Members of No5 Chambers have been awarded nationwide rankings for Court of Protection work, Criminal Fraud, Personal Injury and Industrial Disease, Police Law and Proceeds of Crime and Asset Forfeiture and London Bar rankings for Crime, Immigration, and Planning. Looking at the Midlands Circuit, eight practice areas have been ranked in Band 1 and two others in Band 2.
No5’s Steelhouse Lane chambers and its offices in London, Bristol and, most recently, the East Midlands house over 230 barristers including 26 Queen’s Counsel. Chambers UK Bar Guide specifically ranked and recommended 95 barristers – over 40% of the tenants – with 42 awarded Band 1 rankings.
The Practice Groups ranked by Chambers UK Bar Guide include:
- Clinical Negligence [Ranked Band 1 Midlands Circuit]. The 30 member group includes several clinically qualified counsel regularly instructed in complex and catastrophic claims by both claimants and defendants. Also ranked Band 1 are Chris Bright QC, Dr Simon Fox, Jonathan Jones, and Dr Jonathan Punt.
- Commercial and Chancery Ranked Band 1 Midlands Circuit by Chambers for Company Law and Band 2 for Commercial Litigation. Richard Jones QC heads a 47 strong team that is particularly noted for its expertise in commercial litigation, financial services, construction, and property. Mark Anderson QC, David Mitchell and David Taylor are Ranked Band 1.
- Chambers UK Bar Guide ranked No5’s Criminal and Criminal Fraud practice Band 1 in the Midlands Circuit. The team, headed by David Mason QC, includes 13 Silks and 50 juniors. They are regularly instructed in high profile cases across the country. Christopher Hotten QC and Mark Kelly are ranked Band 1 and Chambers recognised the team’s homicide and fraud work.
- Richard Hignett’s Employment team is ranked Band 1 Midlands Circuit. Mr Hignett leads a 35 strong counsel group which advises on both international and domestic matters, covering a spread of specialist interests including TUPE, trade union and restraint of trade matters and discrimination.
- Ranked Band 1 for Planning and Environment in the Midlands Circuit, are No5’s Planning and Environment team and Jeremy Cahill QC, who heads the team of 25 barristers, including Martin Kingston QC (noted as a Star Individual), Ian Dove QC and Richard Humphreys QC. The team is recognised as a leading national planning set, which is regularly instructed in extremely complex and contentious cases.
- Paul Bleasdale QC, Stephen Campbell, Malcolm Duthie, Simon Michael, and Richard Moat are all ranked Band 1, Midlands Circuit in No5’s Personal Injury set. Mr Bleasdale QC leads the 66 strong set that is involved in cases ranging from modest claims to catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation.
- David Lock QC is ranked Band 1 in the regions for Administrative Law. He is the head of No5 Chambers’ administrative and public law group which is respected for its wealth of expertise in health and social care law, immigration, human rights, NHS and medical consent issues. In addition to Mr Lock QC, Nageena Khalique and Abid Mahmood are ranked Band 1. Mr Mahmood is also a member of the Immigration set that is ranked Band 1, Midlands Circuit.
- In addition, ranked Band 1 for Construction are Omar Ensaff, Kevin Barrett and Derek Pye
- Tony McDaid, Practice Director at No5 Chambers, says: “We are very pleased with the recognition by Chambers UK Bar Guide of the strength and depth of the legal expertise wielded by barristers at No5 Chambers on behalf of clients, particularly as the Guide’s rankings underscore the plaudits we received from the recent Legal 500.
“The No5 Chambers’ business model, supported by first class practice managers and clerks, has attracted heavyweight tenants – silks and juniors –and, together, we have built a national and international set from a base in the Midlands. No5 also has associate tenants in Dubai, Cayman, Hong Kong, Singapore and India and links with law firms in Turkey, China, Spain, and the Channel Islands.”
No5 barristers accept instructions from solicitors and, under the Bar Council’s Licensed Access arrangements, from other qualified professionals. Some counsel will also accept instructions from companies, and public bodies including Local Authorities, within the Bar Council’s Public Access Rules. Many No5 members are Qualified Mediators for those matters requiring an alternative approach. A full list of members’ interests can be consulted on the No5 website.
