Piers Acland KC
11 South Square is highly regarded in the intellectual property arena, with an excellent reputation as ‘the home of many of the go-to barristers for complex patent cases’. Michael Silverleaf KC brings over three decades of experience in the IP space, and Iain Purvis KC is well known for his expertise in advising on pharmaceutical patents. Piers Acland KC successfully appeared for Moderna before the Court of Appeal in a high-profile patent dispute against Pfizer and BioNTech, arising from alleged infringement issues concerning the Covid-19 vaccine. Among the juniors, Adam Gamsa is well versed in handling patent litigation in the medical devices, pharmaceutical, telecoms and IT sectors. Kathryn Pickard KC was elevated to silk in March 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks at 11 South Square are brilliant. Sam Fullilove and Harry Eades cannot do enough to help, always thinking ahead to what might be useful on the day of a hearing, and are great people to work with.'
- 'The clerks are responsive.'
- 'Ashley Carr and Sam Fullilove are very good clerks. Very personable, easy to get along with and always happy to assist at short notice.'
- 'The clerks are very friendly and deliver a good, prompt service.'
- '11 South Square is a very strong set.'
- '11 South Square is a great set of chambers. Plenty of talent in the set and a very good group of 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.
Hugo Cuddigan KC
‘Hugo is a very strong strategic thinker.'
Brian Nicholson KC
'Brian is decisive, excellent at explaining difficult technical concepts, and very user-friendly.'
Iain Purvis KC
Michael Silverleaf KC
‘A silk who is tenacious and enthusiastic in his advocacy. He is a real street fighter.’
Mark Vanhegan KC
‘Mark is very thorough. He is very calm in court, even when under pressure from the bench.'
2024 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.
2025 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.
Mitchell Beebe
Mitchell has a great, can-do attitude.’
Heather Lawrence
Kyra Nezami
‘Kyra is excellent on her feet – clear and concise.’
Jacqueline Reid
'She is very well prepared, detailed and has a no nonsense approach - she fights the client’s corner.’
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.
