St Philip's offers specialist tax advice

Birmingham's St Philip's Chambers has become the first regional set in the country to develop genuine specialist tax capability.

Highly-rated senior junior Robert Grierson is joining from Maples and Calder, a Cayman Island-based law firm, where he specialised in trust structures.

Grierson formerly practised at leading specialist tax chambers 24 Old Buildings in Lincoln's Inn in London. His arrival at St Philip's is believed to make it the first regional set with a credible tax advice service.

Chief executive at St Philip's, Vincent Denham, says: "Robert is no ordinary tax barrister and his appointment is a real coup for a Birmingham set.

"His appointment fills a gap in the range of commercial expertise we can provide for Midlands firms and will certainly help us to win more work from London."

Grierson joins the chancery and commercial group, which is led by deputy head of chambers John Randall QC, and brings the number of tenants at the largest set in the country to 88.

It will also enhance the set's ability to offer a credible one-stop shop commercial service that so many barristers' chambers and solicitors' firms are currently seeking to achieve.

"I chose Birmingham and St Philip's because I believe that both have the structures and the growth potential to stand at the forefront of legal services in the harmonised Europe of the 21st century," says Grierson.