The Legal 500 launched their latest professional rankings today, showcasing the UK’s most respected barristers and chambers. 18 St John Street is delighted to feature in the 2024 directory with a record number of rankings across several areas of law, highlighting the continued high level of advice, advocacy and client service provided by our members and staff.
Chambers is particularly proud to once again be ranked as a Tier 1 set for Family and Children Law described as ‘very strong in children’s law’ with ‘a great range of strong senior juniors.’
We are also delighted to announce 18 is ranked by department for the first time in, Company & Insolvency and have moved up to Tier 2 in Chancery, Probate & Tax as well as maintaining our rankings in Crime and Personal Injury.
The 2024 edition of The Legal 500 sees 18 St John Street feature with 46 rankings across 12 different practice areas with 32 barristers ranked. 11 of our members have risen up the rankings or been ranked for the first time – our congratulations go to all those members listed.
As always, we are hugely grateful to our clients who spend considerable time to provide feedback, references and reviews to The Legal 500. We thank all of those who work with us across all our practice areas for their continued loyalty and support, it really is appreciated.
The rankings, along with selected client testimonials, are detailed below.
BUSINESS AND PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
Commercial Litigation – Tier 3
The 2024 edition of the Legal 500 names 18 St John Street as a ‘quality set’. Testimonials for the department in the practice area of Commercial Litigation include: ‘The chambers are one of the leading sets in commercial litigation in the North-West, with appropriate practitioners at all levels of seniority.’
Leading Silks – Richard Chapman KC (Tier 1)
‘Richard is responsive in relation to new instructions. He works collaboratively with instructing solicitors and provides client-friendly advice in relation to technical points of commercial law.’
Leading Juniors:
Jennifer Newstead Taylor (Tier 1)
David Hoffman (Tier 2) ‘David is very user-friendly. He works extremely efficiently and gets to the problem very quickly, and he is a good sounding board too.’
Dr Christopher McNall (Tier 2)
Elisabeth Tythcott (Tier 3) ‘Elisabeth is invariably well-prepared and thorough. She demonstrates a good knowledge of the applicable legal principles, and as an advocate, she is calm and measured, responding effectively to judicial interventions.’
Dr Mike Wilkinson (Tier 3) ‘Michael has an impressive academic approach.’
Chancery, Probate and Tax – Tier 2
‘Chambers offer a broad range of quality junior to senior tax counsel.’
‘In respect of tax law, it has the particular advantage of having three members of Chambers who sit as Fee Paid Judges of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber).’
Leading Silks – Richard Chapman KC (Tier 1) ‘Richard’s written advocacy and advice in relation to complex areas of law is excellent.’
Leading Juniors:
Dr Christopher McNall (Tier 1)
Jennifer Newstead Taylor (Tier 1)
Elisabeth Tythcott (Tier 2) ‘Elisabeth is a sound lawyer and advocate. She is knowledgeable and experienced in her specialist areas and engages well with the court and her opponents.’
Oliver Caplan (Tier 2) ‘Oliver is a strong advocate with an excellent commercial sensibility and great client handling skills.’
Nathan Goldstein (Tier 3)
Company and Insolvency – Tier 2
18 St John Street Chambers is praised for having ‘a number of highly-experienced business and property counsel involved in some very heavy litigation.’
Leading Silks – Richard Chapman KC (Tier 1) ‘Richard’s written advocacy and advice in relation to complex areas of law is excellent.’
Leading Juniors:
Jennifer Newstead Taylor (Tier 1) noted as being “knowledgeable and approachable. She is not daunted by cases with difficult issues and limited prospects.”
Elisabeth Tythcott (Tier 2) ‘Elisabeth is a sound lawyer and advocate. She is knowledgeable and experienced in her specialist areas and engages well with the court and her opponents.’
John Vickery (Tier 2) ‘John is personable and happy to assist on challenging and knotty cases on a contingent basis.’
Oliver Caplan (Tier 2) ‘Oliver is a strong advocate with an excellent commercial sensibility and great client handling skills.’
Social Housing
The guide gives 18 St John Street Chambers‘ Oliver Caplan a ‘Tier 2’ ranking in the practice area of Social Housing Law, noting that ‘Oliver has excellent and forceful advocacy skills’.
Leading Juniors – Oliver Caplan (Tier 2) ‘Oliver provides pragmatic advice, and he goes out of his way to be available on cases.’
Property & Construction
Leading Silks – Richard Chapman KC (Tier 2) ‘Richard has great clarity of thought, and is a very good technical lawyer and impressive advocate.’
Agricultural Law
Dr Christopher McNall is once again highlighted as an expert in disputes involving agricultural tenancies, the taxation of farms and land, and proprietary estoppel and Inheritance Act claims relating to farms. ‘His expertise in agricultural law is immense. He is really helpful and is pragmatic in his advice.’
Leading Juniors – Dr Christopher McNall (Tier 1) ‘Christopher is a go-to barrister for agricultural matters. He is a lateral thinker and a good negotiator who quickly grasps the issues in a case.’
Business & Property Testimonials
‘James Parks and Ryan Pugh provide an excellent service. They are friendly and always at hand, and there is never a problem too big.’
‘Katie Brown is excellent.’
‘The business and property clerks are fantastic with particular praise reserved for Katie Brown and Ryan Pugh. The recent introduction of James Parks as head clerk has improved the already exceptional service level the clerks provide.’
‘The clerks are available and respond promptly. Katie Brown is particularly strong in communication and service.’
‘A fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable set.’
‘Everything is run smoothly.’
‘The clerks are responsive and knowledgeable.’
‘The clerks are very reliable and diligent.’
‘The civil clerks in particular are both polite and helpful in assisting with enquiries. They are also very accommodating in terms of re-juggling the diary so as to ensure continuity of counsel.’
‘Chris Heath and Eden Cobb show their willingness to assist counsel and instructing solicitors in filing documents and bundles etc.’
‘They have a good tax team consisting of varying levels of experience, so it is always possible to find the right counsel.’
’18 St John Street Chambers is an excellent set. They lend weight to the notion of quality over quantity.’
‘A good set with some great barristers.’
‘James Parks in particular is very efficient, dealing with queries promptly.’
‘Chris Heath and Eden Cobb have a willingness to assist counsel and instructing solicitors in filing documents and bundles.’
‘The clerks are always excellent.’
‘The set has a number of highly experienced business and property counsel involved in some very heavy litigation.’
For more information on the Business and Property Department at 18 St John Street, please contact a member of the clerking team on 0161 278 8261 or via email bandp@18sjs.com
Crime (General and Fraud) – Tier 3
In the latest edition of the Legal 500 directory, 18 St John Street chambers is praised as an ‘excellent’ and ‘well-established’ set in the area of Criminal Law.
Silk Michael Brady KC is highlighted for his involvement in several high-profile murder cases, while Rachel Shenton is noted for her work on cases involving serious sexual offences and violence and Richard Vardon for his homicide and drug importation caseload.
Leading Silks:
Michael Brady KC (Tier 3) ‘Michael rings true as a pragmatic, sensible, and measured advocate. He is a safe pair of hands with any prosecution or defence brief, and he is regularly instructed in particularly difficult murder cases on the Northern Circuit.’
Siobhan Grey KC (Tier 4)
Leading Juniors:
Rachel Shenton (Tier 2)
Richard Vardon (Tier 2) ‘Richard is a top junior on the Northern Circuit. He is a great advocate, juries love his charm and humour, and judges immediately recognise his ability to deal with difficult situations with eloquence and realism.’
Rachel Faux (Tier 2) Rachel is a formidable advocate and she can put her points across in a complex legal argument succinctly while advising clients in a straightforward manner. It is refreshing that she takes time to explain to instructing solicitors her reasoning and point of view and that she is always open to a challenge.’
Daniel Calder (Tier 3) ‘Daniel produces the most beautiful written work. It is very clear that he absorbed the art of judgment writing when working in the Court of Appeal.’
Claire Brocklebank (Tier 3) ‘Claire is level-headed, hard-working, and decisive. As an advocate, she is driven, capable of making difficult points despite opposition from her opponent and the court, and can think very quickly on her feet.’
Crime Department Testimonials
‘The clerks’ room is very efficient and accommodating. Particular praise goes to senior criminal clerk James Hotchin, who has a can-do attitude and is always striving to provide the best service.’
‘James Hotchin is a stand-out clerk. He makes sure the job is done and anticipates potential listing issues and resolves them before they escalate. He is intuitive and extremely helpful.’
‘The clerks are very helpful. James Hotchin is always very helpful and will suggest suitable counsel to provide cover.’
‘James Hotchin is the best clerk in Manchester who sorts everything out for solicitors and barristers.’
‘The Clerks are extremely proactive in getting cases moved for counsels’ availability and they assist solicitors significantly in communicating with listing officers.’
‘The criminal department is very well regarded with many individuals who are well known for their ability and expertise in crime.’
‘Chambers is highly regarded in Manchester’’
’18 St John Street has recruited consistently and is strong from the most junior to the most senior.’
For more information on the Criminal Department at 18 St John Street, please contact a member of the clerking team on 0161 278 8262 or via email crime@18sjs.com
18 St John Street Chambers is praised as ‘very strong in children’s law’ with ‘a great range of strong senior juniors.’ The members have significant experience across a wide variety of matters, including serious sexual abuse, life-threatening and fatal injuries, deprivation of liberty, factitious illnesses, and parental alienation. Twelve members of our Family team feature in the 2024 edition of the respected legal directory, across the areas of Child Law (Public and Private) and Divorce and Financial Remedy:
Child Law – Tier 1
Leading juniors:
Yvonne Healing (Tier 1) Yvonne is an absolute delight to work with. She is always calm, reassuring, and pragmatic, she is well-prepared, and she is able to get to the heart of a legal problem incredibly quickly.’
Fiona Holloran (Tier 1) ‘Fiona is fantastic and she is much sought after in public and private law cases. She is outstanding in cases involving complex medical, alienation, and jurisdictional issues, and she is a meticulously prepared, robust, and formidable advocate.’
Kate Bramall (Tier 2) ‘Kate is an excellent barrister; she is able to communicate well with lay clients and in an empathetic but firm manner when required. She is a determined advocate who is always well-prepared and will find all the relevant issues to be able to skillfully handle a difficult case on behalf of a client.’
Kate Donohue (Tier 2)
Rehana Begum (Tier 2) ‘Rehana is a well-thought-of specialist children’s lawyer. She is bright, hard working, and she gets instructions on some of the most complex cases.’
Leonie Caplan (Tier 2) ‘Leonie is very thorough, always reliable, and able to put a clients case persuasively to the court. She is good at reporting back after a hearing and is approachable post hearings for advice if needed.’
Samantha Birtles (Tier 3) ‘Samantha is outstanding. She is much sought after in public and private law cases, because she is exceptional, always well-prepared, an outstanding advocate, and highly respected by the judiciary, Bar, and solicitors.’
Danish Ameen (Tier 3)
Anna Warters (Tier 3) ‘Anna is a truly incredible advocate; she is just amazing at what she does and has achieved some incredible outcomes on cases. She truly cares about her clients and puts everything into each case in terms of her preparation work and her advocacy.’
Alex Walker (Tier 3) ‘Alex is a fantastic lawyer and an exceptional advocate. He is passionate about the law and he is making a strong name for himself in the field of family law, particularly in difficult and complex matters, as he is always well prepared and a formidable force in the court room.
Farah Ahmed (Tier 3) ‘Farah is friendly, approachable, builds a trusting relationship with clients, and has good advocacy skills.’
Divorce and Financial Remedy – Tier 2
‘Stephen (Murray) has an incredible knack of getting to the fundamentals of a case quickly and has no fear of finding holes in a case, which he then constructively works with the client to address.’
Leading juniors:
Stephen Murray (Tier 1) ‘Stephen is a ferocious and meticulous advocate who leaves no stone unturned in preparing a case and fighting to achieve the best possible result for a client. He is persuasive and has a deep knowledge of caselaw and local judicial approach that marks him out as a sought-after senior junior on the Northern Circuit.’
Kate Donohue (Tier 2)
Family Department Testimonials
‘Camille Scott and Vaughn John are always extremely helpful and go out of their way to assist. They are very attentive and quick to respond and find solutions.’
‘The clerks are fantastic! Camille Scott is head of the family team and she goes above and beyond to try to help cover in difficult situations. She is professional and friendly and has an excellent team.’
‘Camille Scott and her team offer first-rate support to chambers. They are quick to respond on fees and provide sensible solutions with counsel’s availability.’
‘The clerks within the family team are brilliant.’
‘The clerks are always extremely helpful and offer as much flexibility and availability as possible. The overall service from this set is the best in the North West.’
‘Chambers is very strong in children’s law and has a great range of strong senior juniors.’
’18 St John Street Chambers is fantastic. The members are strong and it is a solid set with strength in depth and outstanding barristers. They go out of their way to accommodate solicitors, even in extremely urgent situations.’
‘This is an excellent set.’
“18 St John Street has a superb family department…which is known in Manchester as being reliable, hardworking, dependable, and knowledgeable.”
“I would have little difficulty in finding somebody suitable to instruct in any area of child protection law.”
“18 St John Street is an excellent chambers. They are brimming with talent and have a good blend of very talented senior counsel alongside very talented junior members of the team.“
‘Camille Scott is particularly excellent, is very approachable, and very good at problem solving.’
‘Camille Scott is excellent.’
‘Camille Scott and her team offer excellent support and are always quick to respond to enquiries, whether they are new or ongoing matters. Camille gets the job done.’
‘Clerking is excellent, particularly Camille Scott.’
‘The clerks are always available and able to give cost estimates.’
‘A go-to set for high-net-worth financial work and complex private children law work.’
‘An excellent set with some outstanding talent.’
‘A very approachable and flexible set.’
For more information on the Family Department, please contact a member of the family clerking team on 0161 278 8263 or via email family@18sjs.com
PERSONAL INJURY, CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE AND COSTS
Personal Injury – Tier 4
The 2024 edition of the Legal 500 ranks 18’s PI Department for the first time states that 18 St John Street ‘is a leading set which is home to a number of personal injury specialists’ who act for both claimants and defendants and has ‘great expertise in personal injury, covering cases of all nature and value’ with Elahe Youshani and Kane Simons recommended.
Leading juniors:
Elahe Youshani (Tier 1) ‘Elahe makes clear and focussed submissions, concentrating on the key issues and showing flexibility by adjusting to the indications of the judge.’
Kane Simons (Tier 2) ‘Kane is conscientious, skilled, clear, and measured, and his advice is always top drawer.’
Our ongoing seminar programme also drew praise from PI solicitors: ‘They also provide great online training courses that are of great practical use’ and ‘and they offer training which is in-depth and useful to solicitors.’ (You can find more information on our seminars by clicking here: www.18sjs.com/seminars
Clinical Negligence
The Legal 500 recommends Gemma McGungle for Clinical Negligence, noting that she has a ‘thriving practice predominantly acting for claimants’ and that counsel at 18SJS are ‘efficient, capable and experts in their field’.
Leading juniors:
Gemma McGungle (Tier 2) ‘Gemma quickly grasps the issues in a case and assimilates large pieces of evidence to provide clear and effective advice on the issues. She understands the litigation process and ensures her advice is practical.’
Costs
Gemma McGungle is also highly recommended as an expert in Costs Law, receiving a ‘Tier 1’ ranking, with interviewees commenting that she “has a very sound knowledge of the issue of Costs Law generally and has exceptional knowledge on Solicitor Client matters”.
Leading juniors:
Gemma McGungle (Tier 1) ‘Gemma is a fearless advocate – experienced and robust. She is articulate and always well prepared.’
Rising Star – James Miller ‘James has excellent technical knowledge of costs law, and is a down-to-earth and robust advocate. A conscientious junior and a master of his brief.’
Testimonials
‘The clerks are some of the best around. They are highly efficient and polite. James Parks, Ryan Pugh, Katie Brown, and Chris Heath are all at the top of their game.’
‘Katie Brown is a star and senior clerk James Parks is well-connected and enormously experienced, the younger clerks are benefiting enormously from his expertise.’
‘Katie Brown is an absolute star. She is bright and will always try her best to accommodate.’
‘A very good clerking team, especially Katie Brown there.’
‘Clerking is consistently good and Katie Brown is a star.’
‘A very reputable set of chambers for personal injury law doing both claimant and defendant work.’
’18 St John Street Chambers offers an impressive strength in depth for personal injury matters and they have impressive barristers.’
’18 St John Street Chambers is a leading set which is home to a number of personal injury specialists.’
’18 SJS are moving up the table with some skilled individuals in high value work.’
For more information on the Personal Injury, Clinical Negligence and Costs Department at 18 St John Street, please contact a member of the clerking team on 0161 278 8261 or via email pi@18sjs.com
The Legal 500 Series is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest legal referral guide. More than 300,000 buyers of legal services are surveyed and interviewed globally each year.
The Legal 500 is an independent guide, and firms and individuals are recommended purely on merit. It is the only guide to truly reflect the needs of corporate counsel by focusing on the strength in depth of the teams (practice and associates) rather than simply list individual partners.
18 St John Street is a multi-disciplinary set based in Manchester. Members of Chambers have been delivering the highest standards of advice and advocacy services to professional and lay clients for over 50 years.
For more information on the services provided, please contact Chambers Director James Parks or a member of the clerking team on clerks@18sjs.com 0161 278 1800.