Matrix Chambers holds significant expertise across the full spectrum of employment law – often taking cases from first-instance proceedings in the High Court and the Employment Tribunal, through to appeals. Claire Darwin KC and Nathan Roberts acted for Protect, a whistleblowing charity, in Sullivan v Isle of Wight Council, an appeal before the Court of Appeal concerning whether job applicants, in addition to employees, are entitled to whistleblowing protections. Edward Kemp KC and Anirudh Mathur appeared before the Court of Appeal in Rogerson v Erhard-Jensen Ontological / Phenomenological Initiative Ltd, a case addressing the scope of judicial proceedings immunity in the context of arbitration seated in Singapore.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

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.

James Laddie KC

Incredibly clear and strategic, seeing litigation as part of the wider picture. Brilliant manner with witnesses and senior management, which conveys expertise and command. Destructive cross-examination.

Karon Monaghan KC

Mathew Purchase KC

Mathew is thoughtful, articulate, and a reassuring presence in high-pressure situations. He is particularly strong from a technical perspective, and I value his judgment on tricky legal issues.

Laura Prince KC

2025 Silks

Edward Kemp KC

I really enjoyed working with Edward Kemp KC on a very stressful urgent injunction. He gave good advice and was very responsive. His work on the papers was top quality and came quickly. Just what was needed. Clearly able to handle difficult situations with ease.

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.

Thomas Kibling

Tom Gillie

Mark Greaves

Mark is quick, clever, incisive, proactive, and drafts very well. He works hard, gets stuck in alongside the solicitor team, is a calm and reassuring presence, and is a pleasure to work with. His written advocacy is very good, although I haven't had the opportunity to see his oral advocacy.

Nathan Roberts

Very bright and astute. Highly collaborative and responsive - a great team player. I've been extremely impressed with his succinct and cogent advocacy at a heavily contested preliminary hearing, against a much more senior opponent, where he was robust but measured, and secured an excellent result for our client.

Paul Skinner

Anirudh Mathur

Anirudh is responsive, engaging, and phenomenally intelligent. He is incisive, able to cut through complex legal issues quickly and efficiently, and is realistic about when to stand firm and when to give ground. He is detail-oriented, goes above and beyond, and is a brilliant tactician.

Darryl Hutcheon

Huge brain. Great on strategy. Very collaborative. Great to work with. Extremely knowledgeable about discrimination and employment law.

Emma Foubister

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.

Roisin Swords-Kieley

Roisin has demonstrated four key strengths: 1. Simplifying complex issues: Roisin has a remarkable ability to cut through complex discrimination claims, identifying the key issues and formulating clear, pragmatic strategies to address those issues. She does this both in her drafting and when winning over judges during hearings. 2. Robust advocacy: Roisin is able to identify exactly what is in our client's interest and advocate for it clearly and effectively. I have been particularly impressed with her ability to address tricky or unclear issues with judges, pushing back on their reasoning during hearings to ensure the best outcome for our client, whilst sensibly 'picking her battles' to make sure judges don't view us as unreasonable. 3. Client-friendly communication: I have no hesitation about introducing Roisin to our clients directly and know I can trust her to explain technical legal issues to lay clients in a way that is personable and clear. Clients enjoy working with Roisin as a result and appreciate her direct approach. 4. Higher Education expertise: Roisin is clearly an expert in the Higher Education sector. She is able to get to grips with complicated structures and internal mechanisms unique to universities quickly and factor them into her advice. That she already understands this context saves us time and our clients' costs. Her work is consistently cost-effective and she regularly delivers work under her fee estimate for clients in a fee-sensitive sector.