Mon, 04 Jan 2021
In an unprecedented step in its one hundred year plus history No5 Barristers’ Chambers has announced that from 1st January 2021 it will welcome in not one but two new Heads of Chambers.
It is the first time the set will have joint heads, appointed on the back of current Head Mark Anderson QC who steps down having completed his five-year term of office.
Tony McDaid Chief Executive and Director of Clerking at No5 welcomed the announcement and paid tribute to Mark Anderson QC: “Mark has led by example and excelled throughout his tenure. I am looking forward to working with the new Joint Heads Adrian Keeling QC and Johnny Jones QC both of whom have served as Deputies to Mark throughout his term of office”.
Adrian Keeling QC was called to the Bar in 1990 and was appointed Silk in 2011. He has a thriving Regulatory and Criminal Practice much of which is privately funded and in recent years has developed a broader practice with international clients.
Johnny Jones QC was called to the Bar in 1994 and took Silk in 2013. He is a recognised leader in the fields of Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury.
Between them they have vast experience and McDaid explained the shift from the traditional format of one Head: “Both Adrian and Johnny have served on the No5 Management Committee for many years and have sat on the Executive Committee for the last five years in addition to having been elected as Deputy Heads of Chambers.
It has always been clear that they both have the skills and calibre to be Head of No5 and their individual qualities complement each other. The COVID months have been difficult for everyone and required more engagement with the Exec and the board than at any time in our history, but there is no doubt that the future legal landscape will present significant opportunities. It is against that background that we agreed literally ‘two Heads would be better than one’ and they have the full support of chambers in what promises to be a challenging but exciting period over the five-year period they will hold office”.
Johnny Jones QC said: “Both Adrian and I have worked closely with Mark over the last five years and we see our roles as continuing the good work and supporting the changes he brought in to help further modernise No5 and make it relevant and fit for purpose both internally and externally moving forward”.
Adrian Keeling QC commented: “No5 is a dynamic and innovative set that is known to push the boundaries. It is hungry for continued success and the recent announcement that three more of our number are shortly to be appointed Her Majesty’s Queen’s Counsel is an indicator of our constant pursuit of excellence in all that we do. We have the resources and experience to make a real difference to those who instruct us but also with a first-class clerking and administration team we are able to manage the practices of those who join us and maximise the opportunities open to them. Johnny and I are honoured to have the opportunity to take chambers forward following as we do in the footsteps of over a century of those who have preceded us doing exactly that”.
No5 Barristers’ Chambers has offices in Birmingham, London, Bristol and Leicester. It is the largest set in the UK with more than 26O members including 35 Queens Counsel.
