We welcome applications from barristers with expertise in our core practice areas: Business, Employment, Family, Housing, Property, Public law and Court of Protection. Almost 50% of our members have at least one ranking in either Chambers and Partners or Legal 500, or in both.
Suzannah Cotterill has been appointed to the Sport Resolutions Panel of Mediators from 1 April 2024. As well as her family law practice, Suzannah focuses on sports law, mostly equestrian law. She advises and represents parties in disputes involving horse sales and purchases, breach of contract as well as in related personal injury claims. She also acts for clients before sporting disciplinary and regulatory bodies.
Christine Cooper represented 2 attorneys for a woman with dementia (MAM) in Court of Protection proceedings brought by the Office of the Public Guardian. The Public Guardian had applied to revoke the attorneys’ lasting powers of attorney alleging they acted contrary to MAM’s best interests. Unusually the court ordered the Public Guardian to pay half the attorneys’ legal costs.
Eleanor Sibley worked as an advisory panel member for Justice – the law reform/human rights charity - and contributed to its report Reforming the EU Settlement Scheme: The Way Forward for the EUSS. The report was published today,
Francis Hoar represented the local authority at the inquest into the death of Eileen Dean. Mrs Dean had been killed by another resident at the care home where she lived. The jury reached a narrative conclusion which recorded that the local authority had not been passed information about risks posed by the other resident before he was placed in the care home.
Rebecca Handcock represented an 18-year-old man deprived of his liberty in a placement sourced for him by the local authority. He has a diagnosis of autism and ADHD. The local authority unlawfully and significantly restricted his contact with his parents. Rebecca successfully argued on his behalf that he be allowed unrestricted contact with them.
Eleanor Sibley has been nominated for a junior pro bono barrister of the year award with Ravi Mehta of Blackstone Chambers. The pair were jointly nominated for their work on behalf of the intervenor (specialist legal charity, the Aire Centre) in a successful appeal to the Court of Appeal against disability living allowance (care component) being refused for a British child whose parent worked in Belgium.
We are delighted to sponsor the Social Housing Law Association’s 2024 annual conference which takes place in London on Thursday 14 March. Clare Cullen will be one of the speakers at a session discussing Equality Act defences.