Family: children and domestic abuse

‘Christopher is a silk masquerading as a junior; he is just exceptional. He brings a sense of authoritative calmness to every case he touches, and he operates on a different level to most.'

Matthew Brookes-Baker

Matthew is one of the most effective and committed advocates around. He is clear and focused with every line he takes - a real force to be reckoned with.'

Kristina Brown

‘Kristina has huge energy levels for her cases and she is a wonderful, engaging advocate who is highly respected by judges and opponents. She has a real natural charm but behind it, the sharpest of brains, both legally and tactically.’

Victoria Clifford

Victoria is excellent in her representation of children in care proceedings.'

Mark Cooper-Hall

Mark is one of the most outstanding care practitioners; he is the whole package. He leaves no stone unturned in his preparation, the documents he produces assist the court and all advocates with the direction of the case irrespective of who he is representing, and as an advocate, he is calm, kind, unflappable, and deeply effective.’

Kirstie Danton

‘Kirstie is a fluent and persuasive advocate who has a great attention to detail and excellent ability to explain complex matters succinctly. She is a trusted favourite and a first choice for complex matters at all levels, she is responsive and extremely helpful, and she is also adaptable.’

Alex Forbes

'Alex is extremely well prepared and focussed in his approach to cases. He is able to dissect complex medical opinion and present it in a way that can be readily understood.'

Michele Friel

‘Michele is phenomenal and 100% committed to each and every case that she does. She is detailed and thorough in her preparation and always thinks of alternative strategies as well as guiding the clients to the necessary support networks that they would require to deal with the emotion and very frequent trauma involved in the nature of the work that she does.'

Kirsty Gallacher

‘Kirsty is a formidable advocate and brings her all round excellence to bear on every case she appears in. She is always calm, deliberate and focused, and her grasp of the factual background is always excellent and reinforced by her sound legal analysis.'

Orla Grant

She is an excellent lawyer and thinks carefully about a case strategy which she then sticks to and executes.’

Tom Harrill

‘Tom is an exceptional advocate, he is always thoroughly prepared and his knowledge of the law and case law is phenomenal. He can calmly cross-examine lay and expert witnesses in a way that the judge finds helpful and the client can follow, he is precise and only asks questions that are necessary and pertinent, and can explain to any client what is happening so that they can follow, and feel listened to.’

Carolyn Jones

‘Carolyn is a fearless, straight-talking advocate who always fights for her clients, and behind the scenes, she gives robust advice, but she also has a very kind bedside manner, especially with vulnerable clients. Carolyn is a true all-rounder with a phenomenal capacity for hard work, making her a real inspiration for more junior members of the profession.'

‘Justine is a phenomenal barrister and her natural ability to absorb, retain and analyse huge amounts of information never ceases to amaze. She is particularly experienced in representing extremely vulnerable persons, such as those with severe learning difficulties, and she regularly appears as a leading junior against silks and is a particular favourite of local authorities for this reason.'

Nicola Martin

‘Nicola is very empathetic to the clients and has an ability to draw them out and connect with them. She is a fine advocate and in addition she is fast at providing written advice, and she is very approachable for solicitors.'

Matthew Maynard

‘Matthew is always impeccably prepared for his cases and a robust but measured advocate. He will approach the case in a balanced and fair way but exploit all appropriate avenues in his client's interests.'

Hannah Mettam

‘Hannah is a fantastically skilled and knowledgeable advocate. Her advocacy is first class and she puts forward arguments clearly, effectively and politely. Hannah is always polite, courteous, available to have conferences, proactive, and efficient.'

Yolanda Pemberton

‘Yolanda is a very capable junior and she is extremely well-prepared for every case, often putting other advocates to shame by her knowledge of the case papers and the relevant law. She is often instructed in complex cases where she displays a real mastery of medical records or mobile phone evidence, and she is extremely professional and well-liked by judges, opponents, solicitors and lay clients alike.'

Heather Popley

is impressive.’

Ruth Richards

KCH Garden Square

Kathryn Taylor

‘Kathryn is an excellent barrister and she always fights her client's corner. She is always well-prepared and is equally effective when making submissions or cross-examining a witness, and she has a relaxed style which belies her preparation and focus.'

Christopher Watson

‘Christopher is forensic and thorough in his preparation and tactically astute. Christopher is known for his confident and commanding advocacy in the courtroom, and his presence is both authoritative and persuasive; every case is presented with utter conviction.'

Sara Davis

St Mary’s Chambers

‘Sara is a fantastic barrister, as she is so easy to work with, great with clients and really knows her stuff. She is kind, gentle, understanding and patient, and she is a brilliant advocate.’

Claire Howell

St Mary’s Chambers

‘Claire is a highly skilled and very ambitious advocate. She is very focused on achieving the best outcome possible for a client and works very hard to try to achieve this.’

Moira demonstrates exceptional skill and professionalism in her work. She quickly grasps the complexities of cases, showing both empathy and understanding, which allows her to offer clear and realistic counsel, and her meticulous preparation and ability to present accurate, well-balanced statements ensures that legal terminology is effectively used without overwhelming the audience.'

Gemma Bowes

‘Gemma is always incredibly well prepared and is able to cut through a wealth of material with ease. Her vast knowledge of the law and legal processes instills instant confidence within her clients and enables her to provide firm but fair advice.'

Nicola Brown

3PB

‘Without a doubt, one of Nicola's greatest strength is her unique ability to establish a rapport with her clients and her bedside manner is unrivalled. No matter the client and no matter the circumstance of the case, clients are guaranteed to feel listened to, supported and encouraged.'

Nicholas Brown

‘Nicholas is a calm, erudite advocate with an extensive knowledge of the law in his field, and he uses it to great effect on his feet. He is an advocate who pays real attention to the detail of case, his written work is excellent, and he is an extremely able advocate.'

‘Lucy is down-to-earth, pragmatic, approachable and knowledgeable. She is very calming with the clients, and good on her feet.'

James Cleary

St Ives Chambers

Andrew Duncan

‘Andrew has an impressive ability to build an instant rapport with the lay client, instilling an immediate sense of trust and confidence in what can be an incredibly stressful and difficult time for the lay client. His preparation skills and attention to detail are two of many attributes for which he is well known for within the local circuit.'

Lucy Fairclough

client care is exemplary.'

Matthew Fiddy

‘Matthew is always extremely well prepared, he is calm and thoughtful even on the most complex of cases, and he is able to put the local authority’s position to the court in a convincing manner. He has excellent client care skills and ensures that full details of the hearing are sent to those instructing in a timely manner.’

Aimee Fox

‘Aimee is a formidable opponent. She is sharp as a razor and calm under pressure. Aimee quickly gets to grips with complex issues and instinctively handles the most sensitive of situations. She is a pleasure to work with and skilled beyond her call.'

Matiss Krumins

‘Matiss is incredibly easy to instruct, with a natural ability to understand and execute complex instructions with precision. In court, his advocacy is both effective and calm, and when it comes to cross-examination, he is formidable.’

Lawrence Messling

3PB

David Payne

‘David is extremely thorough and meticulous in his approach to cases and will always make time to talk before a hearing and ensure that the issues have been properly considered with the client. David is approachable and always happy to go out of his way to assist on matters to ease some of the pressures on the solicitor.'

Louise Sapstead

St Ives Chambers

is very capable and strong advocate. She always is well-prepared, organised and thorough, she always presents her case with admirable clarity and persuasiveness, and her cross-examination is focused and highly effective.’

Laura Scott

‘Laura demonstrates exceptional advocacy skills, consistently presenting clients' cases with clarity, precision and confidence. She has an excellent approach to client care, demonstrating genuine empathy and understanding, particularly in sensitive cases involving domestic abuse or vulnerable clients, and she has a good, through understanding of family law and her ability to reference relevant case law and apply it effectively in proceedings.'

Daniel Sheridan

'Dan has a real talent in relation to his advocacy. He is clear and firm in his approach but also empathy when undertaking his cross-examination. He is always child focused and has a real attention to detail on all cases.'

Margaret Styles

‘Margaret is a force to be reckoned with in the court room; a fierce advocate who is also so approachable. She will go the extra mile and genuinely makes a real difference to the cases you instruct her on, particularly the complex matters.'

Abigail Turner

‘Abigail is always extremely well prepared and has a compassionate and reassuring manner with clients, and she has a particular strength in swiftly identifying the relevant issues in a case whilst fully taking on board all issues and listening to clients’ concerns. Abigail is also very approachable to her solicitor clients and will offer above and beyond with her time on a case as may be required.'

Sian Waldron

St Ives Chambers

Judy Claxton

St Mary’s Chambers

Lianne Murphy

The Barrister Group

Samantha Reddington

St Albans Chambers

Anita Thind

St Mary’s Chambers

Steven Veitch

St Mary’s Chambers

Ben Clulee

St Mary’s Chambers

‘Ben is extremely knowledgeable regarding the law and his calm and sensitive approach makes him stand out. His robust, yet caring approach, helps to resolve the case in the best interests of the child, and he clearly puts a lot of thought into his advocacy, whether that is cross-examination or submissions.’

June Williams

Cornwall Street Barristers

‘June is an incredible advocate and she is able to quickly gain the trust of her clients and the respect of her peers and judges. She is a formidable opponent in court and will always use her best efforts to fight the client’s corner.’

'Ayesha is an excellent advocate. She cares deeply for her clients and this is shown by her thoughtful explanation of the process to clients and her attention to detail about their specific case, which immediately puts clients at ease.'

Poonam Bhari

3PB

Patrick Bowe

KCH Garden Square

'Patrick has a keen analytical mind coupled with excellent client care skills, he will fight tooth and nail for clients, and his dogged determination achieves excellent results. Patrick has always provided sound and good advice.'

Thomas Bramall

St Ives Chambers

Nathalie Bull

Lucy Cash

No5 Barristers’ Chambers

'Lucy is a highly competent barrister with a very personable approach to clients. She is focussed on the key issues, with an attention to detail, she achieves very impressive results for clients and they are extremely happy with the work she does, and she will also maintain communication with the instructing solicitor to ensure that the transition for the client is seamless.'

Ben Chapman

St Ives Chambers

Samuel Coe

St Ives Chambers

‘Sam is an excellent barrister, and his standards have always been consistent since the first instruction to the most recent. He excels at every stage and goes above and beyond, his communication is detailed and prompt, and his client care is understanding and approachable.'

Stephen Crispin

'A strong, calm, unflappable advocate who cuts straight to the key issues.'

Rebecca Cross

presents arguments with confidence and precision, remaining composed under judicial scrutiny and can pivot effectively in response to unexpected developments.'

Frida Dahlqvist

Naomi Dean

‘Naomi demonstrates exceptional preparation and an exemplary attention to detail, her advocacy skills are highly impressive, and her in-depth knowledge of her cases is evident throughout.’

Lawren Dobson

St Ives Chambers

‘Lawren is a tenacious advocate and extremely hard working, she fights every case with passion and commitment, and she also works incredibly well with vulnerable clients, accommodating their additional needs with great care and skill. She remains calm in a crisis and any client is fortunate to have her representation as she always goes the extra mile.'

Samantha Dunn

The 36 Group

‘Samantha is knowledgeable about her area of practice, extremely hard working and is able to bring focus to the issues in the case and how to best achieve client objectives, working well as a part of a team.'

Anthony Finch

St Ives Chambers

Adeo Fraser

‘Adeo is very confident, knows the case in detail and has a very good style of advocacy. Strong advocate, methodical and great with clients.'

Paul Froud

Paul is such a wonderful advocate; he is knowledgeable, passionate and effective. He is also fantastic with clients, in particular young and vulnerable clients, who know that through Paul, they have a voice.'

Martha Gray

Harcourt Chambers

Emma Griffiths

Grace Gwynne

'Grace is a consummate advocate. She is powerful in court and inspires the confidence of the judiciary, she is always able to maintain focus on the central issues and is not distracted or diverted, and she has excellent client skills and is an effective negotiator.'

Ria Herbert

'Ria quickly gets to the main issues in a case and is highly skilled in preparing the case based on its individual, relevant facts. Ria is a robust advocate and will fully explain to her clients the benefits of advancing their case in a particular way, whilst listening to their individual concerns.'

William Horwood

William is a conscientious and thorough barrister. He ensures that he takes his time and is careful with the most vulnerable of witnesses, which allows them to give the best evidence they can.'

Malvika Jaganmohan

‘Malvika is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her advocacy. She knows the facts of the case inside out, has a careful ear to every intricate detail of the other party's case, and her way with the client is personable, creating a great rapport with the client and explaining matters in a way that is understandable to them, in what is generally a very stressful time.'

Karen Kabweru-Namulemu

1GC | Family Law

Karen is a brilliant advocate for clients, as she will always bear in mind any disabilities or needs of clients and make sure she works in a way that is suitable for them. Karen is not afraid to go the extra mile to try and help clients and will always try and remain on cases if requested to keep consistency in counsel.'

Tom Lawal

'Tom is an exceptional barrister, he has an extremely caring nature, putting the client at the heart of everything, and the advice given is proactive, realistic and robust. He is not afraid to highlight the weaknesses of a clients position but will readily advise on how to counter such a problem, and his advocacy skills are exceptional, he fights clients corners and strives for the best possible outcome.'

Eleanor Marsh

‘Eleanor's written work is of exceptionally high quality and she is meticulous with her preparation. Her advocacy is equally good and she is a safe pair of hands who clearly takes pride in her work and ensures she listens to her client's concerns too.'

Nicola McIntosh

The 36 Group

'Nicola is a very experienced barrister and a very safe pair of hands in complex cases. She is calm and knowledgeable, pressing her case with courtesy - something that is welcomed by judges and clients.'

Katie Miller

‘Katie is a bright, well prepared barrister who is eloquent and persuasive in her advocacy. She is measured when she deals with cases and provides advice to clients in a very professional and sympathetic way, and she has a very good reputation within the local legal circuit and is often a first port of call for most instructing solicitors.’

Natasha Miller

works tirelessly for clients, even in cases which seem to have less merit, and she is a strong advocate who is very well respected by judiciary and other counsel.'

Jennifer Moles

No5 Barristers' Chambers

'Jennifer is so approachable and easy to get along with. She immediately puts clients and solicitors at ease. One has complete confidence in her, she is always so well prepared and presents her case brilliantly. On her feet at court, she doesn't get caught off guard or fazed; she takes everything in her stride and she's in complete control.'

Arrin Nouri

‘Arrin's attention to detail and presentation at court is vastly beyond her year of call. She holds herself in high regard with the court and her knowledge is extensive, and Arrin goes above and beyond in providing continued support.'

Richard Posner

KCH Garden Square

'Richard is excellent at putting clients at ease, particularly when they are faced with tough proceedings. He ensures that client's instructions are put to the court in the strongest possible way, and he always provides good and quick feedback following the hearing so that there is no delay.'

Oliver Powell

‘Oliver is able to bring together key themes in what can often be complicated proceedings and present this in a very clear and organised format to the court.'

Gregory Rogers

‘Gregory's strength is his preparation and presentation in complex cases. He is a very well-respected advocate who is regularly instructed by all parties in family public law cases, he is known for his straightforward and informed approach in complex and sensitive care cases, and he is one of the best in his field and parties always want to instruct him before others do.'

Ricky Seal

‘Ricky is always calm, measured and professional, and his knowledge and written documents are always comprehensive and strong. He is extremely analytical and has a particular strength in complex cases, where he excels. His advocacy is always focussed and persuasive, often against KCs or in dealing with litigants in person.’

Susan Todd

‘Susan is an exceptionally hardworking member of the Bar with outstanding attention to detail. Her dedication and precision in every task is truly impressive, and she consistently ensures accuracy in all aspects of her cases, from thorough research to meticulous document preparation.’

‘Grace is an impressive advocate who is able to identify relevant issues quickly and is able to present the case in the best possible light. She prepares her case meticulously and is able to provide good quality position statements and other legal documents, including relevant case law to support any relevant legal arguments.'

Stuart Yeung

The 36 Group

Sarah Beasley

St Mary’s Chambers

Jonathan Bott

Halcyon Chambers

Thomas Green

Halcyon Chambers

'Tom has a great attention to detail and it is clear that he takes pride in his work in each and every case he works on. He is willing to go above and beyond for clients and ensures their best interests are always provided for, even in difficult and complex cases.'

Joshua Hazelwood

St Mary’s Chambers

Vickie Hodges

St Mary’s Chambers

Marie Huggins

St Mary’s Chambers

Victoria Lovett

St Mary’s Chambers

'Victoria is a brilliant advocate and great with clients. She builds rapport with clients and supports them in a way that few others can.'

Laura Martin

St Mary’s Chambers

‘Laura is an all rounder. Extremely intelligent, quick on her feet, empathetic and understanding with clients and a force to be reckoned with when required.’

Kathryn Moran

St Mary’s Chambers

'Kathryn is an exceptionally diligent, thorough and hard working advocate, and she regularly volunteers to take on tricky additional tasks to improve the presentation of the case and to take pressure off her instructing solicitor. Her advocacy is further enhanced by the quality and thoroughness of her preparation, meaning that she is never caught out and rarely on the back foot as a result.'

Edward Pearce

Halcyon Chambers

'Edward has excellent knowledge of the law and is excellent with clients who always feel very comfortable around him and are always happy with their representation. Edward's advocacy is always been brilliant, and it doesn't matter what the client's instructions are, he is always able to make a case and leave the client feeling like their case has been put across.'

Amy Richardson

Cornwall Street Barristers

'Amy is always approachable and goes above and beyond every time in her work ensuring her thorough preparation. She always makes every effort to ensure her instruction eases workload rather than becoming a burden, and she is well liked by clients and is able to give advice in a way that they can understand, even when that advice is difficult to hear. '

Stephen Williams

St Mary’s Chambers

'Stephen is a thorough and articulate advocate who advances his client's case with passion and skill. He is very personable and puts clients at ease through difficult situations.'

Rising stars

Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.

Bethany Armitage

'Bethany has a specific strength in dealing with vulnerable clients, as she takes the time to understand clients’ needs and continuously advocates for their best interests. She excels at explaining complex legal concepts in layman's terms, ensuring that clients fully understand their situations and options, and her empathetic and humanistic approach enables clients to give their instructions without fear of judgement.'

Rachel Bloxwich

'Rachel has experience and expertise beyond her call having also previously practised as a solicitor. Rachel has a compassionate and reassuring manner with clients, whilst being a robust and respectful advocate, and she is particularly skilled at explaining the benefits of advancing a client's case in the most effective way, given the facts of their particular case, which puts clients at ease and obtains the necessary results.'

Paige Campbell

Paige is an exceptional barrister who is way advanced beyond her year of call. She is always well prepared, strategic whilst providing empathy and understanding to a client.'

Thomas Duggan

St Ives Chambers

Holly Hilbourne-Gollop

he is extremely confident and impressive in terms of her advocacy and will always fight on the client’s behalf.’

Zara Mahmood

St Ives Chambers

‘Zara is a passionate and dedicated barrister, who prepares her cases excellently and has a strong attention to detail and firm advocacy skills. She has consistently achieved very good outcomes for the clients, going the extra mile to ensure their case is well represented, and she provides accurate and sensible advice, maintaining the focus on the key issues to ensure the best results and client satisfaction.'

Rhianna Manani

‘Rhianna is an articulate, well prepared and personable barrister. She has excellent client and advocacy skills and is confident in dealing with a range of cases in court, including complex international element cases.'

Sam Pentony

‘Sam is a robust and reliable advocate with a keen eye for detail. His meticulous preparation allows him to drill down to the real issues at hand, with ease, and he is an incredibly hardworking individual who approaches every task with a level of commitment and precision that is truly commendable.'

George Smith

St Ives Chambers

‘George is a very capable and confident junior who often punches above his weight in terms of year of call. He is extremely well-prepared for every hearing, and having been led by leading juniors and silks on several big cases, he has learned a lot about how to handle complex proceedings.'

Olivia Whitworth