Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
1‘Kieron has incredible technical knowledge and is second-to-none when it comes to practical advice, both in terms of litigation tactics and strategy, but also from an advocacy perspective. He is a joy to work with, he is great with clients, and he truly works as one of the team when managing a case in litigation.’
1‘Sam is an exceptional and persuasive advocate; he is creative, he has good judgement, and he knows how to make a good point come across fluently and persuasively. He is excellent on any aspect that has a public law angle, and his expertise in public law and tax is second-to-none.’
'Andrew is very user friendly and excellent with clients, with a robust and practical outlook to managing disputes. Andrew is always one of the team and his technical knowledge is outstanding, making him a favourite to instruct.'
'Felicity cuts through extraneous information and focuses only on the key issues which she considers from all angles. Her written opinions are well laid out and easy to understand and incorporate issues which she has registered might have an impact, even when nobody else has registered that there might be something to consider.'
'Valentina is incredibly bright and an excellent advocate in hearings. She is responsive and thinks quickly on her feet and she is incredibly well prepared and insightful.'
2'Eleni is a great VAT silk and advocate. She is thorough and knowledgeable, and an excellent choice for clients.'
'Philip has a gravitas that commands the respect of the court room and opponents alike. He really comes into his own when you need somebody to manage appellate litigation and can make the legally unattractive really quite compelling.'
3'Jonathan is ferociously bright and has an astonishingly deep understanding of tax law. He is a supreme advocate of his generation.'
'George is a highly analytical lawyer who appreciates problems from both a practical and systemic analysis. He is a strong advocate who reassures the Tribunal, he is a stand-out choice for all levels of litigation, and has his finger is on the pulse post-Brexit.'
'James is a cool, calm, and insightful barrister who is great at managing client nervousness and challenges, and drawing focus onto the real nub of a dispute. Clients are particularly impressed at James' ability to explain complex issues to lay clients, sharing his experience of litigation in this area and HMRC approach, and combining this with his honestly, to really draw out the challenges and ensuring that work is focused on dealing with these.'
4'When it comes to indirect taxes, Sarabjit is a subject-matter expert. He is highly thought of by clients and great to work with.'
'David has an excellent client manner and is able to explain complex legal points and give excellent advice on strategy for managing a case.'
2022 Silks
'Mark Fell is personable, reliable, hardworking and innovative, and Mark's advocacy is impressive and effective.'
2023 Silks
‘Michael has an encyclopaedic knowledge of tax law and is very strong in advocacy.’
2024 Silks
'Sadiya not only knows the relevant law inside and out, but she is able to provide advice that focuses pragmatically on the client's commercial interests.'
'Brendan is technically very strong indeed; his ability to turn around complex pleadings quickly is very impressive and his client management is extremely good, reassuring clients and lay clients in particular. His advocacy in relation to complex tax matters is impressive in that he has great clarity in explaining all the necessary detail.'