Serle Court is a ‘very efficient and responsive set’, with a ’large and highly regarded team specialising in contentious trusts and probate’. Jonathan Adkin KC is handling a complex multi-billion dollar probate application before the High Court relating to a foreign estate. ‘Formidable barrister’ Richard Wilson KC, known for ’his exceptional ability to identify the core issues of a case’, and James Weale, who is ‘very responsive and robust in court’, are two key individuals who regularly represent clients before courts in all kind of contentious trust claim both at national and international level. ’First-rate junior’ Sparsh Garg acted for the claimant in Morina v Scherbakova, a case of a grant of probate and declaration of succession regarding the estate and will trust of a deceased Russian businessman.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Charlie Payne is fast, efficient and responsive.'
- 'Charlotte Davidson and Daniel Wheeler are stand-out people. Charlotte Davidson as business development co-ordinator understands the market, and Dan understands what solicitors need and works hard to collaborate.'
- 'Charlie Payne and Nick Hockney are the best at what they do - offering access to the set, flexibility and responsiveness whenever required and managing with humour and charm.'
- 'Daniel Wheeler and Nick Hockey are excellent and helpful.'
- 'Charlie Payne and Amber Feltwell are a pleasure to deal with, always accommodating and quick to respond.'
- 'Nick Hockney is a very friendly, timely and experienced clerk.'
- 'The clerks at the chambers are top-notch. They are responsive and great to deal with. Daniel Wheeler is the perfect clerk. He understands the needs of a solicitor and enhances the experience with the chambers. Emma Quin and Arron Snipe are also great to work with.'
- 'Serle Court has excellent strength and depth.'
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.
Jonathan Adkin KC
Serle Court 'Jonathan has a huge intellect and is very hard-working and a brilliant lawyer.'
Dakis Hagen KC
Serle Court 'Dakis is an excellent advocate, incredibly bright and articulate. He can simplify the most complex of cases, always one step ahead. He is a go-to trust barrister.'
Elizabeth Jones KC
Serle Court ‘Elizabeth is formidable. She is a masterful strategist and maintains a command of the details. She drives teams hard but achieves outstanding results and is excellent to work with.’
John Machell KC
Serle Court ‘John is a class act and a star of the trust litigation bar. He is intelligent, gets to the point, provides quality advice, and is very effective as an advocate.’
Constance McDonnell KC
Serle Court ‘Constance combines deep knowledge with an ability to get on with all client types and is a powerfully persuasive advocate. Her attention to detail is second-to-none, fully immerses herself in her cases and gives her all to every brief.’
Timothy Collingwood KC
Serle Court 'Tim is the first port of call on heavyweight and complex trust cases. His knowledge of trust law is second to none.'
Jonathan Harris KC
Serle Court ‘Jonathan is exceptionally clever. He is the absolute go-to barrister for any conflicts of law issues. He is on top of all the details and can draft clear and compelling documents.’
Giles Richardson KC
Serle Court 'Giles is a superstar. He is incredibly bright, inspires the utmost confidence in clients and has a very collaborative approach. He is a real team player.'
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.
James Weale
Serle Court ‘James's written and oral advice is excellent. He considers the factual background of a case with care and is always well-prepared.’
Zahler Bryan
Serle Court 'Zahler is highly personable and responsive. Her legal analysis is always excellent and thorough, and her advice is practical and timely. She has an excellent and quick grasp of the details.'
Thomas Fletcher
Serle Court ‘Thomas is incredibly diligent, thorough and a joy to deal with. He is extremely knowledgeable, commercial and pragmatic and can see the wood for the trees.’
Emma Hargreaves
Serle Court ‘Emma is a fierce and tenacious advocate. She is sharp, insightful, and a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. She has a keen eye for detail and manages matters with grace and sensitivity.’
Adil Mohamedbhai
Serle Court 'Adil is incredibly diligent and hard-working. He is eloquent and insightful. He can explain complex issues clearly and effectively.'
Gregor Hogan
Serle Court ‘Gregor has a relaxed manner and gives direct advice. He has a knack for seeing his way through complex situations. He is approachable and client-friendly.’
Oliver Jones
Serle Court ‘Ollie is an excellent barrister. He is incredibly bright, on top of the detail and with outstanding interpersonal skills. He has an impeccable command of the law and is consistently persuasive on his feet.’
Amy Proferes
Serle Court ‘Amy is incredibly fast and responsive. She can quickly assimilate a lot of information and cut through to the real issues.’
Stephanie Thompson
Serle Court ‘Stephanie presents complicated problems straightforwardly in pleadings and submissions.’
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.
Sparsh Garg
Serle Court ‘Sparsh is a hard worker who spots the issues very quickly and gives clear and practical advice about the matters involved.’