Kings Chambers is praised as a ‘consistently excellent set with highly skilled Chancery practitioners at all levels‘ who act nationally and internationally before the entire gamut of courts and tribunals. Lesley Anderson KC is a standout silk in this area, and among the juniors, Fay Collinson exclusively handles cases concerning wills, trusts, and probate, in addition to property and affairs cases within the Court of Protection. Of recent note, she acted for the defendant in the case of Copley v Winter, which saw a claim brought to prove a will with issues of undue influence and lack of capacity. Matthew Hall is a notable junior and he is skilled in contested probate claims, as well as cases regarding trusts, while Nigel Clayton is skilled in contentious wills and trusts with a particular focus on cases with property-related elements. In Middleton v Rushton, Clayton represented the defendant in a disputed administration of an estate claim which concerned a trust in a North Yorkshire-based farm. Richard Lander is another key name here.
Chancery, probate, and tax in
Regional Bar
Kings Chambers
Testimonials
‘Jake Brooke is responsive, very commercial, and practical to deal with.’
‘The clerks at Kings Chambers provide a seamless and easy service, whether it be providing quotes, booking counsel, or dealing with queries. Brandon Singh and James Mason are excellent.’
‘Great clerks. James Mason is fantastic and always goes out of his way to get back to you quickly and to help.’
‘James Mason has always been on hand to help with any queries, whether it be instructions, a hearing, or fees. James deals with urgent matters in a calm and efficient way.’
‘Gary Young and his team, including Harry Young, run the commercial clerking extremely well.’
‘The Chancery clerks, including Gary Young and Harry Young, are very efficient and are also reasonable with regards to negotiating fees.’
‘Gary Young runs a tight ship in the clerking team. Harry Young is also very good.’
‘Harry Young and Gary Young are always willing to assist and will go the extra mile!’
Work highlights
18 St John Street Chambers
18 St John Street Chambers is home to head of chambers Richard Chapman KC, who boasts expertise in cases regarding trusts and wills. Elisabeth Tythcott is another key member of the group, and she acted for the defendant in Grantham v Ashton, a contested probate action in which the claimant was seeking to propound the deceased’s will, and the defendant challenged the will’s validity on lack of capacity grounds. Jennifer Newstead-Taylor is frequently instructed by HMRC, and she has particular expertise in VAT fraud cases, while Rupert Davies focuses on customs and excise and VAT work.
Testimonials
‘The clerks at 18 St John Street Chambers are incredibly helpful. They provide an easy point of contact between firms and counsel and deal with enquiries in a quick and effective manner, especially Matthew Smith and Eden Cobb.’
‘James Parks and Katie Brown are very commercial and always very keen to provide the best service they can. They are also very responsive to urgent needs when required.’
‘James Parks runs an excellent clerking team. Responsive, commercial, and good fun too!’
‘Good, reliable clerking on the civil side, and Ryan Pugh is excellent.’
‘The clerks are one of the reasons for the success of 18 St John Street Chambers. James Parks is at the top of his game. He always goes above and beyond to make the instruction of counsel a smooth process. If there is not something James does not know then it is not worth knowing.’
‘Ryan Pugh is an excellent and helpful member of the clerking team.’
‘Eden Cobb, Katie Brown, and Ryan Pugh get back to you quickly, provide everything you need, and are super helpful.’
Work highlights
9 St John Street
At 9 St John Street, the members of the business and property group regularly represent clients before the Business and Property Court, the County Court, and the Court of Appeal. In the case of Christopher Wood and Josephine Wood v Jason Wood and Lisa Wood, Andrew Clark represented the claimants in a claim considering whether the £300,000 they had paid to the defendants was a loan or a gift. The set is also home to James Fryer-Spedding, Joanna Vicary, and Richard Price, all of whom are notably active in this space.
Testimonials
‘Tony Morrissey is fantastic and always very helpful, and both he and the clerking team he has assembled are very easy to engage with and will always find a solution.’
‘Julia Lanza is very accommodating in terms of finding a suitable barrister, with useful recommendations for the type of work involved.’
‘Julia Lanza is very good.’
Work highlights
Exchange Chambers
At Exchange Chambers, Andrew Williams has a particular focus on chancery matters with property-related elements, and he acted for the defendant in Shepherd & Co Solicitors v Brealey, a Court of Appeal case arising from the solicitor’s charging £150,000 to administer the estate of the defendant’s deceased mother. John Waiting has an active wills and probate practice, while Scott Redpath is especially skilled in tax-related disputes, as is George Rowell. Graham Sellers is also a notable member of the team.
Testimonials
‘Joe Mawson is a real credit to Exchange Chambers. He takes the time to build strong relationships with clients and is proactive in his approach.’
‘Joe Mawson is very responsive and always helps out in a crisis. All the clerks deal with matters efficiently.’
‘Joe Mawson is particularly excellent. He is highly efficient and approachable.’
‘Jonathan I’Anson has an innovative and modern approach to developing business and business opportunities for the joint benefit of chambers and those who deal with him.’
‘Nick Buckley is a superb clerk who adopts a commercial approach and is more than approachable in rare cases where extra input is required.’
‘The chancery clerks are always efficient and ready to assist, including at short notice. Joe Mawson and Chris Brown form an excellent team.’
‘Jonathan I’Anson runs a tight and steady ship and is great to work with. He truly knows his people and clients.’
‘Nick Buckley is the stalwart of the set. Always available and always delivering.’
Work highlights
Kings Chambers
Testimonials
‘Jake Brooke is responsive, very commercial, and practical to deal with.’
‘The clerks at Kings Chambers provide a seamless and easy service, whether it be providing quotes, booking counsel, or dealing with queries. Brandon Singh and James Mason are excellent.’
‘Great clerks. James Mason is fantastic and always goes out of his way to get back to you quickly and to help.’
‘James Mason has always been on hand to help with any queries, whether it be instructions, a hearing, or fees. James deals with urgent matters in a calm and efficient way.’
‘Gary Young and his team, including Harry Young, run the commercial clerking extremely well.’
‘The Chancery clerks, including Gary Young and Harry Young, are very efficient and are also reasonable with regards to negotiating fees.’
‘Gary Young runs a tight ship in the clerking team. Harry Young is also very good.’
‘Harry Young and Gary Young are always willing to assist and will go the extra mile!’
Work highlights
18 St John Street Chambers
18 St John Street Chambers is home to head of chambers Richard Chapman KC, who boasts expertise in cases regarding trusts and wills. Elisabeth Tythcott is another key member of the group, and she acted for the defendant in Grantham v Ashton, a contested probate action in which the claimant was seeking to propound the deceased’s will, and the defendant challenged the will’s validity on lack of capacity grounds. Jennifer Newstead-Taylor is frequently instructed by HMRC, and she has particular expertise in VAT fraud cases, while Rupert Davies focuses on customs and excise and VAT work.
Testimonials
‘The clerks at 18 St John Street Chambers are incredibly helpful. They provide an easy point of contact between firms and counsel and deal with enquiries in a quick and effective manner, especially Matthew Smith and Eden Cobb.’
‘James Parks and Katie Brown are very commercial and always very keen to provide the best service they can. They are also very responsive to urgent needs when required.’
‘James Parks runs an excellent clerking team. Responsive, commercial, and good fun too!’
‘Good, reliable clerking on the civil side, and Ryan Pugh is excellent.’
‘The clerks are one of the reasons for the success of 18 St John Street Chambers. James Parks is at the top of his game. He always goes above and beyond to make the instruction of counsel a smooth process. If there is not something James does not know then it is not worth knowing.’
‘Ryan Pugh is an excellent and helpful member of the clerking team.’
‘Eden Cobb, Katie Brown, and Ryan Pugh get back to you quickly, provide everything you need, and are super helpful.’
Work highlights
9 St John Street
At 9 St John Street, the members of the business and property group regularly represent clients before the Business and Property Court, the County Court, and the Court of Appeal. In the case of Christopher Wood and Josephine Wood v Jason Wood and Lisa Wood, Andrew Clark represented the claimants in a claim considering whether the £300,000 they had paid to the defendants was a loan or a gift. The set is also home to James Fryer-Spedding, Joanna Vicary, and Richard Price, all of whom are notably active in this space.
Testimonials
‘Tony Morrissey is fantastic and always very helpful, and both he and the clerking team he has assembled are very easy to engage with and will always find a solution.’
‘Julia Lanza is very accommodating in terms of finding a suitable barrister, with useful recommendations for the type of work involved.’
‘Julia Lanza is very good.’
Work highlights
Exchange Chambers
At Exchange Chambers, Andrew Williams has a particular focus on chancery matters with property-related elements, and he acted for the defendant in Shepherd & Co Solicitors v Brealey, a Court of Appeal case arising from the solicitor’s charging £150,000 to administer the estate of the defendant’s deceased mother. John Waiting has an active wills and probate practice, while Scott Redpath is especially skilled in tax-related disputes, as is George Rowell. Graham Sellers is also a notable member of the team.
Testimonials
‘Joe Mawson is a real credit to Exchange Chambers. He takes the time to build strong relationships with clients and is proactive in his approach.’
‘Joe Mawson is very responsive and always helps out in a crisis. All the clerks deal with matters efficiently.’
‘Joe Mawson is particularly excellent. He is highly efficient and approachable.’
‘Jonathan I’Anson has an innovative and modern approach to developing business and business opportunities for the joint benefit of chambers and those who deal with him.’
‘Nick Buckley is a superb clerk who adopts a commercial approach and is more than approachable in rare cases where extra input is required.’
‘The chancery clerks are always efficient and ready to assist, including at short notice. Joe Mawson and Chris Brown form an excellent team.’
‘Jonathan I’Anson runs a tight and steady ship and is great to work with. He truly knows his people and clients.’
‘Nick Buckley is the stalwart of the set. Always available and always delivering.’