Doughty Street Chambers is ‘a very strong chambers, with a breadth of practice areas and leading practitioners in the Court of Protection field’. Aswini Weereratne KC has extensive experience of representing clients with mental health and capacity issues and is known for her ’calmness in negotiations and discussions both inside and outside court’. Jamie Burton KC is currently handling a judicial review related to the treatment of an autistic man with learning difficulties, who was allegedly detained in a small room with no access to recreation and outside space. ‘Exceptional barrister’ Ulele Burnham regularly acts on behalf of protected parties and garners praises for her ’measured and to the point advocacy’. Leonie Hirst was appointed as Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Immigration and Asylum Chamber in September 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks go above and beyond to find a suitable barrister for the case and particularly shine when there is an urgent deadline approaching. In particular, Sian Wilkins is approachable and helpful.'
- 'The clerks are brilliant. Sian Wilkins has the gold standard in clerks.'
- 'The clerks are very approachable and responsive at all levels of seniority. The team is expertly led by Sian Wilkins.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers is an excellent set, highly thought of in this area and the go-to chambers.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers is a high calibre set of barristers with a particular niche in the area of court of protection for welfare matters.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers has a great number of excellent barristers.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers is very helpful, the strength of depth and knowledgeable.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers is an excellent chambers overall. The barristers are on-point, committed to the clients, worryingly hard-working and very intelligent.'
- 'Doughty Street Chambers is a strong set with a wide range of experience in Court of Protection matters among its barristers.'
Lawyers
Leading silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Leading juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Ulele Burnham
Shu Shin Luh
Oliver Lewis
Sophy Miles
Dominic Preston
Stephen Reeder
Antonia Benfield
Daniel Clarke
Rowena Moffatt
Zia Nabi
Tom Stoate
Elizabeth Cleaver
Zoe Harper
Gemma Hobcraft
Sam Jacobs
Mary-Rachel McCabe
Asma Nizami
Nancy Williams
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
