Ten Old Square

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Robert Arnfield

Robert Arnfield has been in practice at the Chancery Bar for nearly 30 years. His core practice areas are non-contentious and contentious private client work (often involving trusts and the estates of deceased individuals) and associated taxation and professional negligence.

Thomas Arnull has a successful and varied practice spanning the entirety of Chambers’ specialist areas. He is ranked as a “Rising Star” in the Legal 500 and as an “Up and Coming” practitioner in Chambers and Partners for Partnership Law, where his work is described variously as “fantastic” and “excellent”. He is both a highly skilled legal analyst, and a compelling advocate, who regularly appears in the High Court and the County Courts. He is meticulous but practical, and tactically astute, with a friendly and empathetic manner with clients. He regularly provides advice and representation to clients on the full range of issues arising in the areas of Partnerships and LLPs, Contentious and Non-Contentious Probate, Wills and Trusts (including in relation to tax planning), the Court of Protection, Real Property and Landlord and Tenant. Prior to joining Ten Old Square, Tom received an LL.M from Harvard Law School, where his dissertation won Harvard’s Federico Giuseppe Mancini Prize, and where he also appeared as an advocate before the Massachusetts courts.

Elizabeth Atkinson

Elizabeth Atkinson has a busy chancery practice which spans Chambers’ core practice areas, including: contentious and non-contentious Private Client, Property, Tax, Court of Protection, Partnership and LLPs, and Commercial Chancery. She is regularly instructed to appear in the County Court and High Court, as well as the Court of Protection and First-tier Tribunal (Tax chamber). Her practice includes offshore litigation, and she enjoys both led and unled work. Elizabeth is an editor of Mellows: Taxation of Executors and Trustees, and frequently writes for Practical Law. She is an accredited mediator and welcomes instructions to mediate. Before coming to the Bar, Elizabeth began her career as a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs and subsequently worked as a Senior Executive Officer at both the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and at the Serious Fraud Office. She currently sits on the Chancery Bar Association Committee. Elizabeth also does a significant amount of pro bono work, and has been recognised on the national Pro Bono Recognition List for completing over 25 hours of pro bono work annually.

Georgia Bedworth

Georgia Bedworth has a thriving and well-established traditional Chancery practice. She is instructed in both contentious and non-contentious trusts and estates matters which are technically complex, often involving multi-million-pound trusts and estates. A well-respected junior, who is able to demystify complex concepts and explain them in plain English, Georgia frequently advises on the trusts of landed estates, capital tax planning issues and on Variation of Trusts Act applications. Alongside her non-contentious work, Georgia advises on a full range of contentious trusts and estate matters including probate claims and high-value claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. In addition, Georgia undertakes a considerable amount of property and affairs work in the Court of Protection, in which she draws on her skills and knowledge attained in the other areas of her practice. Georgia is recognised in Chambers UK and Chambers High Net Worth. She has been listed in Band 1 for Traditional Chancery, Trusts and Court of Protection (Property and Affairs) for a number of years and was shortlisted as Chancery Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards in 2023.

Helen commenced full-time practice as a tenant on 1st Octboer 2025 having successfully completed her pupillage at Ten Old Square. She will concentrate on general Chancery work covering all of Chambers’ specialist areas of expertise. Prior to pupillage, Helen volunteered with the Free Representation Unit. While there, she advocated before the First Tier Tribunal. Helen also has varied experience of mooting and is the runner-up prize winner of the 2023 Sir Louis Gluckstein Advocacy Prize Competition at Lincoln’s Inn.

Jeremy Callman is ranked as a “Star Individual” by Chambers UK Bar 2025 in Partnership, who describe him as: “the pre-eminent barrister of his generation in partnership and LLP law. He is a superb advocate with sound judgement and commercial acumen.” Jeremy is top-ranked by Legal 500 2025 who say of him “Jeremy’s knowledge of partnership and LLP law is encyclopaedic. He is technically rigorous and highly strategic. He knows all the moves and all the outcomes. He is an icon within the partnership law community, and yet very approachable, accessible and gracious at all times. Like Madonna, to those of us in the partnership world he is just Jeremy”. Jeremy has a chancery commercial practice, focusing on litigation. He is a Barrister and Arbitrator with a strong reputation in partnership and LLP litigation. He regularly advises management on internal issues within partnerships/LLPs (including partner exits, team moves and restructuring). He represents both firms and individual partners, from solicitors, private equity, financial services firms, accountants, doctors and dentists to hedge funds, recruitment consultants, family property partnerships and farmers. Additionally he regularly advises on non-contentious partnership matters. He also acts on all manner of business related disputes, company disputes, professional negligence, insolvency and commercial matters. Jeremy regularly represents clients at arbitrations and mediations. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and LCIA listed arbitrator. Shortlisted for “Chancery Junior of the Year” by both Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025 and Chambers UK Bar Awards 2022.

Richard Dew’s practice is focussed on Wills, Estates and Trusts and related professional negligence. His practice is predominantly litigation, and he is frequently involved in large and complex claims. He also advises and represents in Court of Protection matters and provides expert advice in respect of tax and tax planning (principally capital taxation). He is a former chair of the STEP Contentious Trusts and Estates SIG and is the treasurer of the Chancery Bar Association Committee. He also sits on the Law Society’s Wills and Equity Committee. He is a member of STEP and ACTAPS. Richard is the editor of Private Client Business and an editor of Rossdale’s Administration of Estates. He regularly writes and lectures on chancery and private client matters. Ranked as a Star individual in Chancery: Traditional and Band 1 in both Trusts and Court of Protection: Property & Affairs in Chambers UK 2022. Richard has been appointed as a Deputy Master of the Chancery Division.

James is a specialist chancery barrister with nearly a decade of experience, recognised for handling complex, high-value disputes across the full spectrum of private client, trusts and estates, commercial, property, charities, and Court of Protection work. Ranked as “Up and Coming” in Chambers High Net Worth 2025 (Chancery: Traditional), shortlisted for the 2025 “Star Junior” award, and appointed to the prestigious Attorney General’s London B Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown for a five-year term from 1 September 2025, he is widely acknowledged for his strategic insight, technical precision, and sound judgment. He is regularly instructed by leading firms on matters requiring both rigorous legal analysis and practical, commercial judgment. This has included several high-profile and reported cases, such as Re A Company [2022] EWHC 943 (Ch), Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind v Beasant [2021] EWHC 351 (Ch), and Harbour Fund III LP v Kazakhstan Kagazy PLC [2021] EWHC 1128 (Comm). Solicitors frequently praise his clear, pragmatic advice, calm and persuasive advocacy, and ability to deliver practical, solution-focused guidance even in the most challenging matters. Particularly in cases involving children and vulnerable/protected parties, James ensures his approach is adapted to the personal and emotional dimensions of each case, ensuring that such individuals are robustly represented. Before joining the bar, James achieved a Double First from Downing College, University of Cambridge, and an ‘Outstanding’ on the Bar Professional Training Course. He has received multiple scholarships and prizes in recognition of his academic achievements.

Jonathan Gavaghan

Jonathan Gavaghan has a specialist chancery and commercial practice with particular experience in partnership / LLP disputes, commercial disputes and property law. Company law (including breach of fiduciary duty claims and shareholder disputes) is a further area in which he specialises. He studied law at Oxford University where he obtained a first-class degree. Top of his year in Land Law, he subsequently obtained a BCL and returned to Worcester College, Oxford as a visiting tutor in constitutional law. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Tom has a broad chancery practice with an emphasis on wills, trusts and estate disputes, related non-contentious advisory work (including tax advice), and commercial and property litigation. He is ranked as a Rising Star for Private Wealth and Probate in the Legal 500 Bar Guide 2025. Tom is equally happy acting led or unled and is often instructed against counsel considerably senior to him. He appeared as sole counsel in the Court of Appeal in Gorbachev v Guriev [2022] EWCA Civ 1270, [2023] KB 1. He also regularly appears in the County Court and High Court, alongside specialist experience in the First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Protection. Before joining Chambers, Tom worked in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) as the Judicial Assistant to the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Patten. He has tutored extensively in trusts law and is a joint editor of Mellows: Taxation for Executors & Trustees. He also writes for Practical Law on a range of topics, and was seconded to a tier 1 London law firm in 2024. Tom was appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel in 2024, his first year of eligibility. Tom also frequently represents individuals in court pro-bono, receiving both the ‘Pro Bono Champion Award’ from the Chancery Bar Litigant in Person Support Scheme (CLIPS), and recognition from Advocate for committing over 25 hours to pro-bono work in 2023.

Philip Jenkins’s practice is focused upon wills, estate, trusts, property, partnership and Court of Protection (Property & Affairs) matters. His practice is predominantly litigation-focused, including mediation and other forms of ADR, and he has significant experience acting as sole counsel in large and complex claims. Alongside his litigation practice, Philip undertakes advisory and drafting work in non-contentious matters in the above-mentioned fields. Of particular note is Philip’s interest and expertise in farming partnership and proprietary estoppel claims and he is a leading practitioner those fields. Philip acted as sole counsel in the High Court and Court of Appeal in the leading case on remedy, Guest v Guest, [2022] 1 WLR 3480, and he was led by Penelope Reed KC in the Supreme Court. Philip is recommended for his clear and practical advice, quickly getting to the heart of the case, his natural and confident advocacy style, and his empathetic manner with clients. Philip is able to bring these attributes to bear in litigation as well as at mediation whether acting as counsel or mediator.

James Kirby is a Chancery barrister with a practice focused on Trusts and Estates, Court of Protection and Private Client Tax. He is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ by the Legal 500 2025 for Private Wealth and Probate and as ‘Up and Coming’ by Chambers HNW 2025 for Chancery: Traditional. James is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel. James is an editor of Williams on Wills and a contributor to the Court of Protection Law Reports. Before coming to the Bar, he was a research fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Norman Lamb has developed a strong chancery practice, specialising in contentious trusts and estates, private client (non-contentious) and property matters. He is regularly instructed to appear at complex and high-value hearings and trials in courts and tribunals across England and Wales, including on appeals. Norman is experienced litigating in the Business and Property Courts and Chancery Division of the High Court. In addition, he is regularly instructed to provide technical and specialist advice and complex drafting. Norman has built an established reputation for his persuasive written and oral advocacy, meticulous preparation and dependable client care. His caseload regularly includes disputes beyond his year of call. Norman has a particular skill for identifying and researching pertinent issues and strives to find pragmatic solutions, tailored for each client.

Samuel Laughton

Ranked by the Legal 500 as a Leading Junior in both Property Litigation and Agriculture, Sam Laughton’s practice encompasses a broad range of Chancery litigation and advisory work, with a particular focus on both commercial and private disputes relating to property. He is particularly skilled in multidisciplinary litigation, drawing on his expertise in: land contracts; restrictive covenants and easements; commercial and residential landlord and tenant; personal and corporate insolvency; commercial disputes and company law; family and corporate trusts; wills, probate and the administration of estates; and professional negligence arising out of these fields.

James MacDougald

James MacDougald is a chancery barrister specialising in trusts, estates and private client tax. He enjoys a balanced diet of litigation and non-contentious advisory work. He appears regularly in the English courts and is often instructed to assist parties to offshore trust litigation. In the Chambers UK Bar guide James is ranked in the categories of Trusts (Band 1) and Chancery: Traditional (Band 3). In the Legal 500 guides he is ranked as a Leading Junior (tier 3) for both Private Wealth and Probate (London Bar) and Trusts and Private Wealth (Caribbean: English Bar Offshore). James is an editor of Williams on Wills (11th edition) and Mellows: Taxation for Executors and Trustees and he regularly delivers talks and webinars on his core practice areas.

Susannah Meadway

Susannah Meadway is a prominent junior within the private client arena, acting in difficult, complex and high-value matters, with a particular focus on landed estates. She is ranked at the highest level in the current legal directories and is regarded as a leading expert on the variation of trusts. Her well established practice encompasses all types of advisory, drafting and litigation work in the fields of trusts and associated taxation, wills, probate and the administration of estates, and charities.

James Petts’s practice is in the fields of Chancery and commercial, with a particular focus on contentious matters involving especial forensic rigour, either in terms of the law or facts, including claims involving an element of fraud or where there are serious disputes of primary fact (e.g. relating to undue influence or disputed oral agreements). James’s interest in claims involving a significant element of fraud or dishonesty come from the first three years of his practice at the Bar in which he practised in criminal law, before going on to develop a successful Chancery and commercial practice. James is the (civil) education secretary to the Fraud Lawyers’ Association and contributes to Westlaw Topics on fraud related subjects.

James is well-known for the quality of his legal analysis, his persuasive advocacy in court, the practicality of his advice, and his sensitive and responsive interaction with clients. Chambers UK Bar says that “James is incredibly good with clients, and gives very clear and straightforward advice. He is incredibly easy to work with”. In 2023 he was nominated for the Star Associate/Junior Under 10 Years Call Award by Chambers HNW. He is ranked by the legal directories for his work in probate, trusts, traditional chancery and property litigation. His inter-disciplinary expertise means that much of his work concerns disputes involving multiple areas of law. This is reflected in some of his recent reported decisions, which include: Patel v Patel [2025] EWHC 560 (Ch) and [2025] EWHC 620 (Ch), Irwin Mitchell Trust Corporation v KS [2025] EWCOP 7 (T2), Gohil v Kumara [2023] EWHC 1809 (Ch) and Abdelnoor v Barker [2022] EWHC 1468 (Ch). James’ busy practice particularly focuses on: Probate, inheritance, estate and trust disputes, including claims under the 1975 Act and claims for the removal of executors or trustees; Court of Protection applications Landlord and Tenant issues, both residential and commercial; Property, including covenants, easements, nuisance and boundary disputes; Commercial and contractual disputes, including partnerships, arbitrations and interim applications such as freezing injunctions. James is a skilled and highly effective advocate. He also has significant experience of offshore litigation, particularly in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. James is (with Sidney Ross) one of the authors of the Fifth Edition of Ross on Inheritance Act Claims. Before coming to the Bar, James taught at secondary and tertiary level in England and Vanuatu, and is equally comfortable being instructed in both English and Bislama. James is also a qualified and experienced mediator, and welcomes instructions as a mediator in any of the areas in which he practices. James was appointed as a Deputy District Judge in August 2025.

Evan Price has practised from Chambers for over twenty years. Evan’s work encompasses both the traditional and commercial chancery areas with recent work tending to deal with contentious and non-contentious trusts and estates matters. He often finds himself dealing with complex cases where his cross-practice experience is called upon. Evan has recent experience of contentious trusts disputes including probate claims, 1975 Act claims and claims to remove trustees and executors; of landlord and tenant claims (both residential and commercial); of company law cases involving disputes between shareholders; of personal and corporate insolvency cases; and of cases involving property and affairs matters in the Court of Protection. Evan also advises families in relation to non-contentious probate matters and capital taxes. Evan is a governor of the Skinners’ Academy in Hackney (with responsibility for SEND pupils); a director of an almshouse charity; a Bencher of the Middle Temple; a trustee of a number of trusts, including the Middle Temple charities; and chair of the trustees of the St James Legal Advice Centre in Muswell Hill. Evan is the author of ‘A Practical Guide to Challenging a Will Due to Undue Influence or Fraudulent Calumny‘, published by Law Brief Publishing. He also gives regular talks to solicitors.

Gideon Roseman is a Commercial Chancery litigator. He advises in contentious and non-contentious partnership matters, representing both firms and LLPs as well as individual partners and members, including professional practices, such as solicitors, financial advisers and recruitment consultants and property developers. He has significant experience of high value and complex litigation in Court and arbitration. He is regularly instructed to attend mediations. He has appeared as sole counsel in a number of successful appeals in the Court of Appeal in relation to both partnership and shareholder disputes. He also specialises in commercial litigation, commercial fraud, insolvency, shareholders’ disputes, property litigation (domestic and international), professional negligence and wills and trust disputes. He has particular expertise in relation to worldwide and domestic freezing orders, as well as other interlocutory prohibitory and mandatory injunctions. He has acted in a number of committal applications, typically those arising out of breaches of freezing injunctions and ancillary disclosure orders, including appeals to the Court of Appeal. Ranked in Band 1 in Partnership in Chambers UK 2024. Ranked in Tier 2 in Partnership in Legal 500 2024. Ranked in Band 4 in Commercial in Chambers UK 2024.

Sidney Ross was called to the Bar in 1983 at the age of 51, after a career of 24 years lecturing in Chemistry in the University of London. His practice is entirely in the field of trusts and estates, with particular emphasis on claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The current edition of his textbook on that subject is published by Sweet & Maxwell in the Trusts, Wills and Probate Library series and he is a frequent contributor of articles on family provision and will construction to legal journals.

Land, especially mortgages, landlord and tenant; and constructive trusts; professional negligence, insolvency and franchising.

Lara joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2024, following the successful completion of her pupillage. During pupillage, Lara worked on cases across chambers’ core areas of practice and was supervised by Georgia Bedworth, Richard Dew, Jeremy Callman and James MacDougald. Lara spent the first six months of her practice working as a consultant to the private client team of a tier 1 London law firm, where she worked on complex trusts and tax matters for HNW and UHNW clients. Lara accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ main practice areas, including Contentious Trusts and Estates, Private Client (Non-Contentious), Offshore, Partnerships and LLPs, Insolvency and Tax. Prior to pupillage, Lara was an in-house advocate at DAC Beachcroft. In that role, she undertook regular court advocacy in insurance-related disputes (motor, property) and was involved in commercial arbitration.

Matthew Slater undertakes Chancery, commercial and public law work, and a significant quantity of appeals, including to the UKSC and JCPC. Appointed in 2017 to the Attorney General’s ‘A’ Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown, Matthew has acted and advised across Central Government, including for the Ministry of Justice on prison policy, the FCO, the Home Office, the Parole Board, the Business Department, the Department for Transport concerning Battersea Power Station, HM Treasury on interest rates on unclaimed assets, the National Crime Agency on confiscations offshore, the Department for Education on teachers’ pensions and HMRC on numerous appeals, including in its attempts to reduce tax avoidance amongst the leading hedge funds. As far back as 2012, Chambers and Partners said Matthew was ‘attracting high-profile cases’. Matthew has acted for investment banks, sovereign wealth funds, landed estates, UHNWs and overseas sovereign states and has been led by Sir James Eadie in the Supreme Court and by Sir Keir Starmer in Privy Council litigation about the constitutionality of the mandatory death penalty in Grenada. Formerly a Fellow at Yale Law School, Matthew was, between 2012 and 2015, a Lecturer in Law at Oriel College, Oxford, having previously taught at Balliol and Magdalen. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the Wills and Trusts Law Report. In addition, between 2012 and 2014, Matthew was the Visiting Professor of Trusts at the Institute of Law in Jersey and a member, with Sir William Bailache, of the three-person Board of Examiners for the Jersey Advocates Exams. Finally, in 2006-2007, Matthew spent a year as the Judicial Assistant to the then Senior Law Lord, Lord Bingham.

Barrister specialising in commercial and property-related issues of chancery work, including Lloyds’ Names, the regulation of financial services professionals, solicitors, accountants and surveyors.

Adam Stewart-Wallace

Adam Stewart-Wallace’s practice spans a number of Chambers’ key practice areas. He is experienced in gaining successful outcomes for clients in contentious matters, both in court and by way of settlement. He appears regularly in the high court and county court. Adam is happy working independently or as a led junior. He regularly guides clients from the first advice to the conclusion of the case and is a reassuring presence throughout. Before coming to the Bar, Adam lectured for the Philosophy Faculty at the University of Cambridge and Heythrop College, University of London. For the 2024 / 2025 season, he will also be the manager of the Knights FC under 9s Dragons football team.

Simon Taube KC is a leading Silk whose practice covers the full spectrum of traditional Chancery work, both litigation and advisory work. He is instructed in cases in England and in common law jurisdictions abroad. His special expertise includes UK and foreign trusts and estates, charities, capital tax planning and trust taxation, and fiduciary duties. He also has wide experience in property, securities, partnership, professional negligence and family provision matters.

Naomi Winston’s practice covers drafting, advisory work and litigation with a focus on partnership/LLPs, Court of Protection and private client matters. She is ranked in the legal directories for both partnership (Band 1) and Court of Protection (Band 3) work.