Two former heads of chambers, including Robert Rhodes QC of 4 King’s Bench Walk (4KBW) and a mix of nine other lawyers and barristers, have joined Christopher Wilson-Smith QC’s 35 Essex Street.
Rhodes’s distinguished career includes major espionage cases. He recently represented a defendant at The Hague War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and acted in the Wickes case.
Rhodes was at the centre of allegations by the Bar Council that he had not taken reasonable steps to ensure that his set was properly administered, but was completely exonerated. The allegations related to a period when payments were being made by 4KBW to Medico Legal Services, an arm of Claims Direct, for administrative services. The
Bar Council incorrectly alleged for two years that the payments were made in return for work.
Rhodes moves to 35 Essex Street at the same time as Gerald McDermott QC, the former head of 8 King Street Chambers in Manchester, and Gordon Bebb QC from 2 King’s Bench Walk.
The other new joiners include: Benjamin Burgher from Norton Rose, Ben Compton from 2 King’s Bench Walk, Andrew Short, Jill Brown, Mark Mullin, Andrew Allen and Tony Ross from Coram Chambers in London, and Caroline Hallisley from Hardwicke Building.