1 Crown Office Row

Chambers is a well established set in Brighton and is an annexe of 1 Crown Office Row in the Temple, which has maintained strong Sussex connections for over 50 years. It is recognised as a leading set status for its family and civil work as well as for their charitable initiatives and events. Members practice from centrally located modern premises only a few minutes walk away from the Brighton District Registry and county and magistrates courts.

The set: For some time, 1COR are the only regional set to have won preferred set status with Brighton and Hove City Council for its family, civil and criminal work.

The set has grown quickly in recent years, to its current strength of 57 members based in Brighton. Its turnover has grown significantly in recent years, reflecting the dynamism of the local legal scene and chambers success in capturing an increasing share of the work available. It now services clients along a wide stretch of the South coast, from Portsmouth to Hastings, and clients in Hampshire, Surrey and Kent, in addition to Sussex.

The heart of the civil practice group’s work is commercial dispute resolution and property litigation.  It acts for and against public authorities, companies, partnerships and individuals. The commercial practice ranges from contracts to shareholder and director disputes. Property litigation includes sales and purchases of land, options, easements, boundaries, leasehold enfranchisement and town and country planning. The group also has  expertise in probate and trusts, personal injury, professional negligence and employment law.

Chambers has a fully committed family law team who undertake the whole range of family proceedings. We have specialists in both public and private law children, financial remedies, domestic violence and Injunctions. The team comprises advocates that excel in their field with strength in numbers and expertise from senior counsel to junior members. Uniquely, we offer accredited arbitrators for child arbitration and family mediation to help families resolve disputes quickly outside of the court system.

Our regulatory crime team is committed to providing advocacy and advice to the highest possible standard. Our highly experienced team generally covers courts from Portsmouth in the West to Canterbury in the East and up to and including London in the North. However, Members of the team are happy to travel beyond this region to cater for clients’ needs.

Members of the family team ensure they are approachable, and sensitive to the client’s needs.  Our local practice gives us extensive experience and knowledge of local judicial practice. We have superb conference facilities in the centre of Brighton location conveniently located close to the major family centres of Sussex as well as the courts. With extensive expertise in civil and family law, One Crown Office Row is able to pride itself both on client care and professional excellence. We are available for emergency applications and can normally accept instructions at very short notice.

Members and clerks are active in the local community and frequently raise funds to support charities close to out hearts.  As a set, we are committed to promoting inclusion at the Bar and developing sustainable working practices.

Types of work undertaken: Chambers undertakes all types of general common law work, civil and family. While it is particularly widely recognised for its strength in all types of family proceedings, chambers also has wide experience of landlord and tenant and building work, professional negligence, personal injury, employment and licensing, and regulatory crime. In many of these practice areas (eg in matrimonial finance and personal injury), practitioners benefit from having access to leading silks in these areas, based in 1 Crown Office Row, London. A good number of members are also trained mediators (www.disputesmediated.com) and many accept instructions under the Bar Council’s Direct Access arrangements (www.1cordirectaccess.com).

Recruitment: up to two pupils are taken annually, each with an award of £30,000. £15,000 paid monthly in advance as a grant in the first six months and a guaranteed level of earnings of £15,000 for the second six. Applications shall be made through the Pupillage Gateway. Please visit the careers section on our website for more details.