College Chambers

College Chambers is a multi-disciplinary set offering legal advice and representation at all levels of call across the core practice areas of family children, finance and civil. Providing professional legal services to clients for over 30 years, College Chambers prides itself on putting people at the heart of what they do.  The barristers’ excellent reputation and depth of experience has established College Chambers as one of the South’s leading sets. Their standing arises from their work as specialist advocates, mediators and arbitrators, strongly supported by an experienced clerking team. An integral part of College Chambers service is their long-standing commitment to publicly funded work.

Work undertaken
The family children team is led by the experienced care specialist and head of chambers Anthony Hand. It has a large range of practitioners who offer a variety of expertise in public and private law. As well as undertaking private law work, they often represent local authorities, children, parents and intervenors in complex care cases including NAI or FII matters. Some members of the team also specialise in international cases concerning children, including child abduction both under Hague Convention and Brussels II Revised.  Members are happy to offer advice at an early stage in an effort to resolve matters without the need for court proceedings.  Many of its cases have been reported as leading authorities over the years. The family children team have continued to hold its successful monthly Child Law Webinar throughout 2023, after there start in 2020 with the "Lockdown series".

Neil Maton, heads the family finance team. The team have extensive experience at unravelling complicated matters and have experts in areas such as complex pensions and bankruptcy proceedings. Members can advise through all stages of litigation. The team are known for providing a sympathetic yet practical approach in all matters. Equipped with a wealth of experience the team regularly deliver webinars to the wider profession and is well known for its breadth of knowledge from modest cases to those involving clients with a high-net-worth cases.

Members also deal with cohabitation issues and disputes between families which involve the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA).

Carl Geary heads the civil and commercial team. The team consists of a very active group of practitioners that offer a high level of expertise within the spectrum of civil law. The personal injury team offers a prompt and efficient service that covers the full range of personal injury cases, from minor whiplash claims to major industrial injuries and clinical negligence. College Chambers prides itself on offering Round Table meetings and a full suite of ADR (alternative dispute resolution) services including arbitration counsel to meet the needs of clients. Members appear in all commercial courts including the High Court in London. They regularly provide expert advice across all areas of commercial and contract law.  In 2020 one of the team’s construction cases was reported in the Upper Tribunal ( Lands Chamber)

There is a very experienced wills and probate sub-team which deals with contentious and non-contentious probate claims, applications to the court to deal with personal representatives and the administration of estates and applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family & Dependants) Act 1975 Act for financial provision. Many of the team’s cases cross border estates.  Its cases regularly reach the higher courts and receive national press coverage.

The employment team is led by Daniel Piddington who is a specialist in this area of law. The team consists of 11 members that cover all aspects of employment law including discrimination, pensions and equal pay. They regularly act on behalf of employers and employees, providing a full range of both advisory and advocacy services. The team has experience in directly supporting in-house advisers and individuals. Their clients include large nationwide retail businesses, public sector organisations and private individuals. The team are able to facilitate or support internal disciplinary and grievance processes with a view to maintaining relationships. College Chambers offers clients round table meetings and alternative dispute resolution services.

Daniel Nother heads the Court of Protection team who regularly appear in Mental Capacity Act 2005 matters including deprivation of liberty, deputyship, property and affairs and health and welfare disputes.

Chambers has a strong reputation and practice in dispute resolution in particular, mediation and arbitration.

The dispute resolution team offers a range of options as to alternative dispute to court. A number of the team are qualified mediators and hold specialist qualifications and memberships within this field. Heavy weight mediator Derek Marshall has an extensive mediation practice and has conducted hundreds of mediations, he is also a qualified arbitrator. Carol Davies another heavyweight mediator is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and conducts many mediations and arbitrations. Daniel Nother is qualified Children Law Arbitrator.

The education team consists of a small team of dedicated barristers with expertise in this area. They accept instructions from parents, pupils, schools, NGOs including charities and local authorities in education law. They act both on instructions from solicitors and on a direct access basis. The team regularly appear in appeals to the first-tier Special Education Needs and Disability (“SEND”) Tribunal acting for local authorities, parents, and pupils. The members act in cases concerning Educational Health and Care Plans (“EHCPs”) and disability discrimination claims arising in the education setting

Many members are direct access qualified and can accept instructions directly from members of the public in suitable cases in all areas of practice.