9BR Chambers is ‘one of the top sets in London’ for criminal law work, with a number of silks and juniors regularly acting in major cases. Peter Glenser KC has a long-running track record of cases involving firearms, while defence specialist Graeme Logan has over 25 years’ experience practising exclusively in criminal law, with particular expertise when it comes to organised crime conspiracies. Jane Bickerstaff KC defends and prosecutes in a broad range of cases, particularly murder and sexual offences cases. She stands out for her experience dealing with children and vulnerable adults – she recently defended the mother, suffering from severe depression, anxiety, and PTSD, of a one-year-old child murdered by her abusive husband. Martin Secrett retired as chambers director in April 2024; Adrian Chapman is now the chambers manager.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Russell Good in particular is a great clerk.'
  • 'Russell Good and Jordan Haisman are very helpful and easy to approach over the telephone or email.'
  • '9BR Chambers has a broad breadth of talent.'
  • '9BR is one of the top sets in London.'
  • 'A top set of barristers especially in criminal law.'
  • 'The chambers has some good advocates who are in high demand.'
  • 'The service in the clerks' room has always been efficient and helpful.'

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.
Jane Bickerstaff KC
2
9BR
‘Jane is a phenomenally experienced advocate working on the most serious cases. She fights passionately and tirelessly for her clients to achieve excellent results and she is somebody who sensitively deals with vulnerable clients and also acts on some cases that require the utmost sensitivity.’
Abbas Lakha KC
3
9BR Chambers
'Abbas is an exceptional advocate. He has real presence in court and inspires confidence in clients. He is able to instantly respond and adapt to the often dynamic nature of proceedings and has the ability to readily grasp and master complicated technical evidence, often involving expert evidence. Abbas is a brilliant negotiator and is able to achieve incredible outcomes for his clients.'
Justin Rouse KC
3
9BR Chambers
 ‘Justin is an excellent lawyer. He is meticulous in his preparation and is able to assimilate complex facts and detail quickly. He has a commanding presence in court and is well respected by the judiciary and his legal peers.'

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.
Tessa Shroff
2
9BR Chambers
 ‘Tessa is excellent on her feet, prepared and hardworking. She is an excellent barrister who has an excellent future ahead of her and prosecutes and defends with equal skill. Tessa manages vast amounts of material with apparently effortless ease. She is really strategic on a case - dealing with the bigger picture as well as the minutiae.'
Corinne Bramwell
2
9BR Chambers
 ‘Corinne is incredibly astute, especially when dealing with vulnerable witnesses and sensitive issues that arise in difficult cases. She is also very calm under pressure, whether it be pressure from defence counsel or the judge. Her ability to master and assess the real issues in the case, in particular the unused material, is also key to her success.’
Will Noble
3
9BR Chambers
‘Will has an enviable reputation with the judiciary and is very much someone who always has the ear of the court. He is a top-notch junior, it is only a matter of time before he takes silk.'
Daniel Higgins
3
9BR Chambers
 ‘Daniel has an approachable and reassuring style with clients as well as real attention to detail and awareness of the required tactical approach to achieve results. His advocacy is also first rate.'
Sean Sullivan
3
9BR Chambers
'Sean is unnervingly sharp whilst being impossible to rattle. He is calm, smooth and staggeringly intelligent. Sean produces extraordinarily precise and persuasive legal arguments to which opponents find it difficult to effectively respond. Clients are always reassured that they are in the most capable hands.'
Maximilian Hardy
3
9BR Chambers
‘Max is very able, extremely dedicated to his clients and cases, and very classy. He is also a strong jury advocate.'
Rhiannon Sadler
4
9BR Chambers
'Rhiannon is a first-class advocate. Her advocacy is always measured, forceful and backed by a vice-like grip on the facts of a case. She has an intimate understanding of the law in her area and is much admired by fellow lawyers.'
Emma Heath
4
9BR
'Emma is extremely good at communicating with and gaining the trust of young, vulnerable clients - her down to earth and friendly approach goes a long way with them. Her advocacy in court is excellent.'
Graeme Logan
4
9BR Chambers
‘Graeme has a real roll up your sleeves attitude and puts his clients first. His advice to both clients and solicitors is always clear and concise which is reflected in his advocacy. He is proactive in his preparation and often raises new issues and aspects to consider in a client’s case.’
Katrina Charles
4
9BR Chambers
‘Katrina is a clever, hard-working and determined advocate. She has good judgement and advances arguments in a constructive, yet well-judged way.’
Ruth Becker
4
9BR Chambers
‘Ruth is a superstar and juggernaut. She is direct, down to earth, clever, wily and staggeringly hardworking. She is always on top of the work, fantastic with clients, and shoots down the opposition with precision. Ruth is one of the rare barristers who is great in court, excellent with clients, and always thorough with preparation.’