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Leading Silks

Michael Hayton KC – Deans Court Chambers 'Michael is great on his feet and has a real feel and understanding for both strategy and the presentation of a case to a jury.'
John Jones KCExchange Chambers ‘John is a tenacious, highly intelligent, accomplished silk who has many years of experience in defending complex and challenging cases. His exceptionally high levels of preparation, his attention to detail, his overall tactical awareness, and his advocacy skills are impressive.’

Leading Juniors

Tom Gent – Deans Court Chambers 'Tom is a very safe pair of hands. He is very approachable and good with clients in difficult situations, and he is a confident and personable advocate in front of both judges and juries.'
Simon Gurney – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Simon is one of the best barristers around and a joy to work with. He is highly sought-after due to his immense intellect and amazing client care skills, he is a real stand-out performer, and he is extremely hard working with excellent written work.’
Joseph Hart – Deans Court Chambers 'Joseph is a specialist in regulatory and inquest matters.'
Lee Hughes – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Lee is a really diligent barrister and his preparation is second-to-none. He is very clear and concise in his advice to clients, he is very amiable and easily wins trust from clients, and in court, he is a precise, persuasive, and effective advocate.’
Peter Smith – Deans Court Chambers 'Peter is an excellent technical lawyer and an outstanding advocate. He is clear in his advice, pragmatic, and commercially savvy with a robust style and encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and procedures.'
Austin Welch – Lincoln House Chambers 'Austin is an excellent advocate. He has an authoritative presence in the courtroom and emits gravitas, he presents clear and well-reasoned arguments with ease, and he is an outstanding strategist and highly respected by clients and peers.'
Richard Dawson Lincoln House Chambers ‘Richard’s regulatory specialism focusses on transport law and it is an area where he is developing a national reputation as being a leading expert. He regularly appears before the Traffic Commissioner where he represents haulage companies, transport managers, and drivers, and his success rate is outstanding.’
Michael Lavery – Exchange Chambers ‘Michael is at the top of his game and is always instructed on the best cases on the circuit. He is highly sought after, a real fighter, and a true jury advocate, as he really excels in the courtroom where his advocacy skills are highlighted and he stands head and shoulders above his peers; he is a really polished performer.’
David Pojur – Lincoln House Chambers ‘David is calm and unflappable. He quickly identifies the key issues and he is confident and polished in court.’
Ian WhitehurstExchange Chambers 'Ian has a very strong presence in court and takes no prisoners when it comes to dealing with tricky judges or opponents. He has good legal and analytical skills, and his written submissions are of a very high quality.'

Rising Stars

Matthew Howarth – Lincoln House Chambers ‘Matthew is wise beyond his years, he quickly gets to grips with the issues in a case, and he produces clear, concise, jargon-free written and oral advice which is appreciated by solicitors and clients alike. He has a very good manner with clients and his advocacy is articulate, pointed, and very effective both in his questioning and submissions.’

Business and regulatory crime (including health and safety) in Regional Bar

Deans Court Chambers


Deans Court Chambers ‘is the strongest regulatory set in the north of England’ with ‘a number of strong advocates.’ The members have expertise in prosecuting and defending cases nationally. Head of chambers Michael Hayton KC, in addition to handling prosecution work, is representing the employer of the deceased in HSE v Veolia, a case concerning a fatality during the demolition of a North Sea oil rig at the decommissioning site at Great Yarmouth. Peter Smith is a defence specialist in health and safety matters, and he defended in R v Newmac Ltd & Holker Estates Co Ltd., which concerned the death of a 4-year-old boy who drowned at a holiday park.

Testimonials

‘The clerks are very competent and accommodating, especially Peter Kelly.’

‘Nothing is too much trouble and they are a real service-orientated team led by Matt Gibbons with the support of Peter Kelly and Andy Flannigan.’

‘Peter Kelly is very good and goes out of his way to make everything run smoothly.’





Lincoln House Chambers


Lincoln House Chambers is praised as ‘a stellar set‘ and the regulatory team offers a wide range of expertise across both prosecution and defence work in Environment Agency, Trading Standards, and DEFRA cases. Lee Hughes also has strong expertise in health and safety matters, and he acted for the prosecution in HSE v Gateshead Cheder School, in which an Orthodox Jewish school was fined £30,000 following a dangerous mountain hike that endangered the lives of 13 boys. Simon Gurney is instructed to prosecute two paramedics accused of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of a vulnerable patient in their care, who was run over by the third defendant taxi driver whilst she was lying on a public highway. Richard Dawson is notable for his transport expertise. David Pojur joined the set in September 2023.

Testimonials

‘The clerks’ room is faultlessly run by David Wright, who is professional and courteous in all his dealings with instructing solicitors. He sees the bigger picture and is on top of all the detail in terms of his counsels’ respective practices.’

‘David Wright continues to lead from the front. He is not only very friendly and engaging, but is also acutely aware of the expectations of instructing solicitors and responds accordingly.’

‘Ty Price is fast becoming one of the leading criminal and regulatory clerks in the North West. He knows his barristers inside out and is always looking for new ways to add value to Chambers’ offering through the provision of relevant training and products.’

‘Andy McGuiness is a solid pair of hands and a go-to clerk, especially for last minute emergency hearings. He is calm, resourceful, and a genuinely nice person to deal with.’

‘David Wright is known for his dedication and Rolls Royce service. He brings with him a calmness to any situation and always finds a solution.’

‘The clerking is very good. Andy McGuiness and David Gibbons are stand-outs in what is an excellent clerking team.’

‘David Wright leads by example and is the first port of call for the most serious matters, Ty Price is an exceptional clerk with great people skills, and Andy McGuiness is one of the nicest and most hardworking clerks and he is a credit to chambers.’

‘David Wright is a stand-out clerk who is thoroughly personable and has the uncanny knack of always putting the right barrister on the right job. He steers the ship exceptionally well and drives the team to achieve excellence on a daily basis. He confronts issues head on and always deals with them in a professional manner.’





Exchange Chambers


Exchange Chambers has members with expertise across a wide range of cases, including prosecutions by the CPS, Serious Fraud Office, HM Revenue and Customs and DWP. Michael Lavery successfully represented the defendant in R v Emmett, a case concerning a Serious Fraud Office prosecution of a solicitor for litigation funding. Ian Whitehurst is another name of note - he acted for a defendant who was accused of allowing his employee to sustain an accident at work when he fell through a lift shaft, causing injuries rendering him a paraplegic.

Testimonials

‘Nick Buckley is the stand out clerk; a true clerk who has his finger on the pulse, knows his market, and suggests the right counsel for the right job.’

‘Very professional and efficient, and in Manchester, this is run by chambers director Nick Buckley, who is simply a legend! he cannot be praised enough.’

‘A large clerking team with bags of experience. Head criminal clerk Nick Buckley stands out as a great networker and a real asset.’

‘The clerks are very responsive.’

‘Great service and extremely efficient clerking team.’

‘The clerks are excellent.’

‘Very strong set across the board.’

‘Excellent set of Chambers with superb strength in depth.’