4 Paper Buildings raids 9 Gough Square for nine-strong family team

Common law set 9 Gough Square has lost nine of its barristers to family chambers 4 Paper Buildings.

All nine barristers, including Alex Verdan QC and John Tughan, are specialists in the law relating to children. Their appointments make 4 Paper Buildings the leader in that field, the set claims.

Susan Baldock, James Shaw and Sally Bradley, all of more than 15 years’ call, also join the chambers, along with Oliver Jones, Cleo Perry, Ceri White and Dorothea Gartland.

The news comes following 4 Paper Buildings’ recent recruitment of Rex Howling, whose practice focuses on children and matrimonial finance work, from Field Court Chambers in July.

Jonathan Cohen QC, head of chambers at 4 Paper Buildings, said the new recruits come at a time of regeneration for the set, which recently took on additional space and launched a new website.

"These new acquisitions are a coup for chambers and we’re confident that this will reinforce our position as the leading set for children law and a force to be reckoned with in matrimonial finance," said Cohen. "We have every reason to be very optimistic about our future."

John Kerr, chief executive of 9 Gough Square, said the set's team of 12 family specialists will continue to provide family law services to solicitors and local authorities alongside civil and criminal teams.

Kerr added: "We continue to expand our core business areas in family, personal injury, clinical and professional negligence, fraud, serious crime, regulatory, police law, employment, property and commercial."