4 New Square Chambers‘ insurance practice benefits from its expertise in related areas including commercial litigation, international arbitration, professional negligence and property damage, which enables members to provide a full service across the leading cases in insurance. Looking at insurance issues arising out of Covid-19, Jonathan Hough KC, leading Ben Smiley and William Harman represented Zurich Insurance Co Ltd in World Challenge Expeditions Ltd v Zurich Insurance Co Ltd which covered a dispute for a claim by a company that arranges expeditions for schools that had to cancel trips as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the team successfully seeking security for costs. The set has a firm grasp on issues of construction covering indemnity, non-disclosure, breach of conditions and fraud. David Turner KC regularly acts on insurance disputes and issues relating to business interruption insurance, while Clare Dixon KC has experience in professional indemnity and material damage.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Alex Dolby and Andrew Call are always very helpful.'
  • 'This set have a very wide variety of barristers available and offer excellent training programmes.' 
  • '4 New Square are generally excellent across the board, with some really stand out members. Great clerking team too.' 
  • 'Good clerks - responsive, commercial and friendly.'
  • '4 New Square is rightly recognised as a leader in the field of professional indemnity with great strengths through all seniorities.'

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.
Ben Elkington KC
2
Ben Elkington KC
4 New Square
‘Ben is a superb advocate, a very smooth operator in court. He is very responsive and a real team player. Always a pleasure to work with.'
Jonathan Hough KC
2
Jonathan Hough KC
4 New Square
'Jonathan is quite exceptional. A fantastic brain, brilliant with clients, and the standard of his drafting is a model for others to aspire to.' 
Ben Hubble KC
2
Ben Hubble KC
4 New Square
‘Ben is excellent – he is superb with clients, simplifies the complex, and provides technical and commercial advice, and is not afraid of a fight.’
Alison Padfield KC
3
Alison Padfield KC
4 New Square
‘Alison is an absolute pleasure to work with. She is always prepared, calm and unflappable and has a very easy manner that puts clients from all walks of life entirely at their ease.'  
Jamie Smith KC
3
Jamie Smith KC
4 New Square
‘Jamie is fiercely intelligent and can quickly get to grips with very complex matters. His methodical approach, together with his easy manner, inspire confidence and the collaborative approach he adopts with both his juniors and those who instruct him makes him a pleasure to work with.'  
Roger Stewart KC
3
Roger Stewart KC
4 New Square
‘Focused and succinct in oral and written advice. Sees the whole picture from the outset- particularly how a judge will look at a case at trial.'   
Neil Hext KC
3
Neil Hext KC
4 New Square
‘Excellent on his feet in court, very clear advice and well drafted pleadings. A great all-rounder.’
Amanda Savage KC
4
Amanda Savage KC
4 New Square
‘Amanda is excellent. A very fine, collaborative and responsive member of a team and always good to have on-board. She is to-the-point and practical, and great with clients.' 
Clare Dixon KC
4
Clare Dixon KC
4 New Square Chambers
‘Clare is a fantastic advocate. She is very persuasive and engaging. She has an ability to make complicated points appear simple, and her submissions are always clear and well-structured. Judges love her.’
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.
Shail Patel KC
Shail Patel KC
4 New Square
‘He is very incisive and knowledgeable, thinks of creative ways to address issues, is very client focused, commercial and has an excellent reassuring manner with clients. His advocacy is top notch.'   

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.
Ben Smiley
2
Ben Smiley
4 New Square
‘Simply excellent - able to win the otherwise unwinnable. Very good on his feet and personable. Has impeccable attention to detail and is definitely a silk in the making.'
Carl Troman
3
Carl Troman
4 New Square
‘Carl is simply first class, his analytical skills are excellent, he quickly establishes the confidence of his clients, and is a pleasure to work with.'
Anthony Jones
3
Anthony Jones
4 New Square
‘Anthony is very good at articulating complex issues in a simple, digestible manner. He slots into the team when we instruct him on matters and is very proactive and forward thinking. He is always contactable and meets deadlines timeously.’
Diarmuid Laffan
4
Diarmuid Laffan
4 New Square
‘Diarmuid has great insurance law knowledge and gives clear, practical, strategic advice – you want him in your corner.'