Selborne Chambers is delighted to announce that 28 members have been listed in the Legal 500 UK Bar Guide 2023. We are very pleased to announce the following two new listings for Simon McLoughlin in Company and Lara Kuehl in Property Litigation.
We would like to thank the research team at Legal 500 and our clients for taking the time to provide feedback.
Property Litigation – Set
Selborne Chambers is an ‘outstanding‘ set with a healthy mixture of prominent property silks and juniors, offering expertise from the broader real property and landlord-tenant disputes, to the more specialist breach of covenant, rights to light and adverse possession matters. Mark Warwick KC appeared before the Court of Appeal to address three separate points of principle regarding service charges in Kensquare v Boakye; specifically whether time is “of the essence” when the machinery for the recovery of a final service charge is concerned and whether a landlord could recover the legal costs from tenants after initiating proceedings. Nicholas Trompeter KC acted on behalf of a landlord attempting to recover almost £3 million of rent in London Trocadero LLP v Picturehouse Cinemas Ltd, one of the most high-profile property disputes of 2021 and another significant case in the development of the law around Covid-19 rent arrears, with the matter now heading to the Court of Appeal. Justin Kitson has built up impressive expertise in telecoms work, appearing before the Supreme Court in On Tower v AP Wireless, a case concerning the Telecoms Code joined with two other appeals.
Property Litigation – Silks
Mark Warwick KC – ‘A superb legal knowledge and vast experience enable Mark to navigate the most tricky of problems involving the most tricky of people. He is a calm and wise presence to have in your corner.’
Gary Blaker KC – ‘A silk with an outstanding legal mind, what really makes Gary stand out is the excellent support he provides to instructing solicitors and his very reassuring style with clients. ’
Ian Clarke KC – ‘Ian is a great strategist and a robust advisor. His ability to react to surprises in court is unmatched, digesting and processing vast amounts of detail very quickly. ’
Clifford Darton KC – ‘Clifford’s initial analysis of a case’s merits and willingness to provide tactical guidance from the outset is unparalleled. His advocacy is a joy to behold, he has honed his skills in the cut and thrust of the County Court which frequently gives him a decisive advantage over his opponents.’
Property Litigation – 2021 Silks
Nicholas Trompeter KC – ‘A stand-out silk for complex property litigation disputes and deservedly so, Nick knows the law inside and out. ’
Property Litigation – Leading Juniors
Justin Kitson – ‘Justin is able to assimilate a significant volume of information and identify what is important. He spends significant time examining the details and produces impressive written work as a result. ’
Richard Clegg – ‘Richard’s ability to join the dots in complex disputes between the merits of the case and the commercial outcome desired by the client is astounding. Clever and calm in his advocacy, he is particularly persuasive and a match for any silk before even the most reluctant of judges. ’
Stuart Hornett – ‘Stuart remains by go-to barrister for property related matters, especially those concerning difficult issues of contractual interpretation. His intelligence is off the scale, being able to pick up the details of convoluted matters in record time. He provides an incredible level of clarity, ultimately formulating well thought out strategies. ’
Philip Kremen
Jonathan McNae – ‘He has an astonishing knowledge of property law, including its more arcane aspects. Jonathan is a fine advocate and particularly skilled when it comes to dealing with situations involving litigants in person. ’
Robert Brown – ‘It is Robert’s immense knowledge of residential landlord and tenant law that make him a go-to junior for complex matters. He has the ability to drill down to the key points of an issue rapidly. His advocacy is focused and well considered, nothing seems to faze him. ’
Paul de la Piquerie – ‘Paul is extremely practical, friendly and approachable. He provides concise and targeted advice within quick turnarounds, taking into account the priorities and unique needs of his clients. He is willing to set out the pros and cons of particular actions decisively, assisting his clients enormously. ’
Henry Webb – ‘Henry has a calm, measured but highly effective advocacy style. He has a comprehensive grasp on the factual detail and relevant law, consistently demonstrating excellent judgement on which points to press and in what way. He is very responsive throughout a case and quickly gains his client’s trust. ’
George Woodhead – ‘George is a thoroughly charming and articulate advocate, extremely well respected by his peers. His preparation and attention to detail is admirable, communicating incredibly well with clients and setting realistic expectations. ’
Simon McLoughlin – ‘Simon has the ability to process large quantities of complex information with seeming ease. An old head on young shoulders, he is a barrister of choice by a long way. ’
Isabel Petrie – ‘Isabel is a very tenacious advocate, adopting a sensible and thorough approach to tactics. ’
Sarah Walker – ‘Sarah is a junior with star quality. She is unfailingly reliable, a wonderful advocate and her ability to turn written work around quickly makes her a pleasure to work with. ’
Lara Kuehl – ‘Lara covers every angle and has brilliant drafting abilities. ’
Rahul Varma – ‘A clever, calm and articulate advocate, Rahul’s written work and knowledge of procedure is impressively reliable. ’
Defamation – Leading Silks
William McCormick KC – ‘Excellent legal knowledge, experience and insight. Superb tactically. First class in consultations and he generates great confidence in his incisive advice and advice on strategy. Superb cross examiner.’
Private Client: Trusts and Probate – Leading Silks
Private Client: Trusts and Probate – Leading Juniors
George Woodhead – ‘George is exceptional at what he does. He is able to quickly digest large amounts of complex information which is particularly useful. He is able to think outside of the box and is always willing to bounce ideas around with his instructing solicitor. In terms of his advocacy, he is respectful at all times to the judge and to his opponent. He can however be incredibly forceful and persuasive when needs be, adapting his approach accordingly.’
Chancery, Probate, And Tax – Regional Bar – Leading Junior
Lydia Pemberton – ‘Lydia is very user friendly and accessible. She is very focused on the practicalities and commercial aspects of a dispute.’
Company – Leading Silks
William McCormick KC – ‘William is a phenomenal KC. A mixture of legal giant and rottweiler with a personality all rolled into one!’
Company – Leading Juniors
Simon McLoughlin – ‘Client friendly with good attention to detail.’
Environment – Leading Silks
Clifford Darton KC – ‘He exhibits an authoritative advocacy style without being pushy, and provides clear, pragmatic advice.’
Professional Negligence – Leading Silks
Gary Blaker KC – ‘ Gary is calmness incarnate. He has a wealth of knowledge and is able to put clients at their ease. In court he is tenacious but always demonstrates respect.’
Professional Negligence – 2021 Silks
Nicholas Trompeter KC – ‘Clients always feel that he is part of the team, and there with the client all the way.’
Professional Negligence – Leading Juniors
Hugh Jackson – ‘ He is very hard-working and provides clear and measured advice. Well-respected by clients. ’
Justin Kitson – ‘ A formidable advocate. He is always accommodating and goes more than the extra mile to make sure of a first-rate service every time. ’
James Newman – ‘ He has a great manner with clients and is quick to grasp the key issues of a case. ’
Edward Bennion-Pedley – ‘ Edward has keen analytical skills and is very persuasive. He provides commercial advice.’
Commercial Litigation – Leading Silks
Romie Tager KC – Excellent trial lawyer. Very creative and thinks outside the box.’
Commercial Litigation – Leading Juniors
Stuart Hornett – ‘A pleasure to work with. A strong advocate and collaborative – a KC level service and input.’
Richard Clegg – ‘Richard distills the most complex cases with ease and exceptional attention to detail. He is bright, conscientious and not afraid to get his hands dirty in document heavy and messy litigation. He has a natural affinity with numbers and is an impressive advocate.’
Media and Entertainment – Leading Juniors
Justin Kitson – ‘Justin is very good at getting to the heart of the issues and plotting a course through particularly thorny matters. His advice is clear and responsive. His advocacy in particular is excellent; the points made are succinct and compelling.‘