Set Profile > Chambers of David Berkley QC > Birmingham, England

Education Tier 4

3PB has a 'strong education practice', where it 'offers a good choice of counsel'. Its members are 'efficient, friendly, and expert in their field'. Charlotte Hadfield acted for an interested party in an application for judicial review of a refusal to carry out an assessment of an individual's education needs. Aimee Fox successfully represented a local authority in a major judicial review on the application of section 19(1) of the Education Act 1996.

Clinical negligence

3PB is home to Hamish Dunlop and Mark Lomas, each of whom has significant clinical negligence practices, acting primarily for claimants on a wide range of instructions including birth injury, spinal damage, and delayed diagnosis claims.

Commercial, banking, insolvency and Chancery law

Cheryl Jones at 3PB specialises in Chancery work, and is recommended for her 'dedication and commitment to direct access clients'.

Construction, planning and environment

Construction and planning remain mainstay work spheres for 3PB, with Paul Newman undertaking a wide range of construction instructions, and village green specialist William Webster a strong presence in planning matters.

Court of Protection and community care

Louise Worton is the key name to note for Court of Protection matters at 3PB. She is instructed across the spectrum of work, including property and affairs matters.

Crime

3PB is praised by clients as a 'go-to set' for both prosecution and defence instructions work across the western circuit, with 'excellent strength in depth'. The set is instructed on all manner of cases, including serious violent, sexual, or drug-related crime, as well as more specialist areas including fraud and court-martials. Timothy Bradbury prosecuted a British Army officer, who was alleged to have raped a United States Air Force captain. Adam Feest QC prosecuted a former Southampton FC youth coach for multiple historical sexual offences against 24 complainants.

Employment

3PB's employment specialists are instructed on behalf of all parties across a range of employment disputes, including TUPE, discrimination, constructive dismissal, and protected disclosures. Craig Ludlow recently represented a London bus company, which was one of three respondents to a large-scale claim for unauthorised deductions from wages brought by 55 employees, which related to non-payment of a historical meal allowance. In another highlight, Sarah Clarke acted for a respondent in an unfair dismissal case which also involved issues of protected disclosure, successfully defending against all 29 claims.

Employment

3PB is home to Andrew MacPhail and Karen Moss, both of whom act for respondents and claimants, with particular specialisms in Employment Appeal tribunal work and disability and sex discrimination respectively.

Family and children law

3PB has 'exceptional depth in family law', and is praised by clients as 'an exceptional set' which 'overshadows its peers'. The set is home to members who specialise in all areas of family law, including complex care proceedings and high-value financial disputes. Hamish Dunlop, as junior to Nigel Dyer QC, represented the husband in Supreme Court Case Owens v Owens, which considered the legal requirements for divorce without spousal consent.

Family and children law

3PB is rapidly developing its presence on circuit, with some viewing it as 'a go-to set for family finance work'. Members are also instructed on complex public law proceedings involving non-accidental injuries, care arrangements, and fabricated or induced illnesses, as well as private law proceedings dealing with contact, alienation, and relocation.

Family and children law

3PB is praised for its ability to 'meet a variety of client needs from the basic to the complex' and its 'very knowledgeable' members. Nicola Martin is instructed on both financial remedy claims and children act cases, with a particular specialism in applications for international relocation, while James Legg is particularly notable for his work in public law children cases.

Personal injury

3PB is home to a 'wealth of technical experts' who are instructed across a wide range of personal injury cases including complex public liability and RTA claims, particularly those involving multiple injured parties and counterclaims. Mark Lomas is particularly recommended for catastrophic injury claims, while Michelle Marnham has a strong track record in cases involving technical issues as to causation, such as product liability, and Duncan McNair is most notable in employment liability cases.

Property

3PB members practice across the spectrum of property law, with particular expertise in boundaries and easements, with Joshua Dubin helping several clients to secure rights of way for their properties, as well as social housing and dilapidations matters.

Property

3PB is active across the property litigation space, with members acting for a range of clients on boundaries and easements disputes, as well as social housing, restrictive covenants, and land registration disputes.

Regulatory, health and safety, and licensing

Members of 3PB are particularly experienced in health and safety cases, receiving both prosecution and defence instructions. Notable areas of specialism include maritime prosecutions and care home deaths, where David Richards and Nicholas Cotter are the key names to note respectively. Notable recent cases include Richards' prosecution of a yacht operator for the gross negligence manslaughter of four sailors lost at sea, and Cotter's defence of a care home after three patients died; the home was accused of negligent care following injuries sustained by the deceased upon falling out of a window.

Set overviews: England and Wales

‘One of the largest in the country’ with a presence across the southern and central England, 3PB has a family team with ‘high-calibre barristers’, ‘accessible and user-friendly’ employment practitioners, ‘excellent counsel in the area of social housing litigation’, a personal injury offering with ‘a wealth of technical experts’ and, according to some observers in the criminal law space ‘the monopoly on the Western Circuit, due to its strength and depth’. In recent chambers news, Scottish silk and arbitrator David Parratt QC joined from Crown Office Chambers, the second Scottish silk to join chambers following Angela Grahame QC’s arrival as a door tenant. The combined clerks’ room across the set’s six offices is a ‘well-oiled machine’. In Birmingham, practice director Ian Charlton is ‘the warmest, most caring clerk – he will do everything possible to help solicitors find appropriate counsel’, while fellow practice director James Parks ‘has a huge amount of time for people’. Oxford-based chambers director Russell Porter ‘leads on outstanding client service’ and practice director David Snook is ‘always on the look-out for ways to innovate’. The Winchester office includes chambers director Stuart Pringle and centre manager Lee Giles (‘a master of his art’). And in Bournemouth, practice director Robert Leonard ‘runs a tight ship and will always bend over backwards when solicitors need counsel at short notice’, while practice manager Sophie Rice is ‘always helpful and particularly efficient’. In Bristol, chambers director Mark Heath is ‘the go-to man in a crisis - he is unflappable and can find a solution to any problem’. Offices in: London, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Oxford, and Winchester

Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Leading Sets Tier 2

Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Leading Sets Tier 3

Regional Bar > Midland Circuit > Family and children law

3PB is rapidly developing its presence on circuit, with some viewing it as 'a go-to set for family finance work'. Members are also instructed on complex public law proceedings involving non-accidental injuries, care arrangements, and fabricated or induced illnesses, as well as private law proceedings dealing with contact, alienation, and relocation.