Steven Thompson
‘Steven has superb judgement and there is no one better at the Bar for aviation work. He is also great to work with and is willing to stick his neck out to predict outcomes.’
Chambers of Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
More information‘A go-to set for aviation disputes,’ XXIV Old Buildings’ barristers act for airlines and lessors on the spectrum of aviation issues, including leasing matters, fatal and hull damage incidents in addition to insolvency proceedings and cargo claims. Steven Thompson KC has a broad practice that encompasses maintenance disputes, sale and purchase and leasing disputes, while Edward Cumming KC specialises in aircraft maintenance cases, with further experience in aviation regulation. Bajul Shah acted for the Qatar Airlines in its dispute with Airbus concerning peeling paint of A350 aircraft, with the airline grounding several of the type and alleging that this constituted a safety issue, a claim which Airbus denied. He also handles insolvency matters and ownership disputes. Erin Hitchens was also instructed by Qatar Airlines in their dispute with Airbus and often appears in the Commercial Court regarding summary judgements and interim applications, with Tom Stewart Coats handling a growing commercial caseload in addition to acting for airlines facing EC261 claims.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Very good service from all clerks and Paul Horsfield - always responsive and alive to client concerns.'
- 'A first class clerking team - Paul Horsfield, James Ladbrook and Perry Brown are all reliable and friendly, able to find solutions and work with instructing solicitors to serve the clients.'
- 'Very good clerks, responsive and understanding of the pressures that solicitors are under. Paul Horsfield, Perry Brown and Tommie Drury all stand out.'
- 'Paul Horsfield has done a really great job since taking over. He is a pleasure to deal with.'
- 'The clerks I have dealt with at XXIV Old Buildings are professional and offer a first-rate service. They are responsive and extremely helpful to any request. In particular, I have dealt with James Ladbrook and Lyndon Tiller - both of whom are easy to work with, very efficient and more than happy to help.'
- 'We have a long-standing relationship with XXIV Old Buildings and work well with a number of silks and juniors.'
- 'Good aviation set.'
- 'A go-to set for aviation disputes, with a wide range of excellent barristers at all levels.'
- 'This has been a set of chambers I have increasingly turned to on commercial disputes matters.'
- 'Very well run set with some stand out individuals.'
- 'From experience, I would regard XXIV Old Buildings as having a good choice of excellent barristers to assist in matters of aviation. There is great focus and you know you will always get 100%. When instructed, counsel are readily available and incredibly responsive.'
Silks
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Edward Cumming
‘Highly intelligent, commercially-minded and able to cut through the noise.’
Juniors
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.
Heather Murphy
'Heather is adept at getting to the nub of the issues, and is very pragmatic. An excellent advocate and is very able to guide clients through the noise to the central points at issue.'
Arshad Ghaffar
Erin Hitchens
‘Erin is one of the most experienced aviation juniors around with a hugely effective understated but tough style of advocacy.’
Max Archer
‘Great confidence.’
Leading Juniors
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.
Heather Murphy
'Heather is adept at getting to the nub of the issues, and is very pragmatic. An excellent advocate and is very able to guide clients through the noise to the central points at issue.'
Arshad Ghaffar
Erin Hitchens
‘Erin is one of the most experienced aviation juniors around with a hugely effective understated but tough style of advocacy.’
Max Archer
‘Great confidence.’