The 36 Group

With over 180 barristers, mediators and arbitrators (including 16 KCs, 3 senior counsel from Ireland and South Africa, and a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India), as well as operations in Cyprus, Singapore and Hong Kong, The 36 Group is a truly international multi-specialist set. It assists domestic and international clients of all sizes and descriptions, from ambitious start-up to HNWs and global corporations. It has notable expertise in commercial law, crime, family, public law, shipping and arbitration. Its members regularly appear in high-profile cases in all courts, including numerous appearances over the past few years in the Supreme Court. The set has a growing number of barristers trained as arbitrators and mediators and can provide a full ADR service.

Practitioners of The 36 Group offer specialist advice and advocacy at all levels of seniority within their expertise.

• 36 Crime: The team have an outstanding track record conducting high-profile and complex cases across criminal and regulatory tribunals, both for the defence and for prosecuting authorities. Members regularly undertake cases ranging from murder, rape and sexual offences against children, drug offences including importation and distribution, to fraud, money laundering, corruption, civil and criminal seizure of assets and proceeds of crime. Within the crime team are teams with specific expertise and substantial experience in the growing fields of cybercrime, consumer and trading standards, extradition, health and safety, human trafficking and police disciplinary matters.

• 36 Employment and Civil: We are specialist Counsel in all aspects of employment and property law. Our members are regularly instructed in business-related disputes, including complex litigation and appellate cases in the English and overseas courts. Members of our property team provide specialist legal advisory, drafting and advocacy services on property-related matters ranging from landlord and tenant issues, trusts and sale of property, to boundary disputes and social housing. Our employment law specialists have extensive advisory and advocacy experience. Our team represents all forms of business and corporate clients involved in disputes with employees, either through referrals from solicitors or via the Direct Public Access scheme. Our core areas of experience include the following areas: business transfers (TUPE), civil employment disputes (including those involving issues such as confidential information and database rights; gardening leave; and injunctive relief and other interim remedies), whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, and discrimination.

• 36 Family: Over the last ten years the family team have become one of the leading sets of chambers for family law, both nationally and internationally. The team are organised into practice sub-groups specialising in all aspects of family law, including matrimonial finance, TOLATA, private and public children law (including modern families). The set also provides first-rate Private FDR, ADR and Mediation services.

• 36 Public and human rights: Members of 36 public and human rights have a reputation for dedication and professionalism, across a broad span of public law, with particular expertise in education law,  employment (in particular employees’ rights and unions), equalities law, housing, immigration and international migration laws including asylum/international protection and nationality, as well as broad competences in human rights and judicial review. The team takes on privately and publicly funded and pro bono work, including direct access work, in proceedings at all levels from the First-Tier Tribunal and Employment Tribunals to the UK Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.  Their work includes both actions on behalf of individuals and public interest policy challenges for NGOs and others across their areas of specialisation.  Members can assist readily across the full range of issues encountered by clients.

• 36 Stone: The team is formed of barristers with industry-recognised expertise and market knowledge; delivering advocacy, advisory, and arbitration/mediation services in international commercial disputes involving, shipping (wet and dry), shipbuilding, yachts, international trade, commodities, and trade finance, energy, natural resources, and infrastructure, insurance and re-insurance, road, rail and air transport, commercial fraud and asset tracing, private international law, and general commercial disputes.

Diversity and CSR: The 36 Group is one of the most diverse sets in the Bar with women constituting 42% of juniors and 30% of silks and a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds ensuring that our client’s needs are exceeded on a daily basis.

Education and outreach is equally important at The 36 Group. It has run a ground-breaking advocacy competition for final year degree. The students are judged wholly on their 3 minute video submissions with the top four candidates receiving a mini pupillage. It has an outreach programme for schools and colleges where members of chambers and staff talk with state-educated students about careers in law as a barrister, clerk or administrator.

The 36 Group members and staff also undertake a great number of charitable endeavours, environmental and community initiatives including donating their time as board members of a variety of well-known charities to raise £millions for worthy causes.