18 St John Street Chambers > Manchester, England > Set Profile

Chambers of Richard Chapman KC
18 St John Street Chambers
18-20 ST JOHN STREET
MANCHESTER
M3 4EA
England

Email firm Visit website 0161 278 1800 0161 278 8220

Northern Circuit > Family and children law Tier 1

18 St John Street Chambers is praised for having ‘a superb family department’ that handles cases involving serious sexual abuse, life threatening and fatal injuries, deprivation of liberty, factitious illness and parental alienation. Rehana Begum leads the family department and specialises in public law care proceedings, including complex cases involving serious life threatening injuries, sexual abuse, forced marriage and deprivation of liberty. Yvonne Healing has an all-encompassing family law practice, with a particular focus on children law and care proceedings, and Fiona Holloran also has a wide reaching practice, covering private and public law applications, representing children, parents and local authorities. Holloran is active in cases involving historical sexual abuse, multiple injuries, fabricated and induced illness, and cases with an international element, including abductions. The set is also home to Stephen Murray, who specialises in matrimonial finance, and Danish Ameen , who has expertise in handling cases with assets overseas.

Leading Juniors: Child Law (Public and Private)

Fiona Holloran – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Fiona is truly exceptional. She is highly respected, experienced, always extremely well-prepared and much sought after. She is unflappable with a remarkable ability to recall every detail in the cases she has prepared. She is a go-to barrister on difficult and complex cases and a skilled and robust advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Yvonne Healing - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Kate Bramall – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Kate's main strength is her ability to recognise the issues and take the appropriate legal or factual points with the tribunal in an eloquent yet forceful way. She undertakes high quality work, which is a measure of her ability.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Kate Donohue - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Rehana Begum – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Rehana is the most personable of barristers, yet steely in her approach. She is incredibly hard working and has the ability to explain very complex aspects of evidence and developing law in a straightforward way. The quality and complexity of the work that she does reflects the confidence that solicitors have in her abilities.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Leonie Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Leonie is able to develop a good rapport with the client. She works hard to achieve the best outcome for the client and provide appropriate advice. She is approachable when help is needed and she provides good feedback following hearings.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Danish Ameen – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Danish is a skilled advocate and a barrister who provides robust advice whilst not losing focus of the need for sensitivity towards lay clients in very difficult circumstances. He shows empathy towards difficult and vulnerable clients and is approachable by lay clients and professionals. He has a reputation for thorough preparation, detailed cross-examination, persuasive submissions and polished skeleton argument.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Anna Warters – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Anna is a formidable opponent and exceptional with combative litigants in person.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Alex Walker – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Alex is extremely knowledgeable, professional, informed, and more importantly, amazing with clients that are going through the most difficult time. He is patient and able to explain matters in a way that is perfectly understandable for the client.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors: Divorce and Financial Remedy

Stephen Murray – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Stephen has an incredible knack of getting to the fundamentals of a case quickly and has no fear of finding holes in a case, which he then constructively works with the client to address. His preparation, advocacy and cross examination skills are superb.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Kate Donohue - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

’18 St John Street has a superb family department. There are counsel from silks to pupils, with all levels of seniority in between. 18 St John Street has a very strong family team which is known in Manchester as being reliable, hardworking, dependable, and knowledgable. The family department is also known in Manchester as being friendly and approachable with solicitors, lay clients, and opposing advocates.’

‘Yes the set without exception are knowledgeable able and professional. I would have little difficulty in finding somebody suitable to instruct in any area of child protection law.’

‘The chambers are good and usually have counsel available. They have a good range of barristers. They also offer webinars which are helpful.’

’18 St John Street is an excellent chambers. They are brimming with talent and have a good blend of very talented senior counsel alongside very talented junior members of the team.’

‘The set of Chambers have an excellent reputation both locally and nationally. They are very well regarded and highly thought of experts in their field.’

Clerking

‘Similarly to the barristers, the clerks are amazing, lovely and hard working. They always go above and beyond to try and accommodate urgent hearings and long hearings that are attended some distance away. Responses are always prompt and the entire working system at these chambers is perfect.’

Northern Circuit > Commercial litigation Tier 2

18 St John Street Chambers is a ‘quality set‘. Head of chambers Richard Chapman KC is also Chair of the Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association and has expertise in commercial contract disputes. The set also houses Elisabeth Tythcott, who handles shareholder disputes and breaches of fiduciary duties by directors. Tythcott represented the claimant in Miller v Ball, a case concerning a partnership dispute between veterinary surgeons. David Hoffman is also a notable name.

Leading Silks

Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Richard combines great experience and a bright legal mind with an ability to communicate complex issues to lay clients in a clear and practical way. Richard is first rate and he knows how solicitors need to be supported by counsel.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

David Hoffman – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘David has an exceptional understanding of the law that applies to any particular legal scenario and assesses the best course of action to achieve a client's objectives. He is very approachable, flexible and helpful.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Christopher McNall –18 St John Street Chambers 'Highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable and dynamic.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Elisabeth Tythcott – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Elisabeth is very user friendly and able understand and assimilate complex case details in a very short timescale. Her eloquence is second to none and she has the most impressive vocabulary. She is a superb communicator; very firm in her delivery and very clear in her arguments. She is highly recommended and the clients very much enjoy working with her, as she is so approachable and clear in her advice but firm with her opponents.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Michael Wilkinson – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Mike is very committed to his role as a barrister but his intellectual curiosity and commitment to professional self development goes way beyond what is normal for barristers, particularly those on circuit. It should be noted that he also has a PhD in banking, which is unique at the Bar.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘The chambers are one of the leading sets in commercial litigation in the North-West, with appropriate practitioners at all levels of seniority.’

‘Chambers is always able to find a member to assist and there is real depth in the experienced juniors.’

‘Each member is equally impressive and well-versed, both in respect of the litigation and the client-facing aspects.’

‘A quality set and is always accommodating.’

‘The barristers are personable, intelligent, diligent and readily available to offer advice and guidance.’

Clerking

‘Very well clerked commercial department. Katie Brown and Ryan Pugh do everything possible to ensure barrister of choice is available. Both a real asset to Chambers.’

Northern Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax Tier 3

The members at 18 St John Street Chambers handle a wide range of Chancery work. Christopher McNall’s Chancery practice has a strong focus on farming and agriculture, as well as Inheritance Act claims in which he represents the HMRC. He also acted for HMRC in Trustees of Batley Settlement v HMRC, a case concerning whether a chain of apart-hotels provided sufficient services to be classed as hotels for taxation purposes. Oliver Caplan has expertise in handling chancery litigation, including real property, landlord and tenant, insolvency, trusts of land, wills and estates and partnerships, while Richard Chapman KC specialises in tax disputes. Elisabeth Tythcott is also active in the business and property courts.

Leading Silks

Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Richard has an astonishing grasp of the law and is quick to evaluate and effectively analyse complex fact patterns. He is a superb barrister with a highly learned and simultaneously truly commercial understanding. He was a highly effective advocate and ally.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Christopher McNall –18 St John Street Chambers ‘Christopher has excellent knowledge of all issues involving agricultural disputes, TOLATA and general property, trusts and probate work. He provides timely advice and is willing to speak on the phone before instructions to help narrow issues. Christopher is often instructed on complicated issues of fact and law and on niche issues which require careful research due to his expertise in these matters. He is good with clients and opposing counsel.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Oliver Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Oliver is excellent at putting clients at ease.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Nathan Goldstein – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Elisabeth Tythcott – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Elizabeth’s key strength is the very high quality of her preparation of cases. She invariably provides skeleton arguments and written submissions of a high standard. These demonstrate detailed and careful preparation combined with a high degree of knowledge of the relevant law and procedure. These are always helpful and persuasive documents. Her court appearances have always demonstrated careful, thorough, and thoughtful preparation and a real commitment to serving the interests of her client.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Jennifer is always very well prepared and has a good eye for detail. She has a very calming and measured approach to cases, as well as superb insight into difficult legal problems.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘Chambers is excellent at the senior end in the business and property department.’

‘Chambers offer a broad range of quality junior to senior tax counsel.’

‘The chambers are one of the leading sets in this area of practice in the North-West with appropriate practitioners at all levels of seniority.’

’18 St John St Chambers has an enviable pool of talent in this practice area.’

’18 St John Street Chambers is a highly regarded set in Manchester. It has strength-in-depth across all areas of practice. In respect of tax law, it has the particular advantage of having three members of Chambers who sit as Fee Paid Judges of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber).’

Clerking

‘Katie Brown and Ryan Pugh in the clerks room are both excellent, are always attentive and will help find counsel when needed. Two of the best clerks.’

Northern Circuit > Clinical negligence Tier 3

18 St John Street Chambers’ clinical negligence department covers a broad range of cases from cerebral palsy matters to dental claims, as well as spinal, orthopaedic, gynaecological, wrongful birth and claims relating to vascular surgery. Gemma McGungle has a thriving practice predominantly acting for claimants and Christopher Limb is also a key name in the clinical negligence space.

Leading Juniors

Christopher Limb –18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Gemma McGungle –18 St John Street Chambers ‘Gemma is very approachable and put clients at ease when meeting them in person. They capably assimilate substantial information and from this are able to identify clearly the issues in the case. Their advice is detailed without being too wordy and clear, leaving no ambiguity over their views or the reasons for this, which is invaluable to an instructing solicitor. They are always willing to discuss the case and genuinely interested in their instructing solicitor’s views and experience of the case or clients.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

Set

‘The counsel in this set are efficient capable and experts in their field.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are always polite and efficient.’

Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 3

18 St John Street Chambers is praised as an ‘excellent’ and ‘well-established‘ set. Its members prosecute and defend in a wide range of cases, from serious sexual offences to terrorism and fraud. Michael Brady KC has been instructed on numerous high-profile murder cases. The set is also home to Rachel Shenton , who has a thriving practice defending and prosecuting serious sexual offence and violence cases, and Richard Vardon , who predominantly defends on homicides and drug importation cases.

Leading Silks

Michael Brady KC – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Michael has exceptional client-care and interpersonal skills. His judgement is second to none. He is a truly gifted advocate and is able to present cases, whether he prosecutes or defends, with aplomb. He is meticulous in his approach and invariably shows an unwavering commitment to achieving the best outcome for clients.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Rachel Shenton – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Rachel is an extremely effective advocate. She is excellent with clients and particularly adept at handling cases which require sensitivity. She has a charming manner with jurors and is a first class trial advocate. She is known for her expertise in serious sex cases in particular and she has a talent for assimilating the facts and getting to the crux of a case.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Richard Vardon – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Richard is a fantastic advocate - he is able to dissect the prosecution experts during cross-examinations.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Rachel Faux – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Methodical, analytical and very thorough are but a few Rachel's strengths. An almost encyclopedic knowledge of the evidence and law ensures any discussions with opponents are most effective. A steady but firm approach with clients provides not only the calm in a sea of troubled water but clear and concise advice which clients are able to easily understand. A confident trial advocate. A unique ability to adjust the approach and method of cross examination and presentation of matters before a jury.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

The criminal department offers a range of practitioners and at the senior junior level they are involved in very significant criminal cases.’

‘They all appear client focussed and assist solicitors with the necessary pre-trial preparation.’

‘An excellent set in a competitive market. Tenants of varying call and expertise ensure chambers can be viewed as a ‘one stop shop’ for choice of counsel, no matter what the type of case. Counsel often go out of their way to ensure they meet their professional commitments to instructing solicitors and go over and above in the event of a returned brief.’

‘Chambers are well-established in the Manchester area. The more junior members of the bar at this set seem to be up and coming.’

‘Excellent set. Impressive variety of counsel in terms of specialist areas, seniority and skill set.’

‘Chambers have a wide range of barristers who specialise in a number areas of law.’

Clerking

Northern Circuit > Personal injury Tier 4

18 St John Street Chambers has ‘great expertise in personal injury, covering cases of all nature and value’. Elahe Youshani handles cases involving road traffic accidents, employers’ liability, personal liability, industrial disease and occupiers’ liability. Head of the personal injury department Kane Simons primarily acts for claimants and is highly adept at handling catastrophic injury cases.

Leading Juniors

Elahe Youshani – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Elahe has strong technical knowledge in her area of work. In addition, she is very client focused, which means she is good at ensuring client needs are addressed and explained to clients clearly when in conference or representing at court.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Kane Simons – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Kane is an approachable, quick, and creative thinker. He always develops a good rapport with the client and delivers as promised. He takes a scientific and methodical approach to work and is always on hand for support and guidance. A powerhouse in the field of personal injury.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Laprell –18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘The Chambers are a welcoming set with great expertise in personal injury, covering cases of all nature and value. They also provide great online training courses that are of great practical use.’

’18 SJS are moving up the table with some skilled individuals in high value work.’

’18SJS has counsel with strong knowledge of personal injury claims and they offer training which is in-depth and useful to solicitors.’

’18 St John offers significant strength in personal injury and have a number of highly experienced barrister who are able to offer advice at short notice. The barristers are approachable and willing to advise outside of normal channels if needed.’

‘Always approachable and willing to help.’

Clerking

‘Clerks are helpful and friendly. Katie Brown is always super responsive and efficient.’

Northern Circuit > Company and insolvency

Leading Silks

Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Jennifer is knowledgeable and approachable. She is not daunted by cases with difficult issues and limited prospects.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Northern Circuit > Professional negligence

Leading Silks

Richard Chapman KC - 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Richard is approachable and provides reasoned, commercially-focussed advice for clients. He is particularly strong at advising in relation to complex matters.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Northern Circuit > Agriculture

Leading Juniors

Christopher McNall –18 St John Street Chambers ‘His expertise in agricultural law is immense. He is really helpful and is pragmatic in his advice.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Northern Circuit > Costs

Leading Juniors

Gemma McGungle – 18 St John Street ‘Gemma has a very sound knowledge of the issue of Costs Law generally and has exceptional knowledge on Solicitor Client matters. She is a very able barrister who will give straight advice without too much hesitation.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Northern Circuit > Social housing

Leading Juniors

Oliver Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Oliver has excellent and forceful advocacy skills, he is liked and respected by the Judiciary and he is attentive, engaged and a quick-thinker.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Family and children law Tier 1

Leading Juniors: Child Law (Public and Private)

Ranked: Tier 1

Yvonne Healing - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Ranked: Tier 2

Kate Donohue - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Ranked: Tier 3

Anna Warters – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Anna is a formidable opponent and exceptional with combative litigants in person.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors: Divorce and Financial Remedy

Ranked: Tier 1

Kate Donohue - 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘Yes the set without exception are knowledgeable able and professional. I would have little difficulty in finding somebody suitable to instruct in any area of child protection law.’

‘The chambers are good and usually have counsel available. They have a good range of barristers. They also offer webinars which are helpful.’

’18 St John Street is an excellent chambers. They are brimming with talent and have a good blend of very talented senior counsel alongside very talented junior members of the team.’

‘The set of Chambers have an excellent reputation both locally and nationally. They are very well regarded and highly thought of experts in their field.’

Clerking

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Commercial litigation Tier 2

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Ranked: Tier 2

Christopher McNall –18 St John Street Chambers 'Highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable and dynamic.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘The chambers are one of the leading sets in commercial litigation in the North-West, with appropriate practitioners at all levels of seniority.’

‘Chambers is always able to find a member to assist and there is real depth in the experienced juniors.’

‘Each member is equally impressive and well-versed, both in respect of the litigation and the client-facing aspects.’

‘A quality set and is always accommodating.’

‘The barristers are personable, intelligent, diligent and readily available to offer advice and guidance.’

Clerking

‘Very well clerked commercial department. Katie Brown and Ryan Pugh do everything possible to ensure barrister of choice is available. Both a real asset to Chambers.’

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax Tier 3

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 1

Oliver Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Oliver is excellent at putting clients at ease.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Nathan Goldstein – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

‘Chambers is excellent at the senior end in the business and property department.’

‘Chambers offer a broad range of quality junior to senior tax counsel.’

‘The chambers are one of the leading sets in this area of practice in the North-West with appropriate practitioners at all levels of seniority.’

’18 St John St Chambers has an enviable pool of talent in this practice area.’

Clerking

‘Katie Brown and Ryan Pugh in the clerks room are both excellent, are always attentive and will help find counsel when needed. Two of the best clerks.’

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Clinical negligence Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Christopher Limb –18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 1

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

Set

‘The counsel in this set are efficient capable and experts in their field.’

Clerking

‘The clerks are always polite and efficient.’

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Crime (general and fraud) Tier 3

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 2

Richard Vardon – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Richard is a fantastic advocate - he is able to dissect the prosecution experts during cross-examinations.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

The criminal department offers a range of practitioners and at the senior junior level they are involved in very significant criminal cases.’

‘They all appear client focussed and assist solicitors with the necessary pre-trial preparation.’

‘Chambers are well-established in the Manchester area. The more junior members of the bar at this set seem to be up and coming.’

‘Excellent set. Impressive variety of counsel in terms of specialist areas, seniority and skill set.’

‘Chambers have a wide range of barristers who specialise in a number areas of law.’

Clerking

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Personal injury Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 1

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Laprell –18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

Set

’18 SJS are moving up the table with some skilled individuals in high value work.’

’18SJS has counsel with strong knowledge of personal injury claims and they offer training which is in-depth and useful to solicitors.’

‘Always approachable and willing to help.’

Clerking

‘Clerks are helpful and friendly. Katie Brown is always super responsive and efficient.’

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Company and insolvency

Leading Silks

Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Jennifer is knowledgeable and approachable. She is not daunted by cases with difficult issues and limited prospects.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Professional negligence

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 2

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Agriculture

Leading Juniors

Christopher McNall –18 St John Street Chambers ‘His expertise in agricultural law is immense. He is really helpful and is pragmatic in his advice.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Costs

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 1

Regional Bar > Northern Circuit > Social housing

Leading Juniors

Oliver Caplan – 18 St John Street Chambers 'Oliver has excellent and forceful advocacy skills, he is liked and respected by the Judiciary and he is attentive, engaged and a quick-thinker.'

Ranked: Tier 2

The set: 18 St John Street Chambers is one of the longest established and most well regarded sets of chambers on the Northern Circuit. Its barristers have been delivering the highest standards of advice and advocacy to clients for almost 50 years, combining the highest standards and traditions of the independent Bar with a modern and forward looking approach.

Chambers offers skilled practitioners of all ranges of seniority in each of their core departments – civil, personal injury, business and property, criminal, family law (including family finance), and tax. The strength and depth of each department is recognised by both professional and lay clients – as well as by our opponents. Chambers has a well-deserved reputation as a leading set – both in Manchester, on Northern Circuit, and nationally. Members appear in courts and tribunals across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Our ethos: The interests of our clients are at the heart of everything we do. We approach each case with firm and focused professionalism which ensures that our clients receive the best advice and service available. Our clerking teams have knowledge of their practice areas. Clients receive an efficient and effective service from the first moment they contact chambers. Every barrister provides an expert approach to cases by offering realistic advice, innovative solutions and incisive and effective advocacy.

Our services: In addition to all traditional services, 18 St John Street Chambers offers a fully accredited arbitration and mediation team, a direct access team and a full programme of training, seminars and advice sessions, including the acclaimed ‘Ask 18’ initiative. Members are frequently asked to provide specialist talks to professional bodies illustrating the level of recognised expertise.

Chambers was at the forefront of the introduction of remote working on the Northern Circuit and nationally. Chambers has state of the art conference, mediation and remote conferencing facilities.

Our members: Barristers from 18 St John St Chambers are highly sought after and frequently appear in the most complex and high profile cases in Manchester, elsewhere in the North of England, and nationally. Members are instructed at all levels of work by regional and national solicitors, business and public sector organisations, prosecuting authorities and agencies as well local and regional councils. They appear in all court arenas including the Court of Appeal, the Upper Tribunal, the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice.

In recent years chambers has expanded in every department, always ensuring that we recruit the highest quality applicants with a recognised expertise in their field of practice. The profile of chambers continues to grow with members who have recently been appointed KC and who have been appointed as District and Circuit Judges. We continue to have a large number of members who hold part-time appointments sitting in the Civil, Business and Property, and Family Courts, the First-tier Tribunal (Tax and Property Chambers), the Employment Tribunal, the Agricultural Land Tribunal for Wales, and the Residential Property Tribunal for Wales.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Head of Chambers	CHAPMAN KC, Richard (1998)	BandP@18sjs.com	0161 278 1800
Chambers Manager	Emma Bowie	EBowie@18sjs.com	0161 278 1800
Chambers Director	James Parks	JParks@18sjs.com	0161 278 1800
Senior Criminal Clerk	James Hotchin	Crime@18sjs.com	0161 278 8262
Senior PI/Clin Neg, Costs & Business and Property Clerk	Katie Brown	PI@18sjs.com	0161 278 8261
Senior Family Clerk	Camille Scott	Family@18sjs.com	0161 278 8263
Head of Criminal Department	BRADY KC, Michael (1992)	Crime@18sjs.com	0161 278 8262
Head of Family Department	CAPLAN, Leonie (2001)	Family@18sjs.com	0161 278 8263
Head of Business and Property Department	MCNALL, Dr. Christopher (2005)	BandP@18sjs.com	0161 278 8261
Head of Personal Injury Department	YOUSHANI, Elahe (2005)	PI@18sjs.com	0161 278 8261

Name	Position	Profile
Ms Farah Ahmed	Farah completed the BVC in 2005 and commenced her pupillage in 2006…	View Profile
Fergal Allen	Fergal regularly accepts instructions to act in both public law and private…	View Profile
Ms Amber Almeida	Amber has 15 years’ experience in personal injury and insurance litigation, including…	View Profile
Danish Ameen	Danish’s biggest strength is building an excellent rapport with clients. He promotes…	View Profile
Rehana Begum	Public Law (Children) – Representation of Local Authorities, Parents, and Children in…	View Profile
Ms Angela Bennett	Following completion of the BVC in 2005, Angela commenced her pupillage in…	View Profile
Samantha Birtles	Notable cases: Re: M (contact: supervision) 1998 1FLR 727; Re: P (Section…	View Profile
Mr Daniel Boal	Daniel takes instructions in a wide range of personal injury and civil…	View Profile
Mr Joshua Bowker	Joshua specialises in all areas of criminal law, and accepts instructions for…	View Profile
Ms Karen Boyle	Karen Boyle specialises in general civil work including Personal Injury, Noise Induced…	View Profile
Mr Michael Brady	Since taking Silk in March 2020 Michael has been instructed to both…	View Profile
Kate Bramall	Re F (children) (DNA evidence) (2007); [2007] EWHC 3235 (fam): [2008] 1FLR…	View Profile
Lewis Bretts	Lewis commenced pupillage in Manchester in September 2013 and is developing a…	View Profile
Ms Claire Brocklebank	Claire appears regularly at the Crown Court prosecuting and defending trials involving…	View Profile
Ms Laura Broome	Laura completed her pupillage in October 2021 under the supervision of Rachel…	View Profile
Mr Colin Buckle	Colin Buckle is a specialist criminal barrister who both prosecutes and defends…	View Profile
Daniel Calder	Daniel joined Chambers as a tenant in 2011 following successful completion of…	View Profile
Leonie Caplan	Child concern: prior to transferring to the Bar in 2001 Leonie practiced…	View Profile
Oliver Caplan	Since completing pupillage in 2011 Oliver has forged a broad Business and…	View Profile
Ms Nicola Carroll	Nicola is an established criminal practitioner with over 16 years’ experience. She…	View Profile
Miss Evonnie Chan	Evonnie specialises in all areas of family law: public (care proceedings), private…	View Profile
Mr Richard Chapman	Commercial and chancery Law, including: real property, landlord and tenant, contract, company,…	View Profile
Mr John Chukwuemeka	John is a specialist family practitioner with an emphasis in child care…	View Profile
Nicholas Clarke	Nicholas Clarke has worked in the law since 1985, qualifying as a…	View Profile
Ms Ruth Costello	Ruth specialises across the wide spectrum of Personal Injury and clinical negligence…	View Profile
Mr Jonathan Dale	Notable cases: advising litigant in person and drafting skeleton argument in Keith…	View Profile
Mr Rupert Davies	Rupert obtained a first class degree from the University of Cambridge. He…	View Profile
Mr Ben Donaldson	Ben joined chambers as a pupil in September 2021 supervised by Rehana Begum.…	View Profile
Ms Kate Donohue	Kate initially qualified as a solicitor in 2009 specialising in Family Law. …	View Profile
Ms Victoria Empson	Victoria joined Chambers in September 2017 after successfully completing pupillage under the…	View Profile
Lisa Evans	Private Law Lisa is regularly instructed to act on behalf of parents…	View Profile
Mr Andrew Evans	Andy has practiced exclusively in crime for fifteen years, prosecuting and defending…	View Profile
Miss Rachel Faux	An established criminal practice in matters of violence, drugs, dishonesty and sexual…	View Profile
Mr Neil Fawcett	Neil Fawcett practices primarily in the fields of Property, Banking and Financial…	View Profile
Mr Nathan Goldstein	General chancery and commercial law including; land law and neighbour disputes, TOLATA,…	View Profile
Mr Nathan Goldstein	General chancery and commercial law including; land law and neighbour disputes, TOLATA,…	View Profile
Miss Siobhan Grey	Siobhan Grey KC joined 18 St John Street Chambers, Manchester, in January…	View Profile
Mr Jonathan Grierson	Family law, ancillary relief, children, divorce, public law, cohabitees – relationship/property disputes.…	View Profile
Ms Georgia Griffiths	Georgia is a family law specialist, called to the Bar in October…	View Profile
Mr Nicholas Harrison	Nick conducts a mixed practice of Civil and Chancery law with particular…	View Profile
Susan Harrison	Private law Children Act (residence, contact adoption etc.); public law care proceedings;…	View Profile
Miss Yvonne Healing	Children [public law], child abduction, ancillary relief, cohabitee disputes. Notable cases: Manchester…	View Profile
Ms Betsy Hindle	Betsy joined chambers in September 2022 after completing her pupillage in October…	View Profile
David Hoffman	Commercial and chancery practitioner covering: arbitration, banking and insurance, chancery (general), construction,…	View Profile
Fiona Holloran	Children and divorce, specialising in care proceedings.	View Profile
Ian Huffer	All areas of personal injury litigation including high value claims, road traffic…	View Profile
Ms Jocelyn Hughes	Jocelyn was called to the Bar in 2015. Prior to practising as…	View Profile
Mr Jonathan Jackson	Jonathan joined the Family Team of 18 St John Street Chambers in…	View Profile
Soria Kajue	Public and private law children for local authorities, parents and guardians; ancillary…	View Profile
Ms Yasmin Kauser	Yasmin is a Family Law specialist, and practices exclusively in all areas of family…	View Profile
Vanessa Lau	Family law: Children Act section 8 proceedings; care proceedings. Criminal law; prosecuting…	View Profile
Ms Pauline Le Tixerant	Pauline joined Chambers as a tenant following a successful Business & Property…	View Profile
Ms Niamh McGinty	Niamh specialises in all areas of criminal law, welcoming instructions for both…	View Profile
Gemma McGungle	Gemma has had experience of a wide civil practice with an emphasis…	View Profile
Christopher McNall	After undergraduate and graduate legal studies in Oxford and Poland, Christopher taught…	View Profile
Mr James Miller	James is a specialist costs and litigation funding barrister. He is a…	View Profile
Stephen Murray	Family law (matrimonial finance, cohabitee disputes, private law children, applications under the…	View Profile
Ms Zara Nawaz	Zara joined chambers as a pupil in September 2021, with Fergal Allen as her…	View Profile
Miss Jennifer Newstead-Taylor	Jennifer Newstead Taylor specialises in Business and Property with a specific emphasis…	View Profile
Ms Hannah Phoenix	Hannah joined Chambers in September 2017 having successfully completed a family law…	View Profile
Mr James Preece	Before being called to the Bar, James spent time developing his experience…	View Profile
Ms Verity Quaite	Verity accepts instructions in all areas of crime, both prosecuting and defending.…	View Profile
Ms Victoria Roberts	Victoria joined Chambers in February 2020 as a member of the Business…	View Profile
Toby Sasse	Notable cases: R v Secretary of State for Transport and Others ex…	View Profile
Rachel Shenton	All areas of criminal law including murder, serious offences of violence, fraud,…	View Profile
Kane Simons	Kane has a broad personal injury practice, acting for both claimants and…	View Profile
Ms Martine Swinscoe	Martine started her career far from the field of Law as a…	View Profile
Laura Thomas		View Profile
Mr Paul Treble	A science graduate, Paul came to the bar via the private sector…	View Profile
Miss Elisabeth Tythcott	Elisabeth has developed a wide ranging general chancery and commercial practice during…	View Profile
Ms Ebuwa Uwubamwen	Ebuwa comes to pupillage with over a decade of experience in both…	View Profile
Richard Vardon	All areas of criminal law with particular experience and expertise in: homicide…	View Profile
Mr John Vickery	John was originally called to the Bar in 1994 and qualified as…	View Profile
Ms Sarah Wait	Sarah was called to the Bar in 2017 and joined Chambers as…	View Profile
Mr Alex Walker	Alex joined Chambers having practised in London since 2013. During this time…	View Profile
Miss Anna Warters	Anna brings to her practice a wide range of experiences gleaned from…	View Profile
Ms Olivia West	Olivia completed a specialist family law pupillage in October 2021 under the…	View Profile
Ms Emma Whelan	Emma has represented local authorities, parents and children during her time at…	View Profile
Ms Anna White	Anna joined Chambers in October 2018. Prior to being called to the…	View Profile
Dr Mike Wilkinson	Mike is a specialist in business and property law and has built…	View Profile
Dr Mike Wilkinson	Mike is a specialist in business and property law and has built…	View Profile
Ms Janice Wills	Janice has practised exclusively at the Family Bar in all aspects of…	View Profile
Ms Bethany Wilson	Private Law Beth has represented parents and children at all stages of…	View Profile
Elahe Youshani	Elahe practises exclusively in the fields of personal injury and clinical negligence,…	View Profile

CLIENT: Leigh Wright
COMPANY/FIRM: Tuckers (Crime)
TESTIMONIAL: The level of service at 18 St John Street is second to none. The barristers and clerks in the criminal department are proactive and help solve case issues. This enables instructing solicitors to concentrate on client care. Such assistance from clerks in criminal legal aid chambers is now almost unknown. We highly recommend this set for all complex criminal work due to the exceptional quality of counsel (notable mentions Nicholas Clarke and Richard Vardon) supported by the best clerking team on the North West circuit (headed by James Hotchin)

CLIENT: Peter Kaye
COMPANY/FIRM: Kuits (Chancery)
TESTIMONIAL: The main reason I have continued to use 18 St John Street is down to the level of service that I have received over a period of many years.

It starts with the assistance and support from a tremendous clerking team namely Katie Brown. We have developed a strong professional relationship of trust and I know that if I call them at any time they will provide the support that is needed not only in finding the right counsel but also on the question of fees. Over the years there has been difficult issues particularly relating to fees and we have always been able to sort out these issues sensibly and commercially, mainly because there is this long-standing relationship of trust and confidence. At the end of the day one uses a barrister’s chambers for the quality of the barristers within it. Over the years I have used many of the Counsel in the commercial section. Most notably Malcolm McEwan, Elizabeth Tythcott, Richard Chapman QC, Christopher McNall, Mike Wilkinson, Oliver Caplan, Mark Laprell, Kane Simons, Gemma McGungle to name but a few. The service I have received over the years is always excellent and what I value the most is the ability to be able to pick up the phone and speak to each counsel in a relaxed and supportive manner demonstrating the ability to work with counsel and our client as a team. Often cases involve difficult and thorny issues where the answers are not simple and straightforward and the ability to be able to talk through these issues,( often without a fee note following), emphasises the “added value” and the strength of the relationship

I therefore hope that my professional relationship with 18 SJS will continue in this vein for several years to come.

CLIENT: Catherine Woolley
COMPANY/FIRM: AFG Law (Family)
TESTIMONIAL: Our practice has been instructing counsel from 18sjs for many years. We have always been Very Impressed by the quality of service received, both from the team of barristers through to the clerks. The barristers are always very well prepared , professional and provide prompt feedback. The clerks, particularly Camille Scott and Garrick Brown, do their upmost to ensure that they are able to assist and accommodate us wherever possible.

CLIENT: M D Belfield – Director
COMPANY/FIRM: Thorneycroft Solicitors (Civil)
TESTIMONIAL: My team regularly instruct 18 St Johns Street Chambers in multi-track personal injury matters. The service provided by Chambers is prompt/friendly and that provided by Counsel, detailed and supportive of both us as instructing solicitors and lay clients, particularly where seriously injured claimants are involved where, in turn, an extra element of client care and empathy is often required. Typically, clients will have suffered extensive losses and require lengthy rehabilitation so having a supportive legal team, as I report from my experiences of Chambers, is imperative to a successful outcome.