St Ives Chambers > Birmingham, England > Set Profile

St Ives Chambers Offices

Chambers of Elizabeth Isaacs QC
St Ives Chambers
1-3 WHITTALL STREET
BIRMINGHAM
B4 6DH
England
Visit website 0121 236 0863 0121 236 6961

St Ives Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings

Midland Circuit > Family: children and domestic abuse Tier 1

Birmingham’s St Ives Chambers remains ‘a heavyweight set with a deservedly fine reputation’ in the Midlands for family and children law work. Elizabeth Isaacs KC is widely praised as a ‘ferocious, fearless advocate’ as well as for her client care skills, benefitting in this regard from her background as a child protection social worker. Justine Lattimer is regularly instructed in the most serious cases involving sexual abuse, brain injury, deaths of parents and children, FGM, forced marriage, and fabricated illness. Tracy Lakin is ‘a highly experienced barrister who brings authority and good sense to a case’. Mark Cooper-Hall‘s broad practice covers care proceedings involving child deaths, fabricated or induced illness, sexual abuse, and systemic local authority failings. Anthony Finch joined chambers in February 2024.

Rising stars

Holly Hilbourne-Gollop – St Ives Chambers ‘Holly is confident, approachable and extremely diligent. She is sensible in terms of advice, but robust and not afraid to run a case. She has an air of confidence and seems unflappable, which is really reassuring to anxious clients.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Malvika Jaganmohan – St Ives Chambers ‘Malvika is an exceptional advocate. She is thorough and leaves no stone unturned. Her oral advocacy is excellent. She commands the room and is extremely persuasive.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Thomas Duggan –St Ives Chambers ‘Thomas is a highly gifted advocate and deals with cases in a sensitive, humane and professional manner. His personal warmth, integrity and honesty are qualities which are appreciated by many.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Zara Mahmood – St Ives Chambers ‘Zara is extremely thorough. Her attention to detail is second to none. Not only is she an excellent barrister in legal terms, her personal touch with the clients is beyond compare.'
Ranked: Tier 1
George Smith – St Ives Chambers ‘George is always well prepared, even on a short notice hearing. He is a strong advocate as well as respectful with a clear consideration of getting his clients' instructions put across in court.'
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Elizabeth Isaacs KC –St Ives Chambers ‘Liz is a ferocious, fearless advocate. She does not leave a stone unturned. Her advocacy style is direct and forceful.'
Ranked: Tier 1

2023 Silks

Timothy Bowe KC –St Ives Chambers ‘Tim is an advocate of the highest calibre. He has excellent attention to detail and real forensic ability in his case preparation and analysis. He has a lovely manner with everyone - whether clients, opponents, professionals or the court. His advocacy is smooth, it is not aggressive but is incredibly effective.'

Leading Juniors

Justine Lattimer –St Ives Chambers ‘Justine is an impressive and effective advocate. She particularly specialises in cases with vulnerable witnesses. Her ability to cross-examine in a polite, calm, and unflappable way is just brilliant. She is the strongest junior around.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Tom Harrill – St Ives Chambers ‘Tom is a real aster of oral and written advocacy. His preparation is second to none. He is the perfect blend as an advocate; approachable but authoritative. He has an amazing knowledge of case law and uses it to enormous effect. He fights every case with commitment and goes that extra mile. He is a force to be reckoned with.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Matthew Maynard – St Ives Chambers ‘Matt is a huge presence when he is in court. He has the ability to be the focal point for the whole case. Matt has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. He is adaptable, can be charming and gentle but can also be the bludgeon who batters down the doors.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Tracy Lakin – St Ives Chambers ‘Tracy is a highly expert advocate who is instructed and relied upon in those very cases which require individual and exceptional skills to successfully manage. She has always demonstrated an ease in understanding the importance and influence of evidence. Tracy has a natural ability to put clients who are extremely anxious at ease.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Kirstie Danton –St Ives Chambers ‘Kirstie is a formidable but approachable advocate. She is forensic in her approach to cross-examination. Kirstie is able to give clear advice when needed even when that is in relation to the prospects of her case.'
Ranked: Tier 2
David Payne –St Ives Chambers ‘David is a skilled advocate, who is always calm and measured in his approach, with a real eye for detail.  His preparation of a case is always extremely thorough and he gets to grips with the issues in a case very quickly.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Mark Cooper-Hall –St Ives Chambers 'Mark is an intellectually outstanding barrister who carefully crafts cross-examination and persuasive submissions. He is able to deal with complex medical information quickly and is able to provide user-friendly advice and guidance to solicitors and vulnerable clients.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 2
James Cleary – St Ives Chambers ‘James is a barrister for complex or unusual cases. He provides clear and robust advice and clients are happy to place trust in him. He is an extremely competent advocate. He is very approachable and is willing to go the extra mile when needed.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Ben Chapman – St Ives Chambers ‘Ben has the ability to provide clients with clear and robust advice, whilst doing so with sensitivity. He is a skilled advocate with an acute attention to detail.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Matthew Fiddy –St Ives Chambers ‘Matthew is an excellent barrister. He manages the most difficult cases with grace and precision. Matthew is a superior advocate who calmly but firmly takes the witness to where he wants to go.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Gregory Rogers –St Ives Chambers ‘Greg brings calm to every situation. He has excellent attention to detail, experience and a kind and compassionate manner - he is a pleasure to deal with both as an instructing solicitor and as an opponent. He has a professional manner with lay clients and professional clients alike.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Anthony Finch – St Ives Chambers ‘Anthony is a thorough and thoughtful barrister with an ability to make his clients feel safe and secure. He also has the skill to pick out the evidence required to assist the court and can cut through voluminous documents. He is an excellent draftsman ensuring complex schedules are easily understandable to the lay clients especially in cases where emotions are running high.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Thomas Bramall – St Ives Chambers ‘Tom is a superb advocate. He is always well prepared and very persuasive in court but his manner puts clients at ease.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Samuel Coe – St Ives Chambers ‘Sam is an excellent barrister. He is approachable, knowledgeable and his attention to detail is fantastic. He is a highly skilled and compelling advocate.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Lawren Dobson – St Ives Chambers ‘Lawren is a very thorough, diligent and capable barrister. She handles complex and heavily contested issues in a calm and efficient way and with grace under high pressure. She is personable, friendly and a passionate advocate who develops a good relationship with clients and she is willing to work in a cooperative and collaborative way to achieve the best outcome for the client. She is highly skilled and a very capable pair of hands.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Louise Sapstead – St Ives Chambers ‘Louise is a strong advocate, with impressive client care skills. She has an ability to work with all types of clients whilst being able to put across their case with ease. She also has an impressive knowledge base and ability to implement such into her submissions to the court.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Rebecca Cross – St Ives Chambers ‘Rebecca is excellent. She is extremely personable and approachable, and achieves excellent results yet balances that with compassion and understanding. Rebecca’s advocacy is top-notch; she makes her points clearly and decisively.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Sian Waldron – St Ives Chambers ‘Sian is a very hard working and diligent advocate. She fully prepares her cases and is a courteous opponent. She understands her clients and provides them with sensitive and realistic advice. She provides attendance notes promptly to instructing solicitors and highlights next steps to be taken.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘David Walters and Scott Goodison are very experienced and capable clerks. They both have a ‘can do’ attitude and are very professional and efficient.’

‘The clerks’ room is excellent – Asma Akhtar, Nick Burdon and Sarah Robinson are a pleasure to deal with.’

‘All the clerks are extremely helpful and will go out of their way to assist.’

‘The backroom staff at St Ives match the ability of the barristers under their care. The service given is excellent. Telephone calls are generally answered immediately and, if that is not possible, calls are returned promptly thereafter. Efforts are made to accommodate instructions, even when given at the very last minute. Sarah Robinson, Nick Burdon and Asma Akhtar stand out. They also have a brilliant receptionist, Jacqui Hanks.’

‘A heavyweight set with a deservedly fine reputation.’

‘St Ives are always the go-to set – they have excellent strength in depth and are a safe pair of hands.’

‘St Ives Chambers is undoubtedly the leading set of chambers in the Midlands in this field, with amazing strength-in-depth, so much so that on run-of-the-mill cases clients can simply phone up and ask who is available.’

Work highlights

Midland Circuit > Social housing Tier 1

St Ives Chambers continues to field a strong team of housing law specialists with members’ expertise spanning antisocial behaviour cases, possession claims, and disrepair work, among other areas. With considerable experience handling all aspects of housing law, including tolerated trespasser and human rights issues, Michael Singleton heads the housing practice group at chambers. Richard Dewsbery is often instructed in relation to multi-day possession claims complicated by mental health and capacity issues. He also acts for landlords facing housing conditions claims. ‘Compelling and persuasive advocate’ Tom Lawal has notable experience in possession and injunction proceedings. Tom Russell and Ben Chapman are new recruits from KCH Garden Square.

Leading Juniors

Aadhithya Anbahan – St Ives Chambers ‘Aadhithya is fiercely intelligent with exceptional technical ability. She is also an awesome advocate and has a thorough approach to her work. She is great with clients and always goes over and above to provide a comprehensive service and understands the economic realisms of social housing.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Ranked: Tier 1
Richard Dewsbery – St Ives Chambers ‘Richard is an experienced and high-quality barrister. He adds value to cases when he is instructed by also assisting with practical steps, with his experience in-house before he re-joined St Ives no doubt assisting with this.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Michael Singleton –St Ives Chambers ‘Michael is extremely experienced and knows the rules and case law with a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge. He is a good advocate who argues persuasively but in a relaxed, respectful style which is unique amongst counsel.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Tom Lawal – St Ives Chambers 'Tom is a highly engaging and competent barrister. His preparation is thorough and he is a compelling and persuasive advocate. He quickly wins the confidence and trust of clients and witnesses, and has the gravitas to command respect in court. Tom is also highly approachable, provides pragmatic advice and is a joy to work with.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Tom Russell – St Ives Chambers ‘Tom is thorough with an eye for details and with a direct, robust approach. His advocacy is on point, succinct and precise which is liked by clients and more so by trial judges.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Jane Talbot –St Ives Chambers ‘Jane is an excellent barrister who is an expert in social housing litigation. She prepares thoroughly, is great on her feet and gets good results in court. Her experience as a solicitor before being called to the Bar helps her to give practical and helpful advice.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Testimonials

‘Catherine Merry is very helpful.’

‘The clerks at St Ives are very good. They always endeavour to find cover where possible. Jess Perry remains calm and goes above and beyond to find counsel, even at the last minute.’

‘The clerks are always on hand to assist with securing counsel for hearings, or to deal with papers or even with assistance to discuss queries with counsel on an informal basis. Catherine Merry in particular is always going above and beyond to assist in any way she can.’

‘St Ives Chambers has a number of highly competent and accomplished barristers specialising in housing litigation matters.’

‘The housing barristers at St Ives are go-to experts for advice and advocacy. They are a well-rounded group of professionals that provide comprehensive advice.’

‘St Ives are an excellent set for social housing litigation, with a wide range of good quality barristers with expertise in the area.’

Work highlights

Midland Circuit > Family: divorce and financial remedy Tier 3

St Ives Chambers hosts several leading barristers with expertise in divorce and financial remedy work. In recent years Jayne Mullen has established a reputation as a ‘brilliant private FDR judge’. Nicholas Starks has considerable experience handling high-net-worth claims involving businesses, farms, overseas assets, trusts, and pensions. A ‘robust barrister’ whose ‘client care is excellent’, he leads the family finance team at chambers. Andrew Day is regarded by many as ‘one of the most technically sound and intelligent barristers’ on the Midlands Circuit when it comes to dealing with financial and property disputes between married and unmarried couples.

Leading Juniors

Andrew Day – St Ives Chambers ‘Andrew is a true pro. He is extremely experienced and very clever. He adopts a compelling style of advocacy which finds favour with judges. His paperwork is excellent. He is an exceptionally good private FDR judge and arbitrator.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Nicholas Starks –St Ives Chambers ‘Nick is a diligent, knowledgeable and robust barrister. He is a go-to for private finance work. His preparation is superb and his client care is excellent. He handles the most complex work with precision and care. He is able to draw on his many years of experience to go toe-to-toe with silks across the country. He is first-class.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Jayne Mullen –St Ives Chambers ‘Jayne is calm, collected and thorough in her preparation and her manner in court reflects that calm demeanor. She knows the law on financial remedies inside out and presents her cases with vigour but without being combative or acrimonious. She is also one of the best, if not the best, evaluators for private FDRs in the region.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Testimonials

‘David Walters and Scott Goodison are excellent.’

‘Scott Goodison and David Walters are great. They are friendly, approachable and extremely helpful.’

‘Absolutely excellent clerks. David Walters and Scott Goodison are fantastic; responsive and efficient and really go the extra mile.’

‘An excellent set which can service the entire spectrum of family work. There is a great emphasis on ADR with very highly skilled practitioners.’

‘St Ives Chambers are market leaders in divorce and financial remedy work in the West Midlands. They have excellent strength and breadth of practitioners and are developing a very strong set of junior specialists.’

‘St Ives Chambers have the some of the best financial remedy counsel in the Midlands, and have availability at all levels.’

‘St Ives are excellent, with fantastic depth. Their training is excellent, and those who they take on as pupils are diligent, approachable, and keen to learn. Their senior counsel are exceptional.’

Work highlights

Midland Circuit > Crime (general and fraud)

Rising stars

Thomas Duggan – St Ives Chambers 'Thomas is an exceptionally talented barrister. He is both a confident and capable advocate, and has a great knowledge of the criminal procedure rules.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Queenie Djan – St Ives Chambers ‘Queenie is a confident and exceptionally capable advocate. She prepares cases in great detail and together with her knowledge of the criminal procedure rules, she is often able to persuade the judge with her arguments.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Sophie Murray – St Ives Chambers ‘Sophie is quick to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of a case. She is a good advocate and has the ability to keep things clear and simple for a jury.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3

Midland Circuit > Property and construction

St Ives Chambers > Set Profile

Chambers Director: Jackie Maskew

Practice Managers:

Sarah Robinson (Public Law Children)

David Walters (Private Law Children & Family Finance)

Catherine Merry (Housing, Business & Property (Civil) & Regulatory)

Daniel Giles (Crime)

Tenants: 85

Door Tenants: 6

THE CHAMBERS

St Ives is a multidisciplinary set with particular expertise in family law, housing, business and property, regulatory and criminal law. Recognised as one of the leading sets of chambers on the Midland Circuit. It is also unparalleled in the region for its extensive provision of family law dispute resolution, ranging from early neutral evaluations, private FDRs, and arbitration.

Chambers works in partnership with all clients, including professional and lay clients, local government, companies, and housing associations in order to ensure consistent excellence in the delivery of services, from initial instruction until case completion. The set prides itself on its’ attention to detail, approachability and efficiency. This ethos is underpinned by a professional and friendly clerking service that works hard to ensure smooth delivery of services.

St Ives is pleased to enjoy a national profile, accepting instructions from all regions and regularly being instructed in high profile cases across the country.

THE SET

Chambers is proud of its reputation for outstanding service and excellence in all areas of advocacy and advisory work and boasts some of the most renowned and experienced practitioners in the Midlands, past and present. With over 80 tenants, 10 percent of which are silks, all available for instruction through chambers, St Ives is able to offer clients expertise at all levels.

St Ives is routinely listed in national legal directories as a leading set, with many barristers regularly contributing to legal publications and being published authors of seminal legal texts. Many members of chambers also hold part-time judicial appointments, including Deputy High Court Judges, Recorders, and deputy district judges (both civil and criminal). Former members include a Lady Justice of Appeal, a High Court Judge, and numerous circuit and district judges.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Head of chambers Elizabeth Isaacs KC MCIArb (1998- Silk: 2013)
Deputy Head of Chambers Timothy Bowe (2003 – Silk:2023)
Members of Chambers Jane Crowley KC (1976- Silk: 1998) *
Members of Chambers James Tillyard KC (1978- Silk: 2002) *
Members of Chambers Joseph Giret KC (1985- Silk: 2010) *
Members of Chambers Owen Thomas KC (1994- Silk: 2018) *
Members of Chambers Nicholas Allen KC (1995 - Silk: 2018) *
Members of Chambers Kate Hughes KC (1992- Silk: 2021) *
Members of Chambers Samantha Powis (1984)
Members of Chambers David Jackson (1986)
Members of Chambers Michael Singleton (1987)
Members of Chambers Stuart Clarkson (1987)
Members of Chambers Julie Slater (1988)
Members of Chambers Catherine Preen (1988)
Members of Chambers Jayne Mullen (1989)
Members of Chambers Nicholas Starks (1989)
Members of Chambers Matthew Haynes (1991)
Members of Chambers Michelle Brown (1992)
Members of Chambers Justine Lattimer (1992)
Members of Chambers Richard Dewsbery (1992)
Members of Chambers Gregory Rogers (1991)
Members of Chambers Tracy Lakin (1993)
Members of Chambers Mary Abbott (1994)
Members of Chambers Lucy Hawkins (1994)
Members of Chambers Basharat Hussain (1997)
Members of Chambers Kirstie Danton (1999)
Members of Chambers Karamjit Singh (2000)
Members of Chambers Mark Jones (2000)
Members of Chambers Moira Ashton-Walsh (2000)
Members of Chambers Nina Bache (2001)
Members of Chambers Claire Baker (2001)
Members of Chambers Andrew Day (2003)
Members of Chambers David Payne (2003)
Members of Chambers Matthew Maynard (2003)
Members of Chambers James Cleary (2003)
Members of Chambers David Outterside (2004)*
Members of Chambers Michael Tanney (2004)
Members of Chambers Louise Sapstead (2004)
Members of Chambers Tom Russell (2004)
Members of Chambers Claire Briggs (2005)
Members of Chambers Gareth Cheetham (2005)
Members of Chambers Anthony Finch (2006)
Members of Chambers Simon Burch (2007)
Members of Chambers Charmian Jackson (2007)
Members of Chambers Sophie Murray (2007)
Members of Chambers Tom Lawal (2008)
Members of Chambers Natalie Cross (2009)
Members of Chambers Mark Cooper-Hall (2009)
Members of Chambers Sarah Fahy (2009)
Members of Chambers Annabel Hamilton (2009)
Members of Chambers Dympna Howells (2009)
Members of Chambers Carol Binnion (2010)
Members of Chambers Julia Bond (2010)
Members of Chambers Thomas Bramall (2010)
Members of Chambers Jason Hadden MBE (2011)
Members of Chambers Shabinah Ladha (2011)
Members of Chambers Matthew Fiddy (2011)
Members of Chambers Samuel Coe (2012)
Members of Chambers Sian Waldron (2012)
Members of Chambers Tom Harrill (2013)
Members of Chambers Martin Langston (2015)
Members of Chambers Ian Windridge (2015)
Members of Chambers Aadhithya Anbahan (2015)
Members of Chambers Eve Horren (2015)
Members of Chambers Rebecca Cross (2015)
Members of Chambers Ben Chapman (2015)
Members of Chambers Lawren Dobson (2016)
Members of Chambers Jane Talbot (2016)
Members of Chambers Elisabeth Richards (2016)
Members of Chambers Malvika Jaganmohan (2017)
Members of Chambers Angela Houston (2017)
Members of Chambers Priya Tromans (2018)
Members of Chambers Holly Hilbourne-Gollop (2018)
Members of Chambers George Smith (2018)
Members of Chambers Hasnat Bashir (2018)
Members of Chambers Zara Mahmood (2018)
Members of Chambers Terri Mason (2019)
Members of Chambers Thomas Duggan (2019)
Members of Chambers Morgan Pirone (2019)
Members of Chambers Samuel Peake (2019)
Members of Chambers Queenie Djan (2020)
Members of Chambers Feargus Campbell (2020)
Members of Chambers Emma Kelly (2021)
Members of Chambers Holly Sims (2021)
Members of Chambers Bethany Stirling (2022)
Members of Chambers Adam Clay-Croome (2021)
Members of Chambers Katy Fellows (2021)
Members of Chambers Alyssa Callaway (2022)
Members of Chambers Milly Webb (2022)
Members of Chambers Nick Devine (2024)
Members of Chambers Adam Carrolan (1996) †
Members of Chambers Jordan Warren (2021) †
Members of Chambers Emily Waggott (2023) †
Members of Chambers Katie Goodman (2023) †
Members of Chambers Sioned Fitt (2024) †
Members of Chambers Ann Chavasse (1971) (AT)
Members of Chambers Graeme Simpson (1994) (AT)
Members of Chambers Judith Trustman (1996) (AT)
Members of Chambers Sarah Pritchard (1997) (AT)
Members of Chambers * Door Tenant
Members of Chambers † Pupil
Members of Chambers (AT) Associate Tenant (affiliated with Chambers but not currently accepting instructions)

Barrister Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Aadhithya Anbahan photo Ms Aadhithya Anbahan Aadhithya Anbahan is a Barrister specialising in Regulatory and Housing law. Aadhithya’s… View Profile
Nina Bache photo Ms Nina Bache Nina is a specialist family law (children) practitioner. In public law matters… View Profile
Claire Baker photo Mrs Claire Baker Claire specialises in Children’s Law, primarily care proceedings. She has a broad… View Profile
Hasnat Bashir photo Mr Hasnat Bashir During his long practice as a Solicitor, he regularly appeared for applicants,… View Profile
Carol Binnion photo Ms Carol Binnion Carol was a solicitor for 25 years prior to being called to… View Profile
Julia Bond photo Ms Julia Bond Julia Bond has been a specialist Family law practitioner since 1995. She… View Profile
Timothy Bowe KC photo Mr Timothy Bowe KC Timothy regularly represents local authorities, parents and children in sensitive and complex… View Profile
Claire Briggs photo Ms Claire Briggs Claire Briggs specialises in all forms of Family law both public and… View Profile
Michelle Brown photo Ms Michelle Brown Michelle Brown is a Barrister specialising in Family law.  Michelle represents local… View Profile
Simon Burch photo Mr Simon Burch Mr Burch joined Chambers in 2017 having originally practiced at a leading… View Profile
Gareth Cheetham photo Mr Gareth Cheetham Year of Call:  2005 Gareth represents and advises applicants and respondents in… View Profile
Stuart Clarkson photo Mr Stuart Clarkson Stuart Clarkson has wide-ranging experience in all types of criminal work for… View Profile
Peter Cooper photo Mr Peter Cooper Peter deals with heavyweight Criminal work, both defending and prosecuting. He regularly… View Profile
Mark Cooper-Hall photo Mr Mark Cooper-Hall Mark practises exclusively in family law and specialises in matters relating to… View Profile
Natalie Cross photo Ms Natalie Cross Natalie is Public Access trained which enables her to accept instructions direct… View Profile
Rebecca Cross photo Miss Rebecca Cross Rebecca is a family law specialist with an established practice in family… View Profile
Kirstie Danton photo Ms Kirstie Danton Kirstie is deputy head of the childcare group within chambers. View Profile
Andrew Day photo Mr Andrew Day Andrew Day is a Barrister specialising in Arbitration and Family (finance).  He… View Profile
Matthew Fiddy photo Mr Matthew Fiddy Matthew has an established practice in public and private children’s cases. View Profile
Joseph Giret KC photo Mr Joseph Giret KC Joseph Giret KC has a successful practice and enjoys a formidable reputation… View Profile
Jason Hadden MBE photo Mr Jason Hadden MBE Jason appears on a daily basis in courts all over the country… View Profile
Annabel Hamilton photo Ms Annabel Hamilton Annabel Hamilton is a Barrister specialising in Family law (both public and… View Profile
Tom Harrill photo Mr Tom Harrill Tom practises exclusively in Family law and specialises in matters related to… View Profile
Lucy Hawkins photo Ms Lucy Hawkins She has over 18 years’ experience in cases relating to children, and… View Profile
Matthew Haynes photo Mr Matthew Haynes Matthew Haynes’s work includes contentious probate work, including issues relating to the… View Profile
Holly Hilbourne-Gollop photo Miss Holly Hilbourne-Gollop As a public family practitioner, Holly appears on behalf of Local Authorities,… View Profile
Angela Houston photo Ms Angela Houston Angela qualified as a solicitor in 1992 and has 25 years of… View Profile
Dympna Howells photo Mr Dympna Howells A former solicitor and partner in a large regional practice, Dympna has… View Profile
Basharat Hussain photo Mr Basharat Hussain Year of Call: 1997 With his wealth of knowledge and understanding of… View Profile
Elizabeth Isaacs KC photo Ms Elizabeth Isaacs KC Elizabeth is highly regarded and has an established national reputation for her… View Profile
Charmian Jackson photo Ms Charmian Jackson Charmian is an experienced and tenacious advocate who regularly appears for applicants,… View Profile
David Jackson photo Mr David Jackson David is a Barrister specialising in Criminal Law. He has defended in… View Profile
Malvika Jaganmohan photo Ms Malvika Jaganmohan Malvika regularly acts in cases of a level of complexity beyond her… View Profile
Mark Jones photo Mr Mark Jones Mark’s Housing law area of expertise lies where human rights and public… View Profile
Tracy Lakin photo Ms Tracy Lakin Tracy practises in Public Law Children, Private Law Children applications. She is… View Profile
Martin Langston photo Mr Martin Langston He has developed a busy and varied litigation practice routinely appearing at… View Profile
Justine Lattimer photo Ms Justine Lattimer Justine Lattimer specialises in child protection. She is highly experienced in serious… View Profile
Tom Lawal photo Mr Tom Lawal Year of Call:  2008 Tom accepts instructions in all areas of housing… View Profile
Matthew Maynard photo Mr Matthew Maynard Matthew is a specialist children practitioner with a particular emphasis on complex… View Profile
Jayne Mullen photo Ms Jayne Mullen Jayne now exclusively undertakes work as a Private FDR Judge. Jayne is… View Profile
Sophie Murray photo Miss Sophie Murray View Profile
David Payne photo Mr David Payne David is a family law specialist with who is regularly instructed in… View Profile
Samantha Powis photo Ms Samantha Powis She is experienced in dealing with all types of crime including homicide and other… View Profile
Catherine Preen photo Miss Catherine Preen Cathy has practised exclusively in Family law since 1990. She represents parents… View Profile
Elisabeth Richards photo Ms Elisabeth Richards Elisabeth was a solicitor for 15 years prior to her call to… View Profile
Gregory Rogers photo Mr Gregory Rogers Greg is a specialist family lawyer who practices exclusively in cases concerning… View Profile
Graeme Simpson photo Mr Graeme Simpson Graeme has wide-ranging experience in all types of criminal work for both… View Profile
Karamjit Singh photo Mr Karamjit Singh Karamjit Singh is specialist civil litigator predominantly working in the fields of… View Profile
Michael Singleton photo Mr Michael Singleton As Head of the Housing Practice Group, he has pioneered the development… View Profile
Julie Slater photo Ms Julie Slater Since being called to the bar in 1988, Julie practices exclusively in… View Profile
Nicholas Starks photo Mr Nicholas Starks Nicholas is a senior junior counsel with over 25 years’ experience, specialising… View Profile
Jane Talbot photo Ms Jane Talbot Jane has a high profile for Housing work and has been at… View Profile
Priya Tromans photo Ms Priya Tromans Priya has practised litigation for over seven years, with experience in a… View Profile
Ian Windridge photo Mr Ian Windridge Ian qualified as a Solicitor in 1998 (Higher Rights Criminal in 2008).… View Profile

Client Testimonials


CLIENT: Philip Rea
COMPANY/FIRM: Thursfields Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL:
St Ives chambers Family set are second to none. The breadth of experience, knowledge and skills of their Counsel provides us with reassurance and comfort that our clients are in excellent hands. Client service from Counsel is always of the utmost quality. Feedback from clients is always very positive. Tom Harrill, Tom Lawal and Holly Hilbourne-Gollop are particular standouts and are our ‘go to’s’ for Private Law work. The clerking team is also worth a mention the level of client service in particular David Walters and Scott Goodison is exceptional. They go out of their way to assist, ensuring wherever then can that they have Counsel available to represent clients and having a good knowledge of the Counsel we typically like to instruct.

CLIENT: Rachel Adams
COMPANY/FIRM: DFA Law
TESTIMONIAL:
I cannot recommend the Family Finance Team at St Ives Chambers highly enough. They have a fantastic range of counsel from silk through to the junior end of junior counsel and are always our ‘go to’ chambers as we can tailor counsel to suit the needs of our particular case.

The service from the clerks is really first-class and they will go out of their way to assist.

The barristers that we use from St Ives Chambers provide an outstanding level of support to instructing solicitors, so it really feels that you are working within a team. They are responsive and efficient, diligent and provide solid advice.

CLIENT: James Coles
COMPANY/FIRM: Browne Jacobson
TESTIMONIAL:
Undoubtedly the “go to” property set in the Midlands. We have one of the largest property litigation teams in the Midlands and therefore need a property set that can deal with complex and high value disputes often at short notice; St Ives never fails to deliver. We particularly rate Michelle Caney, David Nuttall and Tony Watkin.

CLIENT: Yetunde Dania
COMPANY/FIRM: Trowers & Hamlins LLP
TESTIMONIAL:
I have worked with the housing clerks and the housing team at St Ives for many years.

The clerks are extremely approachable, friendly and will do their very best to provide representation and the processing of papers often at very short notice.

The barristers are also extremely approachable, speak plain English and are extremely good with clients.

This is extremely important to me as it is very rare nowadays for us to also be present at hearings and trials.

I seriously cannot recommend St Ives Chambers highly enough!

Client Testimonials


CLIENT: Philip Rea

COMPANY/FIRM: Thursfields Solicitors

TESTIMONIALS: St Ives chambers Family set are second to none. The breadth of experience, knowledge and skills of their Counsel provides us with reassurance and comfort that our clients are in excellent hands. Client service from Counsel is always of the utmost quality. Feedback from clients is always very positive. Tom Harrill, Tom Lawal and Holly Hilbourne-Gollop are particular standouts and are our ‘go to’s’ for Private Law work. The clerking team is also worth a mention the level of client service in particular David Walters and Scott Goodison is exceptional. They go out of their way to assist, ensuring wherever then can that they have Counsel available to represent clients and having a good knowledge of the Counsel we typically like to instruct.

CLIENT: Rachel Adams

COMPANY/FIRM: DFA Law

TESTIMONIALS: I cannot recommend the Family Finance Team at St Ives Chambers highly enough. They have a fantastic range of counsel from silk through to the junior end of junior counsel and are always our ‘go to’ chambers as we can tailor counsel to suit the needs of our particular case. The service from the clerks is really first-class and they will go out of their way to assist. The barristers that we use from St Ives Chambers provide an outstanding level of support to instructing solicitors, so it really feels that you are working within a team. They are responsive and efficient, diligent and provide solid advice.

CLIENT: James Coles

COMPANY/FIRM: Browne Jacobson

TESTIMONIALS: Undoubtedly the “go to” property set in the Midlands. We have one of the largest property litigation teams in the Midlands and therefore need a property set that can deal with complex and high value disputes often at short notice; St Ives never fails to deliver. We particularly rate Michelle Caney, David Nuttall and Tony Watkin.

CLIENT: Yetunde Dania

COMPANY/FIRM: Trowers & Hamlins LLP

TESTIMONIALS: I have worked with the housing clerks and the housing team at St Ives for many years. The clerks are extremely approachable, friendly and will do their very best to provide representation and the processing of papers often at very short notice. The barristers are also extremely approachable, speak plain English and are extremely good with clients. This is extremely important to me as it is very rare nowadays for us to also be present at hearings and trials. I seriously cannot recommend St Ives Chambers highly enough!

Diversity


St. Ives Chambers recognises the importance of continuing to develop a Bar which reflects the diversity of the society we serve. The principles of fairness and equality are central to how we approach our clients, colleagues, and working culture. As a Chambers, we pride ourselves in championing causes that challenge discrimination in matters of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability. At St Ives, we want to go beyond what is required policy and expected behaviours, by seeking to ensure that we are pivotal in implementing, engaging and introducing initiatives that promote the diverse society we represent and defend.

The highlights from our E&D initiatives have been those occasions when we have reached out beyond Chambers and engaged the wider community.

We were early signatories to, and continue to enthusiastically support, the Free Bar initiative, amplifying the voices and visibility of our colleagues in the LGBTQ+ community. It is important to us that we are active in the legal community both nationally and in the West Midlands, through regular seminars and training conferences which allow us to disseminate and learn from our collective experiences. Our Modern Families Conference brought together solicitors, leading experts, child protection professionals, and the combined expertise of our own barristers to reflect on current family law in a modern society of alternative family models and non-binary identities, and in recognition that our justice system needs to embrace the challenge of ensuring moral and legal acceptance in all cases.

Our annual Black History Month events are open to legal professionals and the local student community. They give us a chance to learn from the experiences of our judges, barristers, and other professionals of colour, and challenge us to continue to reflect and develop our working practices when it comes to ensuring racial equality.

Chambers sponsors and actively supports an initiative, local to the West Midlands, that provides students from all social backgrounds with an opportunity to experience life at the Bar. The “Bridging the Bar” scheme, benefits local students from all backgrounds, providing them with invaluable first-hand experience of shadowing a Barrister in their day-to-day working life. This scheme helps to demystify life at the Bar and provide aspiring young lawyers with the confidence and assurance that at a Chambers like St. Ives, their professional ambitions are attainable.

As part of its’ commitment to support inclusivity at the Bar, St Ives also signed up to host an intern via the Bar Council’s steering group in support for the 10,000 Black Interns initiative, which aims to address the underrepresentation of Black talent within a wide range of professions, including the law.

Advancement in the areas of equality, diversity, and inclusion within our profession are not boxes to be ticked, but rather a continuing process of asking ourselves difficult questions about how we deliver the service that we do and how we drive such change. At St. Ives, we are ambitious about our development.