Nicholas Trompeter KC
Fantastic advocate - clear, concise, and crisp! He is very level-headed: gives the client reassurance when required. Stays cool under pressure. Exceptionally commercial.
Selborne Chambers excels in all aspects of property litigation. Members of the set have recently been involved in prominent cases such as London Trocadero LLP v Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd, which centres around the recoverability of insurance commissions. Nicholas Trompeter KC is acting for London Trocadero in this Court of Appeal case. Gary Blaker KC is leading Rahul Varma in Cheshire West and Cheshire Borough Council v Spearmint Rhino Companies (Europe), representing the landlord of a London lap-dancing club seeking to recover possession and over £2m of rent arrears – the defendant argues that the cause was third-party action, namely a burst pipe operated by Thames Water.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Very well organized and helpful. Mr. Warner's clerk, Mr. Oliver Ventura, is very proactive, efficient, and helpful.
- Good set with strength across property, commercial, and insolvency.
- Selborne Chambers is well-known for its expertise in property law. You always seem to be in safe hands, whoever you are instructing from Chambers. Its strengths also go beyond property law, as the barristers tend to have knowledge and experience in other areas such as commercial law.
- The clerks are great too as they are always very supportive, particularly in urgent situations, and can be understanding when it comes to fees.
- My experience with Selborne Chambers has been very positive. It is a strong property, landlord and tenant, commercial, and chancery-related set, and that is reflected in the quality of the work and support I have received when instructing James Sandham. The clerking is responsive and practical. They are approachable, easy to deal with, and sensible regarding listing, availability, and fee discussions. From a solicitor’s perspective, that matters because property disputes often require quick, clear communication and confidence that counsel and chambers will turn matters around efficiently. I also regard Selborne as a very good fit for James’s practice. Chambers has real depth in real property, landlord and tenant, commercial, and trust-related disputes, which complements the type of complex real estate litigation for which I instruct him. My dealings with chambers have been professional and efficient, and I have no negative observations to make.
- Selborne Chambers is a strong commercial chancery set with real depth in property litigation and related areas. The set combines experienced senior counsel with very capable juniors and is able to field appropriate counsel across the spectrum of property and commercial chancery work. The chambers has a strong reputation for technical quality, advocacy, and commercial awareness. It is also evident that the set invests in training and developing junior members, which shows in the standard of advocacy and written work produced by its younger barristers.
- Selborne has some excellent barristers.
- Selborne Chambers provides effective back office services coupled with expertise in the administration of cases. They work with barristers' clients to ensure matters are dealt with in an efficient and timely manner.
- Selborne is exceptional at servicing its clients. It keeps its clients at the center of its practice and nothing is ever too much!
- I have always found Selborne to have a great range of counsel who are very approachable and client-friendly. Their clerks are excellent and always very amenable. Their training is very good, and it's always interesting to hear their members speak.
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.
Ian Clarke KC
Very knowledgeable in his specialization. Unflappable. In control. Approachable and kind.
Clifford Darton KC
Clifford is extremely experienced. He is user-friendly and produces top-quality written advice - a formidable advocate with a cast-iron reputation.
Mark Warwick KC
Mark is able to assimilate a very large amount of documents in surprisingly short periods of time. He is therefore ideal for matters at short notice, in particular injunctions and matters involving late instructions.
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.
Richard Clegg
He is highly intelligent, very quick to analyze a complicated situation, very effective on his feet, clear and powerful in writing, and thoughtful about the lay client's needs.
Stuart Hornett
Stuart Hornett remains my go-to barrister for difficult matters where property law meets other disciplines (e.g. insolvency or trusts law or broader contractual matters). Stuart's wider Chancery practice is a real strength here. He should be made a Silk in my view.
Neil Mendoza
Fast turnaround, decisive and confident advice, skilled and robust advocate.
Paul de la Piquerie
Through knowledge of the subject, an effective advocate provides very clear and precise advice.
David Warner
I cannot speak highly enough of Mr. David Warner. His written and oral advocacy were both excellent, as was the legal and strategic advice that he provided at each stage of the matter; a matter in which he was heavily involved throughout. His preparation for the trial in which he was instructed was first-rate, and it was a pleasure to work with him. His intricate knowledge and extensive experience of property litigation were of great benefit to his instructing solicitors.
Henry Webb
Henry is a deep thinker and always gives me confidence that he considers every point thoroughly. I cannot imagine a point being taken by the other side that Henry has not anticipated in advance and thought about.
George Woodhead
Rahul Varma
Rahul is generally the first junior we recommend on complex property disputes of any kind. His oral advocacy, written advice, and client care are all excellent. He has a superb, incisive legal brain and has a striking ability to bring new arguments and angles to bear on the knottiest of legal problems. His cool and collected presence instills confidence in both solicitors and clients. His oral advocacy is also highly persuasive, as he has both the intelligence to discern what approach will serve the client best on any given occasion and the flexibility to adapt his advocacy style accordingly: from robust and forceful to cool and analytical. His written advice is also clear, thoughtful, and user-friendly. Finally, Rahul is a real member of the team on disputes, always approachable, quick to respond to queries, and unafraid to 'muck in' as required.
Jonathan McNae
John always offers incisive and pragmatic advice. He is my first port of call for counsel on all property-related issues. Above all, he is an absolute pleasure to work with.
James Sandham
Thomas Cockburn
In my experience, the property litigation Bar is generally strong, but Thomas stands out for the combination of technical expertise, strategic judgment, and practical commercial advice he brings to a matter. He is particularly effective at identifying the real issues in dispute and presenting them clearly, both in writing and in advocacy. Compared with many barristers in this area, he is also notably responsive, approachable, and easy to work with, which is extremely valuable in fast-moving litigation. Overall, he is among the counsel I would readily consider for complex or important property litigation matters.
Simon McLoughlin
Simon is very user-friendly. He's helpful, always happy to offer advice and takes time to speak with you, and listens (and considers) your opinion, which I appreciate.
Isabel Petrie
Isabel cuts to the heart of complex legal disputes to secure a victory.
Sarah Walker
Very astute, good with clients, incredibly intelligent.
Chris de Beneducci
He quickly gets to grips with the substantial amount of documentation in the case and is able to focus on the key elements that we needed to concentrate on to succeed at trial. His drafting is precise and he has a great eye for detail. He is a strong advocate and he is very persistent in cross-examination. He gives clear risk-weighted advice, not merely listing arguments. He understands settlement dynamics, Part 36 strategy, and cost exposure. He drafts crisp, ordered pleadings, submissions, and skeleton arguments.
Maxwell Myers
Maxwell ticks all the boxes. His written work is outstanding, and his advocacy is clean, direct, and persuasive. It is no wonder why judges like him in their courts. Maxwell is an outstanding junior and one to watch.
Natasha Dzameh
Natasha is meticulous in her preparation. She has outstanding technical expertise with a rigorous attention to detail. She provides pragmatic and creative solutions.
Nicholas Towers
He is very quick both in analyzing a complicated scenario and on his feet; very technically sure; very clear and precise in writing, in discussion with the lay client, and on his feet; and he is courteous but firm in argument and explanation.