Kings Chambers is praised as a ‘consistently excellent set with highly skilled Chancery practitioners at all levels’ who act nationally and internationally before the entire gamut of courts and tribunals. Lesley Anderson KC is a standout silk in this area, and among the juniors, Fay Collinson exclusively handles cases concerning wills, trusts, and probate, in addition to property and affairs cases within the Court of Protection. Of recent note, she acted for the defendant in the case of Copley v Winter, which saw a claim brought to prove a will with issues of undue influence and lack of capacity. Matthew Hall is a notable junior and he is skilled in contested probate claims, as well as cases regarding trusts, while Nigel Clayton is skilled in contentious wills and trusts with a particular focus on cases with property-related elements. In Middleton v Rushton, Clayton represented the defendant in a disputed administration of an estate claim which concerned a trust in a North Yorkshire-based farm. Richard Lander is another key name here.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Jake Brooke is responsive, very commercial, and practical to deal with.'
- 'The clerks at Kings Chambers provide a seamless and easy service, whether it be providing quotes, booking counsel, or dealing with queries. Brandon Singh and James Mason are excellent.'
- 'Great clerks. James Mason is fantastic and always goes out of his way to get back to you quickly and to help.'
- 'James Mason has always been on hand to help with any queries, whether it be instructions, a hearing, or fees. James deals with urgent matters in a calm and efficient way.'
- 'Gary Young and his team, including Harry Young, run the commercial clerking extremely well.'
- 'The Chancery clerks, including Gary Young and Harry Young, are very efficient and are also reasonable with regards to negotiating fees.'
- 'Gary Young runs a tight ship in the clerking team. Harry Young is also very good.'
- 'Harry Young and Gary Young are always willing to assist and will go the extra mile!'
- 'Great service from Gary Young. Professional, responsive, flexible, and extremely personable.'
- 'Senior clerk Gary Young is first class, and he is ably assisted by Harry Young.'
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.
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.
Nigel Clayton
‘Nigel is very approachable and well liked by clients. He will always try and find a commercial and workable solution for the client.'
Fay Collinson
Fay is extremely robust and confident on her feet, her experience and knowledge shine through, and her advocacy is absolutely exemplary. She is extremely thorough and leaves no stone unturned, her drafting of documents is second-to-none, and her manner with clients is excellent.'
Matthew Hall
Matthew is extremely knowledgeable and thorough, as well as being first-rate with clients and having excellent advocacy skills.’