Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
1‘Fiona is an excellent practitioner with an in-depth knowledge of personal injury law. She is particularly accomplished as a very strong negotiator and advocate, she always deals with her instructions promptly and is open to a call to discuss a case, and most of all, she has excellent client-handling skills and makes all clients from whatever background feel at ease and confident that she has their best interests at heart.'
1‘Chris is much more accomplished than his years' call suggests. He is a phenomenally able barrister, he has a very relaxed manner, clients love him, and he is an extremely tough advocate.'
1'Pankaj has great attention to detail, a fantastic analytical mind, and has a fantastic rapport with clients, enabling them to take confidence in his support.'
1‘Elahe makes clear and focussed submissions, concentrating on the key issues and showing flexibility by adjusting to the indications of the judge.'
‘David is a highly personable, intellectual, and creative barrister with a broad skillset that has been recognised as such by the market. He is extremely dedicated to his clients, he has an engaging and persuasive advocacy style that matches his personality, and he is always in control of the case and is quick to master the issues.'
‘Philip is at the top of his game, is a titan intellectually, and has charisma and empathy, enabling him to deliver exceptional legal advice to seriously injured clients. He is meticulously well prepared and his advocacy skills are exemplary.'
‘James has razor-sharp attention to detail, he is always very well-prepared for conferences and offers excellent strategic advice, and his drafting of pleadings is one of his key strengths. He really takes ownership of the claims he handles and seems genuinely invested in the cases.’
‘Richard is the perfect counsel: analytical, pragmatic, and conscientious, and he is very calming and collaborative in his approach. He has a very good manner with lay clients and expert witnesses, he is able to explain the most difficult legal concepts in a manner easily understood by clients, his advice is concise and definite, and he has an excellent understanding of complex medical issues and an ability not to be distracted by irrelevant detail, but to get to the root of the issues.'
‘Matthew is very thorough with all papers, his trial prep is forensic, and he has great advocacy skills in tricky cases. He has great attention to detail and excellent drafting skills, and he can deal with complex and high value claims with aplomb.'
‘Alex is a very safe pair of hands who has a great attention to detail and is very knowledgeable. He identifies the crux of the case at a very early stage, his turnaround time for papers is second-to-none, he is good with clients and puts them at ease, and his advocacy is excellent.’
2‘Darrel demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of complex medical matters leaving no stone unturned. He is well-prepared and gains the confidence of clients and instructing solicitors quickly.’
2‘Alice is extremely focused and organised with fantastic attention to detail. She really focuses her mind on the case she is working on and compiles sound and robust advice, and she is particularly good when considering fundamental dishonesty and has strategic ways of investigating and combatting such issues.’
2'Catherine is an excellent advocate; calm, precise, and she presents her arguments in a clear and persuasive manner.'
2‘Simon undergoes extremely thorough preparation and always has a complete grasp of issues in the case. He is an excellent communicator and establishes rapport with clients, explaining complex issues with ease, and he is able to deliver unpalatable advice in a clear and sympathetic manner.'
‘Yaqub is great at putting nervous clients and clinicians at ease. He is fantastic with detail, is always very well-prepared, really gets to the heart of the issue from the outset, is excellent on his feet, and can read a judge and respond accordingly.’
‘Kane is conscientious, skilled, clear, and measured, and his advice is always top drawer.’
2‘Matthew is strong in identifying issues and considering solutions to problems when they arise. He works well with experts, identifying any weaknesses in their evidence which need to be explored, he is very good at planning ahead in the most serious of cases, and he is good at drafting high-value schedules of loss.'
2‘Andrew has an eye for detail and he is quick to identify the critical issues, the evidence required, and the relevant law and case law.'
‘Zoe has a fantastic eye for detail, she cuts through the nonsense, and she is very robust in court. She does not falter when challenged, she is a first-choice junior counsel for particularly difficult cases, and she handles experts very well at conferences.'
2‘James has excellent attention to detail and he is quick to cut through any chaff straight to the salient information and points. He inspires confidence in his advocacy and has a very good bedside manner with clients.'
‘Michael is the counsel of choice on the vast majority of personal injury cases, as he is an outstanding barrister who is able to distil the key issues in even the most complex of cases. He has extensive experience in dealing with all aspects of high-value personal injury litigation, his approach to conferences with experts is extremely comprehensive and unrivalled, and he regularly goes up against Kings Counsel.'
‘Julie-Anne produces excellent written pleadings, is good with clients, and will always fight your corner. She is always thorough and well-prepared, has great attention to detail, and is an excellent advocate.’
‘Simon's advocacy is exceptional. He is a go-to barrister in respect of any matter where thorough cross-examination of a witness is required at trial, and his advocacy technique is unique and intelligent.'
‘Brian has great attention to detail, has a good conference manner with lay and expert witnesses, is articulate, and prepares very helpful aid memoirs for conferences.’
‘Kirsty is a very impressive, first-class advocate and she uses her expertise and extensive knowledge to get to the issues quickly and achieve brilliant results for clients. She has a reassuring and approachable manner.'
‘Joseph is an excellent barrister. He is intelligent and thoughtful, he can draw on his experience as a personal injury solicitor, he is a good advocate and a good communicator, his cross-examination skills are excellent, and he has the ability to put his clients at ease.'
‘Michael is a detail-oriented man. He is very thorough with papers and he has a commercial mindset.'
‘Daniel is thorough in his approach and is always well prepared. He explains complicated issues to clients in an easy to understand manner and confronts difficult issues directly.'
‘Zoë pays attention to the detail, her trial and advocacy preparation is meticulous, and she is excellent with experts in conference. She is robust in her views and willing to stand her ground for clients, but remains pragmatic and commercial in her approach.'
3'Christopher is extremely knowledgeable, reliable, calm, and resourceful. He achieves excellent results and his advocacy is very strong.'
‘John is a champion for those wronged by the negligence of others. His advocacy is always focussed on the issues with an exceptional forensic analysis as a foundation, and his mediation skills enhance his reputation too.’
3‘Gavin is brilliant, down-to-earth, and always happy to talk things through, sometimes at short notice. He is always mindful of his instructions and always has commerciality and the client’s best interests at the forefront of his mind.’
3‘Stuart is excellent on papers and available for ad hoc advice. He is always very well-prepared for conferences with clients and experts, and he is a good negotiator.’
3'Sara is supportive, knowledgeable, excellent at getting the best out of witnesses, and realistic.'
‘Christian’s advocacy skills are second-to-none. He is extremely clever, particularly mathematically gifted, he is extremely warm and personable, and he is able to form good relationships with lay clients quickly.’
‘Andrew is hard-working and diligent, tactically astute, and well-prepared for conference work and he provides a high standard of written work when instructed to prepare papers such as pleadings and advice notes.’
‘Philip helps get good results for clients in difficult cases and his assessment of cases is consistently proved to be correct. Philip is very strong and authoritative in conference, effectively gets a clear grasp of complex issues, and obtains the information needed from experts and clients before providing clear, sensible, and realistic advice.’
‘Nicholas is a very capable barrister who is well able to confidently handle cases of very high value. He is able to get to grips with complex and unusual medical issues, and his advice on strategy is clear, to the point, and easily understandable by expert witnesses and clients alike.’
'Leanne is meticulous in her preparation. Well-liked by judges, she is a dynamic, empathetic and robust cross-examiner.'
‘Ben is responsive, thorough, and has a keen eye for detail. He will invariably produce excellent written advice and pleadings on schedule without being chased and he is a go-to counsel for serious injury and complex cases on the Northern Circuit.’
'Elizabeth is one of the most thorough advocates and she successfully argues very technical points, evidently showing her expertise in difficult areas of law. One cannot fault her ability to think quickly and practically, and also secure great results for clients; she is an impressive advocate.'
'It is always an absolute pleasure to work alongside Alastair. He has a calm and reassuring manner in even the most challenging of cases, and as a result, he is greatly appreciated by clients. His straightforward approach makes him a very impressive advocate.'
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.
‘Jamie is calm and technically astute. He has an eye for detail, is adept at making clients and instructing solicitors feel at ease, and he is an unassuming advocate who gets results.'
