With ‘a good range of experience and expertise’, St Philips Chambers  is a ’go-to in the Midlands for commercial barristers’. John Brennan has a strong reputation for his client care skills and ‘superb and winning advocacy style’ – he has recently acted in several disputes concerning family businesses. In Parker v Patel & Others, Robert Mundy is representing the principal defendant in relation to a civil fraud claim arising from a failed private hospital development project. Noted particularly for his skill in cross-examination, Ali Tabari focuses on commercial litigation with fraud, insolvency, company, and finance elements. He recently acted in high-profile case Henderson & Jones v Ross, Barnes and Others, representing the former directors of a company liable for fitting faulty PIP breast implants, accused of dishonestly conspiring with Barclays Bank and their solicitors to restructure the company in order to avoid various liabilities, including for compensation to victims of the scandal.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Ross Hands is a great addition to the team - he's simply a great clerk.'
  • 'The clerks are excellent. They are quick to communicate and source counsel. Justin Luckman is ably supported by Ross Hands, Jake Smithers and Tom Kelly. The service cannot be faulted.'
  • 'St Philips is a well-clerked set with good response times, availability and market-rate fees.'
  • 'St-Philips boasts some of the most experienced barristers and some of the most helpful and accommodating clerks in the region. They are clearly keen and actively engaged in raising the profile of the BPC in Birmingham, and as a set they have the strength and breadth of expertise to support the BPC's growth.'
  • 'St Philips is the go-to Chambers in the Midlands for commercial barristers. The offer a broad range of talent.'
  • 'With many barristers in this filed, they are the best in Birmingham. The clerks always ensure good availability for hearings (even last minute) and regular training is put on, including mock trials, which is particularly helpful for young solicitors.'
  • 'St Philips is the chambers of choice in Birmingham and the Midlands for commercial work.'

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.

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.
1
Robert Mundy
St Philips Chambers
 ‘Robert has a great ability to distil large amounts of information and get to the heart of the matter quickly. He is responsive, engaging, very intelligent, hard working and extremely easy to work with. He is a go-to barrister.'
1
Ali Tabari
St Philips Chambers
'Ali is very responsive and nothing seems to faze him. He has an excellent rapport with clients and solicitors. He is well respected by the judiciary and is excellent on his feet with a very calm and methodical approach to cross-examination - like a smiling assassin.' 
1
John Brennan
St Philips Chambers
‘John is extremely user friendly and goes the extra mile; clients love his approachable manner. He is very bright and has great attention to detail as well as a superb and winning advocacy style that brings the court along with his arguments. He is courteous but very effective in cross-examination of witnesses.’
2
Simon Clegg
St Philips Chambers
 ‘Simon has unparalleled experience in commercial matters and is particularly good on paper while being able to deliver his advice in a client-focused way.'
2
Mark Grant
St Philips Chambers
 ‘Mark is a sharp-minded and personable counsel. He is great on the detail and confident in the delivery of complex issues. His advocacy style is assured and commanding.'
2
Marc Brown
St Philips Chambers
 ‘Marc is fiercely intelligent and is able to digest significant amounts of information with ease. His written work is second-to-none and he is a tenacious advocate whose closing skills are a joy to watch. He provides a level of service and quality of work that you would expect to receive from a silk.’
3
Edmund Beever
St Philips Chambers
'Edmund has a keen eye for detail. As well as being technically excellent, he has a superb manner with clients and is able to put them at ease and communicate effectively. In court, Edmund is a strong advocate who delivers his submissions concisely and with impact.'
3
Kirsty White
St Philips Chambers
'Kirsty is calm and measured in her delivery and sharp in her advice. Her approach to litigation strategy is consistent and focused on the client's goals. Kirsty is easy to communicate with and enjoys discussing the different angles of a matter. Her legal knowledge is strong and she a joy to work with.'
3
Natalie Kearney
St Philips Chambers
 ‘Natalie is intelligent, proactive and thinks outside the box. Her written advocacy is very good.’