Private wealth and probate

Leading Silks
2026 Silks
2025 Silks

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Jonathan Adkin KC

Immensely authoritative and impressive. A go-to leader for high-profile cases. A peerless courtroom advocate, and you know that no stone will be left unturned. Hugely confidence-instilling. Unafraid of delivering difficult messages but impressively adept at doing so.

Gilead Cooper KC

Wilberforce Chambers

There’s a reason Gilead has been at the top of the metaphorical tree for so long - an astonishing legal brain.

Jonathan Davey KC

Wilberforce Chambers

He's a wonderful advocate. His written work is outstanding. And he is an extremely nice chap.

Brian Green KC

Wilberforce Chambers

His experience is unrivaled - there is nothing he hasn't seen. Thoroughly deserving of his stellar reputation.

Dakis Hagen KC

Outstandingly thoughtful silk; really urbane and easy to work with at all times - keeps unbelievably calm no matter what the client or court pressures; enormous integrity - loved by our associates.

Robert Ham KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Jonathan Harris KC

Jonathan is exceptional in the field of private international law and is a must-have in complex international fraud disputes involving issues of jurisdiction, anti-suit injunctions, and recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. He is also very user-friendly and a great team player.

Jonathan Hilliard KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Brilliant intellect, highly strategic, and enormously enjoyable to work with. He gets properly involved in his cases and does not shy away from getting stuck into detail, while retaining a keen eye on the end goal and what is achievable commercially. He knows both what the other side is thinking and how to combat it, which means his advocacy is also superb. The complete package - a star silk.

Henry Legge KC

5 Stone Buildings

Henry is very easy to work with and bounce ideas around. He is confident and persuasive on his feet in court. He is charming and well-liked by my clients.

Nicholas Le Poidevin KC

New Square Chambers

He is learned and wise but also practical and pragmatic. His drafting is first-rate and he has a nice persuasive advocacy style. He is accessible and has a very good turnaround time when needed. He is a very notable chancery silk.

Clare Stanley KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Clare is a very effective advocate; she is always phenomenally well-prepared, and her opponents know that she will leave no stone unturned in advancing her client's case. She builds an excellent rapport with the judge, and her cross-examination is direct and incisive.

Elspeth Talbot Rice KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Elspeth is extremely well prepared and has a strong presence in court. She undeniably is one of the best barristers practicing in the area. She has the absolute respect of the judges and her opposing counsel. She is at the top of her game.

Simon Taube KC

A true leviathan of the Chancery Bar. An intellect that has earned him the sobriquet "two brains Taube" for many years. A quick thinker who is formidable on his feet. For clients, a consultation with Simon is a real experience; they are immediately reassured by his intelligence, wisdom, and depth of knowledge.

Richard Wilson KC

An absolute pleasure to work with. Remarkably bright, accessible, practical, and fantastic on his feet. One of the best of his generation.

David Brownbill KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Very learned, experienced, and well-regarded by the offshore courts.

Edward Cumming KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Ed is a stellar operator. He has an incredibly high work rate, is extremely bright, utterly charming, and hugely dynamic. He is great fun to work with, has a fabulous sense of humour, very high energy, and is always full of excellent strategic ideas. He is one of the best in his field.

Michael Furness KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Constance McDonnell KC

A superb advocate. Robust, strategically astute, and notably calm under pressure, bringing clarity and control to even the most challenging matters.

Andrew Mold KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Stephen Moverley Smith KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Robert Pearce KC

Radcliffe Chambers

Robert is one of the top Silks at the traditional chancery bar. He is an excellent team player, with unrivaled expertise in traditional trusts matters. As an advocate, he has an understated style that is quietly compelling and highly effective. A really great chancery Silk.

Penelope Reed KC

5 Stone Buildings

Friendly, helpful, and proactive ... and always right! An absolute joy to work with!

David Rees KC

5 Stone Buildings

David is superb, a real leader among top-ranked counsel. He is a very commercial and practical negotiator, and he has real gravitas in complex high-value estate disputes. David also has very good tax technical knowledge, which is unusual for a non-tax-based contentious barrister. David is as good as they get.

Giles Richardson KC

Tracey Angus KC

5 Stone Buildings

A formidable silk and outstanding advocate, consistently outperforming her peers. Strategically astute, exceptionally responsive, and meticulous in her preparation. Superb attention to detail and a pleasure to work with on the most demanding matters.

Zoë Barton KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Ian Clarke KC

Selborne Chambers

Ian is very commercially minded and blends this with many years of experience. In court, he very quickly gains the confidence of the court - an easy way with judges who all seem to take to his particular style.

Timothy Collingwood KC

Top of the ladder for contentious trust work.

Clifford Darton KC

Selborne Chambers

Clifford Darton KC is as strong on his feet advocating as he is drafting pleadings or providing highly commercially aware and pragmatic advice. Clifford cuts through complexity with ease, always getting to the nub of the issue quickly. In doing so, he has that rare quality of drawing in judges when advocating, with razor-sharp content delivered delicately but immensely persuasively.

Thomas Dumont KC

Radcliffe Chambers

Tom is the doyen of private wealth and probate disputes. He draws on his vast experience to communicate brilliantly with clients.

David E Grant KC

Outer Temple Chambers

Excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and authoritative. He is superb to work with, responsive, and works hard to support the client's needs.

Sarah Haren KC

5 Stone Buildings

Sarah is very clever. Her advocacy is excellent as she has the ability to deliver her arguments about a complicated case in a powerful, clear, and easy-to-understand manner.

Elizabeth Jones KC

Alexander Learmonth KC

New Square Chambers

Alexander is a highly accomplished silk in contentious probate and private wealth disputes, with particular strength in technically complex succession matters. In my experience, he is intellectually rigorous and strategically astute, with a strong ability to identify the key issues early and shape the case accordingly. He is a persuasive and assured advocate, particularly in matters involving detailed factual disputes or questions of capacity, and is effective at distilling complex legal principles into clear and coherent submissions. He is equally strong in conference, where he presents as calm, pragmatic, and commercially realistic, which is invaluable in managing client expectations in what are often sensitive disputes. His broader expertise in property and related areas also enhances his handling of estate matters with more complicated asset structures.

John Machell KC

John is a master at cutting through complex facts and legal issues to find practical solutions. His considerable intelligence is tempered by an incredibly pragmatic and approachable manner. He is highly responsive and a formidable advocate to have on your team.

Fenner Moeran KC

Wilberforce Chambers

First class. A go-to silk for knotty or innovative points of law, a brilliant legal brain matched with a down-to-earth style.

Tiffany Scott KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Tiffany is extremely knowledgeable and provides clear and concise advice, always demonstrating a good understanding of the client's commercial objectives and tailoring her advice accordingly. She is very collaborative, proactive, and always open to input - and I have only had positive experiences working with her.

Kate Selway KC

Radcliffe Chambers

Kate is a first-rate silk in this field. She has a real talent for cutting through complex facts to identify the issues that matter. Her advice is pragmatic and commercially attuned to what the client actually needs. She is also a pleasure to work with.

Nikki Singla KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Nikki is a rigorous intellectual and also a strong advocate, so the quality of the advice and the arguments he puts forward is impressive. He is very good to work with and engages very well with clients and other advisers.

Brie Stevens-Hoare KC

Gatehouse Chambers

Brie is fantastic on her feet and can pivot well in response to a tricky question from the judge. She can press a point but has the good sense not to flog a dead horse. My favorite quality is her team player mentality. If you instruct Brie, you know you have someone in your corner who will fight for the client.

Christopher Tidmarsh KC

5 Stone Buildings

Chris Tidmarsh KC is extremely hands-on and user-friendly. I always feel able to ask him lots of questions, and he has a very team-oriented approach. He is able to explain things clearly and pragmatically, and I trust his practical approach and the well-rounded advice he gives.

Francis Tregear KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Shân Warnock-Smith KC

5 Stone Buildings

Shan is one of Cayman’s foremost experts on all things trusts and probate. She is one of a kind.

2026 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Rory Brown KC

William Moffett KC

Radcliffe Chambers

William is a pleasure to work with. He builds excellent relationships with clients and demonstrates exceptional attention to detail across all matters.

James Weale KC

First class mind, quick to turn around complex documents and commercially savvy.

2025 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Ruth Hughes KC

5 Stone Buildings

Extremely quick, very good orally and in meetings, very good value.

Private wealth and probate in London Bar | Law firm and lawyer rankings from Legal 500 Private wealth and probate guide | Silks