Outer Temple Chambers > London, England > Set Profile

Diversity/Community

Diversity

Outer Temple Chambers is committed to increasing diversity at the Bar. Guided by the Bar Standard’s Board’s Equality and Diversity Rules, we hold regular E&D meetings to monitor diversity data, review policies and maintain standards . We continue to hold the Investors in People Platinum Award.

We operate a mentoring scheme for junior members. Regular ‘Women in Law’ meetings are held with female barristers and staff to ensure a healthy working environment. We are also proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Outer Temple is also a Mindful Employer, which provides guidelines, training and advice on mental health issues. Rebecca Priestley, our CEO, is Non-Executive Director on the Board of the City Mental Health Alliance (CMHA), committed to the promotion of mental well-being and destigmatising mental ill health.

We encourage applications from groups under-represented at the Bar such as women, ethnic minorities and those with a disability. We have no preference for an undergraduate law degree over the conversion course. We welcome applications from transferring solicitors, qualified legal practitioners and legal academics wishing to transfer to the Bar.

Chambers manages its pupillage selection process through the Pupillage Gateway. Applications undergo an anonymised paper sift where candidates are scored on ability, potential, motivation, commitment and compatibility with Chambers. We aim to interview all disabled applicants who meet our minimum criteria. Chambers also operates an X-Factor style assessment at the paper sift stage to identify non-traditional but exceptional candidates. These candidates will be interviewed even if they do not achieve the necessary score.

We run an 18-month pupillage scheme in conjunction with the Free Representation Unit (FRU). Assessors have no regard to, or knowledge of, employment history, education, pastimes and interests.

Outer Temple Chambers has joined the Bridging the Bar Initiative to offer a mini-pupillage programme for those candidates from a range of underrepresented backgrounds, including from low-income/first-generation university, BAME, LGBTQ+ and more. We are pleased to take students through the joint initiative organised through the Social Mobility Foundation and the Bar Council. This provides bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds with the opportunity to get an insight into a career at the Bar.

Pro Bono and CSR

Outer Temple Chambers provides pro bono advice via Advocate and has a nominated pro bono champion to encourage contributions in a range of ways. We also provide some pro bono work via Free Representation Unit and have participated in fundraising events for this charity.

Every year Outer Temple Chambers members and staff take part in the London Legal Walk to raise funds for the Legal Support Trust, which distributes monies to the Bar Pro Bono Unit, the Free Representation Unit and other legal law charities to provide support to the poorest and most vulnerable people who need legal assistance.

Outer Temple Chambers has a long association with Spinal Injuries Association, raising awareness and funds for their work. Members also support Headway in various ways including fundraising events and art commissions.

Client Testimonials

CLIENT: Colin Makin
COMPANY/FIRM: Ashtons Legal
TESTIMONIAL: The Ashtons Legal employment team have been instructing barristers from Outer Temple for many years. The barristers are excellent and service top rate. Recent instructions have included: Lydia Seymour who was ‘incredibly knowledgeable, commercial and pragmatic in her advice, which was provided quickly’; Keith Bryant QC did a ‘great job’ on a particular matter; Saul Margo who is ‘brilliant’; Bianca Venkata and Paul Livingston who are both ‘superb’ and ‘great to deal with’. Practice Director, Nicholas Levett, is ‘a pleasure to deal with, always helpful and takes a commercial view on pricing’.

CLIENT: Ian Christian
COMPANY/FIRM: Irwin Mitchell LLP
TESTIMONIAL: I have worked with OTC for 20 years. Whatever the issue and whatever level of counsel is required, OTC are always able to provide first rate representation. The way that they have geared their barristers from senior QCs to pupils is testament to OTC knowing who they are as a chambers and finding and retaining the right people to deliver their brand. Their silks are top drawer and the quality of their juniors at all years of call is incontrovertible. OTC’s clerking services are stellar, ensuring solicitors and lay clients receive a seamlessly professional service.

CLIENT: Chris Newton
COMPANY/FIRM: Keoghs
TESTIMONIAL: I have instructed Ben Compton QC and James Leonard in some high profile manslaughter cases. In addition to being in the top tier of health and safety lawyers, their client care is second to none. They both take time to get to know and understand the client which provides much needed reassurance, trust and confidence during what is usually a very difficult time. Their tactical nous, measured response and team approach has helped us successfully navigate some tricky cases. In court their advocacy is sharp and persuasive but again measured. I have instructed Oliver Powell on maritime cases. He has an excellent technical knowledge in this niche area and excellent client care. Oliver will go the extra mile on cases and has drafted some impressive submissions which have helped secure some excellent results. The wider team speak highly of Paul Rogers and instruct him in motor and HSE cases. He is very thorough, measured and makes clients feel at ease. Our strong relationship with Outer Temple is ably managed by Nick Levett who has a bubbly personality and is very responsive.

CLIENT: Jennette Newman, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Clyde & Co LLP
TESTIMONIAL: Outer Temple Chambers is my absolute ‘go to’ Chambers for Health and Safety Regulatory cases. Not only are the Regulatory team best of class but they combine excellence in advocacy and strategic advice, with a client centric service and an accessible approach.

CLIENT: Karen Jackson, MD, Solicitor
COMPANY/FIRM: Didlaw
TESTIMONIAL: Outer Temple Chambers is our chambers of choice. All the barristers we have worked with have been first class intellects but also extremely personable which is very important. We want to work with Counsel who understand the needs and vulnerability of our clients. They are attentive and deliver impeccable work on time. The service of the clerks is outstanding. They treat us as valued customers, proactively checking in with us from time to time to see what we need. The clerks and counsel were super supportive to our team during lockdown providing us with some fantastic online learning to keep us up to speed. Outstanding all round.

CLIENT: Chris Benson, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Leigh Day
TESTIMONIAL: Many partners at Leigh Day see Outer Temple as the first choice for counsel on cases involving employment, clinical negligence and personal injury. In these areas the cases we run can be ground breaking, of wider significance or just the most important thing on our client’s mind. Whatever the case the barristers at Outer Temple always provide an excellent service from the Senior QC’s to junior counsel. Their breadth of practice areas and experience means there is a first class advocate for any case. Counsel are backed up by a great clerking team and a well-resourced chambers in an ideal location opposite the High Court. For the most important cases I always speak to Outer Temple first.

CLIENT: Jessica Bowles, Solicitor
COMPANY/FIRM: Irwin Mitchell
TESTIMONIAL: LLP OTC, as a set, provides a wide-ranging capability in terms of the experience and skillset they offer. Their clerks are second to none in terms of organisation and communication, and have reliably never let me down in facilitating seamless instructions to counsel. There are a number of excellent silks with wide ranging expertise and skillsets, so I know OTC has the right silk for any client or situation. The chambers produce well trained juniors who provide balanced and comprehensive advice which has proven invaluable on a numbers of cases I have instructed them on. OTC offers an excellent service and can be fully relied upon to support us in delivering for our clients.

CLIENT: Abe Kallis, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Chris Kallis Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: Outer Temple Chambers have been our set of choice for a number of years. We find OTC Counsel have that special combination of technical excellence and first class advocacy, coupled with a down-to-earth approach, which is so reassuring to lay clients. The clerking staff are second to none, always willing to help and find a solution in a tight spot.

CLIENT: Louise Howard
COMPANY/FIRM: Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: Outer Temple Chambers, in particular the Travel Law team, are an excellent, high quality set. Even in the strange circumstances of the past 6 months Outer Temple have maintained excellent customer service, reacting quickly to the lockdown and finding ways to continue to deliver. I work closely with Ian Denham and his detailed knowledge of travel law means he can be counted on to tackle difficult cross border issues. He is responsive, practical and very personable with clients. No matter how tricky or obscure the issue in a case, Ian can be relied upon to find a way through.

CLIENT: Laura Donald
COMPANY/FIRM: BTO Solicitors LLP
TESTIMONIAL: BTO Solicitors in Edinburgh and Glasgow have used barristers from Outer Temple Chambers for around 10 years. The clerking experience has always been smooth and professional with the clerks having a good handle on the strengths of the individual barristers, and an understanding too of how they work with their solicitors. The barristers instructed by us over the years have been excellent. Both Michael Uberoi and James Leonard were instructed for the Hyponatraemia Inquiry in Belfast, where we were instructed out of jurisdiction – and despite the varied locations both separate teams worked well. Most recently we have instructed Fiona Horlick QC and Matthew McDonagh for regulatory cases in the GMC and GDC. Both are excellent, easy to work with, helpful and thorough in the preparation and at complete ease with the clients. Outer Temple is always at the top of the list for instructions from this firm.

CLIENT: Stuart Pickford
COMPANY/FIRM: Mayer Brown International LLP
TESTIMONIAL: I know Outer Temple Chambers principally as one of the premier sets in the pensions market, having worked with or opposite a number of leading practitioners in that field, although they are also a growing presence in the commercial disputes space. The juniors with whom I have worked, in particular Saaman Pourghadiri, have been both of a very high calibre and a pleasure to work with. I worked with Saaman on a large and complex case last year; he worked tirelessly and was immersed in the detail of the case whilst continuing to play a significant role in its overall strategic direction. The clerking support from Matt Sale and David Smith in the business team is excellent. They are always willing to have sensible discussions regarding pricing, and generous with their time when contributing to an overall estimate for potential new matters.

CLIENT: Mary Lawrence
COMPANY/FIRM: Osborne Clarke LLP
TESTIMONIAL: I have worked with Outer Temple regularly for over a decade because of their consistent and high quality service, both from their barristers and their clerking team. The team of expert barristers are as excellent at communicating advice clearly as they are in their technical legal arguments, which is why I come back to them again and again. I trust the advice provided and lay clients have repeatedly told me how highly they rate the service provided by the set. In Court, they provide a reassuring and robust legal defence to clients. I work most frequently with the regulatory team who are top tier in the UK for health and safety and local authority prosecutions as well as inquest work. James Leonard is my ‘go to’ Counsel for health and safety and inquest work because of his depth of knowledge, his skills in advocacy and the fantastic rapport he builds quickly with clients in stressful situations.

CLIENT: Nicola Philp
COMPANY/FIRM: ISS UK
TESTIMONIAL: I have been using Outer Temple Chambers for over a decade. They have tremendous strength in employment law and have a great depth of experience across their set. One thing that makes them stand out is their user friendly service and their pragmatic approach to the myriad of issues we instruct them for. They are a real pleasure to work with.

CLIENT: Raquel Siganporia
COMPANY/FIRM:
TESTIMONIAL: Experienced, knowledgeable and approachable – OTC aren’t afraid of the risky case and are tenacious in ensuring the client gets the best result possible.