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Chancery, Probate, And Tax

St John's Chambers

2023 Silks

Alex Troup KC – St John’s Chambers ‘He is a top-rated barrister and mediator, and his combination of skill, expertise and excellent bedside manner is evidenced time and again on every instruction. He can command a room whilst simultaneously remaining professional and sensitive to a client’s position. The quality of his work is always impeccable.’

Leading Juniors

Amy Berry – New Square Chambers

Carol Davies – College Chambers ‘She is approachable and often goes the extra mile and offers concise and high-level advice as well as practical assistance. She has wide experience in civil litigation, which makes her advice comprehensive no matter what area of practice the advice relates to.’

John Dickinson – St John’s Chambers ‘He approaches his cases as if they are a logic puzzle, which means he covers all the issues in a manner that a lay client can follow. He is one of the safest pair of hands on the circuit.’

Natasha Dzameh – St John’s Chambers ‘She is a methodical thinker who prepares thoroughly for trial. On her feet she is fast, but particularly comes into her own in closing arguments. Her written work is also very thorough but most importantly when working together on a matter, she is always available to talk something over on the phone.’

Andrew Willetts – KBG Chambers ‘He has extensive knowledge and understanding of contentious trust and probate work in which he excels. He also clearly relishes a challenge and has enjoyed dealing with some highly complex and unusual cases.’

Oliver Wooding – St John’s Chambers ‘Oliver is great on his feet and quick to reassure clients with a friendly smile. He provides a sound strategy to achieve a client’s goal without getting lost in ancillary matters, cutting through the noise and focussing on the important issues.’

Michael Clarke – St John’s Chambers ‘He is very personable and takes a pragmatic approach to cases.'

Tahina Akther – College Chambers ‘She excels in making technical arguments.’

Adam Boyle – St John’s Chambers ‘His advice is always reliable, well-reasoned, and he quickly gets to the nub of any issue. He is also one of the best advocates around, his delivery is calm and concise and he effortlessly extracts vital concessions from both the expert and the lay witness.’

Cheryl Jones – 3PB

‘Cheryl is, quite simply, a class act. She prepares meticulously and is absolutely on top of the case when she appears in court. Her cross-examination is incisive and her analysis of the law and facts in her submissions is excellent.’

Christopher Jones – St John’s Chambers 'He is very confident in court and in advocacy situations generally. He is assertive and helpful in mediations and has a very down-to-earth manner with clients.'

Joss Knight – St John’s Chambers

Oliver Mitchell – Guildhall Chambers

Michael Selway – Guildhall Chambers

Chancery, probate, and tax in Regional Bar

Tier 1 sets

St John's Chambers

St John’s Chambers’ ‘excellent‘ Chancery and probate team stands out on the Western Circuit, with members offering ‘a wide range of expertise‘. Clients benefit from John Dickinson’s former experience as a Chartered Accountant and his ‘fantastic eye for detail’, while Alex Troup KC recently acted in the high-profile Court of Appeal case of Hughes v Pritchard, which considered the validity of the deceased’s will on the grounds of testamentary capacity as well as a proprietary estoppel claim to a substantial plot of farmland. Christopher Jones is a highly regarded probate and trust specialist and has recently acted in contested will claims, disputes over the administration of trust funds, and several significant proprietary estoppel claims, while Oliver Wooding has broad experience, including in connection with the rectification of lifetime trusts and applications for the removal of executors, and Joss Knight appeared in Bracey v Curley, which considered the principles of will construction and the availability of rectification as a remedy.

Testimonials

‘Simon Lyons is very cheerful and keen to assist.’

‘Simon Lyons is always very helpful and will always do all he can to help.’

‘St John’s Chambers has proven it can take on a range of difficult and complex cases, both when it comes to expert advice and where representation is needed at a mediation or hearing.’

‘St John’s is our go-to set for contentious trusts and probate work.’

‘St John’s has an excellent reputation for this type of work.’

‘Good at contentious trust and probate work.’

‘A good set of barristers and friendly clerks.’

‘A very good and efficient clerks room.’

Work highlights