pullum and Stephen Penson are exceptional in this regard.’

‘The clerks are great. Stuart Pullum, their head clerk, is the person I mostly deal with. He’s a lovely man. Very commercial and sensible.’

‘We always receive a very high standard of service from 3VB, who take time to know our client needs, not just our firm. This makes our work that much easier.’

Set

‘Brick Court Chambers has, over the last few years, really cemented its position as the very best commercial chambers in London. The set has incredible depth and breadth in terms of its practitioners and continues to get better (the recent addition of Vernon Flynn QC being one very good example).’

‘One of the top sets with a range of top calibre lawyers – approachable – not self-important. They run a good commercial law year in review seminar amongst many others.’

‘Powerful set with massive strength in depth and across disciplines.’

‘Brick Court is now rightly thought of as being as preeminent in commercial litigation as it has been for public law and EU law.’

‘Incredibly strong depth of knowledge. Willing to make resourcing work at short notice.’

Clerking

‘The service in Brick Court is good and perhaps a notch ahead of its competitors. The clerks are responsive and personable. Paul Dennison is particularly impressive.’

‘Jo Francis is very client focused and helpful, provides a very good and prompt service and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Philip Wilkes was incredibly helpful in both the initial selection of leading counsel and in arranging work throughout.’

‘Will Jackman is a very competent clerk, quick and effective communication and diary management and very fair/reasonable on fee estimates and fixed/capped fee proposals.’

‘Paul Dennison is extremely approachable and commercial – he makes life easy for us and I like working with him.’

Set

‘Fantastic strength in depth – the pre-eminent dispute resolution chambers.’

‘Essex Court Chambers is a fantastic set, with an excellent range of silks and juniors covering all commercial bases.’

‘They have so many first rate individuals – you are spoiled for choice. Good to see more diverse crop of barristers coming through.’

‘Top-flight commercial litigation and civil fraud set. Perhaps the market leader.’

‘Top class set which we as a firm use as one of our go to sets for this type of work and more widely. ‘

Clerking

‘Oliver Butcher and Oliver Duane stand out.’

‘The clerks are extremely helpful and quick to acknowledge the type of assistance that is needed on particular cases. I have found Jack Wood to be very helpful when seeking assistance from Essex Court chambers. Jack Wood is quick to respond to queries and always does his very best to ensure that the right help can be provided even in tight time frames.’

‘Clerking is excellent – particularly Kevin Grubb.’

‘Top class service. Katie Myles and Joe Ferrigno are very good and straightforward to deal with. ‘

‘The clerks are fantastic. Ben Perry in particular is responsive, helpful and extremely knowledgeable.’

Set

‘Fountain Court are obviously very strong across financial services, markets and high-value commercial matters. Their overall service is slick and user-friendly.’

‘Fountain Court offers a breadth of counsel to cover most commercial disputes, across a range of values. We are always offered a suitable option when a chosen barrister is unavailable, and unlike with some other sets the clerks seem to pay genuine attention to the nature of the case and client before pushing any alternative forwards.’

‘Fountain Court is a great chambers and has real strength in depth at all levels. They are clearly one of the top three or four sets in the country for commercial litigation work.’

‘Nobody ever got fired instructing counsel from Fountain Court.’

‘It is an excellent set. I have never worked with anyone at Fountain Court or appeared against anyone at Fountain Court who was not a barrister at the very top of their game.’

Clerking

‘Clerks are very helpful. Katie Szewczyk stands out particularly for being efficient yet friendly.’

‘Top class, one of the best if not the best clerks rooms.’

‘The clerking team are second to none. They are efficient, proactive and excellent at communicating.’

‘The service and clerking is top-notch. Responsive, pragmatic, and supportive. Katie Szewczyk is excellent.’

‘Sian Huckett is excellent at understanding what is required and understanding client requirements and willing to consider flexibility in fee arrangements.’

Set

‘One Essex Court is my top choice for commercial cases. They have an abundance of excellent and easy to work with barristers across all levels.’

‘One Essex Court is a go-to set for the most complex and demanding cross-border litigation in the Commercial Court. The members of Chambers work effectively together, and are willing to get involved in the detail with their instructing solicitors, which produces a formidable team.’

‘First class in every respect. Huge depth of quality across all levels – from most junior to most senior barristers.’

‘One Essex Court are, to me, the pre-eminent commercial set in London. I have used them for over 20 years and have never been let down.’

‘One Essex Court has exceptional strength in depth, offering some of the best commercial barristers around. It remains our go-to set for commercial disputes.’

Clerking

‘The clerks at One Essex are a factor that sets them apart from other sets. They are responsive, helpful and just all round a pleasure to deal with. I have never had to chase them or been let down when I’ve made requests even out of hours.’

‘The clerks are responsive, courteous and proactive. Ben O’Hanlon and David Amdor are particular stars.’

‘The clerks are tremendous. They provided essential service and support with a positive attitude and very high degree of professionalism.’

‘The clerks at One Essex Court are exceptional. Nothing is ever too much, nor too late in the day. Rob Smith in particular is a delight to work with and a highly accomplished clerk whose professional standards are second to none. He clearly has an extensive knowledge of the barristers at the chambers and is a shining star within the set.’

‘The clerks are the most responsive I deal with. They are easy to use, no nonsense and are therefore efficient to deal with as you know you will not be messed around. Rob Smith is particularly good.’

Set

‘Great strength in depth for insurance and reinsurance and commercial litigation.’

‘7KBW is the highest quality set. Very clever barristers. ‘

‘They have some very clever barristers and are involved in many large commercial cases. I think they have real strength in depth.’

‘In my experience 7KBW contains almost wall-to-wall superbly intelligent lawyers. ‘

‘A top class chambers for complex commercial disputes, and the chambers to bear in insurance and shipping.’

Clerking

‘Gary Rose is extremely helpful and approachable.’

‘The clerks at 7KBW are very responsive, very friendly and good.’

‘I have a lot of time for Greg Leyden and his colleagues. They are friendly and commercial.’

‘Gary Rose is excellent: always helpful and always available.’

‘Ed Johns has been extremely responsive and helpful in terms of updates regarding fees and availability.’

Set

‘Very strong set of chambers. Almost all of the barristers there are first rate.A large range to choose from.’

‘An excellent set – I instruct a number of their barristers. Without exception they are all first rate. The set has strength and depth to field enquiries for wide ranging disputes at short notice.’

‘Amazing. They have everything you need at the top level with incredible junior support. If I was only allowed to instruct one chambers again in my career it would be Blackstone.’

‘Blackstones is our preferred Chambers without a doubt. The ‘client experience’ is second to none and replicates our approach to our own clients. They have real strength in depth and understand our preferences as a firm to ensure they offer us those individuals who offer not only superb experience but also will work well with us.’

‘Outstanding quality of work and experience in the field of commercial litigation. Barristers can be counted on to marry technical expertise with commercial acumen.’

Clerking

‘I have known Derek Sutton for over 10 years. He goes out of his way to get things done for you.’

‘The clerks look after us very well. They make the effort to get to know us and respond to our needs. Derek Sutton stands out in terms of his client care and pragmatism.’

‘Gary Oliver is very user friendly and supports us to get the right counsel.’

‘Excellent experience of Danny Compton in the clerks’ room. Very responsive, user-friendly and sensible.’

‘I have always had a great experience with the Blackstone clerks’ team. Extremely prompt, friendly and approachable – they are the city’s standout clerks’ room from my perspective. In particular: Billy Brian is very personable, prompt and accommodating; Danny Compton is similarly prompt, pragmatic and has a very commercial approach to time sensitive and urgent matters. Adam Sloane is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and approachable.

Set

‘Maitland are my ‘go to’ set for general commercial litigation. I have used their silks and their senior juniors (as well as some junior juniors) throughout my career and the quality of advocate, and service generally, is hard to beat.’

‘Maitland is a pleasure to deal with. Whenever I recommend a barrister from Maitland to a client, I know that they will be absolutely first rate. ‘

‘The best set for complex commercial claims. Brilliant in civil fraud.’

‘Maitland’s client service is excellent and have really top-flight silks matched with great juniors.’

‘A top notch practice with a skilled and vastly experienced team always on stand-by to help with the most complex commercial disputes. The provision of in house training has been very helpful and well received. Counsel make themselves available and when that cannot be achieved, work as a team to bring in a replacement.’

Clerking

‘The clerks room is second to none. Responsive, commercial, good humoured and genuinely understand the cases and people they are dealing with. Danny Wilkinson is always available and a real star.’

‘Excellent – John Wiggs and Jason Windle are brilliant.’

‘Excellent. Very responsive and helpful. John Wiggs stands out.’

‘Fabulous – Rob Penson is a real gem.’

‘The clerking team are very pleasant to deal with. I am particularly impressed with Luke Irons. Luke is always willing to go the extra mile, and has a flexible and fair approach when it comes to negotiating counsel fees. He has an appreciation that certain counsel might be more suitable for particular matters than others and will make appropriate recommendations. This candour is appreciated, and helps generate a sense of trust between the instructing solicitors and clerk team.’

Set

‘Serle Court’s commercial litigation capabilities complement their other core offerings (fraud and trusts predominantly) to make this a go-to set for many cases, particularly where there is overlap between these core offerings.’

‘The chambers as a whole has a wealth of experience in commercial litigation.’

‘Serle Court remain the go-to set for contentious trusts and probate work particularly where there are commercial elements to it. They are all brilliant and possess such strength and depth as a set. The junior barristers at Serle Court are absolutely first rate.’

‘Superbly skillful at all levels and a great team from clerks to QCs.’

‘Serle Court are a tremendously modern and sophisticated set. They are better known for their trusts and private client work, but their commercial litigation practice is also formidable. They are a very big player in the offshore world and one of the true premier sets. All are excellent advocates, with excellent legal skills. They have a tremendous set of juniors, many of whom are obviously stars of the future. They are also all very easy to work with. Stuffiness is very much left at the door and there are no prima donnas.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are fantastic. They really do make every effort to assist and understand the needs of a project. Emma Quin is always friendly and super helpful.’

‘The service received and the assistance of the clerks’ room is excellent. The head clerks in particular are very open to discussions on rates and CFAs.’

‘Nick Hockney will bend over backward for me, always charming and always at the end of a phone.’

‘The Serle Court clerks room is friendly, accommodating and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Paul Ballard is of particular note. Extremely flexible and always willing to assist on fees to navigate difficult commercial clients.’

Set

‘Twenty Essex is an excellent set with whom I and my firm work with regularly. They have excellent counsel at all levels of seniority and each is approachable and provides high quality advice.’

‘Twenty Essex are brilliant and are on the rise.’

‘Twenty Essex offers great variety of counsel and availability.’

‘Twenty Essex are an excellent set with expertise across the experience spectrum. In terms of banking and commercial work they are one of the very best and their growing practice in insolvency will stand them in good stead for many years to come.’

‘A very commercial set. I love to work with Twenty Essex.’

Clerking

‘Very strong support, friendly, professional and commercial. Tara Shah seems to know what instructing solicitors want and how to deliver the service.’

‘Flawless service. Sam McDowell is a real asset. He is extremely on the ball, always available, follows through on every task.’

‘Jemma Tagg has brought admirable modernity to the set and it seems to be thriving as a result. We have also received excellent training sessions from them on many occasions, on all sorts of commercial litigation issues.’

‘Tara Shah is friendly, communicative and easy to deal with. I am always thrilled to be dealing with her on a case.’

‘Chris Theobald is excellent.’

Set

‘A great set with real strength in depth; all the barristers there are really easy to work with and great at what they do.’

‘Wilberforce are excellent. We use many of their juniors and know and trust the team well. ‘

‘They continue to offer a consistently high quality service and boast some of the Country’s leading barristers.’

‘Wilberforce is the best chancery commercial chambers there is. It has great strength at all levels.’

‘The set has real strength and depth and some real heavy hitters.’

Clerking

‘Really commercial and practical, they look to meet your and the clients’ needs at every opportunity.’

‘Clerk’s room is great and very responsive, able to help with all queries. Andrew Barnes and Ben Rippengale in particular.’

‘Fraser Geddes stands out for responsiveness and “can do” attitude. His team management skills are exemplary.’

‘The clerks are always friendly, helpful and responsive.’

‘Well run, efficient, very responsive, commercially aware.’

Set

‘XXIV Old Buildings are my go-to commercial chancery set. They have a very deep bench of talent.’

‘Excellent standard of counsel – strong in commercial litigation across the board.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings have long commanded a significant place in respect of offshore matters but increasingly are seen as heavyweights on both commercial litigation as well as fraud matters. Their insolvency expertise is growing and they represent excellent depth and breadth in that area.’

‘Chambers has a very strong Middle East practice, with many of the leading practitioners at silk and junior level.’

‘Impressive Chambers. Well managed and a depth of quality counsel.’

Clerking

‘A professional and responsive clerking team, and their hard work to develop the chambers is paying off.’

‘Perry Brown is a superstar.’

‘The clerks’ room is excellent. They are very receptive to client needs and are reasonable in any negotiation of fees. They get the job done, especially in tricky listing disputes.’

‘They were excellent – commercial, approachable and sympathetic.’

‘The set is benefitting from Paul Horsfield’s marketing and business development experience.’

Set

‘Excellent chambers for professional negligence, insurance and general commercial litigation.’

‘ Good quality juniors to support leading counsel.’

‘The set are experts in commercial litigation. They have supreme strength in depth from leading counsel all the way to their juniors of recent call.’

‘4 New Square has in the last ten years become a top commercial litigation chamber, harnessing its very strong international links in the US, CIS, Middle East and Continental Europe. They have strength in depth at all levels and some real superstars at every level. All barristers here are very nice to work with.’

‘An understated but very impressive set. Always available and keen to assist. A pleasure to work with and my go-to for commercial disputes.’

Clerking

‘Very pleasant and high quality service.’

‘Very good, Alex Dolby in particular is a pleasure to work with.’

‘James Barrass and James Whitmore are very responsive – they are good at making recommendations when we have new instructions.’

‘Very commercial and always happy to help.’

‘Very strong client service and clerks are responsive. Alex Dolby and Lizzy Stewart stand out and seem to be the main leaders for big commercial cases.’

Set

‘4 Stone Buildings is a fantastic set to go to in the commercial litigation sphere. They are commercial and able to offer exceptional practitioners throughout the experience spectrum.’

‘4 Stone have set the standard of a modern commercial set – responsive and commercial.’

‘Have used this chambers on many occasions in the past, outstanding selection of leaders and juniors to choose from across all disciplines. Chambers have always supported the wider legal fraternity with outstanding lectures and training seminars. Much deserved recipients of awards and accolades.’

‘A go to set for corporate disputes with great strength in depth.’

‘4 Stone Buildings are a top flight set of barristers with real depth of quality and experience. They are consistently at the top end of reported cases and are a first port of call for almost all matters.’

Clerking

‘David Goddard runs a lean but mighty team – they are responsive, helpful, commercial and practical and makes solicitors’ lives easier. Ben Lashmar and Ellie Hecht were excellent to deal with.’

‘Ryan Tunkel is someone that you can do business with.’

‘Fast, efficient and effective on identifying the right counsel for the job.’

‘Great clerks who are always happy to consider funding options. Ryan Tunkel stands out.’

‘Ben Lashmar has been in the clerk’s room since I started working with this set. The clerks are helpful and I recently needed a barrister to assist on a written advice on short notice on a banking topic. I was impressed with the responsiveness given that everyone was working remotely.’

Set

‘We use Quadrant Chambers a great deal for IT and commercial work. The quality and strength of their commercial counsel is terrific, the clerks are easy to deal with and we are always given good information about fees and availability.’

‘Quadrant is my go to for commercial litigation and trading in particular.’

‘A set that is on the ascendancy and which is clearly having a great year despite the pandemic. A lot of talent available.’

‘The Chambers are our go to for all maritime and commercial matters. They have a good mix of barristers of varying levels, without compromising on quality.’

‘Quadrant is a class act throughout. A really clever and slick operation.’

Clerking

‘Always helpful, Gary Ventura is a legend obviously, but the others are all good.’

‘Gary Ventura is a brilliant senior clerk. He is straight and direct to deal with and always looks at the wider relationship.’

‘The clerks are fantastic. The level of service is absolutely first rate – head and shoulders above other top sets.’

‘The Clerks are very efficient, hands on and have good relations with the Court and their clerk colleagues within the commercial court system.’

‘Very good. Simon Slattery is sensible and commercial taking the right line between getting the best deal for his tenants and not abusing a position. Daryl Hughes is increasingly confident and a calming presence.’

Set

‘I have the highest regard for South Square Chambers. They have an excellent bench strength both at the senior and junior end. Their particular area of recognised expertise has, for a long time, centered on insolvency but the reality is that their expertise extends very significantly beyond that. For my part, my practice spans insolvency, financial and broader commercial litigation and it would be very rare for one or two counsel at South Square not to be in any shortlist of three that I submit to the client. South Square also offers excellent training and presentations, certainly in relation to insolvency law and practice but also beyond.’

‘South Square is a very strong set, with very knowledgeable and talented barristers. It is seen by many as the ‘go to’ set for certain banking and restructuring work, but the barristers I have instructed have been excellent in dealing with commercial disputes outside of these areas.’

‘South Square is undeniably the leading set of barristers for restructuring and insolvency and very able for general commercial litigation.’

‘South Square is superb in my view. Chock full of excellent juniors and peerless silks. My favorite set.’

‘South Square is best known for its strength in insolvency and restructuring, but they have wider strengths in commercial litigation and corporate trust disputes.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are highly professional and helpful. Can’t fault the service level.’

‘Dylan Playfoot is excellent – sensible and commercial.’

‘The clerks room is excellent – they are helpful, responsive, commercial, and do not over-promise.’

‘All very good. Marco Malatesta is a long server who always delivers.’

‘Excellent service, very responsive clerks.’

Set

‘4 Pump Court are a very good set, with a wide range of expertise across the spectrum of commercial disputes.’

‘4 Pump Court is really constructive, commercial and approachable.’

‘A  strong chambers, with good clerking. Very proactive on the marketing side and provide us with a range of seminars and knowledge sharing, leading to a good partnership between my firm and Chambers.’

‘An excellent set with a real mix of differing specialities.’

‘4 Pump Court is a very strong set.’

Clerking

‘The most helpful and accommodating set of clerks around.’

‘Clerks room is excellent. Very prompt attention. Stewart Gibbs is very commercial and user friendly.’

‘Mark Latham is a good communicator and acts quickly in response to urgent queries.’

‘I have known Oliver Miney for a number of years and he is very approachable, always willing to tackle any issues sensibly and quickly to ensure the relationship continues to develop positively.’

‘4PC stands out for its excellent clerking, always ensuring that matters are dealt with by someone with the right experience and level of seniority in a cost effective manner.’

Set

‘It is a close-knit set who work well together. A good range of barristers, but with some very notable talent. Excellent clerks. A considerable number of well-delivered webinars in particular over the last year and first rate seminars on specific subjects.’

‘Quality and depth at all levels.’

‘The set is going from strength to strength and growing throughout the country. They have been hosting a series of webinars on topical subjects which have all been very well received and is something I consider they should continue with. ‘

‘Enterprise are superb for insolvency and contract disputes.’

‘Our go to set for chancery litigation. Strength in depth, user friendly, flexible on fees.’

Clerking

‘Luke Clark and Michael Ireland are personable, hard-working and extremely responsive. Hard to find clerks in other sets who deliver the same service.’

‘The clerking team are formidable. They will move heaven and earth to help. With Michael Ireland at the clerking helm, there is nothing this set cannot achieve.’

‘Responsive, very capable and hard working clerks. Service delivered superior to that in other sets.’

‘Luke Clark and Michael Ireland are the two clerks I have dealt with. They have been very responsive, easy to deal with and reasonable and flexible in relation to financial arrangements.’

‘The clerks are the best I have worked with – always willing and keen to provide the service I need.’

Set

‘Great set in terms of leaders and juniors. There is someone with the experience and expertise to cove all complex commercial and company law issues.’

‘Superb from top to bottom.’

‘Excellent set with both strength and depth. All members of Chambers are specialist practitioners at the peak of their profession.’

‘Very strong on company law matters. We receive contentious and non-contentious training for our firm. The set has real depth with a large number of expert practitioners available.’

‘Great set in terms of leaders and juniors. There is someone with the experience and expertise to cover all complex commercial and company law issues.’

Clerking

‘Very responsive and approachable to discuss the right counsel and any fee estimates.’

‘The clerks are, without fail, friendly, helpful and efficient.’

‘Excellent and responsive clerking well lead by Chris Reade and Mark Swallow.’

‘The clerks take real pride in managing the service delivered (Mark Swallow cares a great deal about developing relations).’

‘I have had a long-term relationship with these chambers and their clerks, who always go the extra mile for me.’

Set

‘There is strength in depth, particularly in recent years as a result of expansion. The quality is good.’

‘A very a good set. Over the last 10 years or so I have instructed many different counsel in various different areas of law from this set. They have been my “go to set” for many years. The set regularly offers training, which is particularly useful during the pandemic. ‘

‘Excellent overall impression about chambers with barristers with exceptional interpersonal skills.’

‘The set is strong and offers a good balance of value and experience.’

‘Has good strength-in-depth, and their counsel and clerks live in the real world. They constantly have innovative solutions to complex issues, and have excellent bedside manner.’

Clerking

‘Service from the clerks’ room is good. Adam Blades is very easy to deal with and helpful.’

‘The clerks are very eager to impress and do whatever is necessary to fulfill my clients’ needs.’

‘Excellent. Amy McClean is great – she’s a force of nature.’

‘The clerk’s room is very good and user friendly. They find solutions and not problems. They show flexibility and help us look good in front of our clients.’

‘Richard Sumarno is great, always on hand to deal with unusual matters.’

Set

‘Littleton is an extremely well-structured chamberd with a lot of experts in multiple areas of the field.’

‘Littleton Chambers is one of my main chambers of choice, I have instructed a number of barristers from Littleton over the years and have always been impressed with the quality of the barristers and their client friendly approach. ‘

‘The set has developed considerable expertise at all levels in commercial and civil fraud work, and they are earning a well-deserved reputation in these fields.’

‘Our experience of the set as a whole has been extremely positive – strength in depth is excellent on the sports side for example and Littleton have been flexible and responsive when we have had potential instructions and/or queries; Very impressed.’

‘A good all round set. They have become one of my “go to” Chambers for commercial litigation work, especially anything with an employment dimension.’

Clerking

‘Dan Woodbridge is responsive and goes above and beyond the call of duty and unlike some is very willing to adopt sensible commercial and practical approaches to instructions.’

‘Very good and effective clerking and transparent on fees.’

‘Clerks are very punctual and helpful. They would always take this extra step to assist the client.’

‘The clerks are brilliant. Scott Hersey and Dan Woodbridge are extremely helpful, always go “above and beyond” with the service they provide. They are always quick to return emails or phone calls and have sorted out some tricky issues for me over the years, they have been a huge help with Court related issues as well as being sensible on fees and are always a pleasure to deal with.’

‘The clerks’ room is very well run. Jason Drakeford and Andrew Sargeant, in particular, are very helpful and efficient.’