Selborne Chambers is thrilled to announce that 23 members have been listed in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide 2023. We are very pleased to announce the following new listings for Clifford Darton KC and Julia Beer in Chancery: Traditional. Rahul Varma has a new ranking and Isabel Petrie has been recognised as a ‘Notable Practitioner’ in Real Estate Litigation.
We would like to thank the research team at Chambers and Partners and our clients for taking the time to provide feedback.
We are pleased to see great praise again for our clerking team, during the research process the following feedback has been provided about our clerking team:
“Darren Madle, senior clerk, and the team are extremely responsive and always willing to go the extra mile.”
“Response times are very fast, and they are always willing to help. They provide excellent customer service.”
“Paul Bunting, senior clerk, and Darren Madle and their team are truly excellent, accommodating and practical.”
“Excellent and very efficient clerking, sensible on costs, realistic and sympathetic on deliverables and timings.”
Real Estate Litigation – Set Ranking
Selborne Chambers is noted for its broad skills in property litigation, providing expertise in areas ranging from development and dilapidations claims to possession disputes. Members are active in the Supreme Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. Recently the set has appeared in London Trocedero v Picturehouse Cinemas, a high-profile rent recovery dispute. An interviewee praises the set as being “thoroughly prepared, able to take a considered view and to go above and beyond to ensure the matter is handled efficiently.” Another source adds: “They have a strong team ranging from silks through to juniors.”
Real Estate Litigation – Leading Silks
Mark Warwick KC – “Mark Warwick is realistic and commercial, and he has a speedy turnaround.” “He has the intellect, and his manner with the court is good.” “He is a go-to for complex matters.” “Mark Warwick is very energetic and very responsive. He is a KC who always wants to go the extra mile to help the case.”
Ian Clarke KC – “Ian Clarke is a very safe pair of hands. He knows exactly how a case will go and where the flaws are to pick out.” “He has a very good persuasive manner.”
Gary Blaker KC – “Gary has the ability to break down complex legal issues for clients and explain them in a clear, commercial and highly credible way.” “He has an in-depth knowledge and uses that skilfully in written and oral advocacy.” “He is very strong on the technical side and very strong on the law. Judges like him and he commands the attention of the tribunal.” “Gary is a very hands-on counsel who is extremely proactive and insightful.”
Nicholas Trompeter KC – “He has a superb legal brain and is a very good advocate.” “He is a thorough and balanced barrister who is very good with clients. He pays particular attention to his relationships with instructing solicitors.” “He is incredibly efficient and very smart, but not just intellectual; he is also aware of the commercial issues that arise in disputes.”
Real Estate Litigation – Leading Juniors
Neil Mendoza – “Neil is very good in trial. He is quite senior now and so when new information comes out in a trial he is able to yield it to the best decision of the court.” “Neil Mendoza is my go-to for property-related work. He is always helpful and often has a different or novel approach to a case, which is invaluable.”
Justin Kitson – “Justin has great people skills and can put clients at ease. He is also great on his feet in court.” “Justin Kitson is a very good trial advocate.”
Jonathan McNae – “I was very impressed with his understanding of a case and his responsiveness.” “Jon McNae is very knowledgeable, extremely practical and always willing to go the extra mile to help.” “Jonathan is exceptionally helpful in property disputes and provides invaluable advice.” “Jonathan McNae has been involved in highly complex matters, which he handles with care and precision.”
Henry Webb – “Henry has an uncanny ability to digest and recall intricate details of a case as well as dealing with curve balls. His advocacy is incredibly persuasive.”
Paul de la Piquerie – “Paul De La Piquerie is a great junior who I know I can trust with complex matters.”
Rahul Varma – “He is an excellent advocate with great procedural knowledge.” “Rahul is bright, a measured and compelling advocate, and provides a very high level of service.” “Rahul has excellent attention to detail and is extremely meticulous and thorough.”
Simon McLoughlin – “Simon provides excellent advice which is to the point and succinct while also dealing with all of the necessary detail.” “Simon possesses an extremely sharp academic intellect yet also has outstanding commercial awareness.” “He is a real team player who is great with strategy and advising on tactics.”
Isabel Petrie – “She is very practical and straightforward with her advice, which clients are grateful for.” “Her expertise in both property and insolvency is highly valuable in the current market. She is charismatic and commercially minded.” “Isabel is an excellent, no-nonsense and incisive advocate, but with common sense and a firm grasp of the details.”
Chancery: Commercial – Set Ranking
Selborne Chambers is a well-regarded set offering significant expertise in commercial chancery litigation. Members are regularly instructed in civil fraud, company, partnership and general commercial disputes, as well as complex trusts and property cases. Instructing solicitors praise the barristers’ expertise in these areas, saying: “The barristers at Selborne are fantastic at handling complex and sophisticated disputes.”
Chancery: Commercial – Leading Silks
Romie Tager KC – “He’s a terrific advocate. He will argue cases that others won’t touch.”
Ian Clarke KC – “Ian is incredibly efficient and a pleasure to work with. He always gives confident and clear advice. You go into a dispute knowing you have a robust and powerful barrister fighting your corner.” “He really knows his stuff.”
Nicholas Trompeter KC – “Nicholas is extremely user-friendly, has extensive knowledge of fairly unusual or little-known legal principles, and has a real eye for detail.” “My go-to. He really gets stuck into matters and is excellent with clients.”
Chancery: Commercial – Leading Juniors
Duncan Kynoch – “I love working with Duncan. He is extremely down to earth and understands all of the issues quickly.”
Richard Clegg – “Imaginative, technically excellent and commercially astute.”
Commercial Dispute Resolution – Leading Silks
William McCormick KC – “William is a ferocious advocate, who is extremely approachable and very client-friendly.”
Commercial Dispute Resolution – Leading Junior
James Newman – “James has a really good commercial head on his shoulders. He is excellent at reading what the client needs and at finding the approach to suit.”
Professional Negligence – Leading Silks
Nicholas Trompeter KC – “Nick is magisterial. He has it all – a fiercely talented advocate, with a total grasp of the law and the case detail. He is incredibly responsive and good with clients.” “To say that he is incredible is an understatement. Nicholas has an eye for detail and a memory like an elephant. His academic ability is second to none, his manner with the clients is just incredible, and he is so user-friendly.”
Professional Negligence – Leading Juniors
Hugh Jackson – “Very responsive, thorough and accessible.”
Chancery: Traditional – Leading Silks
Ian Clarke KC – “Supremely knowledgeable and, importantly, a joy to work with. He is extremely accessible and willing to discuss the case at short notice; clear and sensible guidance was provided throughout.”
Clifford Darton KC – “He is a fantastic cross-examiner, who is meticulously prepared and really forensic. He was very impressive.”
Chancery: Traditional – Leading Juniors
Julia Beer – “Julia is fantastic, I am always impressed with the quality of her work. She is very easy to work with and very welcoming, and my clients are always happy with her too.”
Chancery
Lydia Pemberton – “She has a clear grasp of the issues involved and deals with matters efficiently with regard to the commercial realities of a dispute.” “She is outstanding and exceptional in what she does.”
Defamation/Privacy – Leading Silks
William McCormick KC – “His strengths are positivity and energy and he’s very confident on his feet.”
Media and Entertainment – Leading Juniors
Justin Kitson – “A very good trial advocate. He’s a hard worker who gets stuff done.” “Justin Kitson is always available and goes the extra mile.”
Environment – Leading Silks
Clifford Darton KC – “One of the experienced, if not pre-eminent, water utility lawyers in the UK.” “Clients like his candour and willingness to be sympathetic and have empathy while providing good pragmatic advice.”
Social Housing – Leading Juniors
Robert Brown – “Robert is incredibly knowledgeable.” “Robert is smart, rigourous, effective.”