Park Square Barristers‘ ’gold standard‘ inquests and inquiries team is well known for its ’strength and depth‘. Richard Wright KC ’inspires great confidence‘, and Craig Hassall KC is ’an excellent operator in this field‘. In a recent matter, Hassall led Helena Spector in representing the family of James Atkinson in the inquest into his death after eating a takeaway chicken tikka masala pizza in 2020; the inquest found that Atkinson’s death was due to an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts in the product. At the junior end of chambers, Kate Wilson is ’sheer quality‘ with ’a wonderful persona in court‘, and the ’reliable‘ Simon Connolly has a solid track record in handling Article 2 inquests. The ’very knowledgeable‘ Holly Clegg regularly acts for the police in inquests, and Kirsten Mercer has ’first-class knowledge of coronial law‘.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Madeleine Gray is the jewel in the crown of Park Square's Inquest team. Her understanding of the work and client base is second to none and she regularly moves heaven and earth to find the right barrister for a case/ resolve any issues quickly and efficiently.'
- 'Madeleine Gray is responsive, practical and professional - she is a pleasure to deal with.'
- 'The clerking is first class. Madeleine Grey is amazing.'
- 'Patrick Urbina is very helpful!'
- 'Patrick Urbina and Madeleine Gray have been particularly helpful. They are always quick to reply.'
- 'Madeleine and Patrick are fantastic to deal with.'
- 'PSQB is the leading inquest set in the North East. The team is simply second to none – the inquest barristers display an amazing skill set.'
- 'Strong set.'
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.
Craig Hassall KC
Park Square Barristers ‘A class act who shows excellent judgement and real sensitivity towards his clients.’
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
Simon Connolly
Park Square Barristers Ltd. 'Simon has an encyclopedic knowledge of inquest processes, procedures and case law. He puts those he represents at ease with his empathetic nature, while at the same time instilling in them the confidence that he will do everything in his power to achieve the best possible outcome for them.'
1
1
1
Kate Wilson
Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘Kate is a natural leader. She is tremendously intelligent, calm under pressure, eloquent and clear, and her advocacy inspires trust and confidence.’
1
Holly Clegg
Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘A confident barrister with a pleasant court demeanour. She is practical and focused, doesn’t ask unnecessary, irrelevant questions and her submissions are grounded, reasonable and well-researched. An excellent advocate.’
2
Nathan Davis
Park Square Barristers Ltd. 'Nathan has a thorough grounding in inquest law, and is a diligent and conscientious junior.'
2
Naomi McLoughlin
Park Square Barristers Ltd. ‘Naomi fully understands inquest law and is a focused questioner, which endears her to those on the bench. She is the advocate that any client would want in their corner.’
2
Matthew Stanbury
Park Square Barristers 'An empathetic and passionate barrister with good judgement. Judges respect him.'
2
2
Caroline Wood
Park Square Barristers 'Caroline is an excellent advocate with great forensic skills.'
2
John Jolliffe
Park Square BarristersRising 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.
Helena Spector
Park Square Barristers 'Helena is incredibly talented. She is a confident and compelling advocate and is wise beyond her year of call. She is always on top of the evidence and excellent with clients. She is a real star.'