18 St John Street Chambers is praised as an ‘an exceptional set of chambers’ which boasts a large team of children law barristers who are well-equipped to represent clients before the High Court and the Court of Appeal; one such barrister is head of the family team Leonie Caplan, who has ‘an outstanding manner with clients and instantly makes them feel at ease’. The set is also home to Yvonne Healing, who is ‘very experienced in public law children work’ and frequently represents local authorities, parents, and children in serious children law proceedings involving forced marriage, honour-based violence, and cases running parallel to criminal trials. Samantha Birtles has over three decades of experience in working exclusively in family law, and is especially skilled at representing vulnerable clients. Fiona Holloran is sought after for her ‘pragmatism and clarity of vision’, as well as her expertise in both private and public law proceedings, with notable experience in handling cases surrounding allegations of international abduction, fictitious illness, and sexual abuse. With a significant focus on public law proceedings, the ‘highly regarded’ Kate Bramall has a strong grounding in cases regarding children who have sustained unexplained injuries.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Garrick Brown, in particular, is a great clerk. He will always be available to talk and will try his best to arrange cover even at short notice. Similarly, Camille Scott is very helpful.'
- 'The clerks at 18 St John's Chambers are amazing. They are always prompt to respond and assist with counsel. Camille Scott, despite being a senior clerk, is never too busy to assist and help. Vaughn John and Garrick Brown are a credit to chambers. They are always helpful, professional and go out of their way to help in any difficult situations whereby hearings are listed urgently or there is a last minute change in counsel.'
Lawyers
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.
Fiona Holloran
‘Fiona has a pragmatism and clarity of vision for a case that is refreshing and valued. She works like a Trojan and is unfazed by the most extraordinary demands placed on her, whether by opponents or the court.'
Anna Warters
‘Anna is a tenacious advocate, so thorough and knowledgeable, is always honest with each client and just amazing at what she does. Could not recommend her more.'
Kate Bramall
is an excellent, highly skilled barrister, as she is very well prepared for hearings, keeps up to date with case law and always thoroughly gets to grips with the issues in her case for the client. She is a tenacious but measured and pragmatic advocate both in negotiations and discussions with other parties and in court in submissions and cross-examination.'
Leonie Caplan
‘As a former solicitor, Leonie has excellent standards of client care and an empathetic approach.'
Kate Donohue
Jonathan Mark Jackson
Farah Ahmed
‘Farah is very personable, great with clients and very child focussed in her approach.'
Fergal Allen
He is firm in standing his ground when necessary, he works hard for his clients, and his advocacy is clear and concise.'
Danish Ameen
‘Danish has good technical legal knowledge and has a sharp mind, enabling him to think on his feet. Outside of the courtroom, Danish has delivered quality training seminars in the field of public law children work.'
Hannah Phoenix
'Hannah is extremely organised and has fantastic attention to detail. She is very easy to communicate with her advocacy is skilled, persuasive and her cross-examination is second-to-none.'
Alex Walker
‘Alex is a meticulous and fantastic advocate with a real attention to detail of the evidence. He is very forensic in his approach which is matched by his advocacy, and he is also very approachable, which makes him even easier to work with.'
Emma Whelan
Rebecca Costello
'Rebecca's knowledge of the landscape of case law and statutes is noteworthy, and what is equally impressive is her knowledge of the ethical rules and guidance for court practitioners, including solicitors and barristers. She acts in a responsible and ethical manner at all times, and she is also a keen advocate who is able to break down complex arguments and deliver those in strong persuasive packages.'
