Selborne Chambers is delighted to announce that 26 members have been listed in the Legal 500 UK Bar Guide 2021. We are very pleased to announce the following four new listings for George Woodhead, Isabel Petrie and Sarah Walker in Property Litigation and Francis Ng in Private Client: Trusts and Probate. We also have three promotions with Justin Kitson being promoted to tier 2 in Property Litigation and tier 3 in Media and Entertainment and Robert Brown being promoted to tier 4 in Property Litigation.
Property Litigation – Leading Set
Selborne Chambers is home to ‘numerous excellent juniors and QCs who cover the full spectrum of property litigation’ including property fraud, business rates, adverse possession, land registration, real property and commercial landlord and tenant disputes. In a recent Court of Appeal matter, Gibbs v Lakeside Developments Ltd, Gary Blaker KC successfully acted for the respondent in a novel dispute where a lease was forfeited owing to unpaid ground rent and service charges following the long-term disappearance and emergence of the lessor. Nicholas Trompeter also has a high-profile case of his own in Rossendale BC v Hurstwood Properties; the matter relates to the recovery of business rates for unoccupied properties with permission to appeal to the Supreme Court recently granted. In recent news, Clifford Darton KC and David Warner respectively joined from Ely Place Chambers and New Square Chambers, strengthening the practice group.
Property Litigation – Leading Silks
Mark Warwick QC – ‘A brilliant barrister; hardworking, responsive and always clear in his advice.’
Romie Tager QC – ‘An excellent barrister in the property field.’
Gary Blaker QC – ‘A go-to QC; he is great to work with good as a team player. Clients have confidence in him.’
Ian Clarke QC – ‘He is a leading QC in the field of Land Registry tribunal claims.’
Property Litigation – 2019 Silks
Clifford Darton QC – ‘He is good with clients and solicitors alike, providing assistance on some issues that other counsel may leave to the solicitors to deal with unaided.’
Property Litigation – Leading Juniors
Justin Kitson – ‘He is an excellent barrister with his written work serving as a particular strength.’
Nicholas Trompeter – ‘Extremely sharp and intelligent with an excellent manner with clients.’
Richard Clegg – ‘He is always willing to go the extra mile and fights tenaciously for his clients.’
Stuart Hornett – ‘He gets stuck in and is not afraid to confront difficult issues; his client management skills are very good.’
Philip Kremen – ‘He gives good practical and commercial advice which he backs up with sound opinions and well-formed arguments.’
Jonathan McNae – ‘He is extremely approachable and easy to work with, even when dealing with complex disputes and difficult clients.’
Neil Mendoza – ‘One of the rare breed of advocates who performs very strongly on cross-examination and is really good at thinking on his feet.’
Robert Brown – ‘A first-class advocate who is quick on his feet and never thrown off by judges’ questions during hearings.’
Paul de la Piquerie – ‘An excellent all-rounder who always provides an absolutely first-class service.’
David Warner – ‘A formidable advocate in the courtroom who never wastes words or takes bad points.’
Henry Webb – ‘He has very strong analytical skills, a comprehensive knowledge of property law and is equally strong with both written and oral advocacy.’
George Woodhead – ‘He puts a forensic level of research into his written work and finds solutions that have not been considered.’
Alice Hawker – ‘Always has an impressive grasp of the finer details of any brief, excellent in cross-examination.’
Simon McLoughlin – ‘User friendly, taking an intellectual and thorough approach.’
Isabel Petrie – ‘She is very approachable, effective and understands very well the commercial nature of these types of cases.’
James Sandham – ‘He asks pertinent questions, is creative and provides a very good strategic perspective on difficult cases.’
Property Litigation – Rising Stars
Sarah Walker – ‘A very good technical barrister who picks up on issues that others would not.’
Professional Negligence
Selborne Chambers is particularly experienced in professional negligence claims against solicitors’ firms, especially in relation to property transactions, but the set also acts on claims against financial services professionals and insurance brokers, among others. Recent highlights have included Nicholas Trompeter representing the Chief Land Registrar in Dhillon v Barclays Bank Plc & Chief Land Registrar, a claim relating to mistaken or negligent property transfers, and Edward Bennion-Pedley acting for the Frederick family in Frederick & Others v Positive Solutions (Financial Services), which considered the liability of a financial services adviser for the fraud of an agent.
Professional Negligence – Leading Silks
Gary Blaker QC – ‘He is someone you want in your corner in a tight spot.’
Professional Negligence – Leading Juniors
Hugh Jackson – ‘He is extremely knowledgeable and a very good advocate.’
Justin Kitson – ‘He has a real eye for both the overall detail and the key point that wins cases.’
Nicholas Trompeter – ‘He is an excellent and skilled barrister.’
Stuart Hornett – ‘He is clever and user friendly with a meticulous capacity for detail.’
Edward Bennion-Pedley – ‘He is diligent, hardworking, mindful of applicable time limits and has an excellent manner with clients.’
Commercial Litigation – Leading Silks
Romie Tager QC – ‘Romie’s knowledge and understanding of the law is outstanding and his ability and willingness to take on new and difficult cases is a key strength of his.’
Commercial Litigation – Leading Juniors
Stuart Hornett – ‘He is skilled on his feet and produces sensible and considered written opinions.’
Private Client: Trusts and Probate – Leading Silks
Ian Clarke QC – ‘Ian has an extraordinary knowledge of the subject matter of his instructions. He is able to assimilate information, and factor such into his advice. His written advice is detailed, and apposite to the matter. His conclusions are clearly put and in a form that is readily understood by clients’
Private Client: Trusts and Probate – Leading Juniors
Francis Ng – ‘Has a very strategic mind which is very helpful in the lengthy and complex cases on which he is instructed. His advisory work is excellent and always very detailed – often raising issues which were not considered by the parties to date.’
Company and Partnership – Leading Silks
William McCormick QC – ‘A seasoned silk who combines brilliant advocacy and analysis with a user-friendly style: he always adds value.’
Defamation and Privacy – Leading Silks
William McCormick QC – ‘An absolute star at the Bar, he stands out for his forensic ability to focus on the relevant issues in hand and as a superb courtroom performer.’
Media and Entertainment – Leading Juniors
Justin Kitson – ‘He can read a situation and develop a clear strategy that pays dividends in the success of a case, be it at trial or settlement.’
Social Housing – Leading Juniors
Robert Brown – ‘His experience includes housing cases involving possession claims, anti-social behaviour, disrepair, unlawful evictions and homelessness.’
Environment – Leading Silks
Clifford Darton QC – ‘He is very bright and can find a way through the most technical of legal challenges.’