Tue, 31 Mar 2020
No5 Barristers’ Chambers has again made a strong showing in Planning Resource’s Annual Planning Law Survey which was published on 27 March 2020. A total of 13 members of the Planning Group appear in the lists citing the most respected planning barristers in the country.
Christopher Young QC achieved joint second in the rankings for top planning silks and the survey noted he “has continued his rapid rise up the rankings after debuting at joint tenth in 2018, the year in which he was appointed silk.”
Richard Kimblin QC, Paul Cairnes QC and Richard Humphreys QC also feature in the list of the top-rated planning silks in the country.
Christopher Young is also named the highest-rated QC in the residential sector where he is “the go-to QC for major housing inquiries”, says one consultant, adding: “He wins cases through a combination of attention to detail, close collaboration with the team and massively effective cross-examination.”
Peter Goatley QC is placed at joint fifth in the residential sector and was also ranked in the planning juniors category. Peter has since been appointed Silk, taking the number of planning Silks at No5 to 6.
In the category for planning juniors, James Corbet-Burcher and Thea Osmund-Smith placed joint eighth, Satnam Choongh is at joint 15th and Hashi Mohamed is joint 21st. Nina Pindham, Hugh Richards and Scott Stemp also feature in the list.
Described by one voter as “a shining torch in a competitive junior market”, Thea Osmund-Smith also ranks fourth in the top-rated planning juniors under 35 category, and Oliver Lawrence is placed at joint 13th.
Chief Executive and Director of Clerking Tony McDaid said: "Once again barristers at No5 have achieved national recognition for their expertise in planning.
“The inclusion of 13 members of the group reinforces our position as one of the leading sets of planning and environment barristers in the country and we are enormously proud of that reputation.
“The group is known for its involvement in high profile cases of national note and most recently, members have been involved in the proposed expansion to Heathrow Airport and a number of proposed new town settlements.”
