The Bar

2024’s newest silks: Why we chose a career in law

A solicitor-turned-barrister and the Bar’s newest doctor KC; The Lawyer speaks to six of the Bar’s newest silks. The group was announced as KCs-in-waiting earlier this year, with 95 barristers in total getting the nod. Among the 95 were Crucible Law’s Clea Topolski – who having been called in 2014 – is the most junior of the set. […]

Post Office

Lord Grabiner KC and others set to be quizzed in Post Office inquiry

One Essex Court’s Lord Anthony Grabiner KC and Anthony De Garr Robinson KC, and partners from Womble Bond Dickinson are set to appear this spring as witnesses in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.  Last week (2 February), the inquiry completed Phase 4, which dealt with actions against sub-postmasters and others around policy-making, audits and […]

barristers wig

Revealed: 95 take silk for second year in a row

The Lord Chancellor has announced 95 new King’s Counsel today, equalling the number appointed in the last cohort.  Before that, the last year in which the number dipped below 100 was in 2014/15, when 93 silks were appointed. This year attracted 283 applicants – four more than last year’s 279. The overall success rate was […]

barrister wig

MoJ to name 95 new silks on Friday

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will publish a list of those who have made silk on Friday 19 January, confirming that 95 barristers will be made KCs and five will be made Honorary KCs, subject to approval from Buckingham Palace. The number of new silks confirmed by the MoJ indicates the figure will remain flat, […]

John Mehrzad KC

Fountain Court scores sport silk in rare hire

Magic circle set Fountain Court has hired sports silk and member of The Lawyer’s Hot 100, John Mehrzad KC. Upon completion of his pupillage at Cloisters Chambers, Mehrzad moved to Littleton Chambers in 2010. He was made silk in 2020 after 12 years, the fastest appointee in his year. With around four-fifths of his practice […]

Israel Palestine conflict

Garden Court barrister tweets to be assessed by Met counter terrorism unit

The Metropolitan Police and the Bar Standards Board (BSB) have been sent complaints about a barrister who tweeted his support of this month’s attack on Israel, The Lawyer has learnt. Franck Magennis – who was called to the Bar in 2016 and practises in public, civil and criminal defence at Garden Court Chambers – has […]

Simon Davenport KC, 4 Pump Court

4 Pump Court pursues commercial work with KC hire

Simon Davenport KC has left 3 Hare Court Chambers after nearly 23 years in order to join 4 Pump Court. The commercial and chancery silk specialises in commercial disputes, civil fraud, insolvency, international arbitration and professional negligence cases. He frequently works on overseas legal issues including in Russia and CIS countries. Davenport KC was instructed […]

movie clap

3 Paper Buildings’ turnover rises 20 per cent since pandemic

3 Paper Buildings’ revenue has grown 5 per cent to hit £31.6m over the past financial year.  The most recent rise means that the national chambers has seen a 20.5 per cent increase in its turnover since before the pandemic, jumping from £26.22m in 2019/20. The set has also gained 20 new tenants since the […]

Film

Success for tax silk as Court of Appeal dismisses negligence claim

The Court of Appeal has today (28 April) dismissed the appeal against Andrew Thornhill KC, the tax silk accused of professional negligence by over 100 investors over advice he provided concerning three similar film finance tax schemes between 2002 and 2004. In a victory for Brick Court and Herbert Smith Freehills, Sir Julian Flaux, Lady […]

barristers wig

BSB mulls action against barristers refusing to prosecute eco-protestors

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is in the process of deciding whether disciplinary action should be taken against a group of barristers who have signalled their intention to disobey the cab-rank rule. Last week, a group called Lawyers Are Responsible issued a declaration that focused on the need for faster and stronger action for the […]

The first KCs for generations: 95 silks take on their new title

Today marks the first time in 70 years that new silks will be sworn in as King’s Counsel, as 95 prepare for the ceremony at London’s Westminster Hall. The list was revealed at the end of December, with the number of appointments falling for the second year in a row, despite a slight rise in […]

Mat Swallow, Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers appoints new director

Magic circle set Blackstone Chambers has elected Mat Swallow as its new chambers director, after stalwart Julia Hornor announced she will retire in May. Swallow, who has served as deputy chambers director, will take over in the spring following an uncontested vote in late January. He joined the set’s management team 14 years ago and […]

TCC

Silk joins bench after two decades at Keating Chambers

Keating Chambers silk Adam Constable KC is soon to be elevated to the bench as a judge at the Technology and Construction Court (TCC), The Lawyer understands. Constable KC will preside alongside the 10 other judges who hear cases in the TCC, with Mrs Justice O’Farrell in charge. He follows in the steps of Mrs […]

New Square, Lincoln's Inn

Radcliffe Chambers raids Five Paper for commercial team

Radcliffe Chambers has swiped a team of four from Five Paper’s commercial practice group, including its commercial team leader Simon Mills. Other members from Five Paper that have made the move include Zachary Kell (year of call: 2015), Matthew Tonnard (year of call: 2015) and Alexander Kingston-Splatt (year of call: 2017). The set has also […]

barrister wig

KC appointments decline again as 95 take silk

The Lord Chancellor has announced a total of 95 new King’s Counsel, meaning the number of barristers to receive silk status has fallen for the second year in a row. The latest cohort is 5.9 per cent smaller than the 101 barristers promoted in 2021, which at the time marked a 13 per cent dip […]

Dominic Raab

Fountain Court silk to investigate Raab complaints

Fountain Court silk Adam Tolley KC has been appointed to investigate conduct complaints made against the deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab MP. The UK Government has tasked Tolley KC to investigate two formal complaints against Raab made on 15 November. These two complaints refer to Raab’s stint as foreign […]

Tom Weisselberg KC and Jane Mulcahy KC

Leadership change for Blackstone Chambers as it elects new bosses

After a decade at the helm, Monica Carss-Frisk KC and Tony Peto KC are standing down as Blackstone’s head of chambers. The pair makes way for Blackstone’s new leaders Tom Weisselberg KC and Jane Mulcahy KC. They have been elected to a five-year term from today. Their predecessors have run Blackstone Chambers since 2012. Weisselberg […]

Lady Justice Old Bailey

MoJ extends olive branch to striking barristers

Update from CBA (13:00pm): Kirsty Brimelow KC, chair of the CBA, has said: “The offer from government has resulted from constructive talks between the MOJ and the leadership of the CBA. “This offer represents substantial positive movement from government. As a result the offer will be put to a ballot.” After months of strike action, criminal […]

Anthony Mason, sign-writer, barristers

A historic moment: Meet the sign-writers changing QC to KC

Anthony Mason has just made history. The sign-writer has finished altering the slatted nameboard outside commercial chambers 5KBW, making a crucial change to its list of silks. The QC titles have been painted over, replaced with a new suffix: KC, for King’s Counsel. For Mason, who’s been in the business for over 30 years, it’s […]

Work Better: How Serle Court achieved record turnover in a pandemic

The challenge that Serle Court faced at the onset of the pandemic was to ensure that its clients continued to see value in their close relationship with chambers, and that they found value in its services. In short, the set needed to double down on its thought leadership and knowledge offering from both barristers and […]

Supreme Court

“There is no simple solution”: Supreme Court responds to reshuffle backlash

The Supreme Court has responded to the diversity row sparked by its latest judicial appointments. The UK’s highest court was criticised this week after announcing that two former judges would be brought out of retirement to join its ranks. The reshuffle sees Lord Lloyd-Jones rejoin the Supreme Court just seven months after stepping down in […]

supreme court

Diversity concerns raised over “disappointing” Supreme Court reshuffle

A Blackstone Chambers silk has described the Supreme Court’s recruitment process as “completely opaque”, after the appointment of two recently retired judges sparked fresh concerns over diversity at the Bar. The criticism comes in response to the Supreme Court’s announcement that Lord Lloyd-Jones has rejoined its ranks just seven months after stepping down in January, […]