Court Of Protection And Community Care

Leading Silks

Bridget Dolan KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Bridget is extremely experienced and authoritative.'

Michael Mylonas KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Michael's expertise is phenomenal, and his personable, relatively informal approach creates assurance to clients for certain types of cases. His advocacy is equally brilliant, calm, and reassuring but devastating when necessary.’

Jenni Richards KC –39 Essex Chambers

Vikram Sachdeva KC –39 Essex Chambers

Tracey Angus KC –5 Stone Buildings ‘Tracey strikes fear into her opponents. She is calm, very well-organised, extremely clever and a great advocate. She is unflappable.’

Victoria Butler-Cole KC –39 Essex Chambers

Katharine Gollop KC – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Katie is a leading barrister. She has a very strong sense of justice and is very compassionate. She is excellent with lay clients and highly persuasive in court.’

Nageena Khalique KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Nageena has a wonderfully personable approach. Her representation is excellent with other parties and the judiciary.’

Angus Moon KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Angus is personable, responsive and easy to work with.'

Helen Mountfield KC –Matrix Chambers

Debra Powell KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Debra is formidable on her feet. Her attention to the granular level of detail is reassuring and incredibly impressive.’

Penelope Reed KC –5 Stone Buildings

David Rees KC –5 Stone Buildings ‘David is an outstanding barrister and communicator, making complex issues easy to understand with a practical approach and seeking solutions that benefit the client.’

Aswini Weereratne KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Jonathan Auburn KC – 11KBW 'Jonathan is excellent and a very fair opponent.'

Andrew Bagchi KC –1GC | Family Law

Paul Bowen KC – Brick Court Chambers

Tim Buley KC – Landmark Chambers

Jamie Burton KC – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Jamie has a brilliant strategic mind, is exceptionally good with clients, is approachable, and is committed to getting a good result.’

Christopher Buttler KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Chris brings impressive clarity to complex arguments. He can cut through complex areas such as social welfare law and distil key issues impressively.’

Stephen Cragg KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Sarah Hannett KC – Matrix Chambers 'Sarah goes the extra mile to assist. She is conscientious and willing to pursue cutting-edge cases. She is not afraid to practice outside her comfort zone. She is a public law expert due to the length of her practice and the range of cases she has taken. Her drafting is excellent, as are her advocacy and her interpersonal skills.'

Sarah Haren KC – 5 Stone Buildings 'Sarah is knowledgeable and thorough. She is calm and unpretentious. She always gets her point across in court and is not afraid of doing so in a hostile judicial environment.'

Michael Horne KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Christopher Johnston KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Alexander Learmonth KC – New Square Chambers 'Alexander is a clever, focused and great barrister.'

John McKendrick KC – Outer Temple Chambers

Parishil Patel KC –39 Essex Chambers

Kelvin Rutledge KC –Cornerstone Barristers

Fiona Scolding KC –Landmark Chambers

Andrew Sharland KC – 11KBW

Stephen Simblet KC – Garden Court Chambers

Martin Westgate KC – Doughty Street Chambers

Amanda Weston KC – Garden Court Chambers 'Amanda has a deep understanding of the law. Her advocacy is passionate and fearless. She knows the case better than anyone, running rings around her opponents in court and pushing judges to her point of view.'

Ian Wise KC – Monckton Chambers

David Wolfe KC –Matrix Chambers

2022 Silks

Claire Watson KC - Serjeants' Inn Chambers 'Claire is consistently and reliably brilliant with technical expertise, advocacy skill, and health and social care market expertise. She is also responsive, collaborative with instructing solicitors.'

2023 Silks

Nick Armstrong KC – Matrix Chambers

Neil Davy KC – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Nicola Greaney KC –39 Essex Chambers

Louise MacLynn KC –1GC | Family Law

Fiona Paterson KC –39 Essex Chambers

Emma Sutton KC –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Emma is a capable and in-demand barrister. She is always well-prepared, and her drafting is clear and persuasive. She knows the case like the back of her hand, offers helpful solutions and gets to the nub of the issues. Her advocacy is extremely effective.’

Claire van Overdijk KC –Outer Temple Chambers

Leading Juniors

Rhys Hadden –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Rhys provides a very methodical approach to all cases. He provides detailed advice and persuasive drafting. His drafting is to an extremely high standard. His advocacy is very measured and persuasive.'

Bethan Harris –Garden Court Chambers ‘Bethan is knowledgeable, approachable and great with clients. She is always on hand to share her knowledge and experience, particularly in complex cases. She always remains professional and is a delight to work with.’

Justin Holmes –Radcliffe Chambers

Alison Meacher –Gatehouse Chambers

Gráinne Mellon – Garden Court Chambers ‘Gráinne is conscientious and thorough, identifies multiple issues and is a good black-letter lawyer. She grasps issues quickly and leaves no stone unturned. She is a skilled negotiator in complex matters.’

Barbara Rich –5 Stone Buildings

Neil Allen –39 Essex Chambers

Tim Baldwin –Garden Court Chambers ‘Tim is very responsive and advises at short notice. He takes the time to explain his advice straightforwardly.’

Mark Baxter –5 Stone Buildings 'Mark is a brilliant advocate. He consistently argues his case effectively against the most experienced of KCs. He is a go-to, particularly with complex and high-value matters. He combines technical excellence and responsiveness with high EQ and a wonderful manner.'

Ian Brownhill – 39 Essex Chambers

Ulele Burnham – Doughty Street Chambers 'Ulele is a clear, articulate, confident and strong advocate with an excellent court style.'

Malcolm Chisholm –1GC | Family Law ‘Malcolm is excellent with vulnerable adults and is a very good mediator. He is extremely persuasive in court as he finds the route which is good for everyone.’

Piers Feltham –Radcliffe Chambers

‘Piers is technically brilliant in the Court of Protection field, has in-depth knowledge and leaves no stone unturned. He is strategic in his approach and provides clear and robust advice. He is a superb advocate.’

Annabel Lee –39 Essex Chambers

Shu Shin Luh– Doughty Street Chambers ‘Shu Shin's drafting is excellent, backed by an encyclopedic knowledge of the law. She also has a great dedication to achieving justice for clients.’

Mungo Wenban-Smith –39 Essex Chambers

Georgia Bedworth –Ten Old Square ‘Georgia provides clear and comprehensive advice on technical and difficult cases.’

Helen Curtis –Garden Court Chambers ‘Helen is an exceptional barrister with the ability to cut through the chaff and thereby able to advise clients. An exceptional advocate in court who can be relied upon to argue client positions strongly and persuasively.’

Sian Davies – 39 Essex Chambers

William East –5 Stone Buildings ‘William is exceedingly bright and provides clear strategic advice. He takes a calm approach but stands his ground and does not appear to be ruffled by others taking a more aggressive stance.’

Alison Easton –Coram Chambers

Alev Giz –1GC | Family Law ‘Alev is very empathetic and goes the extra mile with clients. She is kind to the vulnerable client, and her advocacy is clear and powerful.’

Conrad Hallin –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Conrad has a strong knowledge of capacity issues, good on paper and orally.’

Ruth Hughes –5 Stone Buildings ‘Ruth is a fount of knowledge and excellent at applying that knowledge to the facts of the case. She is a great team player and very good with clients. Her advocacy is good.’

Nicola Kohn –39 Essex Chambers

Edward Lamb – Deka Chambers ‘Edward is calm and confident. He presents cases well and engages constructively with other parties in a way that judges like.’

Oliver Lewis – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Oliver is highly approachable and incredibly passionate about the rights of individuals with disabilities. His drafting skills are excellent.’

Sophy Miles – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Sophy is a leader in her field. She has extensive experience in mental health and court of protection matters. She is highly compassionate towards those with complex mental health issues and their families. She is highly approachable and supportive as a colleague. She provides pragmatic advice to clients and helps them to navigate the most complex and emotive legal proceedings.’

Maria Moodie –Garden Court Chambers

Nicholas O’Brien –Coram Chambers

Lee Parkhill –Cornerstone Barristers ‘Lee has a broad knowledge of the subject, is considered in his viewpoints and has considerable experience in community care, which inspires confidence. He is meticulous in preparing cases and has a persuasive advocacy style. He sees cases through and is always willing to go above and beyond in supporting the development of a case from inception.’

Dominic Preston – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Dominic comes at things with compassion, pragmatism and thoroughness. He is well-prepared and puts in the work.’

Stephen Reeder – Doughty Street Chambers

Susanna Rickard –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Leon Sartin –5 Stone Buildings

Katarina Sydow –Outer Temple Chambers

Anna Tkaczynska –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Jack Anderson– 39 Essex Chambers

Katherine Barnes – 39 Essex Chambers

Antonia Benfield – Doughty Street Chambers 'Antonia is a truly outstanding advocate. She is as sharp, knows her cases inside out, and is measured and compelling in submissions. She is flawless.'

Steve Broach– 39 Essex Chambers

Tessa Buchanan –Garden Court Chambers 'Tessa is professional, approachable, has great people skills, and is extremely knowledgeable with great analytical and research skills. She is creative in arguments and provides sound legal opinions. She is very thorough.'

Daniel Clarke – Doughty Street Chambers

Catherine Dobson –39 Essex Chambers

Alexander Drapkin – 5 Stone Buildings ‘Alexander is brilliant. He gets on top of the papers very quickly, is available at short notice and perfectly toes the line of being collaborative but robust with the other side. His advocacy is very good, also excellent at putting the clients at ease.’

Sebastian Elgueta – Garden Court Chambers ‘Sebastian is a very safe pair of hands who can provide clear advice to clients. He is a very competent advocate in court.’

Peggy Etiebet –Cornerstone Barristers ‘Peggy has a good understanding of local authority matters. She has good advocacy skills and is very helpful.’

Adam Fullwood – 39 Essex Chambers

Francesca Gardner – 39 Essex Chambers

Alexis Hearnden –39 Essex Chambers

Jordan Holland –5 Stone Buildings ‘Jordan's written and oral advocacy is excellent. He is confident, incisive and persuasive. He has excellent tactical sense as well as deep legal knowledge.’

Connor Johnston – Garden Court Chambers ‘Connor is very committed and works hard to achieve justice for vulnerable clients. He is highly intelligent and works collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes. He is pragmatic and knows how best to run a case to avoid judicial criticism. He returns high-quality written advice and pleadings very quickly.’

Arianna Kelly – 39 Essex Chambers

David Lawson –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘David is a very thorough preparation for the case and is easy to work with.’

Peter Mant –39 Essex Chambers

Rowena Moffatt – Doughty Street Chambers

Zia Nabi – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Zia has a real presence and authority in court and during negotiations with other parties. He is highly persuasive whilst maintaining a calm and authoritative manner.’

Michael O’Sullivan – 5 Stone Buildings

Mathew Roper – 5 Stone Buildings ‘Mathew can produce high-quality work under considerable time pressure and has good client care skills. He prepares well and presents the client's case calmly and effectively in court.’

Katharine Scott –39 Essex Chambers

Tom Stoate – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Tom is very personable and good with clients.’

Shazia Akhtar – Gatehouse Chambers

Amy Berry – New Square Chambers 'Amy provides strategic advice balancing complex legal issues and emotive motivations. She is excellent at driving cases towards settlement. As a mediator and barrister, she is robust, well-prepared and compelling.'

Anna Bicarregui –39 Essex Chambers

Grace Brown – Garden Court Chambers

Alexander Campbell – Cornerstone Barristers ‘Alexander stands out in his field. His drafting is strong and persuasive, and his advocacy is calm and compelling. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the case and has an excellent client manner. He is extremely dedicated to his clients and goes above and beyond to support them.’

Alex Cisneros – Outer Temple Chambers

'Alex is always very prompt with the delivery of his work. He is thorough, accurate, very helpful, and knowledgeable. He will always go the extra mile and is a very capable advocate.'

Christine Cooper – Field Court Chambers ‘Christine is fearless and fearful, someone you want on your side. A very strong advocate with an exceptional knowledge of the law.’

Hugh Cumber – 5 Stone Buildings ‘Hugh provides exceedingly prompt and helpful advice concerning an urgent court application. His advocacy is clear and confident.’

Richard Dew – Ten Old Square

Eliza Eagling – 5 Stone Buildings 'Eliza has a very strong grasp of this area of the law. She can think logically and creatively when dealing with unusual circumstances that arise in a dispute. She has a great rapport with the client and can bring a sense of calm to what can often be a very emotional and stressful time for the client.'

Pravin Fernando – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Raza Halim – Garden Court Chambers

Rebecca Handcock – Field Court Chambers 'Rebecca is an excellent and well-respected counsel. She approaches cases fairly ensuring parties work together to achieve the best outcome. She is approachable, responds promptly and is very happy to assist when required.'

Zoe Harper – Doughty Street Chambers

Benjamin Harrison – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Benjamin is a passionate advocate and extremely skilled at cutting through complex issues without over-complication. He is compassionate and ensures the rights of vulnerable clients are protected. His knowledge in this area is exemplary, with a willingness to spend time researching where necessary.’

Leonie Hirst – Doughty Street Chambers 'Leonie is a very strong barrister. She provides very clear and straightforward advice. She is able to think on her feet in oral submissions and prepare very detailed and thorough written submissions.'

Gemma Hobcraft – Doughty Street Chambers

Saara Idelbi – 5 Essex Court 'Saara is very hard-working, practical and bright.'

Sam Jacobs – Doughty Street Chambers

Varsha Jagadesham – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Varsha is extremely knowledgeable, has vast experience and is very insightful in Court of Protection proceedings. Her attention to detail is on point, and her knowledge of case law is exceptional. She is a great barrister to work with and is always willing to assist.’

Thomas Jones – Deka Chambers 'Thomas is extremely bright, hard-working, personable and practical in his approach to cases. He is well ahead of his year of call.'

Nabila Mallick – No5 Barristers’ Chambers

Jamie Mathieson –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Jamie has a calm demeanour during legal proceedings. He remains composed under pressure enabling him to think clearly and present his arguments effectively. His thorough approach is also valuable, he is meticulous in reviewing evidence, analyzing legal principles, and conducting research allowing him to build strong arguments, and his attention to detail enhances the quality of their advocacy.'

Mary-Rachel McCabe – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Mary-Rachel has great client skills. She is practical, empathetic and a great advocate. She does her best work in her cases for vulnerable and challenging clients.’

Asma Nizami – Doughty Street Chambers ‘Asma always presents herself as enthusiastic, energetic and keen to assist those instructing her. She always acts with the utmost integrity and proves herself to be an empathetic listener and a persuasive speaker, both in and outside the courtroom.’

Imogen Proud – Monckton Chambers 'Imogen is a supremely capable advocate. She has a detail-orientated approach, analytically breaking down the legal points and facts of the case to advise on the strengths and weaknesses of the case. She is a fierce advocate, communicating her points clearly, and can identify weaknesses in oral arguments with pinpoint accuracy.'

Desmond Rutledge – Garden Court Chambers ‘Desmond is extremely accessible and dedicated to ensuring that the client is fully engaged. He is also very thorough in preparation for what became an increasingly complex matter.’

Eliza Sharron – 39 Essex Chambers

Eleanor Sibley – Field Court Chambers 'Eleanor is hard-working, has an excellent eye for detail, and persuasive advocate. She is calm under pressure and a great team player.'

Sarah Simcock – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Hannah Slarks – 11KBW

Kyle Squire – 5 Pump Court ‘Kyle is very knowledgeable in the niche specialism of issues where the Mental Capacity Act and Children Act cross over. He has good interpersonal skills and a sound understanding of the law.’

Amy Street –Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

Azeem Suterwalla – Monckton Chambers ‘Azeem is an incredible barrister. He is knowledgeable, creative and a great advocate. He engages with the evidence in the cases, gets to know the client's story, and his passion for his work shines through.’

Joshua Swirsky – Field Court Chambers 'Joshua always acts in the best interests of clients honestly and with integrity. He always maintains the trust and confidence of the client, ensuring the client's confidentiality. He always provides a consistent and competent standard of service to clients.'

Keri Tayler – No5 Barristers’ Chambers 'Keri is very kind, caring, sensitive and wise. She demonstrates fantastic insight and understanding. She is robust and a clear and decisive advocate.'

Susan Leslie Wright – Garden Court Chambers 'Susan is thorough and empathetic. She can sympathize with the client's position and give realistic advice. She makes the client's case firmly and persuasively and deals with matters thoroughly but in a way that avoids unnecessary conflict.'

Rising Stars

Gemma Daly – Doughty Street Chambers 'Gemma has a thorough command of the law. Her advocacy skills are way beyond her year of call. She can quickly and concisely present arguments which have complex facts or legal issues. Her drafting is a real strength, accurate and well-reasoned.'

Stephanie David – 39 Essex Chambers

Emma Foubister – Matrix Chambers ‘Emma is excellent. She is confident, analytical and an excellent advocate. She is a good communicator with clients and other parties.’

Thomas Francis – 4-5 Gray's Inn Square ‘Thomas has good advocacy skills and is very good at drafting.’

Donnchadh Greene – Doughty Street Chambers 'Donnchadh is an extremely talented and committed advocate. He understands the broader picture and can identify ways to meet the client's needs.'

Khatija Hafesji – Monckton Chambers ‘Khatija is superbly detailed and focused and does not miss a thing. She is empathetic with clients and has a reassuring manner, which is particularly important in this area. She is approachable and an excellent advocate.'

Turan Hursit – Old Square Chambers ‘Turan is extremely reasonable in negotiations and then firm in court. Her strength is her unassuming demeanour which puts opponents off-guard.’

Alice Irving –Doughty Street Chambers 'Alice is very approachable. She has good tactical insight and a great collaborative approach. She is great with clients. Her drafting is also excellent, and her pleadings are succinct and effective. She is great on her feet, engaging and effective. She gets good results for clients.'

Olivia Kirkbride – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers 'Olivia is exceptionally bright with a key eye for detail. She is able to command a room with her advocacy and being able to command her position with regard to what she wants to be done for her client on a case. She is one to look out for in the future as a true leader in this area.'

Ollie Persey – Garden Court Chambers ‘Ollie is an expert in equalities legislation. He is a tireless advocate, always putting the client’s interests at the forefront of his advice. He is consistently able to provide immediate concise, pragmatic and intelligent advice.’

Isaac Ricca-Richardson – Garden Court Chambers ‘Isaac is an excellent barrister with talent and capability well beyond his call. His advice is consistently clear and comprehensive, with a sharp focus on the needs of vulnerable clients. He is calm under pressure, strategic and assured in his approach and highly responsive to fast-moving developments in the case.’

Jake Rylatt – Serjeants’ Inn Chambers ‘Jake's enthusiasm for representing vulnerable clients is evident in his written and oral submissions. He is analytical in his consideration of the issues faced by the clients and pragmatic in his approach to their resolution. He is both forceful in seeking justice and representing clients to the highest standard yet respectful and courteous to opposing counsel. He is a tenacious advocate and skilled in cutting through complex issues.’

Court of Protection and community care in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

39 Essex Chambers

The Court of Protection team at 39 Essex Chambers has expertise in representing local authorities, NHS trusts, the official solicitor, and litigation friends at all levels in the Court of Protection in serious medical treatment, health and welfare matters. Vikram Sachdeva KC, in the case Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust v T, successfully represented a hospital trust seeking permission to force-feed a child suffering from OCD who refused nutrition. Fenella Morris KC represented Shropshire County Council in TRR and others v Dundee Council and Shropshire CC, a case concerning the division of responsibility for making and funding applications for deprivation of liberty for the individuals ordinarily resident in Scotland but habitually resident in England and Wales. Turning to the set’s juniors, Adam Fullwood represented a Clinical Commissioning Group in An ICB v RN, a case concerning if the COVID-19 vaccination should be administered to a 22-year-old man with a learning disability, despite the opposition of his mother.

Serjeants' Inn Chambers

Serjeants’ Inn Chambers is ‘one of the strongest sets with excellent counsel at all levels’ who handle a range of Court of Protection work, often with a focus on medical treatment-related matters . Bridget Dolan KC has extensive experience of representing clients with limited capacity, while Bridget Dolan KC and Emma Sutton KC (the latter a 2023 silk appointment, alongside Neil Davy KC) represented the official solicitor in Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust v Verden, defeating an NHS trust’s objections to a media campaign seeking a live kidney donor for a seventeen-year-old boy with autism – weeks after the litigation, he successfully received the organ from the donor found. Turning to the set’s juniors, Rhys Hadden, in AH/HH v Hywel Dda Health Board & Carmarthenshire County Council, represented a woman who wanted to move to the same care home as her occasionally aggressive husband of over half a century who also lacked capacity – at issue was if the Mental Capacity Act allowed their cases to be considered together by the same judge. Nageena Khalique KC represented the official solicitor in University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust v Livewell CIC, successfully resisting an application to anaesthetise a pregnant young woman at her home and use forcible restraints owing to her diagnoses of anxiety and agoraphobia, which led her to miss antenatal appointments.

Testimonials

‘Lee Johnson and Tom O’Connor are great, and the clerk’s room as a whole is excellent.’

‘The clerks provide a good and efficient service. Tom O’Connor is particularly helpful.’

‘Serjeants’ Inn Chambers has great strength in depth on the court of protection work. A high-quality set of chambers.’

‘Serjeants Inn Chambers is a great set for Court of Protection work. It is very good at finding availability for serious medical treatment cases. The team is reliable, helpful and approachable.’

‘Serjeants Inn Chambers is a go-to chamber for complex Court of Protection matters, in particular urgent medical treatment. It has an excellent team of junior and senior counsel.’

Work highlights

Tier 2 sets

5 Stone Buildings

5 Stone Buildings’ ‘highly able and highly experienced barristers’ have ‘considerable strength-in-depth’ in representing family members, health bodies, local authorities and protected parties in financial and welfare disputes before the Court of Protection. Tracey Angus KC has successfully represented a claimant in Gladstone v White, a claim to set aside gifts made to his attorney and attorney’s removal as a trustee of a heritage property valued at £10m. ‘Incredibly impressive barrister’ David Rees KC is acting for Gopichand Hinduja in Hinduja v Hinduja, a welfare and property and affairs case involving issues related to the validity of lasting powers of attorney and a care package provided to the claimant’s brother, S. P. Hinduja, as well as issues of open justice in the Court of Protection – the brothers having shared the top spot in the 2022 Sunday Times Rich List.

Testimonials

‘Paul Jennings is always helpful and responsive with a 100% record over several years of matching the right barrister to the instructions.’

‘The clerks are experienced, helpful and organised. Paul Jennings and Dan Coote are highly experienced clerks, both professional and approachable.’

‘5 Stone Buildings is the foremost set of chambers for Court of Protection work.’

‘5 Stone Buildings offers a good and reliable service.’

‘5 Stone Buildings is at the top of its game in the Court of Protection sphere. It delivers excellent quality counsel at all levels of qualification.’

Work highlights

Doughty Street Chambers

Doughty Street Chambers is ‘an excellent chamber with good strength in depth in the various areas of law.’ The core areas of focus for the team are serious medical treatment, health and welfare cases, as well as matters crossing over with human rights issues. Ulele Burnham represented a woman with a learning disability who was found by an independent expert to lack capacity to engage in sexual relations, while Leonie Hirst acted on behalf of MR in London Borough of X v MR & Ors; the man's family successfully argued that it was in his best interests to move to a Jewish care home from a secular one, despite the risks of a transfer.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are always very helpful and responsive.’

‘The clerks are all equally awesome and always go out of their way to secure counsel for clients, even where a highly pressing case has come in.’

‘Doughty Street Chambers is an excellent set with the breadth of the team and someone is always available to assist in any case.’

‘Doughty Street Chambers is an extremely impressive set-up. It has many skilled, expert barristers covering all areas of law and practice.’

‘Doughty Street Chambers has a strong Court of Protection team, with a diverse range of senior and junior members with different specialities and skill sets.’

Work highlights

Tier 3 sets

1GC | Family Law

1GC | Family Law‘s members have substantial expertise in cases of deprivation of liberty, medical treatment and termination of treatment and alleged human rights infringements of vulnerable adults. Andrew Bagchi KC ’s workload includes decisions about medical treatment, marriage and sexual relations in marriage and medical treatment cases. Malcolm Chisholm is ‘a very effective advocate, expressing his client’s position succinctly and persuasively’ and has expertise in handling deprivation of liberty and personal welfare cases. Alev Giz regularly gets instructions from the Official Solicitor and family members on health and welfare, and care matters and is known as ‘an exceptional advocate, incredibly skilful and nuanced’. Louise MacLynn KC was appointed as silk in March 2023.

Testimonials

‘1GC | Family Law is a reliable set of chambers.’

‘1GC | Family Law is a good set.’

‘1GC | Family Law has a greater strength in depth for Court of Protection work.’

‘1GC | Family Law has a greater number of barristers specialising in Court of Protection work to provide more options for cover when required.’

Work highlights

Garden Court Chambers

Garden Court Chambers is a ‘sizable set with extremely good strength in depth’ and expertise across the full spectrum of community care matters. Amanda Weston KC has more than two decades of experience in representing vulnerable adults, young people, children, and parents in social care matters. Gráinne Mellon is a ‘highly knowledgeable, skilled and committed barrister’ who successfully represented a vulnerable 15-year-old in the case R (LB) v Surrey County Council concerning the duties of local authorities to assess children in need and their carers.

Testimonials

‘Garden Court Chambers has a great availability of counsel, always very responsive and great at communicating.’

‘Garden Court Chambers’s community care team is knowledgeable and experienced to provide advice on community care matters.’

‘Garden Court Chambers is a leading set for Court of Protection work. The team is very strong, with some of the most well-regarded barristers.’

‘The clerks are very prompt and efficient.’

‘The clerks are an asset to the chambers, always on hand to assist. They are very helpful, particularly with new matters and short timescales.’

Work highlights

Matrix Chambers

Matrix Chambers has strong expertise in community care matters, often at its interface with civil liberties. and works with a wide range of clients, including individuals, local authorities, government, healthcare regulators, care providers and NGOs. Nick Armstrong KC was appointed silk in 2023.

Testimonials

‘Matrix Chambers is a very strong set operating in the social welfare and community care area. The counsels provide high calibre advice and advocacy.’

‘Matrix Chambers is a stand-out chambers due to the significant range and number of specialist barristers with high profiles.’

‘The clerks are efficient, polite and flexible. The service is very high quality.’

‘The clerking team at Matrix Chambers is helpful and responsive. It offers a high degree of professionalism and good advice on counsel expertise and availability.’

Work highlights

Radcliffe Chambers

Radcliffe Chambers handles a lot of advisory and litigation work related to a variety of Court of Protection matters. Justin Holmes specialises in private client litigation and is instructed both by numerous private clients and by the Public Trustee. Piers Feltham is a ‘fantastic and persuasive barrister’ whose Court of Protection practice focuses on matters related to statutory wills and the validity of powers of attorney.

Testimonials

‘Radcliffe Chambers is a great set of chambers, in-depth knowledge across the board, very user-friendly, great service.’

‘The clerks are friendly, efficient, flexible and always willing to help.’

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