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Costs

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4 New Square
2
Hailsham Chambers
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39 Essex Chambers
Gatehouse Chambers
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12 King's Bench Walk

Leading Silks

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Nicholas Bacon KC –4 New Square ‘Nick is the doyen of costs law.’
Simon Browne KC  – 12 King's Bench Walk
Jamie Carpenter KC – Hailsham Chambers ‘Jamie has a real presence when he walks in to the room – his knowledge and technical ability is second to none and he can outsmart opponents at a directions hearing in a very efficient and effective manner. He has a great rapport with judges and gets them on side from the outset. He is the best of the best in his field.’
Alexander Hutton KC –Hailsham Chambers ‘Alexander has immense experience in costs law. He instils confidence with a strong presence in court.’
PJ Kirby KC –Gatehouse Chambers ‘PJ brings a commercial lawyer's experience to the intricacies of costs disputes. He is a fine advocate as he works out the best points and makes concessions where appropriate so as to get the focus to focus on the important issues.'
Roger Mallalieu KC – 4 New Square
Robert Marven KC –4 New Square ‘Robert provides strong, adaptable advocacy. He anticipates everything that might be thrown at him, and works in some points that an opponent might not see coming. His pinpoint cross-examination has extracted some important concessions that would not otherwise have been forthcoming.'
Benjamin Williams KC –4 New Square
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Nicola Greaney KC –39 Essex Chambers  ‘Nicola is an excellent costs silk: bright, thoughtful, thorough, sound judgment.’
David Holland KC -Landmark Chambers ‘Excellent analysis and always able to find the key compelling argument to win over the court. A very good advocate on paper and in person who has the ear of the court.’
Andrew Roy KC – 12 King’s Bench Walk  ‘One of the best silks at the Costs Bar. He is diligent, incisive, and not afraid to take bold points.’
Judith Ayling KC – 39 Essex Chambers
Vikram Sachdeva KC –39 Essex Chambers ‘Vikram has an ability to see the bigger picture in a case and deal with the issues in a charming and disarming way. Although a highly adversarial process, his approach was always client focused, to the point and never stressful.'
Daniel Saoul KC –4 New Square

2024 Silks

Shail Patel KC –4 New Square ‘Shail is a magician in the courtroom. Not one for taking silly points and structures his submissions in a way which Judges are receptive to.  His rise to KC was inevitable and thoroughly deserved. One of the best in the business.’

Leading Juniors

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Rupert Cohen –Landmark Chambers 'Rupert is an outstanding costs barrister. In the field of solicitors costs, he has expertise and experience far beyond his years of call; simply brilliant. Complete mastery of costs law and a powerful and eloquent advocate.'
Robin Dunne –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Robin is calm and intelligent with the skills of an experienced silk both in written advice and advocacy. His knowledge of the rules and case law is second to none.'
Mark Friston –Hailsham Chambers ‘Mark provides robust analysis combined with truly specialist expertise. He is a master of his field and his written advocacy is fluent and persuasive.'
Martyn Griffiths –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Martyn has the ability to break down complex legal issues and think critically about case strategies. He is clear, concise, and impactful with both verbal and written communication. Martyn is also really good at building trust and explaining complex legal issues in a way that clients understand.'
Shaman Kapoor –39 Essex Chambers ‘In every respect Shaman stands out. He can be relied upon for consistent, no nonsense advice, and he has a flair for advising on seemingly impossible situations and strategy. He is exceptionally good to work with.'
Pippa Manby –4 New Square ‘Pippa is great to work with, she is very responsive and has a deep knowledge and understanding of costs matters. Clear, forceful and persuasive advocacy on costs.'
George McDonald –4 New Square ‘George’s outstanding legal expertise has been invaluable in helping us deliver successful outcomes for our clients. George brings a combination of sharp analytical thinking, persuasive advocacy, and a warm, approachable manner.’
Dan Stacey –Hailsham Chambers ‘Dan is always very well-prepared and has an excellent ability to build a good rapport with clients. In court, his advocacy skills are something to behold, calmness personified but with a ruthless streak to ensure that a client's case has the best possible chance of success.'
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Imran Benson –Hailsham Chambers ‘Imran has deep knowledge of his subject and has great skill as an advocate in making the arcane seem beguilingly obvious.'
Stephen Innes –4 New Square ‘Stephen is an expert on all things costs. There isn’t anything he doesn’t know and his advice is always clear. He is an excellent advocate – methodical, unflappable and persuasive.’
Ben Smiley –4 New Square ‘Ben is an excellent advocate - surely a future silk in the making'
Matthew Waszak – 4 New Square ‘Matthew is a strong advocate, but also commercial and strong on granular aspects like navigating the e-bill of costs.’
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Tom Morris - Landmark Chambers ‘He is exceptionally bright and diligent, and very charming in court. He is working well beyond his call. He combines being extremely lucid on paper with being a determined, well-prepared and exceptionally skilful advocate.'
Stephen Bailey – Hailsham Chambers ‘Stephen is a specialist in costs and litigation funding. He is pragmatic and easy to work with. He is a confident and clear advocate.’
Theo Barclay –4 New Square ‘Theo is an exceptionally polished advocate with a courtroom presence that far exceeds his level of call. In court, he is calm, confident, and highly responsive to judicial intervention, with an uncanny ability to read the courtroom and adjust his approach in real time. In cost matters, where technical accuracy must be paired with strategic insight, Theo is especially effective.'
Daniel Laking – 39 Essex Chambers  ‘Danial is highly motivated, loves the detail and demonstrates supreme preparation with deadly advocacy. His charm factor puts him on a winning formula with any audience and he is making waves in the sector and carving out a strong junior practice.’
James Laughland –Temple Garden Chambers
Andrew Lyons – 12 King’s Bench Walk
Joshua Munro –Hailsham Chambers
Simon Teasdale –4 New Square ‘Simon is an exceptional junior barrister and, without doubt, one of the most impressive costs specialists at the Bar. His written advocacy is of a standard one would expect from a silk; clear, authoritative, and persuasively reasoned. In court, he is five steps ahead of everyone else in the room. He presents with quiet confidence and sharp tactical awareness.’
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Priya Gopal- Gatehouse Chambers ‘Priya is a very skilled barrister who provides oral and written advocacy and advice beyond her level of call. Her advice is technically excellent as well as commercially aware.’
Daniel Kozelko – 39 Essex Chambers
Alice Nash – Hailsham Chambers  ‘Attention to detail, responsive, intelligent, and understands the brief.’
Alicia Tew – Hailsham Chambers  ‘Alicia is an extremely bright costs barrister.’
Colin Wells - 25 Bedford Row
Juliet Wells - Temple Garden Chambers  ‘Juliet is incredibly impressive and knowledgeable in costs litigation. She is an excellent advocate with an ability to explain complex or unusual points in a clear, succinct and persuasive manner. Her technical knowledge is fantastic.’
Timothy Chelmick –4 New Square
Mark James –Temple Garden Chambers 
Alaric Watson – Gatehouse Chambers ‘Alaric is approachable and knowledgeable. He gives clear and honest feedback on matters and is a trusted counsel.'
Gordon Wignall –Six Pump Court
Richard Wilkinson –Temple Garden Chambers ‘Richard is a first class advocate who can quickly assimilate the perceived strengths of a client's case, prepare a robust skeleton argument or pleading then clearly articulate arguments in court in an exemplary manner.'

Rising Stars

Thomas Mason – Hailsham Chambers ‘Thomas has a great blend of highly effective skill sets and is always a great asset to have on your side. He knows how to apply focussed legal arguments but is commercially astute and so has good peripheral vision at all times that allows matters to be resolved effectively. He is a risng star and one to watch over the next couple of years for sure. '
Charlotte Wilk – Gatehouse Chambers ‘Charlotte communicates well, her written submissions are excellent and she provides great advocacy in Court. Her knowledge in other areas are transferable to issues which arise in costing and greatly assist when it comes to justifying costs in detailed assessment hearings.'

Costs and litigation funding in London Bar

4 New Square Chambers


‘Whether the issue concerns cost budgeting, security for costs, complex funding arrangements, or non-party costs orders', 4 New Square Chambers is 'the go-to set for anything within the costs and litigation funding sphere.’ Leading the costs teams in respect of six of fifteen different vehicle manufacturers, Nicholas Bacon KC is acting one of the largest group actions currently in the commercial court, the £6bn Dieselgate claim. Benjamin Williams KC is advising Apple concerning a major opt-out class action with complex funding issues now on appeal in the Court of Appeal. Robert Marven KC appeared in Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP v Kenig, a Court of Appeal case of importance to estate practitioners as the decision examined the rights of non-clients to assess a solicitor’s bill under the Solicitors Act 1974 section 71(3). Roger Mallalieu KC and Shail Patel KC are instructed to defend Igor Kolomoisky from a £10m costs claim.

Les références

‘The clerks are lovely, always friendly and eager to help. Alex Dolby, Dennis Peck, Nick Angliss and Christopher Ebdon all stand out.’

‘The clerks’ room at 4 New Square provide exceptional service. They are responsive, pragmatic, and commercially aware. James Barrass stands out in particular; he is solutions-focused, knowledgeable about both the barristers’ capabilities and the practical realities faced by solicitors, and adept at navigating availability issues with minimal fuss. The clerks’ room has always been approachable and efficient, which makes instructing counsel a smooth and well-supported process from start to finish.’

‘Very good, James Barrass is very dependable.’

Principaux dossiers














Hailsham Chambers


Hailsham Chambers ‘stands out as a pre-eminent set in the field of costs law, particularly across high-stakes and technically demanding matters.’ The members have been particularly active in the collective proceedings regime in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, Dieselgate and the fallout of the Russian and Ukrainian aircraft insurance claims. Alexander Hutton KC is acting in a proposed group action of potentially hundreds of thousands of PPI claimants, whilst Jamie Carpenter KC is representing Rebekah Vardy, wife of Premier League Golden Boot winner Jamie, in costs litigation after her unsuccessful libel claim (dubbed "Wagatha Christie" in the popular press) against Coleen Rooney, wife of former Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne. Dan Stacey represented Hyundai, Kia and Volvo in the Pan Nox Diesel Emissions Litigation, successfully reducing the claimants’ budget of around £250m to nearer to £50m. Acting in the major group litigation, Municipio de Mariana v BHP Group (UK) Ltd, Mark Friston represents the claimants. Following over 35 years at the bar, Andrew Post KC retired in April 2024, whilst the set welcomed Camilla Avery as the Head of Operations.

Les références

‘The service provided by Hailsham Chambers is consistently excellent. A notable feature of the Hailsham clerks’ room is their role in supporting and facilitating the set’s exceptional in-house training programme. The clerks and support staff are closely involved in organising bespoke seminars, briefing sessions, and more informal knowledge-sharing events, often tailoring these to client needs. This integrated approach between the barristers and clerking team adds real value and reinforces the set’s reputation for thought leadership and client service.’

‘Clerks are professional, helpful and responsive.  Stuart Paley has been of great assistance in helping us set up a training seminar on maximising costs recovery for our Dispute Resolution Division.’

‘The Clerks and wider Chambers team are ‘chefs kiss’ superb. Jan Yogeswaran deserves a special mention, she is superb at what she does of course but also the most down to earth person who makes everyone feel special. Lee Reynolds, Stuart Paley, Lewis Merison, Leah Ashcroft, James Defries are all superb.’

Principaux dossiers














39 Essex Chambers


39 Essex Chambers are recognised as a ‘costs powerhouse, with expertise from silk level to the most junior level’. Members are well versed in a broad range of matters from commercial and insurance litigation to clinical negligence and personal injury. Nicola Greaney KC is acting for Mark McClaren Class Representative in relation to litigation funding issues in the Competition Appeal Tribunal case following the PACCAR judgment. Led by Susan Rodway KC, Shaman Kapoor is acting as the cost lead in Various Claimants v Rugby League, a significant group action claim worth £1bn with a complex interplay between litigation funder costs, the application of QOCS and retainer issues relating to individual and common costs.

Les références

’39 Essex’s clerks are excellent, with down to earth, get it done attitudes.’

‘I always appreciate the clerks in any set. Essex St clerks are personable, creative and cost minded.’

‘The clerks are personable, easy to work with and always find the right barrister for the job.’

Principaux dossiers














Gatehouse Chambers


Gatehouse Chambers’ members possess ‘a wealth of knowledge’ in costs and litigation funding matters, with the set providing expertise in complex appellate cases, drafting DBAs and Litigation Management Agreements, as well as assisting litigation teams on applications for security for costs. Specialising in Damages Based Agreements and Litigation Management Agreements, PJ Kirby KC has recently been instructed in a large group action, Aabar Holdings & Others v Glencore PLC & others, to give advice relating to costs sharing, security for costs, costs management and funding issues. Robin Dunne has acted for Coleen Rooney in Vardy v Rooney, a case concerning a £1.8m costs bill and novel issues regarding the relevance of a budget to an indemnity basis costs order. In Pan-NOx Litigation, Martyn Griffiths is acting as sole counsel for BMW and has been involved in costs budgeting, funding disclosure, and security for costs.

Les références

‘Their clerks – Nadia particularly – are really responsive and helpful.’

‘The practice managers know their stuff.’

‘The clerks are responsive and of a high standard.’

Principaux dossiers














12 King's Bench Walk


With a strong foundation in personal injury, 12 King’s Bench Walk‘s practice has evolved into a ‘growing force in cost and litigation funding’, with members acting in a wide range of costs litigation. Joining chambers in April 2025, Simon Browne KC brings over 40 years’ experience to the set and a formidable reputation for costs, particularly in group litigation. As head of costs, Andrew Roy KC is instructed in a wide range of costs cases, including acting for the Attorney General of St Helena regarding costs issues arising out of 140 linked clinical negligence claims in the St Helena Supreme Court, and acting in the Rugby League Head Injury Litigation. Andrew Lyons was instructed to advise the Government of the Isle of Man in relation to costs recovery. The clerking team has been strengthened through Ben Sundborg’s addition to the team as Senior Practice Manager.

Les références

‘The clerk service of Ben Sundborg has been faultless. He is responsive, approachable, and welcomes feedback.’

‘The clerks are always very helpful and willing to assist.’

‘The chambers is well-organised and efficiently clerked. Enquiries are always responded to quickly and effectively. »