Set Profile > St John's Chambers > Bristol, England
St John's Chambers Offices
St John's Chambers
101 VICTORIA STREET
BRISTOL
BS1 6PU
England
St John's Chambers > The Legal 500 Rankings
Western Circuit > Agriculture Tier 1
The team at St John’s Chambers is regularly instructed in cases involving contentious probate, property disputes and trusts and estates work, to name a few areas of expertise within the agricultural space. Leslie Blohm QC has an excellent reputation for handling proprietary estoppel cases. Turning to the set’s juniors, Alex Troup is very experienced in advising on inheritance disputes concerning farmland estates, while Christopher Jones is active in tenancy disputes.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘For contentious probate and disputes St John’s Chambers have a very strong team – definitely strength in depth. They were also quick off the mark in response to Covid offering email updates and Zoom webinars very quickly into the remote world/new working from home conditions – they seemed to be ahead of the rest on this.’
‘A strong set that covers a wide range of practice areas.’
Clerking
‘Very efficient.‘
‘Excellent, professional, swift and informed.‘
Western Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'an excellent contentious trust and probate set' with 'a very strong Chancery team', housing 'members who rival London counsel in ability and experience'. Leslie Blohm QC heads up the Chancery practice and has established expertise in handling high-value, complex probate and trusts cases. Oliver Wooding recently appeared in a contentious probate case, where the validity of a will was challenged on the grounds of lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence. Charles Auld is well-versed in handling cases involving contentious probate, disputed wills and Inheritance Act claims.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘St John’s Chambers has an incredible depth of talent‘.
‘The pre-eminent Chancery set in the South West, with a good depth of barristers across a range of levels of experience‘.
‘St Johns Chambers’ Chancery, Probate and Tax practice is second to none. The barristers are exceptional‘.
‘Great strength in depth‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks are very well organised and can always be relied on‘.
‘The Chancery clerks are easy to contact and reliable. Particular recognition to Paul Bennett and Simon Lyons, both of whom make contacting chambers seamless‘.
‘Paul Bennett, Simon Lyons and Rob Bocock are all exceptional clerks. They go above and beyond what is expected of them to meet our needs as a firm and offer a seamless, professional service‘.
‘The clerks are great, always courteous and responsive. Rob Bocock in particular manages his team well and is always accommodating. Paul Bennett is a safe pair of hands – very reliable‘.
‘Elizabeth Champion is prompt and well-organised. A pleasure to deal with‘.
Western Circuit > Clinical negligence Tier 1
The 'fantastic' St John's Chambers is 'a strong clinical negligence set', housing members with strength in handling a range of defendant and claimant work. The 'very talented' Justin Valentine is regularly instructed in claims involving neonatal and birth injuries, and Marcus Coates-Walker has 'a solid understanding of the law relating to clinical negligence'. Robert Mills is 'wise beyond his year of call' and is particularly sought after for his expertise in dental cases. In August 2021 Vanessa McKinlay moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘St John’s Chambers has a second-to-none clinical negligence team‘.
‘A very friendly set‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks provide a first class service. Nothing is too much trouble‘.
‘Annette Bushell, Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire are brilliant clerks responsible for the clinical negligence team, and will always help find available counsel. They will always go above and beyond to assist‘.
‘Adam Marston is excellent‘.
Western Circuit > Commercial litigation Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'a go-to set' for commercial litigation in the region and stands out for its 'excellent strength in depth', in the words of instructing solicitors. Leslie Blohm QC handles a range of contractual disputes, while the 'thorough and bright' James Pearce-Smith, who heads up the practice, acts for claimants and defendants across a broad spectrum of commercial litigation. The set is also home to Charlie Newington-Bridges, who is representing the claimant in a dispute concerning financing arrangements concerning several classic Aston Martin cars, including a rare DB4 worth over £1.5m.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘An excellent set‘.
‘High quality counsel‘.
Clerking
‘An accomplished clerking team‘.
‘Excellent. Friendly, efficient and always helpful‘.
‘Simon Lyons and Elizabeth Champion maintain high standards of service‘.
‘Simon Lyons is very personable and a strong communicator‘.
Western Circuit > Court of Protection and community care Tier 1
At St John’s Chambers, Alex Troup and Oliver Wooding have been kept busy handling cases involving issues of mental capacity arising from diagnoses of dementia, health and welfare matters, and property and affairs disputes. Troup is also noted for his expertise in contested lasting power of attorney and deputyship applications.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘The set is very able.’
Clerking
‘Excellent.’
Western Circuit > Family and children law Tier 1
'Excellent set' St John's Chambers is 'a go-to chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers across the board in the arena of family law'. Christopher Sharp QC's 'cross-examination skills are second to none'; he has extensive expertise in high-value financial remedy claims and care cases involving serious injuries and abuse. Head of chambers Susan Hunter is sought after for her experience across the range of children law matters. The 'very user-friendly' Abigail Bond heads the children law team, and recently represented a profoundly deaf mother, who had no formal language, in complex care proceedings, retaining care of the child. Zoë Saunders, who leads the family finance group, is 'a strong advocate who provides firm-but-fair, realistic advice'.
Leading Silks: Child Law (Public and Private)
Leading Silks: Divorce and Financial Remedy
Leading Juniors: Child Law (Public and Private)
Leading Juniors: Divorce and Financial Remedy
Testimonials
Set
‘There is a range of strong counsel for all levels of cases‘.
‘The set is very strong in family law‘.
‘The quality of the family barristers at St John’s Chambers is excellent‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks bend over backwards to ensure that someone suitable is available‘.
‘Luke Hodgson and Elaine Jewell-Moore are incredibly helpful and always go the extra mile‘.
‘Elaine Jewell-Moore is very thorough in her responses and well versed in the needs of a local authority‘.
‘Luke Hodgson has a real can-do attitude and will move heaven and earth to help make diaries work‘.
‘Luke Hodgson seems to have a very valuable knack of matching the right counsel to the right solicitor and the right case‘.
Western Circuit > Inquests and inquiries Tier 1
In the inquests and inquiries space, recent instructions for St John's Chambers' team include acting for the families of the deceased, local health boards, prisons, and care homes. Tom Leeper sits as a deputy coroner and regularly acts in inquests pertaining to deaths in hospitals, workplaces and custodial settings. Marcus Coates-Walker is active in inquests concerning healthcare provision. In August 2021 Emma Zeb moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Chambers has strength-in-depth in terms of counsel who are experienced and knowledgeable in coronial law.’
‘Chambers has an on-going training programme covering topics relevant to coronial law, inquests and inquiries. St John’s Chambers has great strength in depth in all areas of the law in which me and my team practice. The barristers we wish to instruct are usually available and all are very approachable. During lockdown the webinar training programmes offered by chambers have been second to none.’
‘St John’s is a big name in the South West.’
Clerking
‘Adam Marston, in particular, is incredibly helpful and brilliant to deal with.’
‘The clerks are great – particularly Adam Marston who has a quick response time and always seems to meet my needs.’
‘Annette Bushell is charming and efficient, with skills developed through years of experience. I have also found Hugh Maguire to be a very helpful individual and pleasant to deal with. You feel that an effort is being made to provide a good service.’
Western Circuit > Costs
Leading Juniors
Western Circuit > Licensing
Leading Juniors
Western Circuit > Personal injury Tier 1
St John's Chambers houses 'a comprehensive set of barristers in its personal injury team', which is praised by clients for its 'strength in depth'. Christopher Sharp QC stands out as being 'very experienced in complex, high-value personal injury matters'. Andrew McLaughlin is a 'hugely impressive trial advocate', and successfully acted for the defendant in Walkden v Drayton Manor Park, involving a £1.6m claim being brought against the park by a former managing director which was dismissed on the grounds of the claimant's fundamental dishonesty. In another matter, Matthew White successfully represented a woman who fell over a tree root before the Court of Appeal in the high-profile case of Barlow v Wigan MBC; issues in the case included if the pavement was covered by the Highways Act 1980. In August 2021 Emma Zeb moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘A good range of talented barristers‘.
‘A solid set‘.
Clerking
‘Adam Marston is super. He is helpful, on the ball, reliable, knowledgeable and gets the job done‘.
‘Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire are both extremely responsive and very easy to deal with‘.
‘Annette Bushell, Hugh Maguire and Adam Marston are superb – they provide an efficient and friendly can-do service‘.
‘Hugh Maguire is very helpful and personable – a real asset‘.
Western Circuit > Professional negligence Tier 1
At St John's Chambers, the 'very knowledgeable' James Pearce-Smith is praised for his 'careful, thorough and well considered advice' and receives a steady stream of predominantly claimant work brought against architects, solicitors, surveyors and other professionals. John Dickinson is regularly instructed in cases relating to the banking and accountancy sectors. James Marwick has solid expertise in advising on claims regarding solicitors, while Joss Knight acts for defendants in a wide range of professional negligence disputes.
Leading Juniors
Western Circuit > Property and construction Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'the strongest chambers in the South West for property work', according to a client. Leslie Blohm QC has an established track record in representing clients in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in cases regarding easements and boundary disputes, to name a couple of areas of expertise. Christopher Jones heads the property team and fields expertise in landlord and tenant disputes. John Sharples acted in the case of Scott v Bridge, which involved issues of mistaken gifts and invalid transfers of land.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Clerking
‘Simon Lyons is a customer-focused clerk, who manages diaries and fees in an approachable and friendly way‘.
‘The clerks are always super responsive and easy to work with‘.
‘Elizabeth Champion is friendly and responsive‘.
Western Circuit > Company and insolvency Tier 2
The ‘very strong‘ St John’s Chambers has been kept especially busy handling an ongoing, steady workflow of instructions involving unfair prejudice petitions, enforcement of restrictive covenants and shareholder/director disputes. The ‘practical‘ Nicholas Pointon is very experienced in advising on company disputes, and regularly handles unfair prejudice petitions. Recent highlights included Charlie Newington-Bridges successfully representing the applicant in a High Court s125 Companies Act 2006 application, which involved rectifying a company’s register of members following the death of the company’s sole shareholder and director; the company’s articles did not allow the applicants, who were the named executors of the estate, to appoint any directors.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘There has always been availability when I have booked counsel for either conferences or hearings. St Johns Chambers is a relatively large set and in my experience where one barrister was unavailable, I was provided with alternative Counsel with an appropriate level of experience to deal with the case.’
‘A chambers with a good clerking team and a wide depth of speciality.’
‘A really strong set. Takes a commercial approach and are easy to deal with from the clerks room to the members.’
Clerking
‘We have found Simon Lyons to be particularly helpful.’
‘Very responsive and helpful clerks.’
‘I find the civil clerks to be very responsive, friendly and helpful. I mainly dealt with Simon Lyons who was very approachable.’
‘Rob Bocock leads a great team: Elizabeth Champion, Simon Lyons and Paul Bennett. Really responsive.’
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Agriculture Tier 1
The team at St John’s Chambers is regularly instructed in cases involving contentious probate, property disputes and trusts and estates work, to name a few areas of expertise within the agricultural space. Leslie Blohm QC has an excellent reputation for handling proprietary estoppel cases. Turning to the set’s juniors, Alex Troup is very experienced in advising on inheritance disputes concerning farmland estates, while Christopher Jones is active in tenancy disputes.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘For contentious probate and disputes St John’s Chambers have a very strong team – definitely strength in depth. They were also quick off the mark in response to Covid offering email updates and Zoom webinars very quickly into the remote world/new working from home conditions – they seemed to be ahead of the rest on this.’
‘A strong set that covers a wide range of practice areas.’
Clerking
‘Very efficient.‘
‘Excellent, professional, swift and informed.‘
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Chancery, probate, and tax Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'an excellent contentious trust and probate set' with 'a very strong Chancery team', housing 'members who rival London counsel in ability and experience'. Leslie Blohm QC heads up the Chancery practice and has established expertise in handling high-value, complex probate and trusts cases. Oliver Wooding recently appeared in a contentious probate case, where the validity of a will was challenged on the grounds of lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence. Charles Auld is well-versed in handling cases involving contentious probate, disputed wills and Inheritance Act claims.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘St John’s Chambers has an incredible depth of talent‘.
‘The pre-eminent Chancery set in the South West, with a good depth of barristers across a range of levels of experience‘.
‘St Johns Chambers’ Chancery, Probate and Tax practice is second to none. The barristers are exceptional‘.
‘Great strength in depth‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks are very well organised and can always be relied on‘.
‘The Chancery clerks are easy to contact and reliable. Particular recognition to Paul Bennett and Simon Lyons, both of whom make contacting chambers seamless‘.
‘Paul Bennett, Simon Lyons and Rob Bocock are all exceptional clerks. They go above and beyond what is expected of them to meet our needs as a firm and offer a seamless, professional service‘.
‘The clerks are great, always courteous and responsive. Rob Bocock in particular manages his team well and is always accommodating. Paul Bennett is a safe pair of hands – very reliable‘.
‘Elizabeth Champion is prompt and well-organised. A pleasure to deal with‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Clinical negligence Tier 1
The 'fantastic' St John's Chambers is 'a strong clinical negligence set', housing members with strength in handling a range of defendant and claimant work. The 'very talented' Justin Valentine is regularly instructed in claims involving neonatal and birth injuries, and Marcus Coates-Walker has 'a solid understanding of the law relating to clinical negligence'. Robert Mills is 'wise beyond his year of call' and is particularly sought after for his expertise in dental cases. In August 2021 Vanessa McKinlay moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘St John’s Chambers has a second-to-none clinical negligence team‘.
‘A very friendly set‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks provide a first class service. Nothing is too much trouble‘.
‘Annette Bushell, Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire are brilliant clerks responsible for the clinical negligence team, and will always help find available counsel. They will always go above and beyond to assist‘.
‘Adam Marston is excellent‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Commercial litigation Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'a go-to set' for commercial litigation in the region and stands out for its 'excellent strength in depth', in the words of instructing solicitors. Leslie Blohm QC handles a range of contractual disputes, while the 'thorough and bright' James Pearce-Smith, who heads up the practice, acts for claimants and defendants across a broad spectrum of commercial litigation. The set is also home to Charlie Newington-Bridges, who is representing the claimant in a dispute concerning financing arrangements concerning several classic Aston Martin cars, including a rare DB4 worth over £1.5m.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘An excellent set‘.
‘High quality counsel‘.
Clerking
‘An accomplished clerking team‘.
‘Excellent. Friendly, efficient and always helpful‘.
‘Simon Lyons and Elizabeth Champion maintain high standards of service‘.
‘Simon Lyons is very personable and a strong communicator‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Court of Protection and community care Tier 1
At St John’s Chambers, Alex Troup and Oliver Wooding have been kept busy handling cases involving issues of mental capacity arising from diagnoses of dementia, health and welfare matters, and property and affairs disputes. Troup is also noted for his expertise in contested lasting power of attorney and deputyship applications.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘The set is very able.’
Clerking
‘Excellent.’
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Family and children law Tier 1
'Excellent set' St John's Chambers is 'a go-to chambers in the South West for hard working, knowledgeable and good quality barristers across the board in the arena of family law'. Christopher Sharp QC's 'cross-examination skills are second to none'; he has extensive expertise in high-value financial remedy claims and care cases involving serious injuries and abuse. Head of chambers Susan Hunter is sought after for her experience across the range of children law matters. The 'very user-friendly' Abigail Bond heads the children law team, and recently represented a profoundly deaf mother, who had no formal language, in complex care proceedings, retaining care of the child. Zoë Saunders, who leads the family finance group, is 'a strong advocate who provides firm-but-fair, realistic advice'.
Leading Silks: Child Law (Public and Private)
Leading Silks: Divorce and Financial Remedy
Leading Juniors: Child Law (Public and Private)
Leading Juniors: Divorce and Financial Remedy
Testimonials
Set
‘There is a range of strong counsel for all levels of cases‘.
‘The set is very strong in family law‘.
‘The quality of the family barristers at St John’s Chambers is excellent‘.
Clerking
‘The clerks bend over backwards to ensure that someone suitable is available‘.
‘Luke Hodgson and Elaine Jewell-Moore are incredibly helpful and always go the extra mile‘.
‘Elaine Jewell-Moore is very thorough in her responses and well versed in the needs of a local authority‘.
‘Luke Hodgson has a real can-do attitude and will move heaven and earth to help make diaries work‘.
‘Luke Hodgson seems to have a very valuable knack of matching the right counsel to the right solicitor and the right case‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Inquests and inquiries Tier 1
In the inquests and inquiries space, recent instructions for St John's Chambers' team include acting for the families of the deceased, local health boards, prisons, and care homes. Tom Leeper sits as a deputy coroner and regularly acts in inquests pertaining to deaths in hospitals, workplaces and custodial settings. Marcus Coates-Walker is active in inquests concerning healthcare provision. In August 2021 Emma Zeb moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Chambers has strength-in-depth in terms of counsel who are experienced and knowledgeable in coronial law.’
‘Chambers has an on-going training programme covering topics relevant to coronial law, inquests and inquiries. St John’s Chambers has great strength in depth in all areas of the law in which me and my team practice. The barristers we wish to instruct are usually available and all are very approachable. During lockdown the webinar training programmes offered by chambers have been second to none.’
‘St John’s is a big name in the South West.’
Clerking
‘Adam Marston, in particular, is incredibly helpful and brilliant to deal with.’
‘The clerks are great – particularly Adam Marston who has a quick response time and always seems to meet my needs.’
‘Annette Bushell is charming and efficient, with skills developed through years of experience. I have also found Hugh Maguire to be a very helpful individual and pleasant to deal with. You feel that an effort is being made to provide a good service.’
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Costs
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Licensing
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Personal injury Tier 1
St John's Chambers houses 'a comprehensive set of barristers in its personal injury team', which is praised by clients for its 'strength in depth'. Christopher Sharp QC stands out as being 'very experienced in complex, high-value personal injury matters'. Andrew McLaughlin is a 'hugely impressive trial advocate', and successfully acted for the defendant in Walkden v Drayton Manor Park, involving a £1.6m claim being brought against the park by a former managing director which was dismissed on the grounds of the claimant's fundamental dishonesty. In another matter, Matthew White successfully represented a woman who fell over a tree root before the Court of Appeal in the high-profile case of Barlow v Wigan MBC; issues in the case included if the pavement was covered by the Highways Act 1980. In August 2021 Emma Zeb moved to Gatehouse Chambers.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘A good range of talented barristers‘.
‘A solid set‘.
Clerking
‘Adam Marston is super. He is helpful, on the ball, reliable, knowledgeable and gets the job done‘.
‘Adam Marston and Hugh Maguire are both extremely responsive and very easy to deal with‘.
‘Annette Bushell, Hugh Maguire and Adam Marston are superb – they provide an efficient and friendly can-do service‘.
‘Hugh Maguire is very helpful and personable – a real asset‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Professional negligence Tier 1
At St John's Chambers, the 'very knowledgeable' James Pearce-Smith is praised for his 'careful, thorough and well considered advice' and receives a steady stream of predominantly claimant work brought against architects, solicitors, surveyors and other professionals. John Dickinson is regularly instructed in cases relating to the banking and accountancy sectors. James Marwick has solid expertise in advising on claims regarding solicitors, while Joss Knight acts for defendants in a wide range of professional negligence disputes.
Leading Juniors
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Property and construction Tier 1
St John's Chambers is 'the strongest chambers in the South West for property work', according to a client. Leslie Blohm QC has an established track record in representing clients in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in cases regarding easements and boundary disputes, to name a couple of areas of expertise. Christopher Jones heads the property team and fields expertise in landlord and tenant disputes. John Sharples acted in the case of Scott v Bridge, which involved issues of mistaken gifts and invalid transfers of land.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Clerking
‘Simon Lyons is a customer-focused clerk, who manages diaries and fees in an approachable and friendly way‘.
‘The clerks are always super responsive and easy to work with‘.
‘Elizabeth Champion is friendly and responsive‘.
Regional Bar > Western Circuit > Company and insolvency Tier 2
The ‘very strong‘ St John’s Chambers has been kept especially busy handling an ongoing, steady workflow of instructions involving unfair prejudice petitions, enforcement of restrictive covenants and shareholder/director disputes. The ‘practical‘ Nicholas Pointon is very experienced in advising on company disputes, and regularly handles unfair prejudice petitions. Recent highlights included Charlie Newington-Bridges successfully representing the applicant in a High Court s125 Companies Act 2006 application, which involved rectifying a company’s register of members following the death of the company’s sole shareholder and director; the company’s articles did not allow the applicants, who were the named executors of the estate, to appoint any directors.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘There has always been availability when I have booked counsel for either conferences or hearings. St Johns Chambers is a relatively large set and in my experience where one barrister was unavailable, I was provided with alternative Counsel with an appropriate level of experience to deal with the case.’
‘A chambers with a good clerking team and a wide depth of speciality.’
‘A really strong set. Takes a commercial approach and are easy to deal with from the clerks room to the members.’
Clerking
‘We have found Simon Lyons to be particularly helpful.’
‘Very responsive and helpful clerks.’
‘I find the civil clerks to be very responsive, friendly and helpful. I mainly dealt with Simon Lyons who was very approachable.’
‘Rob Bocock leads a great team: Elizabeth Champion, Simon Lyons and Paul Bennett. Really responsive.’
St John's Chambers > Set Profile
St John’s Chambers is one of the largest and most prestigious barristers’ sets in the South West, with 8 silks and 74 juniors attracting high-quality work in all major areas of civil law. We were voted ‘Regional Set of the Year 2018’ by Legal 500 and ‘Chambers of the Year 2018‘ by Bristol Law Society; these awards endorse our position as a stand-out national set. Chambers has recently been shortlisted ‘Regional Set of the Year’ by Chambers UK Bar Awards 2020.
We demonstrate excellence and innovation in the provision of legal services having been involved in a number of landmark decisions in the High Court and Court of Appeal. The leading directories describe us as a ‘Western Circuit Powerhouse’ (Legal 500) and ‘Like having London-quality barristers on your doorstep.’ (Chambers UK).
Our stand-out legal expertise is evidenced by the number of our members who go on to distinguished service in the judiciary. Within the team we have five Recorders, one fee-paid Judge of the Upper Tier Tribunal, two High Court Judges, three Deputy District Judges, an Assistant Deputy Coroner and two members on the Attorney General list.
Our commitment
Whether you are a law firm, a business, a public sector organisation or a private individual, you can be sure you will receive legal expertise and client care of the very highest standards from St John’s. Our barristers are described by peers as easy to work with and committed to delivering quality advice on time. They will prepare the strongest possible case and keep all parties informed at every stage. As part of our commitment to our clients, we make sure all communications are timely, clear and concise.
Our clients
Our client base includes regional and national law firms, representing and advising prominent businesses and private individuals. We also provide advice and representation under the public access scheme to members of the public and individual professionals and executives such as planning consultants, managing directors and doctors. Read more.
Areas of work
We have top tier expertise in: agriculture & rural affairs, clinical negligence, commercial, construction & engineering, Court of Protection, employment, family & divorce, health & safety, inquests & public inquiries, international arbitration, licensing, personal injury, planning, professional negligence, public & administrative law, real estate, tax, and wills & trusts.
Mediation
For cases where mediation is appropriate, we have a team of 26 qualified mediators available to assist in the capacity of adviser, advocate or mediator.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executive | Derek Jenkins | ||
| Head of Marketing & Events | Sarah Sands | ||
| Office manager | Isabelle Mills | ||
| Key clerking contacts | Rob Bocock (commercial and Chancery) | ||
| Key clerking contacts | Luke Hodgson (family) | ||
| Key clerking contacts | Annette Bushell (personal injury and clinical negligence) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SHARP QC, Christopher (1975) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BLOHM QC, Leslie (1982) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WILSON-SMITH QC, Christopher (1965)* | ||
| Members of Chambers | ORNSBY QC, Suzanne (1986)* | ||
| Members of Chambers | PHILLIPS QC, Matthew (1993) | ||
| Members of Chambers | GODWIN QC, William (1986)* | ||
| Members of Chambers | O'SULLIVAN QC, Derek (1990)* | ||
| Members of Chambers | BLACKMORE, John (1983) | ||
| Members of Chambers | STEAD, Richard (1979) | ||
| Members of Chambers | NEILL, Robin (1979) | ||
| Members of Chambers | AULD, Charles (1980) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WADSLEY, Peter (1984) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HUNTER, Susan (1985) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MILLER, Nick (1994) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MORGAN, Simon (1988) | ||
| Members of Chambers | LEEPER, Tom (1991) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SHARPLES, John (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MARTIN, Dianne (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | LIGHT, Prof Roy (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | McLAUGHLIN, Andrew (1993) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PHILLIMORE, Sarah (1994) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PEARCE-SMITH, James (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DICKINSON, John (1995) | ||
| Members of Chambers | EVANS, Judi (1996) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WHITE, Matthew (1997) | ||
| Members of Chambers | O'REGAN, Matthew (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HARRISON, Graeme (1997) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HORNE, Julian (1998) | ||
| Members of Chambers | TROUP, Alex (1998) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BOND, Abigail (1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | VALENTINE, Justin (1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | THORNTON, Delia (1999} | ||
| Members of Chambers | HUSSAIN, Zahid (2001) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RUSSELL, Rachel (2001) | ||
| Members of Chambers | REED, Lucy (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ELFORD, Caroline (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BELYAVIN, Julia (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SAUNDERS, Zoe (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | TAYLOR, Rebecca (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | JONES, Christopher (2004) | ||
| Members of Chambers | LEWIS, Darren (2004) | ||
| Members of Chambers | COMMINS, Andrew (2004) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ATKINSON, Jody (2005) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Asprey, Louise (2007) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WEST, Patrick (2007) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HANDY, Ben (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PIKE, Olivia (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BARBER, Jimmy (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MARWICK, James (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CLARKE, Michael (2009) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WOODING, Oliver (2009) | ||
| Members of Chambers | NORMAN, Richard (2009) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DZAMEH, Natasha (2010) | ||
| Members of Chambers | NEWINGTON-BRIDGES, Charlie (2011) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HUGHES, James (2011) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BOYLE, Adam (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HARRIS, Jack (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | COATES-WALKER, Marcus (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | GROVES, Asha (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SEGAL, Rachel (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MILLS, Robert (2014) | ||
| Members of Chambers | KNIGHT, Joss (2014) | ||
| Members of Chambers | LARGE, Iain (2016) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Scarsbrook, Bethany (2014) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RILEY, Oliver (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Smith-Holland, SOPHIE (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Dudbridge, HARRIET (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Soar, Daniel (2016) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Sampson, ANNIE (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Lindfield, JONATHAN (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Thompson, GEORGINA (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Jones, RHODRI (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Morton, Dominik (2018) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Forster, DAVID (2018) | ||
| Members of Chambers | Pearson, Kate (2019) |
Barrister Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Louise Asprey | View Profile | |
|
Jody Atkinson | Specialises in family, financial disputes (including divorce, cohabitation and child support), court… | View Profile |
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Charles Auld | View Profile | |
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Jimmy Barber | View Profile | |
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Julia Belyavin | Julia specialises in family law and her practice encompasses all areas within… | View Profile |
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John Blackmore | Barrister specialising in all areas of commercial litigation. Boasts particular expertise and… | View Profile |
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Leslie Blohm | Chancery and commercial practitioner with a strong emphasis on property law. Real… | View Profile |
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Abigail Bond | Family law barrister with a particular interest in care proceedings. | View Profile |
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Adam Boyle | Adam is a specialist Commercial and Chancery barrister. His practice covers a… | View Profile |
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Michael Clarke | Michael has a commercial and chancery practice. His particular areas of expertise… | View Profile |
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Marcus Coates-Walker | View Profile | |
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Andrew Commins | Andrew is a family law barrister specialising in all matters of family… | View Profile |
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John Dickinson | John specialises in chancery and commercial litigation. John’s chancery practice includes contentious… | View Profile |
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Harriet Dudbridge | Harriet has joined chambers after her completion of pupillage under the supervision… | View Profile |
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Natasha Dzameh | Natasha has been described in the legal directories as someone who has “a… | View Profile |
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Caroline Elford | View Profile | |
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Judi Evans | Barrister specialising in planning, local government, environment and licensing law, as well… | View Profile |
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David Forster | David is a member of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams, and joined Chambers following… | View Profile |
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Asha Groves | View Profile | |
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Ben Handy | Chambers’ Head of Pupillage, Ben is an experienced personal injury barrister specialising… | View Profile |
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Jack Harris | Jack is recognised in Chambers & Partners as a specialist family barrister.… | View Profile |
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Graeme Harrison | View Profile | |
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Julian Horne | Barrister specialising in personal injury, product liability, property damage, insurance, commercial and… | View Profile |
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James Hughes | James is a specialist personal injury and clinical negligence practitioner. He has… | View Profile |
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Jacqueline Humphreys | Call: 1994 | View Profile |
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Susan Hunter | Susan has over 20 years’ experience working in family law at all… | View Profile |
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Zahid Hussain | Specialist family law practitioner; undertakes all aspects of private and public Children’s… | View Profile |
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Christopher Jones | Christopher is a chancery and commercial specialist with particular emphasis on trust… | View Profile |
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Rhodri Jones | Rhodri is a member of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence teams. He joined Chambers… | View Profile |
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Joss Knight | View Profile | |
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Iain Large | View Profile | |
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Tim Leader | View Profile | |
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Tom Leeper | Practises on the western circuit exclusively in clinical negligence, inquests and personal… | View Profile |
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Darren Lewis | Darren has a specialist PI multi-track and fast-track personal injury practice with… | View Profile |
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Prof Roy Light | Prof Light enjoys a national reputation for the quality of his work.… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Lindfield | Jonathan has a specialised practice covering all aspects of Personal Injury and… | View Profile |
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Dianne Martin | Specialist family practitioner: Dianne practises across the spectrum of family work with… | View Profile |
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James Marwick | View Profile | |
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Andrew Mclaughlin | Talented and popular practitioner. Known for his ability to provide swift and… | View Profile |
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Nick Miller | Formerly a solicitor, Nick has specialised in family law, exclusively financial cases,… | View Profile |
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Robert Mills | Robert is a clinical negligence specialist, acting for both claimants and defendants.… | View Profile |
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Ryan Morgan | Ryan accepts instructions in all areas of family law with a particular… | View Profile |
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Simon Morgan | Senior member of chambers specialising in regulatory matters and serious crime. Significant… | View Profile |
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Dominik Morton | View Profile | |
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Robin Neill | Robin is a highly experienced lawyer, bringing with him the twin benefits… | View Profile |
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Charlie Newington-bridges | Charlie undertakes a wide range of commercial and chancery work in litigation,… | View Profile |
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Richard Norman | Richard practises in family law and is a member of the family… | View Profile |
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Mr Matthew O'Regan | Competition, regulatory and EU law specialist. Practice covers all aspects of UK… | View Profile |
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James Pearce-smith | Barrister specialising in commercial and chancery litigation. Areas of practice: commercial contract… | View Profile |
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Kate Pearson | View Profile | |
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Sarah Phillimore | Undertakes public and private law children applications. Sarah is registered with the… | View Profile |
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Olivia Pike | Olivia is a family law barrister, specialising in public and private law… | View Profile |
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Lucy Reed | Lucy is a family law specialist and has practiced in family law throughout… | View Profile |
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Oliver Riley | Oliver is a family barrister and accepts instructions in all areas of… | View Profile |
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Rachel Russell | Specialist personal injury practitioner. Busy practice acting for both claimants (on a… | View Profile |
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Annie Sampson | Annie’s broad commercial and chancery practice encompasses wills and trusts work, real… | View Profile |
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Zoe Saunders | Zoë is a specialist family law barrister and mediator, and completed her… | View Profile |
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Bethany Scarsbrook | View Profile | |
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Rachel Segal | View Profile | |
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Christopher Sharp | A personal injury and family law specialist with many years experience, who… | View Profile |
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John Sharples | Barrister specialising in all areas of real property and landlord and tenant… | View Profile |
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Sophie Smith-Holland | Sophie is a specialist family law practitioner with a thriving junior practice… | View Profile |
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Daniel Soar | View Profile | |
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Richard Stead | One of Chambers most senior practitioners, Richard Stead has an extensive practice… | View Profile |
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Rebecca Taylor | Experienced civil practitioner, with specialisms in civil fraud, construction, and personal injury. | View Profile |
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Georgina Thompson | Georgina is a member of the Commercial and Chancery team. She joined… | View Profile |
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Delia Thornton | Specialises in family law and deals with a wide range of public… | View Profile |
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Alex Troup | Practises in the chancery field with a particularly strong expertise in property… | View Profile |
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Justin Valentine | Justin specialises in clinical negligence and personal injury litigation. He undertakes all… | View Profile |
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Peter Wadsley | Barrister specialising in planning and local government law, environment law and licensing.… | View Profile |
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Patrick West | Practises in all areas of personal injury work for both claimants and… | View Profile |
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Matthew White | Matthew routinely deals with all aspects of personal injury litigation for both… | View Profile |
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Oliver Wooding | Chancery practitioner and mediator focussing on contentious and non-contentious probate and inheritance… | View Profile |
Diversity
St John’s Chambers is committed to celebrating and advancing Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing at the Bar.
Inclusivity and fairness are of paramount importance to us. We truly believe that the Bar should be populated by those with the requisite gifts, regardless of their background or the challenges which life may have placed in their path.
We provide a working culture in which all our barristers and staff are treated with dignity and respect. We benefit from an environment where our colleagues feel comfortable to be themselves and do their best work. As a result we have twice been nominated in the Legal Cheek Awards: in 2020 for ‘Best Chambers for Colleague Supportiveness’, and in 2021 for ‘Best Chambers for Work-Life Balance’.
St John’s Chambers understands diversity at the Bar is an issue which requires the work and attention of far more than just one Chambers, however we are determined to do everything in our power to lead from the front on this very important matter. It is an issue which should be close to the heart of everyone interested in justice and fairness.
As part of our continued commitment to promoting diversity we have instigated the following:
- Mini-Pupillage: As part of the Western Circuit’s ‘BarNone’ initiative we have pledged to offer 50% of mini-pupillages to applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Mentoring: We are also signatories to the ‘BarNone’ mentoring scheme, providing guidance and support to aspiring barristers from underrepresented backgrounds.
- Internships: We are proud to be part of the Bar’s inaugural programme with 10,000 Black Interns which starts in Summer 2022, along with organisations such as Matrix Chambers, Keating, Littleton, and Bridging the Bar. Through this scheme we will be offering paid work experience in Chambers.
- Secondary School outreach: We are part of the Bar Council’s outreach program, as well as offering work experience placements to Year 10 students in the Bristol / South Gloucestershire / BANES catchment area.
- Pupillage applications: Before written applications for pupillage are assessed we redact data indicative of sex and ethnic background in order to limit the scope for unconscious bias. We are also proud to be one of the few chambers to redact the identity of the university and school our applicants attended. All applicants are marked according to measurable and transparent criteria based on key competencies. For more information take a look at our pupillage policy here.
- Bar E-Mentoring Scheme: Visit this page.
- Webinars: We have put in place a program of webinars promoting equal opportunities for underrepresented groups.
- New Pupils: We have a ‘buddy’ system for our pupils so that they have someone other than their supervisor to speak to about welfare issues.
- Barrister and staff recruitment: All of those involved in the recruitment at St John’s Chambers are offered regular Fair Recruitment and Selection training.
- Work allocation: All of our clerks are offered fair distribution of work training.
- Flexible working and parental Leave: We have a generous parental leave policy in place to support our members who become parents whether through pregnancy, surrogacy, or adoption. In addition, we also have a policy in place to support our members to work flexibly where they need or choose to do so.
- Wellbeing: St John’s Chambers was one of the first Sets to be awarded the Bar Council Wellbeing at the Bar Certification. St John’s is also a member of Bristol City Council Wellbeing Charter.
Data Diversity Information
Under the terms of the Bar Standards Board’s Equality and Diversity Provisions of the Code of Conduct, each set of barristers’ Chambers is required to collect diversity data from barristers and Chambers’ staff. This data is updated annually and will be published in July 2021.
If you have any comments or suggestions relating to how we could improve our offering on this front, please do not hesitate to contact the Data Diversity Officer Isabelle Mills with your suggestions.
Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Simon Care, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Berry Smith
TESTIMONIAL: “St John’s is an excellent set of chambers with a deservedly strong reputation. Chambers offer a wide range of barristers with varying levels of expertise; this means that St John’s is our ‘go-to’ chambers for all levels of chancery, commercial, and property matters. We are confident when instructing Counsel at St John’s that the matter is in safe hands, and that the advice received will be consistently clear, comprehensive, and informative. Additionally, the clerks are approachable, helpful, and efficient; and are always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that an excellent service is provided.”
CLIENT: Maeve England, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Mogers Drewett
TESTIMONIAL: “St John’s Chambers in Bristol is our go-to set for property and commercial disputes. This is a standout, excellent set with great strength in depth, ably supported by an efficient and responsive team of clerks. I cannot overstate the role of the clerks team, whose whole approach is to make things as accessible and easy to use as possible. Particular strengths are their very experienced and skilled real estate litigators and their top-rate commercial team.”
CLIENT: Georgia Wookey, Associate Solicitor
COMPANY/FIRM: Wards Solicitors
TESTIMONIAL: “St Johns Chambers Wills and Trusts team is very highly regarded for inheritance and trust disputes. A number of their Wills and Trusts barristers also have excellent skills in Family, Agricultural, Court of Protection and Commercial law meaning they can handle the most complex cases which often involve cross-over expertise. The barristers I have had the pleasure to work with at every level are approachable, client friendly and experts in their field. The clerks are equally friendly and approachable and on hand to offer assistance at every stage. With such a large team of different levels of experience, cross-over expertise and years of call, there is an option for all budget levels and case types.”
CLIENT: Frances Letchford, Managing Associate
COMPANY/FIRM: Enable Law
TESTIMONIAL: “St John’s Chambers are an exceptionally professional set of barristers Chambers, with a superb clinical negligence speciality. The quality of service provided by the whole clinical negligence team is outstanding. No communication has ever been over-looked or message left unanswered and as an instructing solicitor, this is so critical. The attention to detail, strength of knowledge, ability to meet deadlines and provide high standards of work, even at very short notice is the reason I have used these chambers for many years. I know from discussions with colleagues at Enable Law, that these chambers have very many excellent clinical negligence barristers, with a wide breadth of expertise and whom my colleagues regularly instruct. I myself, have instructed several barristers at St John’s but in particular, Justin Valentine is without doubt one of the most skilful impressive barristers I have worked with”.
CLIENT: Gareth Schofield, Partner
COMPANY/FIRM: Clarke Willmott LLP
TESTIMONIAL: “I have been doing this job for far too long but have always valued both the expertise that St John’s provides in terms of its barristers and the way that it is run so as to make the process of using a barrister as painless and effective as possible. Their service levels are fantastic and take full account of all the vagaries and difficulties of family work. They have a vast range of experts in their field including in matrimonial finance, the unmarried family and child law who we both regularly use and come up against on the Western Circuit, and further afield. They have enthusiastically embraced direct access and the imaginative ways cases are now being dealt with using the “new” technology and also arbitration and mediation in all its forms and have experts to both judge and advise on these issues. I have no hesitation in recommending them for the award – it would be a very deserved accolade!”
Top Tier Set Rankings
- Regional Bar Agriculture
- Regional Bar Chancery, probate, and tax
- Regional Bar Clinical negligence
- Regional Bar Commercial litigation
- Regional Bar Court of Protection and community care
- Regional Bar Family and children law
- Regional Bar Inquests and inquiries
- Regional Bar Planning and environment
- Regional Bar Costs
- Regional Bar Licensing
- Regional Bar Personal injury
- Regional Bar Professional negligence
- Regional Bar Property and construction