Housing ‘a range of very good juniors’, Gatehouse Chambers handles a breadth of professional negligence claims, including matters relating to property transactions, construction, and financial services. Nigel Jones KC and Sarah McCann were instructed to act for the claimant in Enterprise Insurance Company Plc (in liquidation) v EY Limited, a high-value case alleging negligence on behalf of the auditors. Daniel Gatty and Jack Dillon are both experienced property litigators who also handle professional liability cases within the sector. Michael Wheater KC was appointed silk in March 2024. Wheater’s professional negligence practice is complemented by his expertise in construction; one of his recent cases was OCL Facades v Absolute Insurance Brokers in which he represented a specialist cladding contractor in a claim against its insurance broker.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The clerking at Gatehouse is very good. Adam Macdonald, Amy McClean, and Patrick Sarson are particularly impressive.’
- ‘James Duncan-Hartill is excellent.’
- ‘Gatehouse has a range of very good juniors.’
- ‘They are a good professional indemnity and construction set.’
- ‘The clerks are responsive and helpful.’
- ‘The clerks are always on hand to assist. They are a pleasure to deal with.’
- ‘The clerking team are well organised, prompt, and reliable.’
- ‘The clerks are excellent, responsive, and easy to work with.’
Lawyers
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.
Paul Reed KC
‘Paul is the go-to advocate for construction insurance. He’s insightful with a sixth sense for how cases will play out.’
John de Waal KC
‘He is very down to earth and easy to discuss ideas and tactics with. He is an expert in his field.’
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.
Catherine Piercy KC
‘She is incredibly intelligent, perceptive, and a joy to work with. Not only does she know the law inside out, she's also commercial and her technical understanding is second to none.’
David Pliener KC
‘He’s a great commercial barrister. He’s a safe pair of hands and has a wonderful approach with clients.’
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.
Michael Wheater KC
‘Michael is an absolute star. He is brilliant on the technical side, great with clients, and provides great commercial advice.’
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 Hall
‘James is everything you want in a barrister. He is thorough, diligent, knowledgeable, commercial and great with clients. As an advocate he is always well-prepared, persuasive, and quick on his feet.’
Ebony Alleyne
‘Ebony goes above and beyond in her preparations and attention to detail, particularly in cross-examination. She is also very strategic and highly commercial.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah is hard working, intelligent, and user-friendly.’
Tom Bell
‘He’s a fantastic team player. He is very cool and calm. His written work is especially excellent in submissions, which is incredibly helpful as it feels as if the judge is already with you.’
Jonathan Titmuss
‘Jon has a wide appreciation of the commercial issues and is very pragmatic. His advocacy is first-rate, calm, and considered.’
Jack Dillon
‘Jack is thorough, approachable, and excellent both on in writing and on his feet. He is calm, considered, and persuasive.’
Daniel Gatty
‘He has good attention to detail and is always thoroughly prepared. He builds a good rapport with clients and witnesses.’
Sara Ibrahim
‘Sara is a phenomenally talented barrister. Her advice is detailed and thorough. Her central focus is on the client and what they are ultimately trying to achieve. Sara is a strong advocate and a pleasure to work with.’
Simon Kerry
‘Simon is incredibly hardworking and has an excellent grasp of technically complicated issues that arise during construction disputes.’
Kort Egan
‘Kort's written work is superb. He has a great ability to get on top of complex cases and understands how to value quantum.’
George Eyre
‘He has an exemplary knowledge of both the law and of the client's commercial needs. He has an ability to retain, understand, and analyse a huge amount of information.’
Michael Levenstein
‘Michael has the combination of razor-sharp wit and laser-like focus. He is excellent with clients. He’s an easy choice when looking for a junior who can handle large and complex matters.’
Helena White
‘Helena is a pleasure to instruct. She is highly responsive and personable. Helena is commended for her technical prowess and takes a logical and analytical approach to highly complex issues.’
Louis Zvesper
‘He is excellent at distilling complex legal issues and providing clear and concise advice. He is very responsive and excellent for instructing solicitors to deal with.’
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.
Joshua Griffin
‘He is excellent on his feet. He always prepares thoroughly and takes time to understand the underlying strategy.’