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‘a set that fields incredibly committed individuals'

 

 

 

 

 

 Chambers & Partners 2009

Legal 500 2009

Legal 500 ranked Wilberforce Chambers as a leading set for:

Individually ranked for: 

Leading Sets: Commercial Chancery

Wilberforce Chambers has strong individual presence in both the silk and junior rankings; ‘their quality is tremendous at all levels‘ and they are many's ‘first choice for property and chancery-related matters and for specialist pensions advice‘, as ‘they are clever, responsive and businesslike.‘ Declan Redmond's clerking team is respected. Maintaining its position in the rankings, the set saw Joanna Smith QC made up to silk; she is ‘a hard worker, real team player and a formidable opponent‘.

Leading Sets: Banking & finance

Leading Silks: Terence Mowschenson QC , James Ayliffe QC,  John Martin QC

Wilberforce Chambers' Terence Mowschenson QC has extensive offshore experience, having advised hedge funds on confidential matters. He appeared in the Isle of Man courts in Barclays Bank v Manx Electricity Authority. James Ayliffe QC enters the rankings for work done relating to the Landesbanki collapse, and his appellate appearance in Halifax v Curry Popeck.

Leading Sets: Charities

Leading Silks: Michael Furness QC, Edward Nugee QC, Mark Studer

Wilberforce Chambers has particular expertise in working with religious and educational charities, and is well placed to advise on charity governance/ trusteeship questions. Michael Furness QC represented the Attorney General of the Cayman Islands in charity litigation, and the ‘consistently impressive‘ Edward Nugee QC advised The Church Commissioners for England in relation to chancel repair liabilities. Mark Studer has presented applications to the Charity Commission, being experienced in litigating charity interests, and his ‘drafting skills are clear and to the point‘.

Leading Sets: Commercial litigation

Leading Silks: Terence Mowschenson QC, Jules Sher QC, John Wardell QC, Lawrence Cohen QC, Thomas Lowe QC and Joanna Smith QC

Leading Juniors: Nikki Singla, Julian Greenhill, Edward Sawyer

Wilberforce Chambers place ‘client care as a high priority, with prompt response times‘. Terence Mowschenson QC's ‘advocacy is impressive and appropriate‘, alongside ‘detailed and compelling written submissions‘. John Wardell QC is a ‘superb tactician who is as good at "big-picture" strategy as he is at detail‘. Lawrence Cohen QC's ‘business acumen is, frankly, much better than our own‘, says one abashed client; he is ‘exceptionally adroit‘. Edward Sawyer's ‘knowledge and willingness to explain his reasoning‘ is impressive. Nikki Singla ‘provides sound and considered advice at speed‘.

Leading Sets: Company

Leading Silks:    

Terence Mowschenson QC, Jules Sher QC, Lawrence Cohen QC, Thomas Lowe QC, John Wardell QC

Leading Juniors: Nikki Singla

Wilberforce Chambers' ‘meticulous, comprehensive, practical and commercially minded‘ head, Jules Sher QC, has an active company practice - in 2008 he appeared in Reeves v Sprecher, Sanghvi and Platinum Capital Management, a minority share holder dispute and partnership dissolution. Sher led ‘smart junior‘ Nikki Singla with Thomas Lowe QC featuring on the other side. Terence Mowschenson QC is ‘a delight to deal with, providing measured, high-quality advice with a rapid turnaround‘ while Lawrence Cohen QC is a ‘brilliant tactical silk who thinks outside the box‘.

Leading Sets: Energy

Leading Silks:  Christopher Nugee QC, Jules Sher QC

Wilberforce Chambers is recommended due to the solid reputations of highly recommended silks Christopher Nugee QC and Jules Sher QC. 

Fraud: Civil

Leading Silks: Ian Croxford QC, Lawrence Cohen QC

Leading Juniors: Gabriel Fadipe

Health and safety

Leading Silks: Ian Croxford QC

Insolvency

Leading Silks: Lawrence Cohen QC, Terence Mowschenson QC

Clients also recommend ‘polished advocate‘ Terence Mowschenson QC of Wilberforce Chambers, who garners accolades for his ability to ‘deliver practical solutions to difficult issues‘.

Leading Sets: Intellectual Property

Leading Silks: Michael Bloch QC

Leading Juniors: Alan Bryson, Anna Carboni

Wilberforce Chambers' ‘commercial and imaginative‘ Michael Bloch QC led ‘tactically excellent‘ Alan Bryson in the high profile Star Wars case, Lucasfilm v Ainsworth. Bloch is considered ‘absolutely fantastic‘, and particularly rated for his ‘commercial trial skills‘. Anna Carboni is widely commended for her ‘excellent subject knowledge and amazing drafting of very knotty issues. She has impressive commercial and legal acumen‘.

Media, entertainment and sport

Leading Silks: David Phillips QC

Leading Juniors: Nikki Singla

At Wilberforce Chambers, ‘disarmingly talented‘ sports expert David Phillips QC is recommended, as is the ‘bright, engaging‘ Nikki Singla.

Leading Sets: Pensions

Leading Silks: Brian Green QC, Robert Ham QC, Christopher Nugee QC, Michael Furness QC, Michael Tennet QC, Jules Sher QC

Leading Juniors: Jonathan Evans, Emily Campbell, Jonathan Hilliard,  Thomas Seymour

The concentration of pensions expertise at Wilberforce Chambers would be a draw in itself, but the quality of the clerking also stands out for its ‘24/7‘ service, and dedication to keeping instructing solicitors ‘fully up to speed‘. Brian Green QC ‘has the ear of the court‘, and can expect to be instructed in the very largest cases, including Foster Wheeler and Pilots National Pension Fund. Similarly, Robert Ham QC has brought a ‘practical and commercial outlook‘ to Pilots and the long-running Sea Containers case. Christopher Nugee QC, also instructed on Pilots, ‘is widely respected for his clear, measured advice‘ and is recognised as ‘one of the best all-round silks‘.

‘Intelligent all-rounder‘ Michael Furness QC is ‘impressive on his feet and charming with clients‘, displaying a ‘sound intellectual grasp of detail‘ combined with a ‘practical approach‘. Michael Tennet QC is ‘bright, responsive and a pleasure to deal with‘, and though ‘highly regarded for his knowledge of the more arcane aspects of pensions law‘, ‘still has a practical bent‘. Jules Sher QC has a broad practice. Of the juniors, Jonathan Evans, instructed on Sea Containers, gives ‘commendably clear advice‘ that is ‘practical and intelligent‘. Thomas Seymour is ‘a pleasure to work with and very thorough‘. Emily Campbell has a ‘clear and incisive intellect‘. Jonathan Hilliard receives numerous plaudits from clients and solicitors who are ‘keen to see more of him‘.

Planning

Leading Silks: Michael Barnes QC, Jonathan Karas QC

Leading Sets: Private client: personal tax, trusts and probate

Leading Silks: Michael Furness QC, Brian Green QC, Edward Nugee QC, Robert Ham QC, John Martin QC

Leading Juniors: Emily Campbell, Judith Bryant, John Child, Daniel Hochberg, Mark Studer, Tiffany Scott, Clare Stanley

Wilberforce Chambers is the pre-eminent private client set, advising on all aspects, and associated tax issues. Clients are consistently impressed with ‘the expertise and the quality of advice‘. Michael Furness QC is ‘accessible and responsive‘ with ‘exceptional tactical awareness‘, while Brian Green QC is ‘extremely clever‘ and ‘inspires confidence‘. ‘First-class‘ Robert Ham QC acted in Rybobolev, concerning the divorce of a Russian oligarch. Edward Nugee QC has a strong advisory practice. John Martin QC is praised for his ‘good mix of sound legal advice and pragmatism, delivered in a clearly understandable way‘. At junior level, Wilberforce Chambers is equally strong with Emily Campbell highly regarded for her ‘extremely incisive legal mind‘. Judith Bryant is ‘user-friendly‘ and ‘gives clear advice‘, while John Child is also recommended for his ‘good judgment‘. Daniel Hochberg gives ‘accurate and concise advice‘. Mark Studer is ‘meticulous and approachable‘. Tiffany Scott is ‘a highly committed and focused junior, emphatically a rising star in the areas of trusts and estate litigation‘. Clare Stanley is currently acting in Birley v Birley concerning the estate of the founder of Annabel's nightclub.

Leading Sets: Professional negligence

Leading Silks: John Wardell QC, Jonathan Seitler QC, Ian Croxford QC, Jules Sher QC, Michael Furness QC, John Martin QC, James Ayliffe QC, David Phillips QC

Leading Juniors: Julian Greenhill, Clare Stanley, Jonathan Evans, Tiffany Scott, Nikki Singla, Joanne Wicks

Wilberforce Chambers has ‘an excellent clerking and administration team‘. Jonathan Seitler QC is ‘impressive, particularly on property-related disputes‘. David Phillips QC's ‘serene style puts the most anxious client at ease‘. John Martin QC and Clare Stanley are commended. Jonathan Evans is recommended for pensions and actuarial negligence. Julian Greenhill is ‘outstanding for both written work and advocacy‘. Nikki Singla is, ‘without doubt, one of the brightest juniors‘.

Leading Sets: Property litigation (including agriculture and housing)

Leading Silks: Michael Barnes QC, Jonathan Seitler QC, John Furber QC, Jonathan Karas QC, John Martin QC, Christopher Nugee QC, Michael Tennet QC

Leading Juniors: Joanne Wicks, Rupert Reed, Jonathan Evans, Tiffany Scott, Martin Hutchings, Paul Newman, Julian Greenhill, Tiffany Scott

Wilberforce Chambers is especially strong at silk level for the way its QCs demonstrate the art of great client representation. Whether exhibited through Michael Barnes QC acting as a ‘sharp and determined advocate‘, or Jonathan Karas QC paying ‘great attention to detail‘ in his work, leaders like Jonathan Seitler QC ‘run rings around opponents in court‘. Christopher Nugee QC acted for Persimmon Homes against Chartbrook on the first case on rectification to reach the House of Lords in 50 years. James Ayliffe QC ‘gets to grips with complex histories quickly‘. Joanne Wicks is respected for her authoritative advice, whilst Martin Hutchings can handle complex restrictive covenants cases. Rupert Reed is ‘definitely one to watch‘. Tiffany Scott is ‘a powerful advocate‘ and Julian Greenhill ‘displays gravitas beyond his years‘ in his submissions.