1 King’s Bench Walk is lauded as ‘the best set to provide a mixture of finance and children counsel’, and is home to Alexander Chandler KC, whose ‘judgement is second-to-none’; he is skilled in financial remedy and co-habitee matters, and frequently acts as a PFDR evaluator and arbitrator. Joint head of chambers Christopher Pocock KC is sought after as a PFDR judge on account of his expertise in high-value matrimonial finance cases, especially those involving corporate and business assets, as well as those with cross-border elements. Chair of the Family Law Bar Association and joint head of chambers James Roberts KC is another notable silk at the set as an early proponent of family-related alternative dispute resolution, and ‘is outstanding in the role of PFDR judge’. Turning to the juniors, ‘sound and effective PFDR judge’ Richard Castle boasts expertise in cases surrounding complex corporate and tax dimensions, while deputy district judge and ‘one of the best PFDR judges on the circuit’ Nicola Fox is well-equipped to handle arbitrations engaging both finance and children law, either separately or concurrently.
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Profile
Work Department
Family finance, ADR (arbitration and private FDR)
Position
Alexander is a leading junior in matrimonial finance, specialising in high net worth cases, and intervenor claims that involve an overlap of family and civil law; also in cohabitee claims (TOLATA 1996) and Schedule 1 applications. Sits as an arbitrator, private FDR judge and part-time judge at the Financial Remedies Unit in the Central Family Court. International work includes advisory work in cases in Bermuda, Jersey and Gibraltar. Reported cases include R v R (Circumvention of Sanctions Regime), R v B and Capita Trustees, AB v CD (Global maintenance) and Shokrollah-Babee.
Career
Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL); Recorder; DDJ (Civil and Family), sits in the Central Family Court Financial Remedies Unit; Arbitrator (CIArb), member of Institute of Family Law Arbitrators (‘IFLA’); Former Panel Member of the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS); Associate Member of Resolution; Some direct public access work.
Memberships
Fellow of International Academy of Family Lawyers, Family Law Bar Association, Resolution, Chancery Bar Association.
Education
Kings School, Canterbury (exhibitioner); Hertford College, Oxford (scholar) (MA(Hons); City University (benefactors scholar); ICSL Bar School.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Excellent. Chris Young is standout.'
- 'Excellent. Mark Betts and Chris Young and both are really helpful and responsive.'
- '1KBW is an excellent set and indeed a preferred set for finances and often for children matters too. They are always ready to help and do excellent lectures and offer seminars.'
- 'They have some of the best junior and senior counsel on financial and children matters and a history of supplying the judiciary with excellent judges. They are also a very fair set and open to NCDR and that places them very well for providing trusted private FDR judges and arbitrators who you can have faith in.'
- '1KBW are a go-to Chambers. They are friendly, and will always respond to queries in a timely way. They have a wide range of Counsel available at all levels and are always super helpful.'
- 'Market-leading set.'
- '1KBW have leading barristers at every level.'
- 'The clerks are brilliant and their new senior clerk is incredibly helpful and leads a talented team. Nothing is too much trouble for them.'