Retour United Kingdom - The Bar

Leading Juniors

Jonathan BarkerSt Philips Chambers ‘Jonathan is commercial in approach, outcome-focused, and excellent with clients and in court.’
Ian Bridge – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Ian is an excellent senior junior who is always up for the fight.’
Ben Close –St Philips Chambers ‘Ben is a highly experienced and serious advocate, renowned for his ability to master complex legal and factual cases with ease. His depth of knowledge and analytical skills consistently inspire confidence in clients and solicitors alike.’
Christopher Hopkins – No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Chris is an excellent barrister who is always thoroughly prepared and has a calm, measured approach. He quickly gains the confidence of the court and those who instruct him.’
Joseph Millington – St Philips Chambers ‘Joseph is the complete lawyer. He is intellectually well ahead of the field but also empathetic and calmly persuasive. In court, he excels at the most complex and challenging cases.’
Ben MillsSt Philips Chambers ‘Ben is extremely bright and thorough. An ideal advocate to advance a legal argument, well-informed on the law, and logical and easy to follow when making submissions.’
Tim PoleNo5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Tim is at the top of his game and simply superb. His strengths include total mastery of law, facts and merits. His commitment to clients is complete, and this, combined with his awesome skills, makes him a supremely successful and hugely sought-after advocate.’
James PuzeySt Philips Chambers 'James is approachable, knowledgeable, capable and a reliable pair of hands. His advocacy is effective in a composed and measured way.'
Kevin Saunders – 23ES 'Kevin is a highly effective advocate in regulatory defence work. He combines sharp legal insight with a creative, outside-the-box approach to case strategy. He is robust and persuasive both in negotiations and court, consistently demonstrating excellent oral and written advocacy.'
Bernard ThorogoodNo5 Barristers’ Chambers Bernard's attention to detail is unmatched. He is always meticulously prepared and has a commanding presence in the courtroom.’
Tony WatkinNo5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Tony is insightful and approaches the issues with an open mind. He provides clear advice to his clients.
Ben Williams – St Philips Chambers ‘Ben is excellent in front of a jury. His health and safety law knowledge is exceptional, and his trial advocacy is thorough and understandable.’

Business and regulatory crime (including health and safety) in Regional Bar

No5 Barristers' Chambers


Offering a wide range of business and regulatory crime expertise, No5 Barristers’ Chambers is ‘a very strong set’ with members who are well-versed in prosecuting and defending clients in corporate and gross negligence manslaughter, environmental offences, health and safety fatalities, trading standards and food safety cases. Christopher Hopkins, known for his ‘sound tactical judgement and a pragmatic approach’, successfully represented a defendant convicted of causing death by careless driving before the Court of Appeal in an appeal for the suspension of the sentence. Tim Pole acted as counsel for a construction company in bringing a fine approaching £1m down to £50,000, resulting from a prosecution brought by the HSE following a fatal accident.

Les références

‘The clerk’s room’s service is good, which is very important to the clients. Andrew Trotter is always available and helpful.’

‘The clerks provide a good service.’

‘The clerks are always willing to assist and give reassurance.’





St Philips Chambers


The regulatory team at St Philips Chambers offers significant expertise in handling the full spectrum of consumer offences and business crime matters, including both prosecution and defence work. Jonathan Barker is ‘a hard-working junior with an excellent manner with clients’, and a highly sought-after counsel for health and safety issues, currently acting for a defendant in a multi-million-pound business fraud case. Ben Mills notably represented the HSE in HSE v Balfour Beatty, a case involving an accident on a construction site at the University of Birmingham, resulting in one worker’s death and life-changing permanent injuries to another.

Les références

‘The clerking team, in particular Andrew Rourke, is exceptionally responsive, engaging, and accommodating, even amidst the current extreme challenges of diary management. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure smooth coordination and are always ready to assist with a positive attitude.’

‘James Withers is easy to work with, quick to respond to emails and helpful with any queries. He is everything one wants in a clerk.’

‘Clerks and helpful and professional.’

Principaux dossiers