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Leading Silks

Lesley Anderson KC – Kings ChambersLesley is a leader in her field and carries the gravitas that comes with it. She quickly gets to the nub of any issue gives practical, clear advice, and is excellent on her feet in advocacy, maintaining an authoritative air of calm while making sure her points are forcefully made.’
Paul Chaisty KC – Kings Chambers 'Paul is a superb advocate, persuasive and charming when needed, and brutal in cross-examination.'
Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Richard is very able, strong on paper and in court, and he has a very calm, reassuring, and professional manner.'
Louis Doyle KC – Kings Chambers 'Louis is great with clients, great to work with, and he feels like an extension of the team. Just brilliant.’
Mark Harper KC – Kings Chambers ‘Mark is a fantastic advocate who very quickly builds a rapport with the judge, arbitrator, and his counter party. His arguments are presented very persuasively and clearly, he is concise and makes even the most complex of points sound straightforward, and he manages to make his job look easy and takes everything in his stride.'

2024 Silks

Eleanor Temple KC – Kings ChambersEleanor is extremely good on her feet, and she is well known by the judges on the Northern Circuit and this really comes across in her advocacy. She has a wonderfully relaxed style that is clear and to the point, and judges really appreciate her clarity and conciseness.’

Leading Juniors

Christopher McNall – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Christopher is always very well-prepared, both in terms of his knowledge of the facts and the law, and in his written documents. He knows and researches the law in order to provide very practical solutions, he has an easy and approachable manner, and he presents a reasonable and highly persuasive argument in court.
Fay Collinson – Kings ChambersSolicitors will race to instruct her before the other side does, as her knowledge of the subject is unmatched, her passion for the area shines through, and she has judges eating out of the palm of her hands as she guides them calmly and eloquently through complex topics. No one prepares a case more thoroughly than Fay, and she knows where every document is and will often expose her opponent’s less preparedness when having references available at the drop of a hat.’
Eleanor D’Arcy – Kings Chambers ‘Eleanor is excellent. Hard-working, approachable, talented, and as skilled at advocacy as she is on papers.’
Tom Gosling – 23 Essex StreetTom is an exceptional all-rounder, excelling whether he is advising on paper or engaging in courtroom advocacy. He combines practical, commercial advice with an impressive technical knowledge that marks him out as one of the best in the North West.’
Scott RedpathExchange Chambers ‘ Scott is very approachable and knowledgeable.'
George Rowell – Exchange ChambersGeorge is one of the most impressive barristers in this area. He operates at a level quite unlike the rest of us, and all barristers have a command of the law and the detail of the case, but none quite like George; he is never anything other than 100% impeccably prepared, and remarkably, he is also highly pragmatic and commercially-minded, which is very rare indeed in combination with such an academic mind.’
Jonathan Smith – 23 Essex Street ‘Jonathan is always very well-prepared in conference and at trial, is excellent on focusing on the key issues in the case, and his attention to detail is second-to-none. His ability to break down seemingly complex issues is invaluable, especially when providing advice to lay clients, and his approach to advice and negotiation is practical and pragmatic, which is appreciated by clients and instructing solicitors alike and is often the key reason for a successful outcome.’
David GreenAtlantic Chambers ‘David is an excellent barrister with great people skills. He is very technical and has a keen attention to detail, he is very good with clients, and he a go-to Chancery barrister.’
Oliver Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘One of Oliver’s greatest strengths is his ability to consider what will often be a substantial amount of documentation, yet still be able to quickly identify the issues in dispute. Another key strength is his approachability, as one does not feel reluctant to float ideas regarding potential case strategy or their own view of the case with him.’
Nigel Clayton – Kings Chambers 'Nigel's advice is comprehensive, prompt, and practical. He does not sit on the fence, his advocacy is calm, thoughtful, and persuasive, and he is firm when he needs to be.'
Rupert Davies - 18 St John Street Chambers 'Rupert has strong advocacy skills combined with a very practical approach. His manner is assured without being arrogant.'
Matthew Hall – Kings Chambers ‘Matthew is very adaptable and has a fantastic client manner. He gives assured advice and is prepared to go the extra mile for his clients.’
Ben Harding – Kings Chambers ‘Ben is incredibly responsive and reliable, hard-working, a joy to work with, and good on the detail.’
Richard Lander – Kings ChambersRichard is skilled in breaking down complex matters for the client to understand. He is a very calm and reassuring advocate, and he is always a top consideration for depth of knowledge and those complex matters.'
Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Jennifer is a fluent and highly competent advocate who demonstrates command of the material. She is skilled at cross-examination and is is able to manage unexpected questions from the bench without breaking stride.'
Graham Sellers – Exchange Chambers 'Graham is 100% reliable in turning around instructions. His attention to detail is astonishing, as he misses nothing in the history or the evidence, and he is a persuasive and well-prepared advocate.'
Elisabeth Tythcott – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Elisabeth is a very diligent, thorough, and team-playing counsel that is quick to step in. A very safe pair of hands who just repeatedly calls it right, which is hugely appreciated by all clients.’
John Waiting – Exchange ChambersJohn's advice is measured and strategic, he is quick to understand the issues at the heart of the matter and the client's objectives, and he will not sit on the fence. He gives practical and pragmatic advice, both written and in conference, and his advocacy skills are excellent.'
Andrew WilliamsExchange Chambers ‘Andrew is exceptionally bright, and one of his strengths, if not his greatest, is his ability to simplify and take people through what are often complicated areas of law, without being condescending, aloof, or arrogant. Not only does he have a sharp intellect and an ability to think on his feet without ever giving the impression of being caught off guard or flustered, he is also extremely personable and engaging, both in and out of court.’

Chancery, probate, and tax in Regional Bar

Kings Chambers


Kings Chambers is praised as ‘the go-to set of choice for Chancery matters in the North’. Its members undertake Chancery work nationally and internationally and appear before the entire spectrum of courts and tribunals in disputes involving high-value land, trusts, finances, private client work, charity matters, real property, and probate. Fay Collinson exclusively focuses on property and affairs in the court of protection, and wills, trusts, and probate mandates; in Anderson v Williams, she represented the executors and beneficiaries in a claim brought against the deceased’s surviving wife for breach of fiduciary duty whilst she acted as the deceased’s financial attorney and subsequently misappropriated around £200,000 during his lifetime

Testimonials

‘The clerks, in particular Harry Young, are knowledgeable, efficient, and proactive.’

‘Excellent clerking team; Gary Young and Harry Young are both incredibly helpful and go above and beyond to assist.’

‘The clerks are very personable and helpful and they consistently show excellent judgment in matching barristers to cases; especially Gary Young and Harry Young.’

‘James Mason is fantastic; he provides responses in an efficient and timely manner and is extremely helpful.’

‘The clerks are excellent, and Gary Young and Harry Young are two of the best in the business in terms of their user-friendliness, attention to detail, and willingness to help. Brandon Singh is a junior clerk coming through in a similar mould.’

‘Gary Young and Harry Young are both excellent and are two of the best clerks in the country. They are responsive and will always go the extra mile to help. The junior clerks coming through are all personable and provide a good service.’

‘Kings Chambers is the best chancery set. They have a wide range of counsel available and they are always of a very high standard. The training provided is of a good standard and useful.’

‘They have a number of experts in this field that display a high level of competency. Their training programmes in trusts and probate are very useful and well attended.’





18 St John Street Chambers


18 St John Street Chambers is praised as ‘an excellent set’ and its members assist clients with a wide range of contentious and non-contentious business and property, chancery, and tax mandates. The set houses Richard Chapman KC, who has expertise in direct and indirect tax matters, and Jennifer Newstead-Taylor, who is also skilled in tax matters and traditional Chancery work, as well as VAT cases in which MTIC fraud is alleged. Christopher McNall has substantial experience in handling inheritance tax cases, and he has appeared before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He represented the revenue in corporation tax case HMRC v Dolphin Drilling Ltd, concerning if a tender support vessel in the North Sea is a floating hotel. Elisabeth Tythcott is another notable team member active in the business and property courts, and she represented the claimant in Feili v Faily & ors, a case concerning a dispute over the treatment of an estate’s principal asset between six siblings.

Testimonials

‘Chris Heath and Eden Cobb show their willingness to assist counsel and instructing solicitors in filing documents and bundles etc.’

‘Everything is run smoothly.’

‘The clerks are responsive and knowledgeable.’

‘The clerks are very reliable and diligent.’

‘The civil clerks in particular are both polite and helpful in assisting with enquiries. They are also very accommodating in terms of re-juggling the diary so as to ensure continuity of counsel.’

‘They have a good tax team consisting of varying levels of experience, so it is always possible to find the right counsel.’

’18 St John Street Chambers is an excellent set. They lend weight to the notion of quality over quantity.’

‘A good set with some great barristers.’





Exchange Chambers


Exchange Chambers ‘is a good set for Chancery work’, and its members have substantial expertise in traditional Chancery law, including real property, wills, trusts, and the administration of estates, probate, and mortgages. Andrew Williams has a property-based Chancery practice, and both Scott Redpath and George Rowell are skilled in tax law mandates. Andrew Vinson exclusively acts in Chancery and commercial work, and the set is also home to John Waiting, who has expertise in trust litigation. Graham Sellers joined the team from Atlantic Chambers in June 2023.

Testimonials

‘A really good clerking team. Joe Mawson is excellent, and the civil team has enough staff that there is always a good service overall.’

‘Senior clerking and management is excellent, in particular Nick Buckley and Jonathan I’Anson.’

‘Very helpful, always on the other end of the phone, and are always happy to offer a number of potentially suitable counsel.’

‘The clerking team is effective and efficient.’

‘Exchange Chambers is a good set for chancery work. The set runs day-long and short-bite seminars, and it has also hosted the Manchester B&P Courts Forum, which is once a month as a forum for the court to communicate with court users.’

‘Exchange Chambers is one of the premier commercial sets in Manchester. It boasts numbers, but also a great variety of true specialists in their particular field. Exchange Chambers go above and beyond for their clients, offering the use of Chambers to host mediations and meetings etc.’

‘Very strong set across the board and at a range of fee points and seniority. They all provide pragmatic, commercially sound advice.’

‘The experience of their barristers and staff is always first class.’





9 St John Street


The members at 9 St John Street frequently appear before the county and business and property courts, as well as specialist tribunals. Andrew Clark has a well-established practice that encompasses wills, probate, and real estate-related matters. James Fryer-Spedding, Joanna Vicary, and Richard Price are other notable members of the team.