St Philips Chambers

Christopher Adams, who regularly acts for local authorities, parents, and children in cases surrounding serious injuries to children, and Christopher Watson, who is experienced in international adoption and inherent jurisdiction cases, jointly head up the children law group at St Philips Chambers, within which sits specialist family practitioner Sara Lewis KC, who is often in the High Court due to her ‘fantastic knowledge of the medical issues’, representing clients in cases of the upmost seriousness surrounding complex medical evidence and allegations of causing catastrophic and fatal injuries to children, as well as sexual abuse and fabricated and induced illness cases. The set is praised for having ‘top-class barristers’, and head of the family team as a whole is Carolyn Jones, a ‘formidable advocate’ who handles both public and private law matters. The ‘sagacious and highly experienced’ Gemma Bowes has considerable strength in proceedings surrounding forced marriages, fabricated illness, and extremism. Nicholas Brown boasts expertise in care proceedings, with particular expertise in cases regarding FGM; he has an ‘eye for detail and is extremely knowledgeable about the law and procedure’. Yolanda Pemberton exclusively acts in public law matters and is highly equipped to act in cases surrounding historic sexual abuse, neglect, and radicalisation. William Horwood predominately acts in public law proceedings and is sought after for his expertise in handling cases regarding the placement of children outside of the UK.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'Very receptive chambers with clerks that are responsive and helpful. Anthony Burgess and Sarah Doyle particularly amenable and friendly and do their best to accommodate any requests.'
'St Philips is the go-to chambers in Birmingham with top-class barristers, but having top class barristers do not make the chambers alone - it is also having top class clerks in Kelly Fullwood and Mark Mansell. The clerking at St Philips is brilliant and very supportive and will go that extra mile to support you and the case.'
'The clerks are very helpful and accommodating, especially Kelly Fullwood, who is always friendly and happy to help.'
'Mark Mansell, Anthony Burgess, and Kelly Fullwood are all very capable clerks. Their response times are fast and they work hard to ensure continuity of counsel wherever possible.'
'All the clerks are helpful, particularly Mark Mansell and Kelly Fullwood, who are excellent. Experienced and know the individual strengths of their barristers.'
'Mark Mansell, along with his clerking team, have an excellent reputation in the local area providing a quality service which makes this chambers the first port of call when looking to instruct counsel. Mr Mansell has always strived to assist in difficult situations and, at times, at very short notice.'

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.

Sara Lewis KC

‘Sara is the KC you want on your case for any complex care proceedings involving non-accidental injury; she is the full package. Her knowledge of the area is impeccable, her research is deep and thorough, her client manner is sympathetic, but firm and realistic, and her advocacy really is exceptional.'

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.

Christopher Adams

‘Christopher is a silk masquerading as a junior; he is just exceptional. He brings a sense of authoritative calmness to every case he touches, and he operates on a different level to most.'

Carolyn Jones

‘Carolyn is a fearless, straight-talking advocate who always fights for her clients, and behind the scenes, she gives robust advice, but she also has a very kind bedside manner, especially with vulnerable clients. Carolyn is a true all-rounder with a phenomenal capacity for hard work, making her a real inspiration for more junior members of the profession.'

Yolanda Pemberton

‘Yolanda is a very capable junior and she is extremely well-prepared for every case, often putting other advocates to shame by her knowledge of the case papers and the relevant law. She is often instructed in complex cases where she displays a real mastery of medical records or mobile phone evidence, and she is extremely professional and well-liked by judges, opponents, solicitors and lay clients alike.'

Christopher Watson

‘Christopher is forensic and thorough in his preparation and tactically astute. Christopher is known for his confident and commanding advocacy in the courtroom, and his presence is both authoritative and persuasive; every case is presented with utter conviction.'

Gemma Bowes

‘Gemma is always incredibly well prepared and is able to cut through a wealth of material with ease. Her vast knowledge of the law and legal processes instills instant confidence within her clients and enables her to provide firm but fair advice.'

Nicholas Brown

‘Nicholas is a calm, erudite advocate with an extensive knowledge of the law in his field, and he uses it to great effect on his feet. He is an advocate who pays real attention to the detail of case, his written work is excellent, and he is an extremely able advocate.'

Michelle Christie

Abigail Turner

‘Abigail is always extremely well prepared and has a compassionate and reassuring manner with clients, and she has a particular strength in swiftly identifying the relevant issues in a case whilst fully taking on board all issues and listening to clients’ concerns. Abigail is also very approachable to her solicitor clients and will offer above and beyond with her time on a case as may be required.'

William Horwood

William is a conscientious and thorough barrister. He ensures that he takes his time and is careful with the most vulnerable of witnesses, which allows them to give the best evidence they can.'

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.

Bethany Armitage

'Bethany has a specific strength in dealing with vulnerable clients, as she takes the time to understand clients’ needs and continuously advocates for their best interests. She excels at explaining complex legal concepts in layman's terms, ensuring that clients fully understand their situations and options, and her empathetic and humanistic approach enables clients to give their instructions without fear of judgement.'

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Family: children and domestic abuse