Kushner, Neaves quit 36 Bedford Row for St Philip's

Two senior tenants have left 36 Bedford Row Chambers, following the sets'failed merger

negotiations and the departure of leading silk, HeatherSwindells QC.Leading family

practitioners Martine Kushner and Andrew Neaves arefollowing Swindells to St Philip's

Chambers in Birmingham.In May, 36 Bedford Row's planned merger with Nottingham sets King

CharlesHouse and St Mary's Chambers collapsed.It had hoped to become the first 100-plus

set but failed to secure thebacking of three-quarters of its 60 tenants.Swindells then

left to join St Philip's along with chancery and commercialbarrister Mohammed Zaman from

St Mary's.Shortly after the merger collapsed, 36 Bedford Row's head of chambersJames

Hunt QC stood down. However, Hunt insisted that there was noconnection between the

failed merger and his replacement as head ofchambers by Michael Pert QC.Kushner and

Neaves, both highly rated senior-juniors, have more than 30years of family experience

between them. They are the co-authors, withSwindells, of Jordan's Family Law and the

Human Rights Act 1988."The appointments will significantly strengthen the family group's

seniorteam and confirm our position on the national map as the largest group ofits kind

outside London," says David Hershman, head of St Philip's30-strong family group.The set

is also recruiting employment practitioner David Maxwell fromtroubled Wolverhampton set

Claremont Chambers.St Philip's Chambers now has almost 90 tenants.