Chancery, Probate, And Tax

Leading Silks

Lesley Anderson KC – Kings Chambers ‘Lesley's advocacy's can be praised as some of the best interlocutory advocacy.'

Richard Chapman KC – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Richard is the complete counsel who is always one step ahead of everyone else and gets the right result. An outstanding advocate who commands the courtroom, he doesn’t waste judges’ time taking silly points or grandstanding, and he brings a no-nonsense, unflappable attitude.’

Leading Juniors

Charlotte Brown – Northgate Tax Chambers

James Fryer-Spedding – 9 St John Street

Tom Gosling – 23 Essex Street ‘Tom is absolutely first rate in this field. He has a great manner with clients and you feel like you are a team pulling together in the manner that he works.'

Richard Price – 9 St John Street

Andrew Clark – 9 St John Street ‘Andrew is a go-to barrister for complex or unusual cases. He is an expert in finding a path through those complexities and providing clear advice, and in court, he is a very good advocate and able to explain and assist the court in understanding complex legal arguments, usually to a successful conclusion.’

Nigel Clayton – Kings Chambers ‘Nigel is very approachable and well liked by clients. He will always try and find a commercial and workable solution for the client.'

Fay Collinson – Kings Chambers ‘Fay is extremely robust and confident on her feet, her experience and knowledge shine through, and her advocacy is absolutely exemplary. She is extremely thorough and leaves no stone unturned, her drafting of documents is second-to-none, and her manner with clients is excellent.'

Rupert Davies – 18 St John Street Chambers

Matthew Hall – Kings Chambers ‘Matthew is extremely knowledgeable and thorough, as well as being first-rate with clients and having excellent advocacy skills.’

Christopher McNall – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Christopher is a great creative thinker. His ideas are always outside the box and he comes up with commercial solutions, and he is proactive and happy to discuss ideas in a collaborative way, rather than dictate the next steps.'

Jennifer Newstead-Taylor – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Jennifer is incredibly approachable. She has a brilliant mind and can take in huge amounts of information and distil it down.'

Scott Redpath – Exchange Chambers 'Scott is very thorough, he thinks out the position of your opponent very carefully, and he does not allow you to jump to unnecessary or hasty conclusions.’

George Rowell – Exchange Chambers ‘George is insanely talented. The depth and breadth of his knowledge is utterly remarkable , and he is a real fighter who is unwaveringly committed to his client’s cause and will work with his instructing solicitors to ensure the right outcome is achieved.’

Jonathan Smith – 23 Essex Street ‘Jonathan's strengths lie in his ability to identify quickly the substantive points in dispute, both legal and factual, and explain these in a clear and client-friendly manner, helping to focus clients' minds and to identify a pragmatic and practical solution to disputes. That trait is of huge assistance in mediations and negotiations, during which Jonathan excels.'

Joanna Vicary - 9 St John Street

Simon Charles – St John’s Buildings

Nathan Goldstein – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Nathan has a good knowledge of the law and is very practical. He is excellent with clients and gets good results.’

David Green – Atlantic Chambers ‘David is highly knowledgeable, a consummate professional, friendly, accommodating, and has a very comprehensible manner when dealing with clients, without sugar coating yet instilling confidence in his advice.’

Richard Lander – Kings Chambers ‘Richard is impressive in his analysis of the case and communication with solicitors and clients. He is clearly exceptionally clever, very easy to work with, and a great communicator.'

Richard Oughton - Cobden House Chambers 'Richard has a complete mastery of his subject which enables him to provide consistently reliable advice. When it comes to advocacy, he clearly enjoys the respect of the judges before whom he appears, and with good reason.'

Graham Sellers – Exchange Chambers

Dr Nathan Smith - Kings Chambers

Elisabeth Tythcott – 18 St John Street Chambers ‘Elisabeth demonstrates an interest in the case and wants to find a solution, she is excellent with clients in giving realistic and sensible commercial advice, and she is very responsive and goes the extra mile. She is also articulate and confident in court, her advocacy skills are strong and clear, and her cross-examination is well thought out.'

John Waiting – Exchange Chambers ‘John is very eloquent in his approach to matters, always making sure that he articulates himself depending on which judge he is before. He also has a very good knowledge of the judges in Manchester and Leeds, which is a big help when deciding what tactics to deploy.'

Andrew Williams – Exchange Chambers ‘Andrew is a silk in junior robes. His written advocacy is unrivalled and he has a formidable presence in the court room.'

Lucie Wood - Cobden House Chambers

Chancery, probate, and tax in Regional Bar

Tier 1 sets

Kings Chambers

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.

Les références

‘Jake Brooke is responsive, very commercial, and practical to deal with.’

‘The clerks at Kings Chambers provide a seamless and easy service, whether it be providing quotes, booking counsel, or dealing with queries. Brandon Singh and James Mason are excellent.’

‘Great clerks. James Mason is fantastic and always goes out of his way to get back to you quickly and to help.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 2 sets

18 St John Street Chambers

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.

Les références

‘The clerks at 18 St John Street Chambers are incredibly helpful. They provide an easy point of contact between firms and counsel and deal with enquiries in a quick and effective manner, especially Matthew Smith and Eden Cobb.’

‘James Parks and Katie Brown are very commercial and always very keen to provide the best service they can. They are also very responsive to urgent needs when required.’

‘James Parks runs an excellent clerking team. Responsive, commercial, and good fun too!’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 3 sets

9 St John Street

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.

Les références

‘Tony Morrissey is fantastic and always very helpful, and both he and the clerking team he has assembled are very easy to engage with and will always find a solution.’

‘Julia Lanza is very accommodating in terms of finding a suitable barrister, with useful recommendations for the type of work involved.’

‘Julia Lanza is very good.’

Principaux dossiers

Exchange Chambers

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.

Les références

‘Joe Mawson is a real credit to Exchange Chambers. He takes the time to build strong relationships with clients and is proactive in his approach.’

‘Joe Mawson is very responsive and always helps out in a crisis. All the clerks deal with matters efficiently.’

‘Joe Mawson is particularly excellent. He is highly efficient and approachable.’

Classements par PratiqueRegional Bar