IP litigation forms the core pillar of the practice at 8 New Square, where the group routinely advises on patent, copyright and trade mark disputes, and stands out for being 'particularly strong on pharma and tech patent cases'. In a prominent highlight for the set, Lindsay Lane KC led a team of counsel for the claimants in Getty Images v Stability AI, a High Court case involving allegations of trade mark, copyright and database right infringements, and passing off. The case involves issues surrounding the use of an artificial intelligence model and the application of IP law to AI models. Among the junior end of chambers, the 'brilliant' Isabel Jamal regularly handles complex patent disputes, and James Whyte is well versed in advising on disputes in the pharmaceutical and biotech arenas.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Nick Wise is a fantastic clerk. He is personable, efficient and knows the court inside out.'
  • 'Nick Wise is excellent and deserves all the praise heaped on him.'
  • 'The clerks are super helpful, responsive and very easy to deal with. Charles Nicholls is a pleasure to deal with.'
  • 'The clerks at 8 New Square know their stuff! They are reliable and knowledgeable. Nick Wise and Ben Newham are standout.'
  •  'The clerks are incredibly responsive and supportive. I particularly like working with Paul Worrall.'
  • '8 New Square is the number one set for IP disputes. They have great strength in depth across their KCs and juniors.'

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.

1
Mark Chacksfield KC
'Mark is a skilled advocate, ferociously bright and leaves no stone unturned.'
1
James Abrahams KC
1
Daniel Alexander KC
1
Lindsay Lane KC
'Lindsay brings a very good combination of technical excellence, great communication skills and level-headedness. She pitches things very astutely, reads the court well, and focuses on the best points.'
1
Andrew Lykiardopoulos KC
‘A first choice barrister for any patent case. He is impeccable and a completely natural, persuasive and credible advocate.'
1
Charlotte May KC
‘Charlotte is absolutely brilliant. She is a go to advocate for complex, high stakes trade mark proceedings.'
1
Adrian Speck KC
1
Michael Tappin KC
‘Michael is a star of the IP Bar. It is always reassuring to have him on your side in high stakes cases.’
2
Justin Turner KC
3
Thomas Moody-Stuart KC
3
James St Ville KC
‘He demonstrates fantastic knowledge.’    
3
Martin Howe KC
‘Martin is just excellent. He has a huge brain which is full of fantastic ideas and solutions.’

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.

1
Isabel Jamal
1
Jaani Riordan
‘An advocate who packs a real punch, with technical excellence.’
1
James Whyte
‘James has fantastic legal and technical knowledge. He is approachable, gives robust advice and goes the extra mile.’  
1
Thomas Jones
‘He has a prodigious work ethic and a keen understanding of the complexities of ever-shifting law and policy.’
2
Ashton Chantrielle
‘Ashton is responsive, diligent and bright. She is a very good team player.’
2
Michael Conway
‘Michael is hardworking and conscientious with an eye for detail and a pragmatic approach. He is a real asset to any team.’
2
Jessie Bowhill
‘Jessie is brilliant. A tenacious advocate with a fantastic intellect.’
3
Beth Collett
She's a star of the future.’
3
Jonathan Hill
Extremely bright. Excellent with strategy.’
3
William Duncan
4
Henry Ward
4
Iona Berkeley
‘Iona is very commercially minded and client focused. She is methodical.’

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.

1
Henry Edwards
1
Edmund Eustace