Plowden Buildings hit by departures

The London common law set Plowden Buildings has been hit by a tenant exodus.

In June, the chambers was 50-strong but despite a continued policy of expansion it has now fallen to only 39 tenants.

The latest to quit is senior insolvency and professional negligence practitioner Jonathan Holmes who has been poached by leading chancery commercial set Enterprise Chambers.

Senior clerk Paul Hurst concedes that Holmes needed to go to a set with greater depth in its commercial department.

Holmes' departure follows that of senior tenant Charlotte Buckhaven who left for 2 Paper Buildings in October.

The respected Simon Cox who went to Doughty Street and Ali Bajwa who moved to Cloisters Chambers are among the others to have left recently.

But Plowden Buildings, under the leadership of William Lowe QC is a successful set, particularly in relation to its regional coverage. In June, it established an annexe in Newcastle, taking on five new tenants. In March last year it accepted applications from all 27 tenants of Samuel Parrish's chambers 3 Paper Buildings.

Hurst says: "My stronghold as far as the north-east is concerned is in PI and clinical negligence."

Plowden Buildings is also taking on four new immigration barristers, doubling its capability in this field. The new tenants, who will join on 1 December, are Navita Atreya, Christina Gordon, Gaener Bruce and Nicola Rogers.