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Commercial and Chancery: Our barristers offer specialist advice and advocacy across Commercial and Chancery areas of practice and industry sectors – from contract-commercial disputes, to company law, insolvency, intellectual property and trusts. Chambers offers expertise in the areas of media and IP, commercial debt recovery, employment law, and international commercial practice. Members appear in courts and tribunals in England and Wales and in overseas jurisdictions, acting for both domestic and foreign clients, including individuals, corporations, and public bodies.

Planning and environment: Our planning barristers specialise in the processes of planning applications for the development, construction or change of use of a building or buildings; compulsory purchase orders (CPO); and s106 agreements. Our members are experts in contentious judicial reviews, inquiries and appeals; and non-contentious planning and CPO strategies relating to development projects and urban regeneration schemes. Our members also undertake large infrastructure schemes.

Regulatory and disciplinary: Our regulatory and disciplinary team has the expertise and experience to provide specialist advice and representation in all areas of regulatory and disciplinary law including financial services, public safety, environmental, tax, licensing, the medical professions, lawyers, accountants, architects, police, clergy and sports.

Members of chambers regularly appear for regulators and defendants in front of a wide range of tribunals and other professional bodies and sit as tribunal members.

In the sports arena members have particular expertise in disciplinary proceedings brought by various governing bodies, including doping and misconduct cases, and regulatory matters involving selection, funding, safeguarding, licensing, sponsorship and FA Rule K arbitrations.

Public and administrative: Our barristers cover judicial reviews, statutory appeals, inquiries, disciplinary proceedings and non-contentious advice on the powers of administrative functions of central and local government and other public and regulatory bodies. 4-5 barristers work on a whole spectrum of local government activities, including planning, environmental, education, community care, highways, housing, health, compulsory purchase, public procurement, freedom of information, rating, licensing and elections, issues relating to local government powers, structure and finance.

Housing and property: Our barristers are noted experts in housing, landlord/tenant and residential and commercial property disputes; many are recommended in the legal directories and engage in wider policy work for government, MPs, pressure/trade groups and devolved governments. We cover everything from possession proceedings to leasehold enfranchisement; HMO and other licensing and homelessness; housing procurement to restrictive covenants.

International Arbitration: Our International Arbitration Group comprises barristers and affiliated lawyers from around the world. Among our number are some of the foremost practitioners in the field.  The Group’s members have participated, both as counsel and as arbitrators, in commercial arbitrations under the rules of every major arbitral institution, as well as in ad hoc (non-institutional) and investment treaty claims, and before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

On the commercial side, 4-5 practitioners have acted for claimants and respondents at every stage, and in every posture, of disputes, from advice drafting arbitration clauses to bringing or defending challenges or enforcement proceedings in connection with arbitral awards. Our investment treaty arbitration experience is similarly extensive; our members act for both investors and host states. Members with experience as neutrals likewise have been appointed, and served as Chair, in virtually every variety of international dispute.

Our collective arbitration experience, unsurprisingly, covers many sectors: oil and gas, non-petroleum extractive industries, renewables, agriculture, intellectual property, financial services, insurance and reinsurance, shipping, corporate transactions, construction projects, and e-commerce.

Mediations: 4-5 mediators are pleased to provide a full and easy-to-use online mediation service. While it will not be possible for the foreseeable and uncertain future to conduct traditional face-to-face mediations, that does not mean that mediations cannot continue to take place. 4-5 mediators are able to deliver our mediation services via Zoom or other suitable platforms, with all the key features of the usual mediation format, while avoiding unnecessary risk, as well as the need for travel and accommodation. As and when face to face mediation becomes possible and safe, 4-5 mediators will resume the traditional mediation process or some hybrid version, as required by the parties.

The 4-5 Mediation Group is a specialist mediation provider which brings commercial reality and common sense to the mediation process. Our mediators help parties find a resolution to their dispute by establishing a relaxed rapport with clients and lawyers alike.  They are approachable, responsive and able to identify key issues quickly by analysing complicated law and facts. Our mediators include some of the most experienced mediators at the Bar and are commended by the leading directories and commentators.

Inquiries and Inquests: 4-5 has a high level of expertise in relation to inquests and public inquiries. Our members have acted in a number of high-profile inquests and inquiries at all levels, right up to chairing inquiries. Members have experience acting for bereaved families and interested persons in inquests, and understand the differing needs and levels of care required in representation of all participants. Our members have acted in inquests at all levels – from short inquests into the death of an individual right up to some of the highest profile inquests of the last two decades.

We also currently have members of Chambers acting in some of the highest profile public inquiries of recent times, both for core participants and as Counsel to the Inquiry. The work undertaken by members of chambers spans the entire range of preparation and advocacy – from research and analysis at the earliest stages right through to drafting and oral advocacy at the hearings stages. Members of Chambers are well aware of the unique challenges presented by inquests and public inquiries and are dedicated to ensuring that their work is of the highest standard.

Barristers Clerk Profiles

Photo	Name	Position	Profile
	Stephen Somerville		View Profile