North Eastern Circuit
Park Square Barristers features the full strengths of ‘a range of counsel, from very experienced to very junior’ in a broad social housing and property team, which leads on instructions from both local authorites and social landlords as well as tenants on sensitive matters. Christopher Rafferty and Christopher Machin are experts on the provisions of the Housing Act 1988, Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act, representing tenants facing evictions and possession claims relating to anti-social behaviour, criminal activity and rental arrears, and Kelly Cronin leads on a broad array of cases for social housing providers and tenants alike. The depth of the set is illustrated by a range of barristers with focused practices, with Sophie Phillips leading for tenants on appeals under s.204 of the Housing Act.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Commercial & Chancery, Personal Injury, Criminal and Regulatory & Public
Position
Commercial & Chancery
Sophie Phillips is listed as a “Rising Star” in the 2025 edition of The Legal 500 for Commercial Litigation.
Sophie’s work involves a variety of contractual and commercial disputes. Her commercial and chancery practice has a particular emphasis on matters concerning real property.
Sophie represents clients from pre-action stages through to trial. She regularly advises on matters concerning boundary disputes including rights of way, trespass and nuisance. She is experienced in drafting applications for interim relief as well as pleadings and schedules of loss.
She accepts instructions from both claimants and defendants.
Sophie prides herself on her attention to detail which is particularly pertinent when dealing with often complex issues, which arise from commercial and chancery matters. She has experience of dealing with both lay clients and professional clients in what can sometimes be very challenging situations in order to achieve the best result.
Property
Sophie Phillips is listed as a “Rising Star” in The Legal 500 (2025) for Social housing.
Sophie has developed a successful housing practice and accepts instructions in matters across the spectrum of housing law including possession proceedings, disrepair and anti-social behaviour injunctions. She acts on behalf of Registered Social Landlords, Local Authorities, private landlords and tenants.
Areas of practice:
- possession proceedings
- anti-social behaviour
- disrepair
- homelessness
- unlawful eviction
- trespass
- committals
- injunctions
Personal injury & clinical negligence
Sophie has a busy personal injury practice. She is known for her pragmatic approach, forensic case analysis and focussed submissions.
Sophie has particular experience in dealing with claims arising from Road Traffic incidents and accepts instructions to draft pleadings and advices on liability and/or quantum.
She is regularly instructed in credit hire matters, undertaking both claimant and defendant work. She has a good practical understanding of this area of law which is aided by her in-depth knowledge of the case law and ensuring she is up to date with all new developments.
She is available for instruction on a wide range of hearings, including but not limited to:
- Small claims track hearings
- Fast track trials
- Disposal hearings
- Case management conferences and directions hearings
- Costs case management conferences
- Interlocutory applications
- Stage 3 hearings
- Approval/investment hearings
Regulatory & Public
Sophie has undertaken secondment with and continues to be instructed by Humberside & South Yorkshire Police. This involves providing advice in relation to protective public orders such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and the issuance of Closure Orders.
Most recently she has been advising on the Covid-19 health regulations procedure used by the Police throughout lockdown.
Sophie also has experience in relation to Local Authority prosecutions dealing with varying matters such as noise abatement appeals.
Career
Call 2018
2018
Paralegal at Stewards, Leeds
2020
Pupil at Park Square Barristers
2021
Tenant at Park Square Barristers
Memberships
2018 - 2019
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Present
Personal Injury Bar Association
Education
2018 - 2019
Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
2018
The University of Law, Leeds BPTC LLM Distinction (Very Competent)
Content supplied by Park Square Barristers
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Joshua Duree has to be the most outstanding clerk by far; he is very flexible, supportive of last-minute hearings and trials and always responsive, accommodating and accurate in finding specialist barristers for late cover.'
- 'Clerks are always approachable, efficient and responsive.'
- 'All the clerks are very helpful and deal with the queries in a timely manner.'
- 'The clerks team are friendly and efficient in responding to queries and dealing with matters urgently where necessary.'
- 'The set is extremely commercially aware, with a deep sense of realism being a hallmark of the barristers therein.'
- 'The chambers has a range of counsel, from very experienced to very junior. Chambers offer suitable counsel depending on the complexity of the case and discuss this with.'
- 'Chambers maintain a high level of professionalism. Good client focused approach. Consistent and reliable.'
- 'Counsel availability is very good and very knowledgeable. They offer a great service and respond in a timely and coherent manner. '