2 Hare Court is widely praised as one of the ‘premier sets for serious and general crime’ with ’superb barristers from pupils to silks’. Gudrun Young KC, ‘brilliant with strategy and with detail’, recently defended , a woman with no previous convictions due to start an MA in theology in Cambridge, charged with murdering her fiance after running him over in her car following an argument between the pair at a party in Cheshire; she was convicted and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 18 years. Madeleine Wolfe is a sexual offences specialist with particular expertise in cases involving children and vulnerable adults, while Sarah Przybylska is a standout prosecutor with recent experience handling high-profile murder and sex trafficking cases, including several at the Old Bailey. Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC is widely known as ‘one of the most gifted barristers at the Bar’ – her broad practice covers complex sexual offences cases – she recently defended a counsellor accused by a patient of sexual assault, with the trial turning on detailed analysis of certain therapeutic methods and whether these can reasonably be considered sexual assault.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Chloe Tennent is an excellent clerk. She is very helpful.'
- 'Jack Shah always provides a full service, from the moment counsel is briefed, until a matter has concluded and been billed. Of greatest assistance is that when alternative counsel is arranged to cover a hearing, prior notification is always provided via email - including the provision of covering counsel's email and telephone number.'
- 'The clerks at 2 Hare Court are very user friendly and really care about their instructing solicitors. Special mention goes to Chloe Tennent, Louis Lockwood and Julian Campbell for their excellent clerking.'
- 'Chloe Tennent is one to watch and will go far!'
- '2 Hare Court are the premier set for serious and general crime. They have strength at every year of call, and the clerks know their counsel intimately. The juniors are well drilled and understand the demands of a solicitor intimately, whilst the silks are as smooth as they come.'
- '2 Hare Court are a premier criminal set. They have superb barristers from pupils to silks.'
- '2 Hare Court have quality running right through the set.'
- '2 Hare Court is a top-tier set of chambers for crime.'
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.
Oliver Glasgow KC
2 Hare Court ‘Oliver is a class act. He has a phenomenal mind and cuts through cases with precision and skill. Despite being one of the best criminal silks, he is respectful and treats those he works with in a compassionate and considerate way. He is never flustered and has an unprecedented work ethic. Truly outstanding in all he does.’
Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC
2 Hare Court ‘Sallie is phenomenal and one of the most gifted barristers at the Bar. She is unbelievably intelligent but also extremely practical. Clients know that they are getting the best service available when Sallie is working on their case.’
Jonathan Rees KC
2 Hare Court
David Whittaker KC
2 Hare Court ‘David is an excellent barrister. He effortlessly comprehends complex cases and is creative and tactful in his approach. He is fiercely intelligent, hardworking, respected by peers and clients, and commanding inside the courtroom, delivering his advocacy eloquently and persuasively.'
Brian O’Neill KC
2 Hare Court ‘Brian is a top-notch opponent in court. He is a fierce fighter with a deadly sense of humour and comic timing. Brian is a particularly able cross-examiner, getting under the skin of difficult witnesses.'
Zubair Ahmad KC
2 Hare Court ‘Zubair has a wonderful way of reassuring clients; he is extremely empathetic with fantastic client care skills. His written advocacy is exceptional and his verbal advocacy is excellent - a very jury friendly silk.'
Martin Hicks KC
2 Hare Court
Gudrun Young KC
2 Hare Court ‘Gudrun is great in court. She conducts meticulous preparation. She is brilliant with strategy and with detail. She quickly gains the clients confidence and respect. Gudrun is a pleasure to work with.’
Jonathan Laidlaw KC
2 Hare Court 'His advocacy and case presentation readily commands the attention of clients, jurors, fellow advocates and the judiciary.'
Nneka Akudolu KC
2 Hare Court ‘Nneka’s ability to communicate with people is a gift. She is able to put defendants at ease and explain legal issues in a user-friendly way. Her advocacy skills are also impressive; her ability to persuade judges is second to none.’
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.
Julia Faure Walker
2 Hare Court ‘Julia is someone who thinks strategically, working several stages ahead, and is a tenacious and committed advocate.’
Sarah Przybylska
2 Hare Court ‘Sarah is one of the truly outstanding junior prosecuting counsel. She stands out for her ability to master a great deal of material in unflappable manner, always efficiently and with clarity. She is very easy to deal and is as good on her feet as she is on paper.'
Harry Bentley
2 Hare Court ‘Harry is always overprepared and considers all cases from every angle so he is never surprised by prosecution applications. Harry meticulously prepares every legal argument and presents its with vigour and clarity. Harry is a formidable advocate respected by the judiciary.'
Will Martin
2 Hare Court ‘Will is very bright and is a strong advocate - he has real presence in court and is unflappable. He is on top of brief and grasps the core issues very quickly. He is meticulous and his mastery of voluminous unused material is second to none.'
Merry van Woodenberg
2 Hare Court
Fiona Robertson
2 Hare Court ‘Fiona is meticulous and captivating in court. She is a brilliant advocate, hard-working and is able to build a rapport with clients. She is a safe pair of hands.’
Daniel Chadwick
2 Hare Court
Madeleine Wolfe
2 Hare Court ‘Madeleine is a tenacious advocate. Her ability to adhere to the restrictions of s28 cross-examination but at the same time fully advance crucial elements of a client’s defence as well as highlight limitations or contradictions in the prosecution case is remarkable.’
Peter Lownds
2 Hare Court ‘Peter is a charming but lethal advocate. He has an iron grasp of the facts of his case and an infallible instinct for which of those facts will matter to a jury. He is extremely tactically astute, an incisive cross-examiner and he holds the jury’s focus from beginning to end. In short, he really is a class act.’
Rising stars
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.
Neelam Gomersall
2 Hare Court ‘Neelam has so many strengths including exceptional client care skills, diligent preparation, and dogged determination. Her tactful decisions are very astute and Neelam’s witness handling and targeted cross-examination scores all the right points with juries. Her speeches are also captivating and she holds the jury’s attention well.’