With a ‘reputation as leaders in their field’, the members at Doughty Street Chambers have longstanding experience representing bereaved families: Nick Brown is instructed for the family of the deceased in the inquest touching the death of Aliny Godhino, a woman stabbed to death by her husband in the street outside her children’s school after reporting her fears to the police. Tom Stoate is instructed as senior junior counsel to the Covid Inquiry. Alison Gerry is particularly experienced in inquests concerning deaths following contact with police, also an area of expertise of Fiona Murphy KC. Farrhat Arshad KC  took silk in March 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'A leading set for inquests where the failings of state agencies and large institutions are in play.'
  • 'The clerks are brilliant - proactive, bright and genuinely helpful.'
  • 'Doughty Street Chambers deserve their reputation as leaders in their field. They offer a huge range of highly qualified and dedicated barristers who are brilliant in the work they do. '
  • 'The clerks are very helpful and responsive. They are a pleasure to communicate with. '
  • 'A leading set in this area with excellent strength in depth.'
  • 'Excellent support from clerks - Grace Walton is consistently helpful and approachable.'
  • 'Doughty Street Chambers is - unquestionably - out front of all other chambers when it comes to actions against the police and inquests.'
  • ''Clerks are extremely helpful, particularly Hania Ostrowski-Hudson and Grace Walton.'

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.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
1
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Caoilfhionn is a powerhouse. She is incredibly intelligent, strategic and committed.'
Aswini Weereratne KC
4
Aswini Weereratne KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Aswini is a persuasive and impactful advocate, and an excellent lawyer.'
Maya Sikand KC
4
Maya Sikand KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Maya is a formidable advocate and exactly the kind of person you want fighting in your corner. She is incredibly dedicated to her clients and goes above and beyond to achieve justice.'
Adam Straw KC
4
Adam Straw KC
Doughty Street Chambers
  ‘Adam is a very astute and persuasive advocate. Never afraid of a novel argument.'
Jude Bunting KC
4
Jude Bunting KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Jude is exceptional because he has the courage to take on the fights that others wouldn't. He is collaborative, extremely clever, a brilliant drafter and warm and kind with clients.'
Tim Moloney KC
4
Tim Moloney KC
Doughty Street Chambers
 'Tim is an exceptional advocate. He knows exactly which points to take and he makes them persuasively, to great effect.'
Katy Thorne KC
4
Katy Thorne KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Katy has formidable medico-legal knowledge and has the ability to explain the most complicated of legal concepts and complex evidence in simple terms. '
Jamie Burton KC
4
Jamie Burton KC
Doughty Street Chambers
 'Jamie is clear, considered and was a pleasure to work with on a very technical and complex case.'
2023 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.
Fiona Murphy KC
Fiona Murphy KC
Doughty Street Chambers
‘A very effective advocate for her client’s interests: forensically smart and a class act.’

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.
Tom Stoate
1
Tom Stoate
Doughty Street Chambers
‘A very experienced, totally reliable and very accomplished inquest and inquiry specialist counsel who works collaboratively and strategically on all his cases. One of the top in his field.'
Angela Patrick
2
Angela Patrick
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Angela is an effective, precise advocate. Her analysis of complex issues is excellent.'
Alison Gerry
2
Alison Gerry
Doughty Street Chambers
'Alison is an excellent advocate: very clear, articulate, is skilled at putting forward the client's case robustly whilst carefully managing relationships in the court room.'
Oliver Lewis
4
Oliver Lewis
Doughty Street Chambers
'Oliver is incredibly knowledgeable, his healthcare expertise is second to none and his passion for human rights is absolute. '
Nick Stanage
4
Nick Stanage
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Nick is tenacious and straight talking. He does not waste words and gets to the heart of the issue quickly and incisively.'
Piers Marquis
4
Piers Marquis
Doughty Street Chambers
 'His attention to detail and sheer hard work in delving in to the most minute material make him a formidable advocate.'
Amelia Nice
4
Amelia Nice
Doughty Street Chambers
 'Amelia is a thoughtful and effective barrister, who always brings a new angle to a case.'
Adam Wagner
4
Adam Wagner
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Adam is a good organiser, he gives clear advice and is not afraid of giving realistic advice to clients.'
Frederick Powell
5
Frederick Powell
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Frederick is a pleasure to work with. He is collaborative, excellent on the law and works supremely hard.'
Shanthi Sivakumaran
5
Shanthi Sivakumaran
Doughty Street Chambers
‘Her advice is completely trusted – a real leader on public inquiries. She gives clear and strategic advice.’
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.
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
Doughty Street Chambers
 'An excellent advocate, always delivering strong arguments on behalf of the client. '