2 Garden Court calls meeting after losses

One of the sets worst hit by defections to the newly-established Matrix Chambers has called a meeting to discuss its future, as it faces further departures.

2 Garden Court, a 60-tenant general common law set, has been rocked by the departure of its most high-profile tenants, Nicholas Blake QC and Kenneth Macdonald QC, as well as junior Raza Husain, to the new chambers.

The set may be hit by a further wave of tenant departures.

It is understood that a team of personal injury barristers has applied to join leading employment law set Cloisters and approaches have also been made to several criminal practitioners.

Joint head of chambers Owen Davies QC says: "Yes, we are having a chambers meeting but we have one every 3 months. We will probably discuss it [the departures]."

Cloisters' chambers director Vanessa Peters says: "We have received 67 applications to join chambers since the start of the year but it would be unfair to comment on any individual application."

2 Garden Court is currently regarded as having the premier immigration team in the country, as well as leading practices in civil liberties, crime and administrative and public law.



see feature page 16-19