Temple sets make plans for October wedding

TWO CHAMBERS in the Temple have merged after a mass of tenant defections from one of the sets.

Raymond Walker QC's set in 1 Harcourt Buildings will be joining Simon Buckhaven's set in the same building from the beginning of October.

The move follows the departure of 10 barristers from Walker's chambers over the past few months due to what one of the departing tenants described as "personality difficulties". It is understood some of the tenants were concerned they were not getting enough good work.

The eight remaining tenants will be incorporated into the neighbouring set, still headed by Simon Buckhaven.

Andrew Bird, a tenant at Buckhaven's set, said it had been looking to expand and was attracted by the strength of its neighbours' civil practitioners. "It suited both sides," he explained.

The expanded common law set now has 30 tenants practising in civil and criminal fields.

Four of the tenants who left Walker's chambers have joined Richard Stone QC's chambers at Queen Elizabeth Building. They are Bruce Speller, Sarah Edney, Ranjit Bhose and Gillian Carrington.

Former clerk at the Queen Elizabeth Building set Tim Clayton was jailed last week for a year after admitting to the theft of £67,000 worth of fees from Lionel Persey.