Charities expert migrates to new set

John Malpas reports

CHANCERY set 3 New Square has taken on charities expert Hubert Picarda QC following his decision to leave his own newly-merged set.

Picarda's move ends a flurry of activity in the Chancery Bar prompted by the merger of 10 Old Square with 8 Stone Buildings at the beginning of the year.

The president of the Charity Law Association, a long-standing 10 Old Square tenant, chose to seek a new home rather than remain with the new 21-tenant set.

Two other 10 Old Square tenants, Shan Warnock-Smith and Araba Taylor, also left the chambers at the time of the merger.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be joining 3 New Square," said Picarda who would not comment on his reasons for leaving his former chambers. "I believe it is a forward looking set whose existing expertise in trust law, insolvency and banking complements my own experience."

Picarda's move to Sir William Goodhart QC's set coincides with a second well-established practitioner's decision to join the chambers, which now has 13 tenants. Thomas Jefferies, a specialist in landlord and tenant law, and mortgage enforcement, has left Mark Litman QC's 12 Gray's Inn Square Chambers to join the set.