Crown Office Chambers

Crown Office Chambers advises on professional negligence cases across a broad range of sectors including legal, insurance, IT and financial services. The set has members involved in the Grenfell Tower civil litigation, Andrew Rigney KC leads the team representing Rydon, the main design and build contractor, in relation to several claims, alongside Michael Harper and Toby Chandler. Ivor Collett acts for the defendant solicitors in Kagbara and others v Leigh Day, a case in which Nigerians who secured damages from Shell in an English court after leaks from an oil pipeline allege that the proceeds of their settlement were mishandled by the solicitors. Carlo Taczalski represents the defendant brokers in CPH Holdings v Generali v Aon UK Limited, a high value claim that centres around the arrangement of appropriate insurance cover. Henk Soede joined from Deka Chambers in 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'Clerks are efficient and easy to deal with. Rob Frankish and Lauren Whiston have been particularly helpful.'
'Steve Purse is impeccable in terms of both service and relationship ;he knows what we need and ensures that we get it.'
''Steve Purse is excellent and always finds a way to find someone when needed.'
'The clerking team are excellent - Steve Purse is one of the best in the business and does an unparalleled job in getting us the right team for the case. Joe Shepherd and Lauren Whiston have both been great in supporting Steve in recent years.'
'The clerks are strong, particularly Steve Purse, who really looks after solicitors and makes sure to deliver the right barrister for them and their client, and the new senior clerk, James Wilkinson.'
'Crown Office Chambers is one of the go to sets for professional indemnity work. Their silks are well respected and they have great depth 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.

Ben Quiney KC

‘Ben is very calm. His written advice is comprehensive and he is good with clients.’

Andrew Rigney KC

‘Andrew has a sharp intellect and an unfailingly charming manner.’

Daniel Shapiro KC

‘He gives clear and concise advice, is client friendly, persuasive and measured a advocate.’

Michael Curtis KC

Isabel Hitching KC

Crispin Winser KC

‘He is skilled and highly professional, great at drafting. He explains everything clearly and manages expectations in an accessible way. ’

2024 Silks

Anna Laney KC

‘She is smart, robust, and super user-friendly. Clients love her tenacious approach.’

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.

Ivor Collett

‘Ivor is excellent on his feet; he gets to grips with case quickly and has a very easy manner making him a pleasure to work with.'

Jason Evans-Tovey

‘Jason is simply excellent. He can see the claim from early on and gives advice on the strategy right through to trial.’

Nicola Atkins

‘Nicola is a very good lawyer who is tactically astute, she always seems to get a great result for her client. She is particularly strong in construction professional negligence and associated insurance issues. ’

Suzanne Chalmers

‘She is really great in conference and a real team player’

Caroline McColgan

Carlo Taczalski

‘Carlo is a fantastic advocate and leader in his field.’

Elizabeth Boon

‘Elizabeth is very robust and has an excellent grip of strategy.’

John Greenbourne

Michael Harper

‘Michael is an extremely bright, careful and effective barrister. He leaves no stone unturned, and steadily builds an overwhelming case on behalf of his client.’

Patrick Maxwell

‘Patrick is a very tough opponent. His advocacy is very polished and his is always the most prepared person in the room.’

Richard Sage

‘Richard is just great to have on the team. His advice is clear and his strategic recommendations are sound, he is excellent with clients and can sense the direction they are heading in and tailors his approach to respond to that.’

Charles Pimlott

‘Charles is a pleasure to work with and a real team player. His drafting is first class and his advice is always sensible, pragmatic and 'on the money'. ’

Frederick Simpson

‘Frederick is very impressive.’

Andrew Brown

‘Andrew is able to get to the heart of a matter quickly and understands the commercial realities of what the client needs to achieve. He provides quick, comprehensive and commercial advice.’

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.