The Legal 500 2021

The latest edition of The Legal 500 UK has been released and Wilberforce has had another successful year. We have three top-tier set rankings and are recommended as a leading set in a further eight practice areas. We have achieved a record 157 barrister rankings (up from 139) this year including 28 new entries.

A summary of our recommendations is below and full coverage in the 2021 guide can be found here.

Leading set rankings

  • Charities
  • Commercial litigation
  • Company and partnership
  • Fraud: Civil
  • Insolvency
  • Offshore
  • Pensions
  • Private client: Personal tax
  • Private client: Trusts and probate
  • Professional negligence
  • Property litigation

Agriculture

Leading Silks:

  • Mark Wonnacott QC ‘He is regularly entrusted with agricultural tenancy and rights of way disputes.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Harriet Holmes ‘Her written advocacy is excellent and she is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.’

 

Banking and Finance

Leading Silks:

  • Lexa Hilliard QC ‘Deep-rooted knowledge of banking and finance – has a vast amount of experience in this area and is able to advise on very complex arrangements with clarity and precision.’

 

Charities

Wilberforce Chambers is a ‘very impressive set’ that is frequently involved in some of the most high-value and complicated cases in the charity sector. One such recent highlight was Jonathan Davey QC, who is described as ‘technically very knowledgeable, is excellent at absorbing detailed points and at articulating it simply to the judge‘, representing the HM Revenue and Customs in Life Services Ltd v HM Revenue and Customs [2019]-[2020] including [2019] UKUT 0002 (TC). This is a test case about the compatibility of UK devolution with EU law concerning the taxation of charities and similar entities in different parts of the UK. The ‘excellent‘ Michael Furness QC is also worthy of note.

Leading Silks:

 

Construction

Leading Silks:

  • Joanna Smith QC ‘Very good at drilling down to the facts, has great commercial understanding and provides very clear and well-reasoned legal advice. She is a real quality act and a great team worker.’

 

Commercial Litigation

Clients are ‘spoilt for choice‘ at Wilberforce Chambers, which has ‘an abundance of talent at all levels‘. The ‘excellent set‘ is ‘always responsive and helpful‘, and marries strong practices in trusts, offshore and professional negligence, with broader commercial disputes. The set’s capacity for handling high profile cases was demonstrated with AHAB v SAAD, in which Thomas Lowe QC and John Wardell QC respectively acted for the defendant and claimant. Alan Gourgey QC also successfully represented Gazprom in Naftogaz v Gazprom, by resisting a Commercial Court application for the immediate enforcement of a $3bn arbitral award.

Leading Silks:

  • Alan Gourgey QC ‘An excellent silk who is very strategic and can turn weak positions into good ones – he is a great team player and very good to work with.’
  • John Wardell QC ‘Has a fierce intellect, works very hard and is always on top of his brief – he is a very talented advocate and is, in particular, an effective cross examiner.’
  • Thomas Lowe QC ‘An extremely effective cross examiner and very effective with clients.’
  • Terence Mowchenson QC ‘A fantastic lawyer – I have rarely met anyone so well able to master the minutiae of a case while never losing sight of the bigger picture, including strategic considerations.’
  • Joanna Smith QC ‘Simply excellent, she is a master tactician – absolutely someone you want on your side, and not on the opposing party’s.’
  • Lexa Hilliard QC ‘She makes herself available and is tireless when dealing with a case – she really throws herself into the case and is a critical member of the team.’
  • Ian Croxford QC ‘He is a masterful cross-examiner, very powerful in oral argument and tactically very astute.’
  • Tim Penny QC  ‘An impressive and charming advocate who has excellent judgement in choosing the points to run and the way to put them – he is particularly strong on jurisdictional issues and complex trust and tracing points.’
  • Fenner Moeran QC ‘Very clever, knows the law well, strategically savvy and is a pleasure to work with.’
  • Clare Stanley QC ‘She has a consistently strategic outlook and is able to draw on the depth of experience she has from the breadth of her practice, whether English focused or offshore. She instils confidence in her understanding and ability to distil complex areas of law and volumes of evidence into digestible advice.’

2019 Silks:

  • James Bailey QC ‘Incredibly bright and is able to think beyond the box of the usual scenario with alacrity and charm that is a rare talent.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Iain Pester ‘Superb on paper and an advocate who focusses on the key issues that will interest the Court.’
  • Edward Sawyer ‘Very passionate and creative and extremely hard working.’
  • Anna Littler ‘An absolute pleasure to work with – reliable, thorough, extremely bright, nothing is too much trouble, and wonderful with clients (even in very difficult circumstances).’
  • James Walmsley ‘Extremely hard-working, on top of the papers, and has a fierce intellect.’

Rising stars:

  • Jamie Holmes ‘Very thorough and extends his thinking to the next level – very commercial in dealing with clients.’

Company and partnership

Wilberforce Chambers has ‘great overall strength and depth in offshore expertise‘, which it deploys in a range of company law settings, including financial assistance, shareholder disputes and directors’ duties cases. In Wardour Trading Ltd v Nekrich, Terence Mowschenson QC represented the liquidator before the Supreme Court of Gibraltar in an action regarding alleged fraudulent trading. Marcia Shekerdemian QC is a key company and partnership law barrister, and is representing Jabac Finance in Jabac Finance Ltd, v Newman & Ors, Newman v Newman, Newman v Jabac Finance Ltd and ors; a complex dispute revolving around shareholders in a private family company.

Leading Silks:

  • Lexa Hilliard QC  ‘Bright and on the money.’
  • Terence Mowschenson QC ‘He is amazingly good-humoured and inspires complete loyalty in clients.’
  • John Wardell QC ‘He is brave, tenacious and has an unflappable advocacy style.’
  • Marcia Shekerdemian QC ‘Very approachable, practical, knowledgeable and great to work with.’
  • Lawrence Cohen QC ‘He can analyse the problem in great detail.’
  • Max Mallin QC ‘Very approachable and user friendly.’
  • Nikki Singla QC ‘He can cut through the issues to identify where work is needed or where advantages are held and how to enhance a case to a winning position.’

2019 Silks:

Leading Juniors:

  • Graeme Halkerston ‘Intellectual and responsive.’
  • Iain Pester ‘Good client handling skills and a skilful advocate.’

 

Energy

Leading Silks:

  • Alan Gourgey QC ‘Alan is a good QC who is serious and knows his files well. Moreover, he is a real team maker which is rare among the QCs. Very rigorous in his approach to the legal analysis and evidence. He is tactical and very clever.’

 

Financial services

Leading Silks: 

  • Terence Mowschenson QC ‘Great attention to detail and very quick to identify the core issues in complex matters – a tenacious advocate.’
  • James Ayliffe QC ‘Bright and extremely approachable.’

Fraud: civil

Wilberforce Chambers has ‘some brilliant people with a range of skills‘ and ‘has really built out its civil fraud offering over the past few years and is becoming a serious contender in that space‘. Its members are especially strong in related offshore, trusts, and professional negligence matters, and are praised for being ‘very responsive’. High profile cases include Receivers of Sebastian Holdings v Sarek, Vik & others in which Tim Penny QC led rising star Tim Matthewson on behalf of the claimants. John Wardell QC also achieved a major victory in the Supreme Court for the appellant, Takhar, in Takhar v Gracefield Developments Limited and others.

Leading Silks: 

  • Alan Gourgey QC  ‘One of the best silks around – he is exceptional in both his written and oral presentation of cases, his legal analysis is excellent and he is tactically astute.’
  • Tim Penny QC  ‘Deep knowledge of the law, persuasive advocate, excellent in conference, a tremendous team player and a go-to QC for complex civil fraud.’
  • John Wardell QC ‘A real fighter – bold in his advice and opinions.’
  • Thomas Lowe QC ‘Standout star of the offshore bar – extremely bright and a pleasure to work with.’
  • Lawrence Cohen QC ‘A real asset in complex, high-value litigation.’
  • Clare Stanley QC ‘Superb – she reads everything, understands all the nuances and gives clear pragmatic advice on the law (of which she has an exceptional grasp) and commercial considerations.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Iain Pester ‘Very knowledgeable, great attention to detail, excellent judgement as to what will and will not play well with a court.’
  • Anna Littler ‘Meticulous preparation and attention to detail, combined with charm and a real willingness to work as part of the team.’
  • Edward Sawyer ‘Highly organised, a great lawyer and very good with clients.’
  • Bobby Friedman ‘Fantastic at moving quickly to produce robust and complicated documents for court and then turns up to convince a judge of the need and urgency of the action being taken.’

Rising Stars:

  • Tim Matthewson ‘He is knowledgeable, technically brilliant and a very creative thinker – he looks at problems from different angles and has extracted us from some tricky positions.’

Insolvency

Wilberforce Chambers’ members specialise in corporate and personal insolvency litigation and advice in the UK and offshore. In relation to restructurings, they are able to draw on set-wide expertise in property and pensions. Marcia Shekerdemian QC focuses on contentious insolvency at the cross-roads with fraud, often with cross-border elements; she notably acted for a consortium of 12 Indian banks who have petitioned for the bankruptcy of the former Kingfisher Airways tycoon in Re Vijay Mallya. Lexa Hilliard QC is providing ongoing advice to the monitor of Carillion Canada in connection with its interests in the UK. In February 2020, Daniel Lewis and rising star Rachael Earle arrived from 3 Hare Court, further strengthening their new chambers at the junior end.

Leading Silks:

  • Marcia Shekerdemian QC ‘She blends strategic guile with a razor-sharp mind and is a pleasure to work with. One of the standout silks at the insolvency bar.’
  • Lexa Hilliard QC ‘Extremely hard working, excellent attention to detail and very client facing.’
  • Terence Mowschenson QC ‘Has a very good eye for detail.’
  • Alan Gourgey QC  ‘Alan is an excellent silk who is very strategic and can turn weak positions into good ones. He is a great team player and very good to work with.’

2019 Silks:

  • James Bailey QC  ‘He is a complete star. He gets on top of complex facts and complex issues incredibly quickly.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Iain Pester ‘Capable, objective, and down to earth. Very thorough in his preparation, able to quickly home in on and get to grips with the most critical parts of a complex factual and legal case. Calm convincing as an advocate.’
  • Bobby Friedman ‘A go-to junior for insolvency work.’
  • Daniel Lewis ‘Works extremely hard and gets to grips with the detail.’
  • Thomas Robinson ‘He has never appeared without having complete mastery of his papers and his arguments and is always quick on his feet.’
  • Jack Watson ‘Jack is a very capable barrister who displays good judgement and strategic thinking.’

Rising Stars:

  • Rachael Earle ‘Works extremely hard, technically very good, excellent on her feet. Very tough and doesn’t back down.’

International arbitration (counsel)

Leading Silks:

  • Alan Gourgey QC ‘Exceptional in all areas – tactical acumen, legal knowledge, and advocacy in front of any tribunal.’

 

Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property)

Leading Silks:

  • Gilead Cooper QC ‘A powerful intellect, offers balanced view and shows a keen interest in art and the art market.’

Offshore

‘A first-rate set from top to bottom’, Wilberforce Chambers is ‘a top Chancery set that never disappoints‘ covering both trusts and company-related offshore litigation. Thomas Lowe QC continues to represent the defendants in the AHAB v Saad case, which was subject to an appeal in 2019 in the Caymanian courts, which, at first instance, found the claimants operated “one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history”; John Wardell QC was brought in for the original claimants in their appeal. Clare Stanley QC represented FTI Consulting liquidators of a Cayman fund in the Caymanian Court of Appeal, overturning an anti-suit injunction obtained by BDO concerning an audit negligence claim; the juniors in the set are also instructed by liquidators, with Graeme Halkerston representing those of OneTradex, a Caymanian securities broker with a primarily local clientele. The future of chambers looks bright with Jamie Holmes, Tim Matthewson, and Tara Taylor all highlighted as rising stars.

Leading Silks:

  • Brian Green QC ‘He is an extremely clever tactician, knows all there is to know about trust law and tax, and is a bundle of energy.’
  • Gilead Cooper QC ‘A top-drawer, excellent advocates and advisor.’
  • John Wardell QC  ‘A superb advocate with an ability to make even the most complex of issues comprehensible.’
  • Michael Furness QC ‘Intelligent, curious and with a deep knowledge of his subject. Incredibly hard working.’
  • Robert Ham QC ‘A standout silk for offshore work.’
  • Terence Mowschenson QC ‘Fiercely intelligent, wonderfully articulate and never intimidated.’
  • Thomas Lowe QC ‘He is is user-friendly, client-focused and easy to work with, able to grapple with the most complex of cases.’
  • Jonathan Hilliard QC ‘A superb operator – amazingly bright and team-oriented.’
  • Clare Stanley QC ‘Her delivery is always sharp and focused and she is never afraid to tell things as they are.’
  • James Ayliffe QC ‘Incisive, quick to spot all possible arguments and also commercial.’
  • Nikki Singla QC ‘His display of wit in the courtroom immediately captures the attention of the judge.’

2020 Silks:

Leading Juniors:

Rising Stars:

  • Jamie Holmes ‘He is superb and fits into a team well.’
  • Tim Matthewson ‘He’s responsive and commercially focused.’
  • Tara Taylor ‘Able to succinctly outline complex legal questions for the court.’

Pensions

Consistently rated the ‘pre-eminent set‘ for pensions and trust litigation, the barristers at Wilberforce Chambers are said to be: ‘absolutely steeped in these technical areas‘. Specifically, in Safeway v Newton, Brian Green QC and Sebastian Allen secured a reference to the EU’s Court of Justice on the implications of domestic/EU law for trustee powers (this is the largest-ever equalisation case worth over £100m). In addition, Michael Tennet QC and Paul Newman QC tackled the complexities of modified ill-health benefits (regarding past pensionable service) in Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund Trustees Ltd v Stena Line Ltd and others. Moreover, the ‘top tier‘ Michael Tennet QC recently addressed the appropriate exercise of discretionary powers in one of the sector’s principal cases: British Airways plc v Airways Pension Scheme Trustees Ltd.

Leading Silks: 

  • Brian Green QC ‘Intellectually brilliant. Fabulous bedside manner. Highly pragmatic. He is the best pensions barrister by a country mile. Worth every penny.’
  • Paul Newman QC ‘Brilliant at finding clever solutions to problems, will always give a clear view and is utterly reliable and user-friendly.’
  • Michael Tennet QC ‘Huge brain; very passionate and creative; extremely hard working; great lawyer; you really feel he is on your side.’
  • Michael Furness QC ‘Very efficient yet thorough; always has the ear of the Court, knowing precisely when to push a point and judging the mood perfectly.’
  • Jonathan Hilliard QC ‘Incredibly enthusiastic about his work. He gets completely immersed in his case and that shows in his command of the papers and the subject matter in question. Very responsive despite being incredibly busy.’
  • Fenner Moeran QC ‘First-rate on handling pensions disputes, particularly those with a scams focus.’
  • Jonathan Davey QC ‘A top-class silk. His advocacy is attractive, thoughtful and measured.’
  • Robert Ham QC ‘Absolutely wonderful – user-friendly, always keen to provide a helpful opinion wherever possible, creative, and willing to take a position and stick to it.’

2020 Silk:

  • Andrew Mold QC ‘Andrew is superb – he combines a formidable intellect with commercial acumen, and is genuinely a pleasure to work with. Andrew was a godsend on our pensions case – he had a talent for distilling extremely complicated pensions information and analysis into the most relevant concepts and was able to explain these in a clear and concise way.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Edward Sawyer  ‘Probably the best junior at the Pensions Bar. Incredibly hard working. Encyclopedic knowledge of this highly technical and complex area of law.’
  • Emily Campbell ‘We very much value her ability to explain complex issues clearly, in a way that clients can understand.’
  • Sebastian Allen ‘A charming and personable barrister, who I would feel confident adding to any counsel team. . He has a wealth of experience of cases involving the Pensions Regulator.’
  • James McCreath ‘Extremely clever; great with clients including very senior ones- handles them very adeptly; practical; very passionate; great sense of humour.’
  • Thomas Robinson ‘Very enjoyable, pleasant to work with and impressive in meetings with clients.’
  • Bobby Friedman ‘Excellent on paper and a punchy advocate, with a very good knowledge of pensions and related areas of law.’
  • Benjamin Faulkner ‘He has an excellent knowledge of pensions law and provides helpful advice on a number of tricky issues. His written advice and submissions are very clear and articulate our legal arguments well.’
  • Emily McKechnie ‘Extremely diligent – she has a brilliant ability to break down complex problems into easily digestible forms. She is also an excellent advocate. I have never identified a weakness.’
  • James Walmsley ‘Very knowledgeable of pensions and more general civil procedure, demonstrating really considered advice that gives you confidence that he has the right answer.’
  • Jonathan Chew ‘A strong team player and is the perfect junior for a technical pensions case.’
  • Thomas Seymour ‘Very thorough. Really runs points to ground. Fantastic tolerance level for technical detail. A joy to work with.’

Rising star:

 

Private Client: Personal tax

Wilberforce Chambers has a distinguished history of expertise in taxation especially in relation to the taxation of trusts and estates as well as other areas such as the taxation of pension schemes and capital gains tax. In Viscount Hood as Executor of Estate of Lady Hood v HM Revenue and Customs [2018] EWCA Civ 2405 Jonathan Davey QC successfully represented HM Revenue and Customs in the Court of Appeal. The case concerned whether various arrangements which had been entered into by the late Lady Hood with her son Viscount Hood in relation to their family home had attracted inheritance tax.

Leading Silks:

  • Brian Green QC ‘Extraordinary ability to keep in mind the big picture while drilling down into the detail during changing circumstances in what can be high-pressure situations.’
  • Jonathan Davey QC ‘Is a highly polished advocate. He has always thought about the various angles to any given issue and knows just how to pitch his points so they land with the bench.’
  • Michael Furness QC ‘Provides very practical solutions to complicated issues.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Emily Campbell ‘Excellent analytical skills and intellect. Able to grasp a lot of information and assimilate it quickly.’

Private Client: trusts and probate

Wilberforce Chambers is ‘one of the standout top sets in the field of trust and estates disputes. It has a depth of exceptionally skilled junior barristers and exceptional talent at the senior end which means that it always has the right counsel available at the right level to meet each client’s needs.’ It is regularly instructed by many of the leading private wealth firms. It is a ‘remarkable set‘ with ‘top drawer Chancery silks‘ including  Brian Green QC who is leading senior Hong Kong counsel in the defence of a major bank in £450m Court of Appeal proceedings over an alleged breach of trust. Fenner Moeran QC and Tiffany Scott QC enter this year’s leading silk rankings, while Zoë Barton QC and Andrew Mold QC further strengthen the set at the senior end after taking silk. At the junior end has rising stars Michael Ashdown and James Goodwin.

Leading Silks: 

  • Brian Green QC ‘Is sought after for the most important, complex international trust matters, and solicitors and clients are thrilled when they are able to persuade him to take on their matter.’
  • Michael Furness QC ‘Hugely experienced.’
  • Robert Ham QC ‘Robert’s ability to identify the crux of the matter and expeditiously offer incisive, commercial, pragmatic solutions to complex questions means he is our first choice of silk to instruct and a trusted advisor.’
  • Gilead Cooper QC ‘Has an incredibly quick mind, great intellectual powers, and at the same time a wonderful capacity for creative, strategic thinking. He writes beautifully, judges clearly respect him, and he is an excellent courtroom advocate.’
  • Clare Stanley QC ‘Is a silk at the top of her game – she is a master tactician and strategist and an absolute star.’
  • Jonathan Hilliard QC ‘Has an encyclopaedic knowledge of trust law and is hands on – he helps guide the client seamlessly through even the most complex of difficulties.’
  • John Martin QC ‘A very experienced silk.’
  • Jonathan Davey QC ‘Is technically very knowledgeable, excellent at absorbing detailed points and articulating it simply to the judge.’
  • Tiffany Scott QC ‘Junior silk with a fantastic ability to jump in and get to grips with a case. Tiffany is a tenacious and extremely brilliant barrister. An absolute joy to work with.’
  • Fenner Moeran QC ‘Incredibly smart and easy to work with. Extremely quick on his feet and impressive in hearings. A powerful cross-examiner.’

2020 Silk:

  • Zoë Barton QC ‘Huge amounts of experience and it shows, as she looks at cases as if they are living and breathing beings and has really innovative and successful ways of taking cases forwards in ways which would probably not occur to other barristers. In much demand!’
  • Andrew Mold QC ‘Has an exceptional depth of experience in complex and high-value trusts and estates disputes. Not only is he phenomenally technically able but he is incredibly strategic. He is very sensitive to the individual client needs and is outstanding to work with.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Emily Campbell ‘Excellent analytical skills and intellect. Able to grasp a lot of information and assimilate it quickly.’
  • Judith Bryant ‘Very insightful, excellent at deciphering complicated trust documents and trust powers, user-friendly and collaborative. Specialises in trust variations and deals with some of the most valuable and complicated trusts.’
  • Andrew Child ‘Forthright, clear, very good on his feet. A real asset to have on your side.’

Rising stars:

  • Michael Ashdown ‘Has extraordinary technical knowledge and a keen eye for detail – he has an exceptional understanding of trust law in particular and is able to grasp and advise upon extremely complex matters quickly.’
  • James Goodwin ‘Is very intelligent, commercial and sensible. He goes the extra mile and is very good with clients. He has a meticulous attention to detail and is very thorough.’

Professional negligence

Wilberforce Chambers has ‘an excellent reputation‘ for professional negligence work. The set draws on its strength in areas including trusts, property and pensions to handle claims against professionals, ranging from accountants to construction professionals, tax and pensions advisers, and insurance brokers. Members have recently been involved in a number of solicitors’ negligence claims, with Joanna Smith QC acting on a claim against two law firms and a planning consultant relating to a proposed commercial development in George J Goff Ltd v Chaplin Farrant Ltd & Cozens-Hardy LLP, and Jonathan Seitler QC and Benjamin Faulkner acting for the defendant in Khangura v Walker Morris, a solicitors’ negligence case concerning conveyancing issues.

Leading Silks:

  • Joanna Smith QC ‘She is probably the best silk around. She is technically brilliant, a superb advocate and clients love her down-to-earth approach.’
  • John Wardell QC ‘He is a brilliant advocate, strategist and tactician.’
  • Ian Croxford QC ‘He is a masterful cross-examiner, very powerful in oral argument and tactically very astute.’
  • Jonathan Seitler QC ‘He is outstanding. Presents advice in a clear and succinct manner. Very client-friendly.’
  • James Ayliffe QC ‘He is bright and extremely approachable.’
  • Michael Furness QC ‘He is highly respected by judges and opponents alike.’
  • Paul Newman QC ‘Clear, concise, commercial and client friendly.’
  • Michael Tennet QC ‘He is particularly experienced in pensions-related disputes.’
  • Clare Stanley QC ‘Claire is superb; she reads everything, understands all the nuances and gives clear pragmatic advice on the law (of which she has an exceptional grasp) and commercial considerations. Extremely client friendly and to top it off, fantastic advocacy skills.’
  • Lexa Hilliard QC ‘She stands out for her sheer depth of experience.’
  • Joanne Wicks QC ‘She is the complete package in respect of client, court and legal skills.’

2020 Silks:

  • Zoë Barton QC ‘She is an astute tactician.’
  • Andrew Mold QC ‘He provides well-judged advice and is a sensible, polished advocate.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Benjamin Faulkner ‘Excellent communicator and both quick and bright. Very good in conference, in which he combines impressive mental agility with sensitivity to the concerns of the client. He works hard and effectively, makes a point of responding quickly and thoroughly, and is a great comfort to have on the team.’
  • Edward Sawyer ‘He is a very measured advocate.’
  • Emer Murphy ‘She is decisive and critically analytical in her work.’
  • James Walmsley ‘He is extremely detail oriented and has an absolute mastery of the law.’

 

Professional Discipline

Leading Silks:

  • Joanna Smith QC ‘Very quick to assimilate facts, very knowledgeable and swift to make tactical decisions.’

 

Property litigation

Wilberforce Chambers is considered a ‘pre-eminent set for property litigation with huge strength in depth at both silk and junior level’. Active on a broad array of property-related litigation, its key strengths lie in commercial and residential landlord and tenant, title and development disputes, in addition to disputes pertaining to mortgages, charges, and security. Tiffany Scott QC and Charlotte Black recently appeared in the Supreme Court in the case of Sequent Nominees Ltd v Hautford Ltd; they successfully represented the tenant in overturning a previous decision that the landlord has reasonably withheld permission to use the upper floors of the leased property as flats. In a further highlight, Jonathan Seitler QC was engaged in the case of University of London v Cornerstone Telecommunications Infrastructure Limited, a highly significant mandate as it was the first case held before the Court of Appeal to relate to interim and temporary rights under the new Telecommunications Code.

Leading Silks:

  • Jonathan Seitler QC  ‘One of the leading barristers of his generation; he thinks outside the box and is highly creative and commercial.’
  • Joanne Wicks QC ‘Very impressive and has been lead counsel in several recent leading cases.’
  • Martin Hutchings QC ‘He is excellent with clients, always clearly relaying the risks and options.’
  • Mark Wonnacott QC ‘A shining light of the property Bar.’
  • John Furber QC ‘He never sits on the fence always giving his view on an issue; his written advice is exceptionally clear.’
  • Tiffany Scott QC ‘Calm under pressure and able to explain matters in a clear and concise way. Tiffany is very much a team player. She is very happy to pick up the phone and roll up her sleeves!’
  • James Ayliffe QC ‘He has a lovely way with clients, coming across as very calm, unflappable and extremely intelligent.’
  • Julian Greenhill QC ‘Really outstanding, he is incredibly bright but also extremely user-friendly.’
  • Michael Barnes QC  ‘Experienced when it comes to landlord and tenant, estoppel and compulsory purchase disputes.’
  • Jonathan Davey QC ‘Very user-friendly, willing to get stuck in and is able to explain complex matters to clients in a clear and accessible way.’

2020 Silks:

  • Zoë Barton QC ‘Her experience in complex fraud and trusts matters provides her with a unique take on property matters that adds great value. And her client-craft in conference is second to none. An impressive and formidable new silk.’

Leading Juniors:

  • Emer Murphy  ‘Emer is extremely robust and analytical in providing advice and it is clear that she has strong attention to detail. She is also a very good client-facing barrister.’
  • Charlotte Black ‘She is clearly incredibly intelligent but at the same time is able to explain complicated legal points to clients so that they understand them.’
  • Jonathan Chew  ‘Jonathan is a QC of the future. He is technically excellent but more importantly he is an integral part of the client team. His advice is always commercially focused on the client’s strategic objectives.’
  • James McCreath ‘Very highly rated indeed for his legal abilities and thoroughness.’
  • Benjamin Faulkner ‘A fantastic junior with gravitas and a positive and engaging manner. Definitely a junior to watch over the next few years and a real superstar in the making.’
  • Harriet Holmes ‘Her written advocacy is excellent and she is a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.’
  • Simon Atkinson ‘A star property junior, he is very bright and his knowledge of the law is second to none. His written work is also excellent – it is very clear and he has an ability to draft very complicated issues in a concise manner.’
  • Tom Roscoe ‘Combative when required, good on paper and great with clients.’

Rising Stars:

  • Joseph Steadman ‘A 2015 call who is already well-versed in High Court and Court of Appeal matters.’

 

Tax: Corporate

Leading Silks:

  • Jonathan Davey QC ‘One of the best advocates at the Bar and a very impressive leader. Excellent with judges, solicitors and clients. Calm, measured and unflappable, he also has an engaging style of advocacy that is highly persuasive. His written submissions are analytically rigorous and technically strong.’