Midland Circuit
St Philips Chambers is widely praised as ‘a strong chambers with good availability at both senior and junior levels’ in respect of employment law specialists. The team, led by Edmund Beever, has considerable combined experience representing large private employers, private individuals, and public sectors clients like NHS trusts and local authorities. Beever’s recent highlights include his representation of Nottinghamshire County Council in connection with a claim for religious discrimination by a Christian teacher dismissed for accessing a gender-questioning child's safeguarding report. Sophie Garner, ‘an excellent lawyer with a very personable and positive approach’, has a strong track record handling discrimination and whistleblowing cases. Anthony Johnston is known for his ‘sharp and methodical’ advocacy style. He recently acted for the respondent in Pipe v Coventry University Higher Education in relation to a claim of age and disability discrimination brought by an individual with ADHD and insomnia, a former BBC journalist teaching at the university but without a PhD, who alleged that the university’s framework for academic progression unlawfully discriminated against neurodivergent and/or older applicants.
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Work Department
Employment
Position
Described by independent legal commentators as “amongst the top juniors in his field”, Ed Beever is a specialist employment practitioner with substantial insolvency and commercial litigation experience. “Exceptional” in court, Ed is “astute and commercially savvy in equal measure”, recommended and listed as a National Leader in the top Tiers and Bands by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal respectively. Ed regularly achieves impressive results for his clients in the High Court, Business and Property Courts, Employment Tribunals as well as in the Appeal Courts.
Ed deals with the full range of employment disputes and issues, with a particular focus on high value and complex litigation. With complementary commercial and insolvency specialisms, Ed has the rare ability to cover all the angles. Clients rely on Ed to cover the most complex, integrated issues when it comes to employment disputes, including claims for senior executives, cases involving directors’ duties and seeking injunctive relief. With recognised expertise in high value, high stakes litigation in the High Court, Ed is the obvious choice for solicitors engaged in serious contractual and restraint of trade disputes.
Clients report that Ed is both ‘highly approachable’ and ’an effective communicator’. His client base sits at the highest echelons of UK business, with Ed regularly acting for listed plcs, national and regional firms, international companies, major public sector bodies (including the MOD and the Home Office) and a range of well-known SMEs. He is a member of the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel, an accredited advocacy trainer, and serves as a Fee Paid Employment Judge.
Career
Called 1990, Lincoln’s Inn. Attorney General Panel of Counsel. Fee Paid Employment Judge, 2013
Memberships
Midland Chancery and Commercial Bar Association; Employment Lawyers Association.
Education
Merton College, Oxford (Ba Hons).
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Testimonials
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- 'Janita Patel is always very helpful and goes out of her way to assist.'
- 'The clerks' room gets an 11 out of 10 - the clerks are always available to help reserve a barrister and/or put you in touch with a barrister if you want to sense check.'
- 'The clerks are fantastic! Nothing is ever too much trouble for them. They have an impressive ability to deliver quick, efficient, and responsive emails. They always respond promptly to instructions, very often being able to successfully accommodate very last minute requests.'
- 'St Philips is brilliant - a go-to set. The clerks are also very accessible.'
- 'This chambers is responsive and competitive with a selection of highly skilled barristers.'
- 'St Philips is a strong chambers with good availability at both senior and junior levels. It is also competitively priced.'
- 'A good chambers with strength in depth at senior level and reasonable availability.'
- 'A brilliant set that provides a 5-star service. There is no need to look for another set.'