Cloisters gains four new tenants in set shake-up

Cloisters chambers has poached four new tenants and three new clerks,

following the acrimonious split with senior clerk Michael Martin and the

subsequent loss of three tenants.

Cloisters' new chambers director Vanessa Peters, after just four weeks in

her new post, has revamped the clerking team and structure, sanctioned

massive investment in IT and taken on four new barristers.

For the first time clerks will be divided into specialist practice areas.

The clerking team has been strengthened by three new arrivals and will now

be divided into civil and criminal teams, aided by two fees clerks and

managed by Peters.

New senior clerk Justin Hebbs, who joins from Doughty Street Chambers,

will be head of the criminal team.

His first junior clerk will be Sydella Stagle-Frances, one of the new

recruits.

Stagle-Frances has spent 20 years in the civil service, nine of which were

spent as court clerk and determining officer at Harrow Crown Court.

The civil team will be headed by senior clerk Glen Hudson, who has been

joined by junior clerk Michelle Hughton from Tooks Court, the chambers of

Michael Mansfield QC.

The four barristers the new chambers director has selected are Paul Bowen,

a senior public lawyer from 4 King's Bench Walk, Graham Brodie, a

specialist in criminal fraud and environmental work from 1 Dr Johnson's

Buildings, criminal practitioner Ali Bajwa from Plowden Buildings and Julia

Krish from 4 Brick Court.

The set is investing in technology which will include new Meridian

software, new hardware, the development of a new website and intranet

services.

Former senior clerk Michael Martin left Cloisters to establish a new set.

He took with him senior junior Philip Engelman, an administrative law

specialist who is to head up the new set, two other tenants and a second

clerk Rod McGurk.