Set Profile > Chambers of Mark Howard QC and Helen Davies QC > London, England

Intellectual property

Public procurement

Commodities

Commercial litigation Tier 1

'A quality set across the board', Brick Court Chambers is 'pre-eminent for commercial disputes'. Clients note that the 'work ethic of the barristers and excellence of their work-product and delivery is almost always superb'. The set's hugely impressive workload demonstrates the esteem with which its barristers are held, as well as their versatility. Recent highlights include Holyoake v Candy Brothers, in which Tim Lord QC, Tom Adam QC and Ben Woolgar were among a group of five members acting for the defendants. Other major cases include Bank St Petersburg v Arkhangelsky, and SKATv Solo Capital Partners and (160) others.

Competition Tier 1

For many 'the best competition litigation set' Brick Court Chambers has 'a large selection of high-quality competition law specialists who enable any instructing solicitor to have their pick of silks and juniors alike'. The set is well-represented in all manner of major cases, such as the trucks cartel case, in which James Flynn QC, Kelyn Bacon QC, and Daniel Jowell QC represent the Road Haulage Association, Iveco, and MAN respectively. Many members are involved in the high-profile Merricks v MasterCard case, with Mark Hoskins QC representing MasterCard in defence of a claim on behalf of a class comprising the majority of the UK population. Marie Demetriou QC, in addition to involvement in the Merricks case for the claimants, also represented the Competition and Markets Authority, defeating an appeal by Ping, which was sanctioned for banning online sales of its golf clubs, the first time the issue was considered by a British court – she was against Robert O’Donoghue QC , also from chambers. The set now also includes Jon Lawrence, who was called to the Bar in 2018 after spending over two decades as a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

EU Law Tier 1

Brick Court Chambers 'has a wide array of excellent silks and juniors' involved in many of the agenda-setting EU law cases before the UK and the European courts. In the High Court, Lord David Anderson  of  Ipswich  KBE QC represented the landlords in Canary Wharf Group v European Medicines Agency; the latter institution, which was relocated to Amsterdam from London in March 2019 due to Brexit, argued that its lease was frustrated under English law as it no longer had the power under EU law to pay the rent. Marie Demetriou QC represented Ioan Micula in the Supreme Court in Micula and others v Romania: two brothers won an investment treaty award against the Romanian government, which the European Commission instructed the Romanians to refuse to honour, alleging that payment of the award would constitute state aid – Gerard Rothschild and Emily MacKenzie having represented the Romanian government at various junctures. In the European courts, Maya Lester QC represented the victorious claimants in Wightman – a case considering whether it is permissible for the UK to withdraw its Article 50 notice – while Jemima Stratford QC represented MSD Animal Health in a challenge to a decision of the European Medicines Authority to release its veterinary clinical trial data. Martin Chamberlain QC has been appointed to the Queen’s Bench Division.

Fraud: civil Tier 1

Brick Court Chambers is 'an excellent set with some very impressive junior lawyers', according to instructing solicitors. Members can regularly be found on some of the largest fraud cases to hit the London courts. Several members, including Tim Lord QC, are representing the defendants in SKAT v Solo Capital Partners and (160) others in which the Danish Tax Authority is seeking to recover £1.5bn in tax refunds to several international defendants accused of fraud. Arcadia Petroleum v Bosworth also involved various members on either side, including Mark Howard QC, Fionn Pilbrow QC and Richard Eschwege.

IT and telecoms

Mediators Tier 1

Conducting approximately 80 mediations each year, the 'very agreeable' William Wood QC of Brick Court Chambers has a mediation practice that takes him to Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris and New York, as well as to all parts of the UK. Wood's mediations involve complex, high-profile matters, including competition disputes, financial services, employment, share sales, internet and telecoms-related disputes, professional negligence and international trade, as well as insurance, reinsurance and aviation.

Administrative and public law (including local government) Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers is 'an extremely impressive set in public and administrative law with both high-quality silks, and intelligent, committed juniors, who can all turn their hand to almost anything'. The set includes a number of government panelists, with national security a notable area of expertise, and has also been particularly active in matters for claimants, ranging from pharmaceutical companies to major NGOs. Martin Chamberlain QC (soon to join the Queen’s Bench Division in October 2019) represented the Campaign Against the Arms Trade in a successful Court of Appeal case concerning the government's grant of export licences for arms exports to Saudi Arabia for use in the civil war in Yemen; Jemima Stratford QC represented interveners Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Paul Bowen QC represents the Cayman government in a judicial review of a decision to transfer two men serving life sentences for murder to serve their sentences in HMP Belmarsh in London. 2019 silk promotion Victoria Wakefield QC represented the Lord Chancellor in defeating a claim from the Institution of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which attempted to enter the market as a regulator of legal services.

Energy Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers frequently handles high-value energy and natural resources disputes with 'a terrific array of silks and juniors at every level; a suitable counsel for every case'. Clients remark that 'the clerks' room is easy to deal with and highly commercial', while another notes that 'the service from the clerking team is second to none'. Rising star silk Fionn Pilbrow QC is representing three defendants – a Nigerian oil company and two of its directors – in claims brought by former international EPC company Afren in the Commercial Court. Richard Gordon QC and Gerard Rothschild frequently act for UK Power, National Grid and Scottish Power.

Insurance and reinsurance Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers is 'one of the leading sets for insurance and reinsurance work' thanks to its 'range of able counsel', according to clients. Eight members of chambers were instructed on the high-profile Single Buoy Moorings v Zurich Insurance case, where Mark Howard QC, Neil Calver QC, Stephen Midwinter QC, Tony Singla and Fred Hobson played a key role. FRC v KPMG (re Equity Red Star), which examined the alleged deficient auditing of the technical reserves of a Lloyd’s Motor Syndicate, was a notable case for Simon Salzedo QC in which he led Hobson. Meanwhile, Singla was also instructed in Crowden v QBE Insurance, which involved the interpretation and application of an exclusion in a professional liability insurance policy to a claim for mis-selling of financial instruments.

International arbitration: arbitrators Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers has a strong selection of ex-judges and barristers with an excellent track record for leading and co-arbitrating on tribunals.

International arbitration: counsel Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers houses an excellent set of barristers, well-versed across a range of areas, including general commercial disputes and BIT claims. Members are involved in several significant disputes and Simon Salzedo QC was among four acting on FSDEA v dos Santos and others, in which they are representing the Angolan sovereign wealth fund in its pursuit to recover control of a $3bn fund from associates of the previous Angolan regime.

Financial services regulation Tier 2

Professional disciplinary and regulatory law Tier 2

Public international law Tier 2

Shipping Tier 2

Aviation Tier 2

Professional negligence Tier 2

Brick Court Chambers is an 'exceptional set with truly superb counsel at all levels'. It is noted for its experience in high-profile cases involving film finance investment schemes, as well claims involving auditors, solicitors, brokers and financial services professionals. Tom Adam QC appeared for Ernst & Young in Alton v Ernst & Young, a claim alleging that negligent advice was given to wealthy individuals regarding a film finance, tax-management opportunity. Simon Salzedo QC and Tony Singla defended Grant Thornton in Manchester Building Society v Grant Thornton, a £50m claim for negligent auditing.

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 3

Brick Court Chambers is a 'top-class, go-to set for banking litigation' which solicitors note is 'able to deploy strong teams across all levels of seniority'. Unlike the sets in the top tier, the set's origins are not fixed in the banking world, so barristers have typically been a lot more versatile in acting for and against banks. Members have also been seeing a lot of Russia and fraud-related banking disputes; notable highlights including Bank St Petersburg v Arkhangelsky, in which Tim Lord QC led Simon Birt QC and Richard Eschwege, and The Federal Republic of Nigeria v JP Morgan Chase Bank NA, where Roger Masefield QC represented Nigeria. 

Civil liberties and human rights (including actions against the police) Tier 3

Brick Court Chambers is an 'excellent set with strength in depth' with many of its members involved in high-profile and often complex civil liberties and human rights claims. Maya Lester QC has a specialism in sanction law and also undertakes considerable public interest litigation work surrounding civil liberties. Paul Bowen QC is currently leading the independent inquiry into the death of Welsh politician Carl Sargeant and is instructed in an Article 2 right to life matter in the High Court. David Anderson QC remains a preeminent barrister in this area, having been the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation between 2011 and 2017. Martin Chamberlain QC (soon to join the High Court) acted for the Equality and Human Rights Commission in KO (Nigeria) v Home Secretary which challenged a deportation order on the grounds that it would breach the Article 8 rights of the deportee’s British child; he also appeared in the Supreme Court for the police pertaining to the use of closed material in applications for warrants in Haralambous v Chief Constable of Hertfordshire .

Environment Tier 3

Offshore Tier 3

Set overviews: England and Wales

‘One of the super-sets’, Brick Court Chambers is ‘an all-round strong’ set with ‘a large selection of high-quality competition law specialists’, ‘top commercial counsel’, ‘an excellent chambers for banking litigation’, and a ‘go-to’ set for public administrative law. ‘The availability of high-calibre junior barristers assists in picking the most qualified whilst cost effective team to serve the client,’ said one solicitor. In recent news, Martin Chamberlain QC has been elevated to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court and will cease to practise with effect from 1 October. Also of note, Alec Haydon, Margaret Gray, Fionn Pilbrow, and Victoria Wakefield all took silk in 2019, while Professor Mads Adenas has been appointed an Honorary Queen’s Counsel. The clerks’ room ‘sets the benchmark’ for other sets with its ‘friendly, knowledgeable, and hardworking’ clerks. Senior clerks Paul Dennison (‘first rate; responsive, commercial, and helpful') and Tony Burgess (‘highly recommended; a good salesman for his set and always accessible’) have ‘stepped up brilliantly’ following changes to the clerks’ room; ‘they are a pleasure to work with’. At practice manager level, Will Jackman and Philip Wilkes are ‘stars’; Luke Carvalho ‘stands out as very commercial and knowledgeable’; Jo Francis is ‘very helpful and responsive’. Overall, the team is said to be ‘highly responsive, proactive in assisting the smooth running of cases, and always willing to assist in document production, arranging meetings, document filings, and assisting in complex cost and budgeting issues’. Offices in: London