Blackstone Chambers adds Matrix tax silk

Public law and tax specialist Grodzinski took silk in 2011, having been called in 1996. He initially took up a role with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as the firm considered launching an advocacy unit, but moved to 39 Essex Street in 1999 (26 July 1999) before joining Matrix in 2002.

His practice spans both public law and tax, areas that have increasing crossover, according to Blackstone clerking head Gary Oliver. “There’s a real business need for it that we can see,” he said. “A lot of people are looking for fresh blood in the tax field.”

Having established a competition practice to feed into the set’s public law group, chambers is now looking to build a stronger crossover in the field of tax.

Grodzinski commented: “With the kind of practice I have the synergies that exist with Blackstone’s [public law] practice are fantastic. You need people who are in court a lot and with the public law, tax crossover I’m in court a lot.”

Last year he successfully acted for the solar industry in a challenge to the Government’s changes to the scheme for subsiding green energy (25 January 2012).

This is the second barrister move from Matrix to Blackstone in the past few years, with Kieron Beal making the move in 2009 (29 July 2009).

Only five tax barristers have taken silk in the past five years, including Beal and Grodzinski. The others are: Phillippa Whipple of One Crown Office Row, who took silk in 2010; Nicky Shaw of Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers, who was appointed in 2012; and Pump Court Tax Chambers’ Andrew Hitchmough, who was among the 84 appointed in the latest round (27 February 2013).