England - London Bar
3

Crime

15NBS

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15NBS ‘is becoming quite a player’ in the field of crime according to its peers and ‘is definitely in the upward-moving direction’. Tana Adkin KC recently defended a man, who at the time of the offence believed himself to be ’Agent 47’ from the Hitman series of games, charged with the murder of his Russian housemate - after cross-examination of the prosecution psychiatrist, the defendant was acquitted of murder and convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Robert Ward is widely praised as ‘one of the best all-round juniors in the country’, regularly defending those charged with murder, human trafficking, and serious sexual offences. Clodaghmuire Callinan has an excellent reputation for defending in complex OCG and sexual offences cases, including cases involving alleged non-recent abuse.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Glenn Matthews is a gifted senior clerk who is a hugely reassuring presence for instructing solicitors. Tom Parker is a rising star and is also loved by instructing solicitors. Poppy Maddison and Kazia Myrie are extremely efficient and friendly.'
  • 'Glenn Matthews, Tom Parker and the whole team at 15NBS know their barristers well and are able to accurately advise as to which barrister would be the right fit for a client. The team is approachable, professional and never fails to get back to you.'
  • 'Tom Parker is amazing. Glenn Matthew is a legend. Poppy Maddison  and Kazia Myrie are the best.'
  • '15NBS has gone from strength to strength over recent years with solid management and a superb clerking team headed by Glenn Matthews and Tom Parker. They have a great variety of counsel.'
  • '15NBS maintains a formidable presence in the criminal law arena, with a deep bench of talented barristers. The set's commitment to excellence is reflected in its comprehensive training and unwavering support for professional development.'
  • '15NBS is becoming quite a player and is definitely in the upward-moving direction.'
  • '15NBS is an excellent set with a broad range of talent in criminal advocacy. Their junior end is strong and ambitious while their senior end regularly handles the most difficult and complex cases.'
  • '15NBS continues to grow and excel offering first class advocacy, specialist advice and representation in all areas of criminal law.'

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.
Tana Adkin KC
15NBS
‘Tana is a brilliant advocate with a powerful presence in court. She presents submissions articulately and persuasively, demonstrating thorough preparation and good insight. She is exceptionally skilled and maintains high standards of integrity and ethics.'
Brian St Louis KC
15NBS
‘Brian is a first-rate advocate who is flawless on his feet and a joy to watch. A master tactician, Brian is able to master his brief very quickly and his cross-examination of experts is technical and meticulous. Clients absolutely love him. His smile wins over half the jury and his intellect does the rest.'
Martin Rutherford KC
15NBS
‘Martin inspires absolute confidence in those he works alongside. His relaxed and warm manner quickly wins over clients who love working with him. In court he exudes authority and his judgement of courtroom dynamics is impeccable, with all those he appears before holding him in the highest regard.’

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.
1
Robert Ward
15NBS Chambers
‘Robert is the complete package. He is a brilliant lawyer, quiet thinker, master tactician and highly effective advocate, combining an impressive mental dexterity with a natural eloquence. Robert is probably the best junior at the defence criminal Bar and a shoe-in for silk when he wants it.’
2
Clodaghmuire Callinan
15NBS Chambers
‘Clodaghmuire is fearless in her defence of clients while commanding the respect of the judiciary and her opponents. She is driven, fiercely bright and a master tactician who thinks out of the box. Clients adore her for her down to earth nature, meticulous preparation and firm, realistic advice. She is a compelling advocate who is going places - she is silk material.'
2
Justin McClintock
15NBS Chambers
‘Justin is a hugely exceptional advocate who adopts a calm and calculated approach. He couples this with excellent legal knowledge to be extremely effective with both judge and jury. His dependability, hard work and commitment to his clients is beyond impressive.'
3
Sarah Read
15NBS Chambers
‘Sarah's highly focused case preparation is exemplary. She presents skeleton arguments skilfully and succinctly and her approach to cross-examination is suitably sensitive, minimising the inherent potential for distress while putting her clients case clearly and fairly. Sarah is hardworking, persuasive and meticulous.'
3
Rupert Hallowes
15NBS Chambers
‘Rupert is one of the very best at the criminal Bar, better than many silks. His advocacy is flawless. His cross-examination is pitch perfect. He reads people like no other barrister. These qualities mean that his speeches are invariably excellent. Juries always listen to him.’
3
Ruth Zentler-Munro
15NBS
‘Ruth is an exceptional junior barrister. She has exquisite insight and tactical ability combined with a superb client manner and beautifully written advocacy. She is without doubt one of the stars of the junior criminal Bar.’
4
Rory Field
15NBS
‘Rory is an extremely intelligent barrister who puts his heart and soul into cases. His advocacy skills are unbeatable and he is a tenacious cross-examiner. Rory is very logical and pays great attention to detail.'
4
John Waller
15NBS
‘John is proactive and responsive. He deals with clients professionally but in a manner that is down to earth and approachable. Having initially qualified as a solicitor, John has a detailed understanding of how cases are prepared and the difficulties that may be encountered. He is extremely thorough in preparing his cases, and indeed when presenting them in court. He hones in on the crucial points in a case and addresses them in a no-nonsense manner.'
4
Beth Crocker
15NBS
‘Beth is an exceptionally able advocate. Her knowledge of the law is unparalleled. Her cross-examination is focused and effective which comes from the high level of preparation she does and her detailed knowledge of the case papers. Her closing speeches are persuasive and she engages a jury in a wonderful way.'
4
Clare Dowse
15NBS
‘Clare is a formidable barrister. She is well-prepared and, as a result, unflappable. Her speeches are engaging and always persuasive.'
4
Patrick Maggs
15NBS
 ‘Patrick is an excellent barrister. He communicates with clients extremely well and frequently provides some insight into a case from an angle that others have missed as a consequence of meticulous case preparation. Patrick’s main strength is his advocacy. When in the courtroom, the judge, the jury, and co-defending counsel absorb his every word, given the intelligence and persuasive nature of his arguments.’
4
Stephen Akinsanya
15NBS
‘Stephen is an excellent and experience advocate with a thoughtful and careful manner. He is a barrister of high integrity and dedication who secures the trust of judge and jury. His advocacy combines intellectual rigour with emotional intelligence. He is a talented criminal barrister who is always determined to do his best for his client and to go that extra mile to help those who are in need of his help.’
4
Ed Butler
15NBS
‘Ed is hard-working, super intelligent, and has an excellent grasp of the law and evidence.’

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