Joseph O’Brien KC
St John’s Buildings 'Joseph can handle witnesses, the law and case strategy with equal aplomb.'
The Court of Protection team at St John’s Buildings is well-versed in advising on a broad range of complex health and welfare cases, including deprivation of liberty issues and mental capacity matters. Natalia Levine is singled out for her excellent track record in advising on property and financial disputes, and regularly acts for local authorities, family members, the Official Solicitor and hospitals. Practice head Joseph O’Brien KC stands out for his established strength in handling deprivation of liberty cases, which also form a key pillar of Jonathan Bellamy’s practice. Hannah Bakshani specialises in Court of Protection law, and ‘her advice is always well-grounded, reasoned and she demonstrates a real ability to think on her feet’; she is sought after for her expertise in advising on contested capacity issues. The ‘calm and measured’ Tom Hughes brings extensive experience in advising on cases involving covert medication, fluctuating capacity and capacity to engage in sexual activity.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are unbelievably helpful, quick to respond and always look for solutions when needed. Jayne Harper and Suzanne Heron are often on hand in day to day work and in crisis moments to ensure that any problems are solved.'
- 'The dedicated Court of Protection clerks are always on hand to answer queries in respect of counsel availability. They communicate effectively with each other and always try to offer a solution when problems are presented.'
- 'The COP clerking team is very efficient and helpful.'
- 'You can always rely on St John's Buildings to provide strong counsel.'
- 'The strength in breadth and depth of knowledge at St John's Buildings is unrivalled in this area of law.'
- 'The chambers are excellent.'
- 'Highly experienced advocates.'
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.
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Jonathan Bellamy
St John’s Buildings 'A reliable junior who is exceptionally methodical and pragmatic. His advice is always concise.'
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Natalia Levine
St John’s Buildings 'Natalia has a clear eyed focus on trying to resolve problems in Court of Protection cases.'
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Hannah Bakshani
St John’s Buildings 'Hannah is an exceptional junior who operates at a level well beyond her call. She is approachable, thorough in her preparation, fantastic with clients and a fierce advocate.'
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