Leaders in their specialism

Claire Collins and Gulshanah Choudhuri identify the experts that stand out within their chosen practice areas.



Nicholas Green QC

Brick Court Chambers

Called to the Bar: 1986

Appointed QC: 1998

Recommended for: EU/Competition

Professional achievements/associations:

Lecturer in law at University of South ampton 1982-1985; visiting professor at the University of Indiana Business School 1984/85; visiting scholar at the Max Planck Instituut for Comparative and International Law, Hamburg, 1984; lecturer and visiting fellow on masters degree programme at University of London 1985-1987; author of Commercial Agreements and Competition Law and co-author of Legal Foundations of the Single European Market.

Areas of practice:

Litigation; advisory and representational work on UK competition law; EC law; EC competition law; competition law aspects of mergers and takeovers; intellectual property licensing; media; telecommunications; environmental law; public procurement; conflicts of law; public law, especially commercial judicial review.

Recent reported cases:

Asda Stores v Consorzio Del Prosciutto (Association of Parma Ham) (1998); Office of Fair Trading v BSkyB & the Premier League (1998); R v Maff ex parte factorte (1998).

What they say about him:

"One of my dream team"; "enthusiastic and knowledgeable"; "talented, commercial, user- and client-friendly"; "he's down to earth and fun to deal with".



Michael Crane QC

Fountain Court

Called to the Bar: 1975

Appointed QC: 1994

Recommended for: Aviation

Professional achievements/associations: Scholar of Balliol College.

Areas of practice: Commercial law (aviation, insurance and reinsurance); advice to airlines on regulatory and Air Navigation Order compliance issues, route licensing and implications of the EU scheme of aviation rules; mainstream Warsaw convention issues; air accident; aircraft leasing.

Recent reported cases:

Airbus Industrie v Patel & ors (1998); Gunns v Par Insurance Brokers (1997); Agnew v Lansofsakringsbolgens AB (1997).

What they say about him:

"Absolutely top class, excellent at the Bar"; "the most important factor is that he treats everyone on equal terms; "a great team player - he's not the archetypal silk".



John Gardiner QC

11 New Square

(John Gardiner QC)

Called to the Bar: 1968

Appointed QC: 1982

Recommended for:Tax

Professional achievements/associations:

Head of chambers; master of the bench of the Middle Temple; treasurer of the senate of Inns of Court and Bar Council 1985/86.

Areas of practice:

Practices in all areas of corporate and private client taxation, including VAT and structured finance and major capital projects; litigation and advisory work for domestic and international businesses.

Recent reported cases:

Secan & Ranon v CIR 1998 (HK); Leeds Building Society & ors v Inland Revenue 1997 ECHR.

What they say about him:

"Very clever"; "construes legislation very thoroughly"; "it's a dialogue of equals between solicitor and counsel".



Laurie Fransman

Two Garden Court

Called to the Bar: 1979

Recommended for:Immigration

Professional achievements/associations:

Co-founder and first chair of Immigration Law Practitioners Association, now executive member; member of editorial board, Immigration and Nationality Law and Practice; author of Fransman's British Nationality Law (1998), 2nd edition. Contributed to Citizenship and Nationality Status in the New Europe (1998). Also a contributor to the New Law Journal, Law Society Gazette and other publications.

Areas of practice:

Administrative law; immigration and nationality, with particular emphasis on procedures; employment and investment; conflict of laws.

Recent reported cases:

R v Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Memon (1998).

What they say about him:

"Thinks laterally"; "very experienced"; "real character"; "pragmatic"; "very good with clients and extremely approachable"; "one wonders why he is not a silk".



Robert Englehart QC

Blackstone Chambers

Called to the Bar: 1969

Appointed QC: 1986

Recommended for: Media, Entertainment

Professional achievements/associations:

LLM Harvard Law School; deputy High Court judge (Chancery and Queen's Bench); arbitrator, International Chamber of Commerce, London Court of International Arbitration; chairman of Lloyd's of London disciplinary tribunals.

Areas of practice:

Commercial law; financial services; entertainment; media and sports law; press and telecommunications law; intellectual property.

Recent reported cases:

Michael Flateley v John Reid Enterprises (1998).

What they say about him:

"Precise manner, clear thinking and is able to cut through the verbiage and get to the point."



Gabriel Moss QC

3/4 South Square

Called to the Bar : 1974

Appointed QC: 1989

Recommended for: Insolvency

Professional achievements/associations:

Master of the bench of Lincoln's Inn; fellow of Society of Advanced Legal Studies; joint author of chapter 6 Cross Border Security Enforcement and the Conflict of Laws in Restitution and Banking (1998); invited to speak as expert to European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee.

Areas of Practice:

Business and financial law, insolvency and commercial and company matters.

Recent reported cases:

Marathon Electrical Manufacturing Corp v Mashreqbank (1997); Mitchell v Carter (1997); Re: Polly Peck International No.3 (1996).

What they say about him:

"Extremely industrious"; "knows his subject backwards"; "he has ingenious ideas and gets the balance right between advo cacy and intellect"; "has time for junior solicitors".



Robin Purchas QC

2 Harcourt Buildings

Called to the Bar: 1968

Appointed QC: 1987

Recommended for: Parliamentary

Professional achievements/associations:

Master of the bench of the Inner Temple, 1996; deputy High Court judge, 1994; recorder, 1989; fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies; member of the South Eastern Circuit, the Administrative Law Bar Association, the European Group, the Planning and Environmental Bar Association, the Parliamentary Bar and previously a member of the Attorney-General's panel.

Areas of practice:

Parliamentary work, both in committee and advisory; government promotions; public law and related fields; planning and related inquiries.

Recent reported cases:

Fletcher Estates v SSE (1998) CA; English Properties v Kingston LBS (1998) CA; R v Newbury DC ex parte Chieveley PC (1998); R v Flintshire DC ex parte Somerfield Stores (1998); Prudential Assurance v Waterloo (1998); Motorcrown v SJ Berwin (1998); Pye v Kingswood BC (1998) CA; English Properties v Kingston LBS (1998) CA.

What they say about him:

"A very, very hard worker - you just cannot stop him"; "intellectually unsurpassed and very trenchant"; "having had him against us we know that he is rigorous in cross-examination".



Robert Reid QC

9 Old Square

Called to the Bar: 196Appointed QC: 1980

Recommended for: Sports Law

Professional achievements/associations:

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; member of the Bar Sports Law Group Committee; recorder; deputy High Court judge; legal adviser to International Rugby Board Disciplinary Committee.

Areas of Practice:

Sports, commercial, property, chancery law.

Recent reported cases:

The Wilander & or v Tobin & Or (1996).

What they say about him:

"Good at analysis and very objective"; "good at construing documents"; "rigorous on administrative law".



Nigel Teare QC

4 Essex Court

Called to the Bar: 1974

Appointed QC: 1991

Recommended for: Shipping

Professional achievements/associations:

Junior counsel to the Treasury in admiralty matters from 1989-91; assistant recorder in 1993; recorder in 1997; appointment to panel of Lloyd's arbitrators in 1994.

Areas of practice:

Most areas of law associated with the shipping industry, including ship building, ship sale and finance, insurance, charterparty and bills of lading disputes, collision and salvage, pilotage and the law relating to ports; also deals with related areas of commercial law and international trade.

Recent reported cases:

The Herceg Novi (1998); Bouyges Offshore SA v Ultisol and Caspian The Boss 400 (May 1998); Boliden Ore and Metals v China National

Non-Ferrous Metals (1998); and formal investigations into the losses of The Herald of Free Enterprise, The Kurdistan and The European Gateway.

What they say about him:

"A first rate lawyer who always does his homework"; "extremely intelligent, thorough and hardworking".