Oriel Chambers

Oriel Chambers is a common law set in Liverpool

The set: Since its inception in 1965, Oriel Chambers has retained an established and well-deserved reputation as a leading set on the Northern Circuit.

Oriel has long been the set of choice for the Crown Office, Local Government, Global insurers and local law firms. Oriel has consistently been retained as panel chambers for a number of large national firms.

Oriel is proactively engaged within the local legal community, most notably with its in-demand, Family Practice Group. Oriel’s clients are viewed as real stakeholder partners and chambers’ strategic planning is approached with that relationship in mind, ensuring that our clients are provided with the levels of service that both they and their own clients’ demand.

“Adding value” to our clients’ practice is ingrained in Oriel Chambers’ culture.

Our barrister’s expertise is additionally evidenced by their presence in the judicial ranks, holding roles as Recorders, District Judges, Assistant Coroners and members of the Attorney General Panel.

The directory describes Oriel as “Housing some excellent Counsel” (The Legal 500) and “Well clerked and administered” (The Legal 500)

Our clerks are friendly, proactive, knowledgeable and provide chamber’s clients with a consistent high level of service.

Types of work undertaken
Civil law: Oriel Chambers has a strong reputation for personal injury, industrial disease and clinical negligence work. Its members provide experience and strength at all levels and in all areas of civil practice. Clients range from individuals, companies, insurers and public bodies including NHS trusts, local authorities and the police. A number of the barristers are members of the Treasury Solicitors Regional Panel. Conditional fee work is accepted in appropriate cases.

Commercial and Chancery: The Commercial and Chancery Group offers a dedicated and efficient litigation and advisory service. The team prides itself on high-quality, commercially focused, specialist advice and representation to individuals through to blue-chip companies, not only in the North West but throughout the UK.

Family law: Family and matrimonial law are at the cutting edge of the social and economic changes taking place in society. The Oriel Chambers’ family team recognises this. It provides a specialist service, which is both sympathetic to the client’s needs and aspirations, while providing practical and constructive advice to its solicitors. Members of the team undertake all aspects of public and private law, and a number are recognised to be among the most experienced practitioners in these spheres. Chambers is particularly prominent in large money financial relief cases.

Criminal law: Members of the team provide excellence in advocacy across all areas of criminal law, including homicide, offences against the person, drugs and drug trafficking, fraud, sexual offences and theft. These are just some of the areas the team is instructed in on a regular basis, by both defendant solicitors and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Employment law: Regarded on the Northern Circuit as one of the leading chambers for employment law, members of the team regularly act for both the private and the public sectors, appearing throughout the country before tribunals, the EAT and Court of Appeal. Members are also regularly instructed to appear at internal disciplinary meetings and appeals. Clients range from individual, or groups of employees, to corporate bodies, in-house legal teams, trade unions, public authorities and NHS trusts.

Regulatory law: In the 21st century regulatory law is an area of increasing concern and importance. The team is known for its work and expertise in all aspects of this field both in the criminal and civil jurisdictions. In criminal cases appearing for both prosecution and defence. Areas of specific expertise include statutory nuisance, waste management, water pollution, contaminated land, air pollution, sewerage, meat hygiene, health and safety, and environmental offences.

Mediation: Trained by the Academy of Experts, Oriel Chambers mediation team is one of very few within Liverpool and the North West. It is able to offer services in all civil and commercial disputes, whether within court proceedings or otherwise.

Clerks: Oriel Chambers’ well established clerking team is renowned on the Northern Circuit for their “nothing is too much trouble” approach.

The clerks are friendly, proactive, knowledgeable and provide chamber’s clients with a consistently high level of service.

Nick O’Neill has recently joined chambers as chambers director and as a former solicitor of some 22 years PQE brings with him a wealth of knowledge. Nick was a long-standing client of Oriel Chambers and fully appreciates the level of performance that his clerking team can deliver.

Paul Thompson is chambers’ manager and works closely with the clerking team, ensuring that client care and practice innovation are always at the forefront of their minds.

The 2020/21 pandemic gave the clerking team the opportunity to show how they work as a team and they have delivered consistently, ensuring a seamless offering for chambers’ diverse client base.