Retour United Kingdom - The Bar

Leading Silks

Alexander Antelme KCCrown Office Chambers ‘He is incisive, a font of wisdom and a great strategist. He is absolutely the counsel you want on any case, the tougher the case - the greater the need for his involvement.'
Oliver Campbell KCHenderson Chambers ‘Oliver is an unflappable advocate who is extremely astute. He provides pragmatic advice and is adept at advising on complex group litigation matters. He is incredibly approachable and very easy to work with.'
Charles Gibson KCHenderson Chambers 'Charles is undoubtedly the leading silk in these areas. He has total command of the law and is tactically very savvy. The fact that he has been in the trenches so often inspires huge trust and confidence with clients, who hang on his every word.'
Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KCFountain Court Chambers ‘Leigh-Ann is outstanding across the board. She works phenomenally hard in all her cases and always has a mastery of the detail without losing perspective on the bigger picture.'
Thomas de la Mare KCBlackstone Chambers ‘He is legendary for his creative and lateral thinking. He comes up with winning ideas that others just don't think of.'
Peter De Verneuil Smith KC3 Verulam Buildings ‘One of the top gurus in the area, with a real understanding of how claimant institutional investors think - and how defendants think. Suave, cool, calm and collected in court.
Marie Demetriou KCBrick Court Chambers 'Marie is first-class.'
Charles Dougherty KC2 Temple Gardens ‘Charles is a tenacious advocate with an unparalleled grasp of the law. His ability to cut through the issues and focus on the key points commends him to judges and clients alike.'
Shaheed Fatima KCBlackstone Chambers ‘Shaheed is exceptional. She is a thorough and technical lawyer who has a laser-like focus on the points. Whilst she is willing to get into the weeds, she is also a great strategist and leads the team with skill and determination.’
Patrick Green KCHenderson Chambers ‘A very rare combination of strategic genius, technical excellence,  commercial instinct and first rate project planning skills.'
Brian Kennelly KCBlackstone Chambers ‘Brian is an incredibly calm and clear advocate. He takes the tribunal or court with him effortlessly and is always well prepared.’
Marie Louise Kinsler KC2 Temple Gardens ‘Superb. The undoubted choice for dealing with conflict of law issues in group claims.'
Jonathan Nash KC3 Verulam Buildings ‘One of the best for leading a massive group litigation team at the whole Bar, calm under pressure and unflappably brilliant.'
Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC11KBW ‘Extremely bright; not forceful but when he speaks you must listen and follow his advice. A smooth advocate who makes it look easy.’
Daniel Beard KC  – Monckton Chambers ‘Daniel is an incredible brain and the best strategist we work with.  He sees angles and arguments that others don’t, and uses them to frame the case to his clients’ advantage.’
Helen Davies KCBrick Court Chambers 'Helen is superb. She is fantastic to work with - both personable and accessible whilst also having serious gravitas.'
Adam Heppinstall KC – Henderson Chambers ‘Adam is a skilled leader with extensive court experience in group litigation. He is a clear communicator, lovely to work with, and a reassuring presence when strategic difficulties arise.’ 
Adam Kramer KC3 Verulam BuildingsHighly intelligent and grasps complex financial arrangements very quickly. Very good at distilling and articulating complex information in a way a lay person would understand.’
Andrew Onslow KC3 Verulam Buildings ‘Andrew is the consummate silk – exceptionally bright, sharp-witted, at once simultaneously across the detail and big picture strategy, and a delight to work with.’   
Anya Proops KC11KBW ‘A phenomenal advocate and a brilliant legal brain. She is devastating in cross-examination and very persuasive on legal points. She is also a first rate team leader who thinks ahead and guides a case through all obstacles. A real star.'
Toby Riley-Smith KC – Chambers of Charles Gibson KC ‘He is thoughtful and meticulous.'    
Tony Singla KCBrick Court Chambers 'A forceful advocate who is very nimble on his feet.'

2022 Silks

Sarah Abram KC – Brick Court Chambers ‘Sarah is technically excellent, extremely user-friendly, and her written and oral advocacy stands up very well.’

2023 Silks

Kathleen Donnelly KCHenderson Chambers ‘Razor-sharp mind and exceptionally strong on managing multiple work streams when preparing evidence and preparing for court.’

2024 Silks

Shail Patel KC  – 4 New Square Chambers 'Legally sound and very pragmatic in difficult collective actions requiring both judgement and common sense.'  

Leading Juniors

Edward CravenMatrix Chambers  ‘Eddie is a star at the Bar. A hugely talented lawyer with an endless capacity for hard work. He distills complex legal arguments into first class skeleton arguments and has a keen sense for strategy in complex group litigation.’
George McDonald4 New Square ‘George is very knowledgeable and astute, able to give advice on even the most technical points in a clear, concise and practically useful way.'
Isabel Barter4 New Square Chambers ‘Isabel is sharp minded and tackles all work with precision. She has an impressive knowledge of the relevant case law and uses this to provide practical solutions to legal problems.’
Harry LambertCrown Office Chambers ‘Harry is a very intelligent and engaging barrister, able to familiarise himself with complex issues of fact and law at speed and produce a very high standard of written advocacy and pleadings. Harry also has good client care skills.’
Alistair Mackenzie2 Temple Gardens ‘Alistair's particular strengths are hi breadth of experience and his super-sharp brain.' 
Lucy McCormickHenderson Chambers 'Lucy is very diligent with both a strong eye for detail and good strategic sense. She thinks outside the box, identifying potential issues well in advance.'
Ognjen MileticHenderson Chambers 'Highly experienced in group action procedure. His advice and guidance is well judged. His technical work on pleadings and drafting is first rate.'
Rachel TandyHenderson Chambers 'Rachel has developed an excellent reputation and practice in this area.  She is an excellent and persausive advocate, who wins over judges.  She is also very bright and good at working in a team.'
Kate Boakes  – Matrix Chambers 'A very responsive junior, with tactical instincts and inputs way beyond her years of call. A future star.'
Joanne BoxBrick Court Chambers 'She is efficient, intelligent and very commercially minded.'
Niamh Cleary  – Fountain Court Chambers 'Niamh is an outstanding litigation junior - she works hard, wastes no time in getting to the crux of the issues, and is always a great pleasure to work with.'
Robert DickasonOuter Temple Chambers ‘Rob is as smooth as a freshly ironed shirt: he is easy to work with, fantastic with clients, and persuasive on his feet.'
Anna Hughes  – 2 Temple Gardens : 'Brilliant. One of the best barristers out there for complex medical devices and pharmaceutical group claim. A great advocate.'
Adam Korn7BR ‘A highly experienced senior junior who understands the particular demands of group litigation.’
Paul Luckhurst   – Blackstone Chambers 'Steeped in group litigation issues and adept strategist.'
James MacDonald7BR ‘Very personable, sympathetic and knowledgeable. Always willing to help, reliable with a fantastic client rapport.’
Jennifer MacLeod  – Brick Court Chambers 'A superb litigator. She is tactically astute and does not shrink from a fight.'
Meghann McTague   – 2 Temple Gardens 'She is a phenomenal communicator with the ability to condense large quantities of complex material into a clear, digestible and persuasive narrative. I can't recommend her highly enough.'
Rupert Paines  – 11KBW ‘Exceptional legal knowledge and insight that translates into first rate strategic advice. Highly personal and measured with real enthusiasm for his work and his areas of expertise.’
Gerard Rothschild  – Brick Court Chambers 'An analytical junior.'
Gayatri Sarathy  – Blackstone Chambers ‘Gayatri is extremely clever, hard working and a pleasure to work with. She gets to grips with vast amounts of evidence very quickly and her input is always creative, knowledgeable and well thought out.’
Ben SilverstoneMatrix Chambers ‘He has a very strong attention to detail. You can be sure that he will have considered a problem from every possible angle and come to a very carefully thought out solution.'

Rising Stars

Anna DannreutherOld Square Chambers ‘Anna is a skilled technical lawyer blessed with great judgement and an appetite for hard work.’

Group litigation in London Bar

Henderson Chambers


Reputed as ‘go-to set for group litigation’, members of Henderson Chambers‘ areas of expertise include product liability, environmental, consumer and financial group actions, as well as handling claims arising from injuries, death or human rights abuse. A number of the set’s barristers, including Charles Gibson KC, Prashant Popat KC, Geraint Webb KC, Kathleen Donnelly KC and Lucy McCormick , continue to represent members of the Volkswagen Group in the ongoing group actions regarding the emissions of their diesel cars. Leading Adam Heppinstall KC, Oliver Campbell KC is acting as opposing counsel for claimants in these high-profile cases. At the same time, Campbell KC handles a group action by over 30,000 claimants against Easyjet in relation to a mass data breach involving financial and other data. Malcolm Sheehan KC represents Mercedes-Benz in other “dieselgate” litigation. Toby Riley-Smith KC  is acting for Bayer plc in over a hundred claims being brought under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, alleging that the permanent contraceptive device Essure has caused them a range of different personal injuries.

Les références

‘The clerks are very approachable.’ 

‘Jason Housden is excellent – very client driven and commercially minded.’

‘Joe Sutton has always been very helpful when needing to coordinate last-minute meetings across multiple diaries and Chambers.’

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2 Temple Gardens


Members of 2 Temple Gardens are well-versed in group actions arising from product liability, personal injury, professional negligence, healthcare and environmental law, and have a track record of international group matters related to business human rights. Charles Dougherty  is acting for World Rugby in relation to group claims brought by former rugby union players in England and overseas regarding concussions sustained during their careers. Acting on behalf of a large group of Liverpool fans following the events at the Champions League final in Paris in 2022, Alistair Mackenzie is another member that is active in the sports sector. Meanwhile, Marie Louise Kinsler KC acts for claimants in a large-scale group action by the Ogale farming and fishing community arising out of oil extraction in Nigeria after a Supreme Court ruling in May 2021 that there was a ‘good arguable case’ that Shell, in addition to its Nigerian subsidiaries, was responsible for the damage caused by leaks in the Niger delta.

Les références

‘I find the clerks to be responsive, helpful and supportive.’

‘Oliver Gillen-Smith has been very responsive and helpful.’   

‘The clerking room provides a good service.’ 

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3 Verulam Buildings


With its focus in the group litigation space on matters crossing over with the set’s financial litigation expertise,  3 Verulam Buildings is described by clients as ‘go-to set for banking and group litigation matters‘. Andrew Onslow KC is representing hundreds of former customers in proceedings against Clydesdale Bank and its parent company National Australia Bank, while Jonathan Nash KC is instructed to represent the lead claimant group against the Ingenious group and their financial advisors in a multi-party case alleging misrepresentation and negligent advice in regard to the tax treatment of a number of film production partnerships. Nash KC is also representing a group of investors in a high value Section 90 and Section 90a Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 claim for losses arising from the decline in the share price of Barclays Bank plc following the discovery of misconduct in its New York ‘dark pool’ trading operation.

Les références

‘Stuart Pullum is responsive.’

‘3VB has a number of barristers that are fantastic in financial and banking litigation. ‘

‘3 VB have a growing reputation in this field.’

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7BR


7BR’s broad range of expertise includes group litigation arising from personal injury, clinical negligence, consumer law and human rights issues. Hugh Preston KC’s current workload includes a large opt-out representative action on behalf of EasyJet and British Airways passengers entitled to compensation for cancelled or delayed flights, as well as acting for around 40,000 claimants in emissions litigation involving Volkswagen. Leading Adam Korn , Simeon Maskrey KC is instructed in a group action against the Ministry of Defence, concerning the use of the anti-malarial drug Lariam allegedly causing significant adverse psychological effects. James MacDonald is instructed by the claimants in Municipio de Mariana & others v BHP Group plc, a class action arising from the collapse of the Fundão mining dam in Brazil in 2015.

Les références

‘Good set with some star performers.’

‘7 BR boasts impressive strength in depth and is able to meet most briefs on short notice.’

‘Efficient and helpful.’





Blackstone Chambers


Praised as ‘one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters’, Blackstone Chambers offers a breadth of experience with ‘uniformly excellent barristers, across the range of call’. Notable instructions for Gayatri Sarathy include acting in Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd & Ors, collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the system for selling games and add-on content on the PlayStation Store, as well as acting for the proposed defendants in £850m proposed collective action proceedings in relation to allegations concerning the technical performance of certain iPhone models and operating systems. Shaheed Fatima KC is currently instructed for the defendants in numerous large group actions, including Municipality of Mariana v BHP and Okpabi v Shell, while Brian Kennelly KC represents Visa in Sainsbury’s Supermarkets ltd v Visa Europe Services, the long-running group litigation brought by Sainsbury’s and other retailers concerning the multilateral interchange fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, which recently went to the Supreme Court, with dozens of further claims before the CAT and the High Court.

Les références

‘My experience of the clerks has been excellent.  They have been available, commercial and responsive.  It strikes me as a very well run chambers.  Efficient follow-up from the clerks.’ 

‘Blackstone Chambers is an excellent set.’

‘Blackstone Chambers is one of the strongest sets for group litigation matters, offering enormously talented advocates at every level.’

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Matrix Chambers


As a ‘standout in terms of dealing with matters that are cutting edge and may require litigating up to the higher courts’, Matrix Chambers includes ‘strong multi-disciplinarians‘ for group litigation in fields such as competition, environmental, employment, media and data protection law. Antony White KC has been involved in many high-profile data protection and privacy cases of recent years, and is currently member of a team of counsel representing Meta in Gormsen v Meta Platforms Inc, a case concerning an allegation that Facebook's terms and conditions, requiring consent to behaviour tracking for advertisements, was an abuse of a dominant position - the claim was not certified. Led by Richard Hermer KC and Edward Craven  are representing 40,000 Nigerian claimants in claims concerning the liability of the largest oil company in Nigeria and its UK parent company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, for mass oil pollution in mangrove swamps in the Niger Delta. Craven is working with Kate Boakes in representing tens of thousands of claimants in the Dieselgate emission group litigation against Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and BMW among others.

 

Les références

‘The clerks are helpful and professional.’

 ‘Elizabeth Bousher is very experienced and responsive.’

‘I have appreciated the work put in by the clerks, particularly Chris Smith. They are diligent, flexible and work hard to put together the right team.’  

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11KBW


With a particular strong data breach practice, 11KBW’s members comfortably handle large group litigation across a range of fields, such as data protection, employment and product liability. Leading Robin Hopkins , Anya Proops KC is acting for the Police Federation in a case brought by its members in connection with a major data breach said to have affected 130,000 serving police officers. Marcus Pilgerstorfer KC led Hopkins in representing the defendant in Bennett & Ors v Equifax, a case concerning a data breach which is reported to involve the compromise of the personal data of 148m people in the US and 15m people in the UK.

Les références

‘Martin Pownall was very helpful and responsive.’ 

 ‘Responsive and good availability.’ 

‘Remarkable strength in depth in the field of data protection work, both contentious and non-contentious.’   

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Brick Court Chambers


Brick Court Chambers’ members in the group litigation space includes instructions in Lloyd v Google, Alex Neill Class Representative Ltd v Sony, and Merricks v Mastercard, in which Marie Demetriou KC continues to act for a claimant group, effectively including almost all adults in the UK, concerning the card networks’ interchange fees on all card transactions. Sarah Abram KC is instructed in emissions litigation for BMW, as well as in BSV Claims v Bittylicious & ors, an application for collective proceedings on behalf of investors in a cryptocurrency derived from Bitcoin, including allegations of collusion via public statements on Twitter. Tony Singla KC is acting for Barclays in a case brought by hundreds of shareholders under sections 90 and 90A FSMA for allegedly false and misleading statements.

Les références

‘Brick court is a leading set for competition work with exceptionally strong bench of juniors.’

 ‘The set seems to produce barristers who are intellectually rigorous but also very commercial and practical.’ 

‘Very good, impressive array of KCs. Brick Court have great strength and depth in competition litigation.’

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