Ms Lesley Anderson KC KC > Kings Chambers > Manchester, England > Barrister Profile

Kings Chambers ‘houses some of the best known names’ in the North West in the professional negligence arena, and the team has substantial expertise in handling actions brought against professionals including solicitors, surveyors, and accountants. The set is home to Andrew Grantham KC, who has a particular focus on claims against accountants, financial and tax advisers, and insurance brokers, as well as stockbrokers and surveyors. Lesley Anderson KC represented the defendants in Glasson Grain Limited v RE & S Baldwin, a case concerning a counterclaim against a farm agronomist following their negligent advice regarding the application of nitrates, which caused crops to fail. Mark Harper KC and Paul Chaisty KC are also key names at the silk level, and Martin Budworth is a notable senior junior in the group.

Kings Chambers is praised as a ‘consistently excellent set with highly skilled Chancery practitioners at all levels‘ who act nationally and internationally before the entire gamut of courts and tribunals. Lesley Anderson KC is a standout silk in this area, and among the juniors, Fay Collinson exclusively handles cases concerning wills, trusts, and probate, in addition to property and affairs cases within the Court of Protection. Of recent note, she acted for the defendant in the case of Copley v Winter, which saw a claim brought to prove a will with issues of undue influence and lack of capacity. Matthew Hall is a notable junior and he is skilled in contested probate claims, as well as cases regarding trusts, while Nigel Clayton is skilled in contentious wills and trusts with a particular focus on cases with property-related elements. In Middleton v Rushton, Clayton represented the defendant in a disputed administration of an estate claim which concerned a trust in a North Yorkshire-based farm. Richard Lander is another key name here.

Kings Chambers handles large-scale commercial disputes for national clients with ease, and is praised as ‘the pre-eminent set in Manchester for valuable commercial litigation’. Its members are well-equipped to expertly handle cases in domestic and international courts and arbitral venues. It is home to Andrew Grantham KC, who boasts expertise in a range of commercial disputes, and David Casement KC is another active silk in this arena. Lesley Anderson KC is a notable name who has appeared before the Supreme Court several times over the last few years. Among the juniors Martin Budworth acted for the claimant in Oakwell v BFC Investment Company, which concerned a claim for several million in unpaid consideration pursuant to Chinese-American investors purchasing Barnsley Football Club. Ben Harding has an increasingly active practice in the injunctive work space, while Aidan Reay is noted for his frequent appearances in the High Court. Neil Berragan predominantly appears before the business and property courts and is often sought after for urgent interim applications. He is acting for the claimant in Kip McGrath Global Pty Ltd v Justine & Colin Gray and KMM Learning LLP, which concerns an Australian company claiming for the breach of a franchise agreement, and an interim injunction was successfully obtained to prevent the defendant from further breaching non-compete covenants.

Kings Chambers features a strong bench of silks and juniors who are well-respected in the field of real estate litigation, frequently representing development companies and insurers, public authorities, charities, and trustees, as well as insolvency practitioners. Among the silks, Lesley Anderson KC, Andrew Singer KC, and Paul Chaisty KC are notable names in this space. Property litigation specialist Geraint Wheatley predominately focuses on cases in the commercial sector, advising on disputes regarding development sites, promotion and development agreements, and covenants. Matthew Hall acts exclusively in property and succession law mandates, and he represented the owner of a marina in Canal & Riverside Trust v Harbourside Marina Limited concerning a claim by the landlord to forfeit its 250-year lease. Nigel Clayton is especially skilled in disputes surrounding mortgages.

Praised as ‘the pre-eminent set in Manchester for valuable company litigation’, Kings Chambers is home to Lesley Anderson KC, who has appeared several times before the Supreme Court, and David Casement KC, who successfully represented the respondents in Brown v Graham, a shareholder dispute surrounding allegations of unfairly prejudicial conduct arising from the termination of a director. Louis Doyle KC is a specialist personal and corporate insolvency silk, while Mark Harper KC and Andrew Grantham KC are both strong in shareholder disputes. Martin Budworth and Ben Harding are notable juniors in this area; Budworth acted for the plaintiff in Durose v Waterland & ors, a £25m unfair prejudice petition arising from allegations that Dutch private equity investors unlawfully flooded the board and subsequently diluted the shareholding.