Furnival barristers launch breakaway chambers

Fourteen barristers from Furnival Chambers have split from the set to launch a new chambers dedicated to credit crunch-related practices.

The new set launches on Monday (1 December) and will be headed by Andrew Mitchell QC, who is a former Furnival chambers head. Mitchell is joined by Alistair Webster QC, who will remain the head of the fraud and business crime team at Manchester-based set Lincoln House.

The chambers, which is based at 33 Chancery Lane, has not yet chosen a name for itself. It will specialise in business and financial wrongdoing with a mix of civil, criminal, regulatory and investigative work in both the advisory and advocacy fields.

Mitchell said the decision to split from Furnival came as the breakaway barristers felt their practice, which has been built over 20 years, could stand alone.

"We developed in the old set but it became increasingly more apparent that the product could work by itself and did not require being part of the larger entity," said Mitchell. "The time is right for us, as a leading group of practitioners to use our unique skills and experience to tackle increasingly complex and multi-layered areas of law to serve our clients."

Administration for the new set will be led by practice director Martin Adams, who also joins from Furnival.

Furnival Chambers senior clerk John Gutteridge said: "For many years, Furnival Chambers has been an extremely well established and successful specialist criminal set. As far as we are concerned, it is business as usual."

He added: "We're pleased to announce Oliver Blunt QC and Sally O'Neill QC as new joint heads of chambers."

THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW SET:

Andrew Mitchell QC
Alistair Webster QC
Keith Mitchell
Kennedy Talbot
Linda Saunt
Stephen Hellman
Martin Evans
Penelope Small
Simon Taylor
Ivan Pearce
Christopher Convey
Abigail Barber
Fiona Jackson
Faisal Osman