Set Profile > Chambers of Desmond Browne QC and Justin Rushbrooke QC > London , London

Chambers of Desmond Browne QC and Justin Rushbrooke QC Offices

Chambers of Desmond Browne QC and Justin Rushbrooke QC
5RB
5 GRAY'S INN SQUARE
LONDON
WC1R 5AH
London
Visit website 020 7242 2902 020 7831 2686

Chambers of Desmond Browne QC and Justin Rushbrooke QC > The Legal 500 Rankings

Set overviews: England and Wales

‘The best media sets out there with a massive cross section of counsel covering all aspects of media law’, 5RB is the market leader in defamation and privacy law with instructing solicitors expecting chambers to consolidate its position following the arrival of seven new members from the now defunct One Brick Court (Andrew Caldecott QC, Jane Phillips, Aidan Eardley, Kate Wilson, Jonathan Scherbel-Ball, Clara Hamer, and Ben Gallop). Also strengthening chambers, Adam Wolanski QC, William Bennett QC, and Christina Michalos QC took silk in March 2019, providing further strength in depth which is ‘a real asset when seeking to match up counsel with a particular client’. In addition, solicitors rate the set’s bi-annual conference, which is described as ‘the go-to event’ in media law circles. ‘Special credit’ goes to senior clerk Andrew Love and his deputy, Jamie Clack, who together ‘run a strong, efficient, and very user-friendly clerking team’. Also of note, James Price QC has retired from practice. Offices in: London

Defamation and privacy Tier 1

5RB is well-established for handling a wide range of media and communication law instructions including defamation, privacy, and data privacy. Described as a 'strong set with a number of experienced counsel in this area', chambers was, of late, involved in several extremely high-profile cases including Sir Cliff Richard v BBC, where Godwin Busuttil led by Justin Rushbrooke QC acted for the claimant. In Nick Brown MP v Faber & Faber and Tom Bower, Adrienne Page QC and Jacob Dean acted for the claimant against the acclaimed author and publisher of Broken Vows; Andrew Caldecott QC and Clara Hamer represented the defendants. Since the resolution of this case, Caldecott QC and Hamer have joined chambers from the now dissolved One Brick Court. They arrived with Aidan Eardley, Jane Phillips, Jonathan Scherbel-Ball, Kate Wilson, and Ben Gallop, bolstering the set's ranks and cementing its place as 'the market leader in the field of defamation and privacy law'.

2019 Silks

William Bennett - 5RB ‘ Impressive advocate with an extremely high success rate. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Christina Michalos - 5RB ‘ A specialist in privacy, media and entertainment law. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Adam Wolanski - 5RB ‘ Calm, great with clients and isn’t afraid to fight the right case. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Jacob Dean - 5RB ‘ An extremely clever, measured and tenacious advocate. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Aidan Eardley - 5RB ‘ Very knowledgeable on the law and excellent drafting. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Jane Phillips - 5RB ‘ Really impressive silk-level work; she is prepared to move mountains. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

David Sherborne - 5RB ‘ Ferociously bright and great at handling the most difficult situations. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Jonathan Barnes - 5RB ‘ An incredibly gifted barrister, giving strategic advice and excellent guidance. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Godwin Busuttil - 5RB ‘ Encyclopaedic knowledge of defamation and privacy law. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Alexandra Marzec - 5RB ‘ Super dynamic, compassionate and focussed. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Richard Munden - 5RB ‘ Very smart and has brilliant attention to detail. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Jonathan Scherbel-Ball - 5RB ‘ 'Unrivalled depth and breadth of knowledge. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Adam Speker - 5RB ‘ His advice is beyond his years of call. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Clara Hamer - 5RB ‘ Sympathetic yet confident manner with a keen eye for detail. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

David Hirst - 5RB ‘ Technically gifted barrister with an exceptional ability to think outside the box. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Victoria Jolliffe - 5RB ‘ Reliable, bright and with excellent experience. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Julian Santos - 5RB ‘ An incredibly safe pair of hands for a junior of his call. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Kate Wilson - 5RB ‘ Incredibly smart and enormously calm, she has as all the angles covered. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Greg Callus - 5RB ‘ Extremely bright barrister who has developed a solid reputation. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Felicity McMahon - 5RB ‘ Down-to-earth and refreshing in her approach. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Tom Blackburn SC - 5RB ‘ A very good all-rounder. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Victoria Simon-Shore - 5RB ‘ Strong drafting ability and produces top-notch pleadings. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Chloe Strong - 5RB ‘ Her advice is always crisp, concise, and decisive. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Gervase de Wilde - 5RB ‘ Very helpful and knowledgeable, a real rising star. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Silks

Desmond Browne QC - 5RB ‘ Senior statesman in the defamation world, provides very clear advice. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Andrew Caldecott QC - 5RB ‘ Extremely knowledgeable, commercially minded and a team player. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Adrienne Page QC - 5RB ‘ At the top of her game, unbeatable qualities. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Justin Rushbrooke QC - 5RB ‘ A go-to silk, superb advocate with a fierce intellect. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Data protection Tier 2

As ‘a first-class set’ for media, defamation and privacy work, 5RB utilises this strength across data protection instructions to advise on issues that bridge the two areas. Justin Rushbrooke QC recently acted for Sir Cliff Richard in Sir Cliff Richard v BBC and South Yorkshire Police, a high-profile privacy and Data Protection Act 1998 claim brought following the coverage of a 2014 police raid at the claimant’s home. ‘Excellent communicator’ Andrew Caldecott QC is lead counsel for the defendant construction companies in equally high-profile litigation relating to the alleged blacklisting of construction workers, while Aidan Eardley has notable experience acting for and against media organisations. The set has been strengthened of late, gained seven practitioners, including Caldecott and Eardley, following the closure of One Brick Court.

Leading Juniors

Aidan Eardley - 5RB ‘ ‘He is a silk in the making.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Richard Munden - 5RB ‘ ‘He leverages his libel and privacy strength to assists with data protection work.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Jonathan Scherbel-Ball - 5RB ‘ ‘A junior to watch in this area.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Jonathan Barnes - 5RB ‘ ‘He is a reliable name, who delivers every time.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Jacob Dean - 5RB ‘ ‘He is highly rated and is extremely knowledgeable.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Silks

Andrew Caldecott QC - 5RB ‘ ‘A class act.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Justin Rushbrooke QC - 5RB ‘ ‘A go-to silk for cases that bridge the data protection and privacy gap.’ ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property) Tier 3

‘A leading set for media and reputational matters’, 5RB ‘have huge strength in depth’ and are known for defamation and privacy matters. In a recent highlight Justin Charles Neil Rushbrooke QC successfully represented Sir Cliff Richard in an invasion of privacy claim against the BBC and South Yorkshire Police, in which Aidan Eardley, who recently joined 5RB from One Brick Court, was instructed on the opposing side. Other changes to the set include the arrival of Andrew Caldecott QC also from One Brick Court and Christina Michalos QC’s appointment to silk.

Media and entertainment - 2019 Silks

Christina Michalos QC - 5RB ‘ She is practical and works to a very high standard. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Media and entertainment - Leading Juniors

David Sherborne - 5RB ‘ A brilliant advocate who is extremely quick on his feet and has excellent judgement. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Chloe Strong - 5RB ‘ She is a very calm but forceful advocate. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Jacob Dean - 5RB ‘ He is an extremely clever, measured and a tenacious advocate. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Aidan Eardley - 5RB ‘ He is incredibly knowledgeable and strategically and commercially savvy. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Media and entertainment - Leading Silks

Andrew Caldecott QC - 5RB ‘ A fantastic leader and incredibly bright barrister. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Justin Rushbrooke QC - 5RB ‘ He is extremely impressive with a legendary reputation for defamation and privacy work. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Desmond Browne QC - 5RB ‘ A strong choice for defamation work. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

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