Andrew Burns KC
Devereux 'He is a very user-friendly silk, with a great manner with clients, and is also very commercial and meticulous.'
Devereux houses a team with ‘strong and well-respected employment expertise’. Employment litigation remains a key area of instruction for the group, which also continues to advise on high-profile industrial relations matters. Bruce Carr KC is ‘a vastly experienced employment barrister’, ‘always a reassuring presence for clients’, and Andrew Burns KC is highly regarded for his ‘particular strength in industrial relations issues’. The ‘shrewd and capable’ Alice Mayhew KC is well versed in handling complex cases involving allegations of discrimination and whistleblowing, as well as equal pay claims. Turning to the juniors, Peter Edwards has an established track record in representing claimants and respondents in a wide spectrum of employment law matters, often acting for large banks and financial institutions in claims. Anna Greenley recently appeared before the Employment Appeal Tribunal in Nicol v World Travel and Tourism Council, a case concerning the degree of knowledge a decision maker must have of a whistleblower’s protected disclosure, in order for a claim of dismissal and detriment to be successful. The senior end of the team was bolstered by Christopher Stone KC taking silk in March 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Glenn Billenness is exceptional and sets high standards.'
- 'The clerks are a joy to work with; they really know their barristers and are full of helpful recommendations. Glenn Billenness and Cyrus Biggs head a very talented, attentive team.'
- 'Glenn Billenness is always extremely helpful and responsive.'
- 'Excellent clerks - efficient, commercial and charismatic.'
- 'First-rate clerks.'
- 'The clerks are highly responsive.'
- 'Devereux is a good employment set with strength in depth.'
- 'Very strong set for employment.'
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.
Bruce Carr KC
Devereux 'A phenomenal leader, and a fluent and assured advocate who clearly has the respect of the courts.'
Akash Nawbatt KC
Devereux 'He has a firm but charming style of advocacy, and is a real expert in whistleblowing and discrimination issues.'
Alice Mayhew KC
Devereux 'Alice has a brain the size of a planet, lashings of common sense and a warmth and charm that she deploys to great effect. She is a fantastic advocate, able to find a solution in the most complex of issues, and is articulate and persuasive on her feet.'
2024 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.
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.
Talia Barsam
Devereux
Laura Bell
Devereux 'Laura's advocacy is tenacious, she is able to grapple with complex factual disputes and present them with determination. Her systematic, rigorous, and effective cross-examination of witnesses is impressive. She is a force to be reckoned with in tribunal.'
Georgina Hirsch
Devereux 'Georgina's advice is clever and insightful, and on her feet she is well prepared, persuasive and quick witted. Clients feel she's part of their team and she inspires confidence.'
Jesse Crozier
Devereux 'Jesse has an abundance of charm, with the intelligence and skill to back it up. His advocacy is a masterclass in persuasion.'
Sebastian Purnell
Devereux 'A real team player, self-sufficient, well-prepared. A brilliant advocate who punches above his weight.'
Marianne Tutin
Devereux 'A very impressive junior, who is always on top of the details and provides strategic advice.'
Georgia Hicks
Devereux 'Georgia is an incredibly detailed, staunch litigator, with a very sensible and commercial approach to matters. Her cross-examination is second to none.'
Lucinda Harris
Devereux 'Lucinda is utterly brilliant – she’s really clever and not afraid to roll her sleeves up. A joy to work with.'
Bayo Randle
Devereux 'He is technically astute, commercially focused and pragmatic. He is diligent with his preparation, and has a very natural and persuasive advocacy style. Clients love him.'
John Platts-Mills
Devereux 'He has a great manner with clients, cutting through to the nub of the issue very quickly. A talented and promising junior.'
Samuel Nicholls
Devereux 'An excellent cross-examiner, who is practical and demonstrates good commercial judgement.'
Anna Greenley
Devereux 'A junior who stands out for her analytical skills, her tenacity, proactivity, work ethic and ability to win over clients, judges and instructing solicitors. She is highly persuasive.'
Matthew Sellwood
Devereux 'Matthew is a very capable barrister who can hold a room and demands attention of judges as well as the panel. He is thorough and pragmatic.'
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.
Harry Sheehan
Devereux