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European Union Law

1
Blackstone Chambers
Brick Court Chambers
Monckton Chambers
2
39 Essex Chambers
Matrix Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Kieron Beal KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Kieron is immensely capable on paper and on his feet. He makes the most complex issues easy to follow.’
Marie Demetriou KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Marie really is the best advocate at the Bar in EU and competition matters. Excellent judgement, extremely tight legal analysis and an extremely persuasive advocate.’
Brian Kennelly KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Brian is a star. He is a highly experienced and effective advocate, including before the European Courts of Justice. His advocacy is clear, logical and persuasive. The depth of his preparation is always evident by his ability to effectively respond to any questions or interventions.’
Maya Lester KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Maya knows EU law and the European courts inside and out. She is knowledgable, client-focussed and brutally effective.’ 
Thomas de la Mare KC – Blackstone Chambers 'Tom is a top of the range advocate. Unrivalled depth of knowledge in his specialist areas, especially EU law, combined with an attractive, clear and persuasive advocacy style. He has the knack of making you think you would be crazy not to agree with him, even when he is wrong. Respected by the senior judiciary.'
Philip Moser KC – Monckton Chambers ‘Unparalleled knowledge and litigation experience in the field of EU directives in English law. Philip is a brilliant advocate.' 
Lord Pannick KC – Blackstone Chambers
Deok Joo Rhee KC – 39 Essex Chambers
Ian Rogers KC - Monckton Chambers 'Ian is very well prepared and a lateral thinker.' 
Jemima Stratford KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Jemima is supremely clever and knows the legal areas in which she practises extremely well. She has excellent judgement as to which arguments are likely to impress the court and which are likely to go down less well.’
2
Daniel Beard KC – Monckton Chambers
Gerry Facenna KC – Monckton Chambers
Josh Holmes KC – Monckton Chambers 'Josh is good with clients and understands the bigger commercial picture.'
Timothy Lyons KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'Timothy is technically excellent, incredibly knowledgeable and a pleasure to deal with.'
Hugh Mercer KC - Essex Court Chambers 'Hugh's knowledge of EU law and procedure is encyclopaedic. His experience and expertise shines through in all of the advice that he gives - getting to an answer in 30 seconds that takes the rest of us days to reach.'
Aidan O’Neill KC – Matrix Chambers ‘Phenomenal knowledge of all areas with what must be a photographic memory for law, and indeed outside law so that external issues can be brought to bear in legal arguments. A simply extraordinary talent.'
George Peretz KC – Monckton Chambers 'Pure class. Staggeringly effective in court, where George is simple and effective, reducing the complex to the essence of the point for the benefit of the judge. He is also very good with clients.'
David Scannell KC – Brick Court Chambers 'David has formidable attention to detail. His advocacy is extremely polished, and when he makes a point, judges listen.'
Victoria Wakefield KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Victoria is very bright, articulates points with great clarity, and is very astute. She understands clients’ commercial objectives and how best to achieve those goals.’
Tim Ward KC – Monckton Chambers 'Very knowledgeable on EU law principles and how they interrelate with English law. Tim is a calm and composed advocate, a great team player, and always willing to listen to others ideas and to build on them.' 
3
Sarah Abram KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Sarah is really blazing a trail moving seamlessly into silk. She is a wonderful advocate who always has the ear of the court and a great team player. Her star status will only rise.’
Lord Banner KC – Keating Chambers ‘Charles is simply superb. He is a great advocate, he has an uncanny ability to read to room and adjust his argument accordingly. He is always on top of his brief and clients love his clear, unambiguous advice.’ 
David Blundell KC – Landmark Chambers
Monica Carss-Frisk KC – Blackstone Chambers 'Monica is a forceful and inventive advocate. She has a rare ability to distill complex facts into effective arguments that can be persuasively deployed before the court. Very deep and impressive knowledge and understanding of EU law and institutions.' 
Sir Alan Dashwood KC –Henderson Chambers 'An authoritative and accomplished silk.'
Anneli Howard KC – Monckton Chambers 'Anneli is a phenomenal advocate and one of the hardest working and most charming silks to work with.'
Daniel Jowell KC – Brick Court Chambers 'Daniel's knowledge of UK and EU competition law is unsurpassed. He provides clear, detailed and pragmatic advice. He is a stand out advocate both in terms of identifying the best points to run, but also knowing when to change tack.'
Hanif Mussa KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘Hanif has a wonderful court presence and senior judges really listen to him.’
Robert Palmer KC – Monckton Chambers 'Robert has a very clear and accessible style, allied with many years of experience of EU and regulatory law. An impressive and smooth operator.'
Fergus Randolph KC – Brick Court Chambers
Aidan Robertson KC – Brick Court Chambers 'Super clever but also pragmatic and commercial. A rare combination.'
James Segan KC – Blackstone Chambers ‘James is an absolute pro and one of (if not the) best barrister to work with in London. He is an exceptionally strong advocate, incredibly intelligent, very skilled on strategic choices and a real pleasure to work with. You definitely want James on your side, rather than the other side.’
Kassie Smith KC – Monckton Chambers ‘Kassie is an excellent advocate – calm, measured, and has the trust of the court. She is also extremely collaborative and easy to work with.’
Rhodri Thompson KC –Matrix Chambers
Jon Turner KC – Monckton Chambers ‘Excellent knowledge of EU and UK competiton law. He is a measured, calm advocate, able to deal with any question from the court without appearing perturbed. He is well organised in terms of deploying the team around him.’ 
David Wolfe KC –Matrix Chambers ‘David's practice includes judicial review challenges to planning and environmental cases in which his expert knowledge of EU law (on which most of our UK regulatory scheme is still based) gives him a competitive edge over most of his rivals.'

2023 Silks

Katherine Apps KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'Katherine has a brilliant grasp of EU and public law, in particular challenges against public bodies. She also has the changes as a result of Brexit at her fingertips.'
Ben Lask KC – Monckton Chambers

2024 Silks

Richard Blakeley KC –Brick Court Chambers 'Richard is great choice in cases which involve an element of European sanctions. He is very hard working and has excellent drafting skills.'
Brendan McGurk KC – Monckton Chambers ‘Brendan is exceptional bright. His ability to quickly assimilate detail is second to none. He adds real value and consistently achieves tangible results in complex matters.'

Leading Juniors

1
Tim Johnston – Brick Court Chambers ‘Tim is intellectually brilliant. He has very good judgement and produces excellent work.’
Christopher Knight – 11KBW
Paul Luckhurst – Blackstone Chambers ‘Paul has superb responsiveness, great insights and is a pleasure to work with.'
Emily Neill – Blackstone Chambers ‘Emily is very thoughtful and considered in her approach to written and oral advocacy. She is incredibly smart, an excellent drafter and is always extremely pleasant and professional to work with.'
Takis Tridimas – Matrix Chambers 'Takis is one of the absolute top EU law practitioners in the UK. He knows EU law and relevant intricate practice of the CJEU in great and perfect detail. He is also a great testifying expert on EU law.'
2
Alan Bates – Monckton Chambers ‘Alan knows the law inside out – in particular, processes, procedures and provides excellent advice on litigation strategy. He always remains calm and to the point and his drafting is clear and concise.‘
Nicholas Gibson – Matrix Chambers ‘Nicholas is adept at grasping complex points quickly and breaking them down into simple form. He listens carefully and gives thorough, considered advice. He is always well-prepared and very responsive, dealing with follow-up questions and developments quickly and efficiently.'
Ravi Mehta – Blackstone Chambers ‘Ravi is a highly intelligent counsel who has the ability to advise on and find solutions to complex, and often, bespoke matters. He is able to articulate with ease and to make the case on complex issues appear like a walk in the park.’
Emma Mockford – Brick Court Chambers ‘Emma is a superb advocate. She is razor sharp, gets right into the detail, and drafts very compelling submissions. She is also a delight to work with.’
Jason Pobjoy – Blackstone Chambers
Charlotte Thomas – Brick Court Chambers ‘Charlotte is very detail-orientated and diligent. Her drafting is clear and concise.’
3
Andrew Legg - Essex Court Chambers
Hugo Leith – Brick Court Chambers
Emily MacKenzie – Brick Court Chambers 'Emily is a brilliant senior junior, with excellent knowledge of EU law, and the pharmaceutical field in particular.' 
Eric Metcalfe –Monckton Chambers ‘Eric is excellent at drafting, a persuasive and tough advocate, and easy to get on with.'
Gerard Rothschild – Brick Court Chambers 'Gerard has outstanding attention to detail and fantastic familiarity with the relevant court or tribunal rules and case law. His drafting is excellent and he is always replying promptly and with a considered view.'
Julia Smyth  – Landmark Chambers
Christopher Staker – 39 Essex Chambers 'Chris analyses very quickly and effectively. He always focuses on the essential aspects of the task at hand. But more than that, he regularly comes up with his own solutions to particular problems.'
Jack Williams – Monckton Chambers 'A master of the detail and subject matter. Extremely hard working and good on his feet.' 
Jonathan Worboys – 4 New Square 'Jonathan is responsive and proactive. His advice on the most complex issues is clear and pragmatic and his advocacy skills are strong and persuasive.'

European Union relations in London Bar

Blackstone Chambers


Blackstone Chambers is a leading set for EU law, with members offering in-depth experience of acting on behalf of the UK Government and other EU member states, multinational corporations, European Institutions, and other public bodies across a wide range of industries. Brian Kennelly KC was successful on behalf of the former Ukraine president in Yanukovitch v EU Council, with the ECJ annulling the sanctions imposed on him and his son following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In Amazon v European Commission, Paul Luckhurst is acting for the claimant in its claim challenging the EU’s Digital Services Act before the ECJ. Jason Pobjoy successfully acted for the Visa defendants in the Umbrella Interchange Fee Proceedings, a significant case regarding the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and the scope of retained EU law.

Les références

‘The clerks are very attentive.’ 

‘Blackstone are a great chambers.’ 

 

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Brick Court Chambers


A ‘pre-eminent set for EU law’, Brick Court Chambers has a well established reputation for its ability to handle the most significant and high profile cases dealing with EU law and relations. In WS v Bulgaria, Marie Demetriou KC represented the UNHCR before the CJEU in a case that raised complex issues of construction of EU asylum legislation, with the judgment handed down in early 2024 having important implications for the rights of women refugees who have suffered sex-based violence. Maya Lester KC, a ‘go-to barrister for complex EU legal issues’, is acting for the claimant in XTX Markets Technologies Ltd v Legal & General Investment Management Ltd; the first case to raise the interaction between the UK Equality Act, human rights, and EU restrictions on the provision of financial products to Russians. Daniel Jowell KC managed to secure a last minute settlement for Visa on the eve of its trial with Euronet, with the latter claiming a breach of Article 101 of the EU Treaty in respect of Visa’s rules relating to the ability to charge at ATMs in Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece.

Les références

‘Tony Burgess has always been very accommodating and makes good recommendations of people to consider for particular types of work. My go to clerk at Brick Court.’ 

‘It is a pleasure to work with the clerk team at Brick Court. They are very responsive and always to hand to assist.’ 

‘The clerks are pro-active, responsive and great to deal with.’

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Monckton Chambers


Monckton Chambers offers ‘a wide array of barristers with excellent knowledge of EU law’, with members regularly advising and litigating on behalf of private sector clients, UK government, local authorities, NGOs, and EU institutions and member states. Eric Metcalfe successfully acted for the claimant in the High Court case of Karpichkov v NCA, with the judge dismissing the agency’s strike-out application on the basis of the claimant’s rights under EU data protection legislation, the ECHR and EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Josh Holmes KC and Jack Williams appeared for the applicants, Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC and Symphony Environmental Ltd, at the General Court in Luxembourg in relation to a damages action under Article 340 TFEU against various EU institutions. Alan Bates acted for the claimant in Cruelty Free International v Secretary of State for the Home Department, as the High Court clarified the relationship between the EU Cosmetics Regulation and the REACH regulation in the context of animal research into chemical safety.

Les références

‘Very efficient and solution-oriented.’

‘Very approachable. Particularly impressed with Steve Duffett, John Keegan and Chris O’Brien.’

‘John Keegan and Steve Duffett are both first rate clerks. They are each commercial, sensible and pragmatic.’

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39 Essex Chambers


39 Essex Chambers has a strong reputation for its expertise in EU law, with members remaining active in the post-Brexit landscape. Deok Joo Rhee KC has been providing ongoing advice to the Cabinet Office on aspects of the Procurement Act 2023, specifically the ECHR and EU exclusions regime. Timothy Lyons KC, who offers a ‘very thorough understanding of the EU’s legal order’, is appearing before the FTT in Electric Mobility Euro Ltd & Ors v HMRC, with the EU tariff classification of mobility scooters, the impact of EU tariff regulations and the ability to challenge EU retained law all in issue. 2023 Silk Katherine Apps KC has ‘a brilliant grasp of EU law and the changes as a result of Brexit at her fingertips’.

Les références

‘The clerks are very efficient.’

‘All of the barristers at 39 Essex are qualified professionals with a deep knowledge of the law, and they are always a valuable addition to the team.’ 

 

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Matrix Chambers


A ‘go-to set for any issues relating to EU law’, Matrix Chambers’ members have ‘unparalleled knowledge’ not only in core areas of competition, economic regulation and data protection, but also EU citizens’ rights and trade issues. Jessica Simor KC appeared opposite Aidan O’Neill KC and Nicholas Gibson in the Supreme Court in Jersey Choice v Her Majesty’s Treasury, a damages claim brought by a Jersey horticultural company for the removal of a VAT relief on the basis it constituted a discriminatory charge under EU law. Takis Tridimas has developed a reputation as ‘an excellent EU law practitioner’, who ‘knows the law and relevant intricate practice of the CJEU in perfect detail’.

Les références

‘Clerks are always friendly and approachable.’ 

‘Simon Gardner is one of the best clerks in the industry. He makes things happen.’

‘The clerks are unfailingly helpful and efficient.’

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