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Michael Duck KC
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Michael is one of the main silks in Birmingham, equally strong when defending and prosecuting. He has gravitas in court and is a very strong advocate.'
No5 Barristers’ Chambers remains ‘a powerhouse of a set’ with strength in depth in terms of criminal barristers. Michael Duck KC, ‘equally strong when defending and prosecuting’, has particular expertise in cases involving organised crime – he recently represented an 18-year-old man co-accused of the torture and murder of a drug addict over £300 of missing money who ultimately received a minimum of 28 years in prison. Michelle Heeley KC, current leader of the Midlands Circuit, regularly prosecutes and defends in the most serious and high-profile of cases – she prosecuted a 26-year-old engineering student convicted of preparing acts of terrorism, namely building and planning to deliver a drone to Islamic State, as well as researching chemical weapons and explosives. John O’Higgins, ’a senior junior of the highest calibre’ noted particularly for his powerful advocacy, handles murder, terrorism, and sexual offences cases. Ian Bridge is well-known for defending in the most challenging and serious road traffic cases, including death by dangerous driving.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Andrew Trotter is an institution. His client care is second to none.'
- 'Chris Norman is a stand out clerk.'
- 'The service provided by No5 Chambers is second to none. Andrew Trotter has propelled No5 to such a high standard.'
- 'No5 is a set of chambers that recruits only the very best in their particular field. The senior clerks are easy to approach and they will almost inevitably always secure your first choice of counsel.'
- 'No5 Chambers is a strong powerhouse of a set and has a good selection of counsel at most levels in this area.'
- 'A wonderful set populated by highly talented practitioners.'
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.
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Adrian Keeling KC
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Adrian has astounding tactical nous. He is a particularly good judge of character which makes him very effective when it comes to making sensible tactical decisions. His behind-the-scenes advocacy in dealing with his opponents and co-defendants is skillful and, importantly, he plays with a straight bat and quickly gains a reputation for being honest and fair whilst navigating a case to a favourable conclusion.'
2
Harpreet Sandhu KC
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Harpreet is a very smooth operator. He is equally comfortable prosecuting and defending. More importantly, he is equally brilliant in serious crime or fraud cases. He is a great jury advocate and has a very caring manner when dealing with clients. A leading KC in the region.’
3
Mark Heywood KC
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Mark has a calm and authoritative manner born of years of experience. Juries plainly warm to him.’
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.
Philip Rule KC
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Philip is an incredibly hardworking barrister. His written and oral advocacy is always clear and effective. In particular, his written advocacy never fails to be comprehensive and to take every point which has a reasonable prospect of being argued. Philip is able to distil really complex legal issues to be directly relevant to the facts of an individual case.'
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.
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Ian Bridge
No5 Barristers’ Chambers 'Ian has excellent analytical skills and his level of accuracy and attention to detail is outstanding. He has a real command of the courtroom when representing clients; his communication and presentation skills are phenomenal.'
1
John O’Higgins
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘John has excellent communication skills with clients, with the ability to reassure clients who are anxious about proceedings. His performances in court are masterclasses. He is the most powerful advocate around and his cross-examination of witnesses is strategically brilliant and phenomenal.'
1
Tim Pole
No5 Barristers’ Chambers 'Good communication skills and a very commercial outlook makes Tim an ideal choice for clients. He is good when it comes to paperwork as well as as a courtroom advocate.'
2
Sharon Bahia
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Sharon’s strength lies in her intuition. Her reaction to the unanticipated displays a real-world understanding of the exigencies of criminal litigation. She has a down-to-earth manner which inspires confidence in her clients. She has a perfectly-balanced approach of tenacity and realism.’
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.
Chloe Ashley
No5 Barristers’ Chambers ‘Chloe is an outstanding junior barrister. She is hard-working, tenacious and has excellent judgement.’