Kings Chambers is praised as a ‘consistently excellent set with highly skilled Chancery practitioners at all levels‘ who act nationally and internationally before the entire gamut of courts and tribunals. Lesley Anderson KC is a standout silk in this area, and among the juniors, Fay Collinson exclusively handles cases concerning wills, trusts, and probate, in addition to property and affairs cases within the Court of Protection. Of recent note, she acted for the defendant in the case of Copley v Winter, which saw a claim brought to prove a will with issues of undue influence and lack of capacity. Matthew Hall is a notable junior and he is skilled in contested probate claims, as well as cases regarding trusts, while Nigel Clayton is skilled in contentious wills and trusts with a particular focus on cases with property-related elements. In Middleton v Rushton, Clayton represented the defendant in a disputed administration of an estate claim which concerned a trust in a North Yorkshire-based farm. Richard Lander is another key name here.

18 St John Street Chambers is home to head of chambers Richard Chapman KC, who boasts expertise in cases regarding trusts and wills. Elisabeth Tythcott is another key member of the group, and she acted for the defendant in Grantham v Ashton, a contested probate action in which the claimant was seeking to propound the deceased’s will, and the defendant challenged the will’s validity on lack of capacity grounds. Jennifer Newstead-Taylor is frequently instructed by HMRC, and she has particular expertise in VAT fraud cases, while Rupert Davies focuses on customs and excise and VAT work.

At 9 St John Street, the members of the business and property group regularly represent clients before the Business and Property Court, the County Court, and the Court of Appeal. In the case of Christopher Wood and Josephine Wood v Jason Wood and Lisa Wood, Andrew Clark represented the claimants in a claim considering whether the £300,000 they had paid to the defendants was a loan or a gift. The set is also home to James Fryer-Spedding, Joanna Vicary, and Richard Price, all of whom are notably active in this space.

At Exchange Chambers, Andrew Williams has a particular focus on chancery matters with property-related elements, and he acted for the defendant in Shepherd & Co Solicitors v Brealey, a Court of Appeal case arising from the solicitor’s charging £150,000 to administer the estate of the defendant’s deceased mother. John Waiting has an active wills and probate practice, while Scott Redpath is especially skilled in tax-related disputes, as is George Rowell. Graham Sellers is also a notable member of the team.