Retour United Kingdom - The Bar

Leading Silks

Lorraine Cavanagh KC – St John’s Buildings 'Lorraine is an extremely knowledgeable and persuasive advocate, and she quickly gets to grips with complex matters, both from a factual and legal perspective. Lorraine is dedicated, reliable, and consistent - everything that you need in a barrister.'
Sam Karim KC – Kings Chambers 'Sam is pragmatic, patient, and extremely knowledgeable, and is a really safe pair of hands. His advocacy is engaging, witnesses will trust him, and he is able to tease information out that others may not.'

2023 Silks

Helen Mulholland KC – Kings Chambers ‘Helen is a fantastic barrister and she comes across as extremely intelligent and confident, whilst being down-to-earth and great with clients. NHS clients love her as she immediately puts clinicians at ease, and she has managed very complex and sensitive matters, including serious medical treatment cases involving children.'

Leading Juniors

Eleanor Keehan – St John’s Buildings 'Eleanor is a strong advocate, has a great presence in court, she is very confident in her work, and she works extremely hard. She is great to work with and has a lovely, kind manner, while still getting the job done in a very professional and respectful way to her opponents.'
Ben McCormack – Garden Court North Chambers ‘Ben is an excellent advocate and his written work is of similar quality. He has a wealth of knowledge of the law across various areas, including housing, Court of Protection, community care, and public law, and he knows how things work on the ground.’
Kerry Smith – Garden Court North Chambers 'Kerry is an excellent barrister and she is assertive and clear in court. Her advice is always excellent and she seems to care about her cases.'
Laura Twist – St John’s Buildings ‘Laura is an extremely experienced barrister who is entrusted with the most serious of cases in the Court of Protection. She is the epitome of calmness and professionalism, providing detailed and complex advice in a way which is accessible to lay clients, and her knowledge and experience in the Court of Protection, and her background in property and affairs, means that she is the complete package.’
Richard Borrett – Kings Chambers ‘Richard listens to the client’s position and is able to articulate this clearly to the other parties during advocacy. He offers good advice on the proceedings and the client’s position, identifying any risks or problems that might arise as a result.’
Fay Collinson – Kings Chambers 'Fay's attention to detail is second-to-none, she is very knowledgeable, and gets to the issues very quickly. She is very good in cases where Court of Protection matters overlap with the civil jurisdiction, and she has a calm but authoritative manner in court.'
Lucinda France-Hayhurst – St John’s Buildings 'Lucinda takes a practical approach to Court of Protection cases, which is crucial. She is able to cut through to the key issues and provide consistently strong advice, and her drafting is strong, as is her advocacy, both in court and at RTMs.'
Elizabeth Mottershaw – Garden Court North Chambers 'Elizabeth is insightful and knowledgeable around Court of Protection work. She is prompt, willing to ask questions, and to draw out issues in proceedings which need to be dealt with.'

Rising Stars

Aisling Campbell – Kings Chambers ‘Aisling has quickly become a go-to barrister for Court of Protection matters, particularly in the area of child and young people deprivation of liberty. She is extremely knowledgeable, technically able, and excellent with clients, and she is fantastic in managing extremely complex and sensitive cases for NHS clients.’
Sophie Hurst – Kings Chambers 'Sophie is a skilled advocate with an excellent command of the law, an ability to build persuasive arguments, and a calm courtroom manner. She always has a strong grasp of the issues in a case and is able to navigate effectively through them.'
Ifsa Mahmood – Kings Chambers 'Ifsa is a fountain of knowledge for mental capacity law and excellent at dealing with complex and difficult Court of Protection matters. She is excellent at finding solutions and responding quickly to submissions in court, and she is approachable and always on hand to talk through an issue or answer questions.'
Rebecca Titus-Cobb – St John’s Buildings 'Rebecca is efficient and understands the complexities of her cases well. She strongly advocates on behalf of the client and responds well under pressure to developments in the case and difficult questions about the law and procedure.'

Court of Protection and community care in Regional Bar

Kings Chambers


Members of the Court of Protection team at Kings Chambers have substantial experience acting for local authorities, NHS trusts, CCGs, patients, and litigation friends. The set is home to practice lead Sam Karim KC and Helen Mulholland KC, both of whom are frequently called upon to represent clients in serious medical treatment decision cases surrounding organ transplants, amputations and life support. Richard Borrett is active in inherent jurisdiction matters in the High Court and issues of deprivation of liberty of children in the Family court. Sophie Allan regularly acts on behalf of protected parties and has expertise in cases surrounding contested capacity issues and applications for non-disclosure. Fay Collinson is also a key member of the set in this area.

Les références

‘The clerks are all very helpful and quick to respond, in particular Drew Platt and James Mason.’

‘Aimee Rogers and Drew Platt are excellent clerks.’

‘Kings has an excellent group of Court of Protection barristers, from juniors to KCs. The clerks are exceptionally helpful and will always do whatever they can to find available counsel, even at short notice.’

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St John's Buildings


The members of St John’s Buildings frequently act in cases concerning deprivation of liberty, serious medical treatment, and the human rights of vulnerable adults. Joseph O’Brien KC and Lorraine Cavanagh KC are the key silks in this arena, and Cavanagh KC has a particular interest in cases conquering young adults in family proceedings. Turning to the juniors, Lucinda France-Hayhurst is skilled at handling cases regarding the capacity to consent to sexual relations, experimental treatment, and inherent jurisdiction. Serious medical treatment cases and best interest disputes form a core part of Laura Twist‘s practice. Eleanor Keehan frequently acts on behalf of the Official Solicitor, local authorities, and health bodies, as well as family members, and she is also on the National Executive Committee of CoPPA.

Les références

‘The clerks always do what they can to assist.’

‘The clerks I have liaised with have all been helpful and friendly, always ready to offer solutions to problems, and very quick to respond to requests.’

‘St John’s Buildings has a remarkable set of barristers practicing in Court of Protection health and welfare disputes. Their annual training day is well attended and provides an insightful overview of recent developments in the law. ‘

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Garden Court North Chambers


Health and welfare applications, capacity issues that engage the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and inherent jurisdiction applications all fall within the strong capabilities of the Court of Protection team at Garden Court North Chambers. This includes Ben McCormack, who is often instructed by the Official Solicitor, family members, and public bodies in complex welfare and serious medical treatment cases. Kerry Smith has significant experience in handling health and welfare cases, including those involving deprivation of liberty. Elizabeth Mottershaw is another key junior, whose practice often includes representing clients in capacity, eligibility, and best interests cases.

Les références

‘Christian Wolfenden is responsive and is always clear and helpful in his communications.’

‘Garden Court North is a strong public law and human rights set in the North, with some very experienced barristers who are regularly instructed in the Court of Protection.’

‘As many of the barristers there have overlapping knowledge with other relevant areas of law, such as immigration and housing, they can be extremely helpful when matters can engage those issues.’