Midland Circuit
St Philips Chambers is ‘one of the leading sets in the Midlands’ for commercial litigation work with a ’broad depth of expertise’. John Brennan is a senior junior with considerable experience in high-value commercial disputes. Robert Mundy KC’s wide-ranging practice covers contractual, company, insolvency, and commercial fraud disputes; he took silk in March 2025. Ali Tabari stands out for his experience handling disputes involving allegations of fraud. Marc Brown is ‘technically astute and leaves no stone unturned in court’. Kirsty White’s varied practice regularly sees her appear in the High Court and County Court as well as from time to time in the Court of Appeal. She recently acted for the defendant in Hussain v Ford Motor Company Limited, defending the company against a claim for damages arising from a defective vehicle. John Randall KC retired from practice in April 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Business & Property
Position
Marc undertakes work across a broad spectrum of commercial work, with a particular focus on insolvency matters.
A confident and user-friendly advocate with an exceptional academic background, he communicates well with both solicitors and clients. He offers advice that is tailored towards the commercial outcomes sought by the client and is conscious of the business needs of clients as well as the pure legal aspects of litigation.
Marc is regularly instructed in relation to high value and complex cases. He has experience of dealing with cases involving lengthy and detailed factual backgrounds and complex issues of law. He is conscious of the time pressures placed on solicitors and clients and the consequent need for a flexible approach. He also appreciates the value to both solicitors and clients of early in-depth analysis of the issues involved in any particular case. As a result, Marc sees value in taking a proactive and collaborative approach to litigation.
Marc regularly writes articles and is a frequent speaker on matters of insolvency law and civil procedure. He is happy to offer seminars at solicitors’ offices if requested.
Career
Called 2004; Gray’s Inn.
Deputy Head of St Philips Chambers.
Memberships
Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association (MCCBA).
Education
Mansfield College, Oxford University (MA, Jurisprudence; BCL, Vinerian Scholar, distinction); Inns of Court School of Law (BVC, very competent).
Content supplied by St Philips Chambers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are a great assets to the set. Justin Luckman in particular brings decades of expertise to his role, which he clearly uses to support the barristers within the set, and to nurture and develop talented barristers and clerks alike.'
- 'The clerks are responsive and helpful. Ross Hands in particular is always keen to go above and beyond.'
- 'The clerks provide an excellent service. Justin Luckman is brilliant and Jake Smithers is always very helpful too.'
- 'The clerks are efficient and approachable.'
- 'St Phillips is a very rounded and accomplished set. Over the years they have nurtured and retained talent, and continue to increase their breadth of expertise through organic growth. The clerking team is also superb and always ready to help.'
- 'St Philips is one of the leading sets in the Midlands.'
- 'They are a strong set with a broad depth of expertise. They regularly host training events that benefit the profession.'
- 'St Philips is the pre-eminent commercial set in Birmingham. They are good at introducing clients to more junior members and are keen to and good at providing training, including to junior local solicitors.'