Profiles

Job title
Head of Chambers, Mansfield Chambers 

Mansfield Chambers is a new chambers whose publicly funded practitioners defend the civil and human rights of individuals and groups of people 

What have been some of the highlights of your career?
The cases that have had national interest and importance, primarily those that have taken on the system and brought about seismic change. One example is the Stephen Lawrence case. The Macpherson Report made 77 recommendations for change in the Met. These changes were far reaching. And what Mrs Lawrence, now Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, has done is to show that ordinary individuals could ask all the right questions, and get a lot of them answered. She also periodically summoned the political leaders and police to meetings to ask them what they had done – in effect to hold them to account. 

Job title
Senior Clerk, 2KBW 

2KBW is one of the Western Circuit’s leading sets with chambers in London and Portsmouth, specialising in crime, family and civil law. 

You have played an integral part in re-invigorating the profile of your set. How is your chambers reacting to changes at the Criminal Bar?
I started my career at 2KBW in 1988 when chambers was one of a very few successful common law Western Circuit sets. I returned to chambers at the beginning of 2012. From the outset it was clear that chambers had largely veered away from the areas of Family and Civil law and I wanted to focus on returning the set to its “common law” roots. 

Job title
Head of chambers of 37 Park Square Chambers, Leeds. 

37 Park Square Chambers is a leading North Eastern Circuit set, specialising in the core areas of family law, criminal and civil common law. 

You are one of a few elite female QCs at the Bar, and in a further select of female heads of chambers. Do you feel the Bar is improving in supporting women through the profession?
I was fortunate enough to come to the Bar at a time when the real trailblazers had paved the way for female practitioners like myself. Lorna Cole, who was the first female barrister on the North Eastern Circuit, was a real inspiration for many of us who came after her. When she joined circuit she had to eat her meal separate from the men and completely alone in the entrance hall to the venue! Hearing stories like that provided real inspiration for me. 

Job title
Chief Executive Officer, Parklane Plowden 

Parklane Plowden is a large set of chambers in Leeds and Newcastle, comprising over 80 members and specialising in four key practice areas: Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence; Family; Employment and Chancery & Commercial. 

Job title: Silk and Head of the Criminal Team 

New Park Court Chambers is a large and well-established set of Chambers comprising 94 barristers in Leeds and Newcastle, including 9 QCs, specialising in criminal, civil and family law.  

You are described in the leading directories as ‘an ascending star’, and were described in The Times  in connection with the Suarz/Evra case as one of the country’s leading criminal lawyers. What do you credit your success to?
Hard work and good luck. In the five years before I took silk I was fortunate to be led by a number of exceptional QCs. In particular, I was led by Robert Smith QC in a series of long cases of considerable complexity and importance. Of all of the advocates I have encountered, he has the highest standards and I learnt a great deal from him. This period was effectively a second pupillage and set me on course for my own career in silk. 

Job title: Head of Chambers at 4 Paper Buildings 

4PB is the largest family law set in England, with 70 members of which 12 are Silks, offering advice and advocacy in all areas of family law.  

You are one of four Silks listed as a ‘star individual’ at the Children Bar. What do you credit your success to?
One of only 3 actually as the 4th - Stephen Cobb QC - is now Cobb J. But seriously this is a difficult question to start the interview with. It is probably best to ask others but I guess it is down to a combination of things: the ability and desire to work really hard and not cut corners, emotional intelligence, good communication, approachability, confidence in giving a clear opinion and reliability. I’ve also had great clerks and solicitors throughout my career who have given me amazing chances. Lastly, a fair dose of good fortune in making the right and important decisions at the right time. 

Job title: Silk and head of the criminal team at 36 Bedford Row 

36 Bedford Row is a leading set of chambers with members practicing in six specialist areas of serious and complex crime, family law, employment law, civil litigation, public law and consumer law.  

Many congratulations on attaining silk this year. What do you hope the future holds for a silk at the Criminal Bar?
Success. I wouldn’t have applied for silk if I did not think that I could make it pay. If you’re good, well organised and prepared to put yourself about then there is still work out there to be had. As he handed me my Letters Patent last Wednesday, I asked the Lord Chancellor whether there would still be any publicly funded work for me to do after my appointment. He said that there would be and I intend to take him at his word. Given the further cuts to fees proposed in the most recent consultation paper, I wonder whether I should have actually asked the Lord Chancellor whether there would be any financially viable publicly funded work available for me to do in silk? 

Job title: Silk, Selborne Chambers 

Selborne Chambers is a Chancery/Commercial set with particular emphasis on property, professional negligence, company and financial services, civil fraud and international work.  

Congratulations on attaining Silk this year, a fine achievement. What made you apply for it this year?
The short answer is that the feedback from my informal soundings of potential consultees was encouraging. The longer answer is that, having unsuccessfully applied several years ago, I decided to work on my practice. I only re-applied when I had attained top ranking in the guides and had written a legal textbook. 

Job title: Silk, 11 Stone Buildings 

11SB is a leading commercial/chancery set with multi-disciplinary expertise. Areas in which 11SB specialises include civil fraud, financial services and banking, insolvency, company and professional negligence.  

What do you credit your success to?
You might find this odd, but the answer to your question is: training with Vidal Sassoon. I was unruly, undisciplined and disorganised at school and left after my ‘O’ levels. I fell into training to be a hairdresser with Vidal Sassoon and I just loved it. 

Rebecca Wilkie's job title: Chief Executive, BPBU
Chris Broom's job title: Senior Clerk, Gray’s Inn Tax Chambers Management Committee member, BPBU 

The Bar Pro Bono Unit is a charity which facilitates pro bono work from volunteer barristers for those who cannot afford to pay and who cannot obtain public funding.  

What do you credit the success of the Bar Pro Bono Unit (BPBU) to?
RW: The people who work with us. 75% of our cases are placed through clerks so their commitment makes a huge difference in enabling our requests for help to spread as far as possible across the Bar.