The Legal 500 Rankings (2025 edition)
Gatehouse Chambers has again improved its rankings in The Legal 500 2025 edition, including a new set ranking for Private Wealth and Probate. The set is now ranked for the following eleven areas:
- Construction
- Commercial Litigation
- Costs and litigation funding
- Insolvency
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Mediators
- Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Insurance Fraud
- Private Wealth and Probate
- Professional Negligence
- Property Litigation
- Social Housing
Some of the editorial comments in this edition include:
‘Gatehouse is a go-to set for commercial litigation matters.’
‘Gatehouse are a top-tier set with excellent barristers.’
‘Gatehouse are in the ‘Champions League’ for anything construction and insurance related. There is no one better.’
‘Gatehouse is a go-to-set for construction, insurance and professional indemnity claims.’
‘Set appears to be going from strength to strength in the construction sector.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers are brilliant at providing skilled barristers who can provide a first class service.’
‘Efficient, orderly, esprit de corps, and always available to help.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers is a friendly and efficient set. It has a strong field of counsel who can assist and a range of experience levels.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers is an undiscovered gem for contentious probate matters.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers is an excellent set and a go-to chambers with a variety of counsel at varying degrees of call.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers has a strength in depth at all levels of experience and is very knowledgeable in the specialist area.’
‘Gatehouse Chambers is a friendly set of chambers with a solid reputation.’
‘They have a range of high quality barristers, supported by a fantastic clerks’ room.’
‘Gatehouse are a fantastic set; they have great experience and depth across real estate disputes.’
‘It is a pleasure to instruct Gatehouse. Whoever is offered as counsel will always perform well and it is a pleasure to speak with the clerks.’
-
Clinical negligence
Charles Bagot KC
‘Superb knowledge of both law and procedure. An excellent eye for detail. Immensely respected by claimants and defendants alike. His advocacy is smooth, fluent and persuasive.’
Aneurin Moloney
‘Aneurin’s attention to detail is excellent. When acting for claimants, he always goes the extra mile to maximise damages. In addition, he is approachable and good with clients.’
Emma Woods
‘Excellent technical legal ability and takes a pragmatic approach. She is a trusted advocate; she is clear, persuasive and a beacon of calm in all situations.’
Emma Zeb
‘Emma is a formidable opponent in the court room, calm but precise throughout and always reassuring to the clients.’
Vanessa McKinlay
‘Great intuition. Good medical knowledge. Great in cases with traumatised clients..’
-
Commercial litigation
Set
Gatehouse Chambers ‘offers a wide spectrum of expertise across commercial litigation’, encompassing issues such as international supply contract disagreements, warranty and indemnity claims, and joint venture disputes. In VH Invest and Airprofile v Moir and Oilsearch Limited and others, David Lewis KC is acting for the claimants, who allege breach of contract and misrepresentation relating to the development of patented technology used to measure airflow from wind turbines. In a complex multi-jurisdictional case, Nigel Jones KC and Sarah McCann are representing Riad Tawfiq Al Sadik in his claims of professional negligence against Clyde & Co, as well as two barristers and an offshore law firm, involving UAE, English, and Cayman laws.
Nigel Jones KC
David Lewis KC
‘Brilliant strategist – he is able to find solutions where others see nothing. He is brilliant with clients and the judges are always engaged by his focused and persuasive submissions.’
Charles Raffin
‘Charles is a great thinker. He is excellent on the law and strategy. His advocacy is detailed, thorough and on point.’
Emily Betts
‘Super intelligent and extremely good with clients. Her drafting is concise and persuasive, and she is a formidable presence in court.’
George Eyre
‘George has a phenomenal engine for huge volumes of work and delivers high-quality advice, written advocacy, and pleadings. His legal and procedural knowledge is first rate and he shows an ability to deal with clients that is ahead of his years.’
James Shaw
‘James is exceptionally bright and quick to grasp the heart of a problem, with an understanding of the practical and legal realities that a company may face in the course of litigation. His advocacy finds the perfect way to strongly assert his clients’ rights while retaining a balanced manner that is convincing to the court.’
Paul Strelitz
‘Always very well prepared and gets into the detail. Great team player and very good with clients.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah is intelligent and very hard-working She is also forthright and structured when undertaking advocacy.’
-
Company
Nigel Jones KC
‘Nigel is fantastic, he is incredibly user-friendly and has a brain the size of a planet.’
David Lewis KC
‘David is a phenomenal advocate and a master tactician.’
James Shaw
‘James is a fantastic junior who is very strong on complex points of company law.’
Sarah Clarke
‘Sarah has a superb eye for detail, is fantastic with clients, and her arguments are always sensible and well-reasoned.’
-
Construction
Set
With ‘genuine strength in depth at every level’, Gatehouse Chambers offers representation on a wide range of construction-related issues, with a particular focus in project disputes and defect claims. Leading Ebony Alleyne, Paul Reed KC is instructed to representing Mace in a major contractual claim concerning roof defects at Sky’s headquarters in Osterley. Simon Kerry acted as opposing counsel to David Pliener KC, who represented JN Piling in a three-party claim arising out of an oil spill, while Catherine Piercy KC acted as sole counsel to a Click St Andrew in a damages claim. Helena White continues to represent W Griffiths Architects as sole counsel in a major professional negligence TCC claim regarding fire safety and cladding issues. In the international arena, Andrew Kearney is acting as lead counsel through a high-value ICC arbitration against an international design and build contractor in the engineering sector.
Catherine Piercy KC
‘Fantastic advocate: Catherine reacts well on her feet and is a devil when it comes to cross-examination. A pleasure to work with. Firm yet fair, commercial yet legal, approachable yet with gravitas and never fails to get to grips with the details. A superstar of the Bar.’
David Pliener KC
‘David is a stand-out barrister and a clear all-rounder. He is great with clients, superb on the law, and terrific on his feet.’
Michael Wheater KC
‘Tactically excellent with superb drafting. His advocacy is excellent: clear, concise, and skillfully delivered. He commands respect from opponents and judges. Incredibly astute, but down to earth and well liked by clients as they appreciate that Michael understands their role and the industry.
Nigel Jones KC
Paul Reed KC
‘Paul’s expertise on the construction insurance is superb. Also, his advocacy skills before tribunals are excellent and very persuasive.’
Andrew Kearney
‘Andrew’s main strength is his ability to very quickly get to the major issues in the case, and then articulate those major issues with brevity and clarity. This flows through to his advocacy, which is always focused and precise.’
Ebony Alleyne
‘Ebony goes above and beyond in attention to detail in her preparations. As a result she delivers logical, razor sharp and highly intelligent cross examination. Her advocacy skills are impressive.’
George Eyre
‘George has exemplary knowledge of both the law and of the client’s commercial needs. An ability to retain, understand and analyse a huge amount of information and consistently apply it to queries and issues as they develop.’
Helena White
Katie Lee
Kort Egan
‘Kort is assured and controlled. Methodical preparation leads to calm yet persuasive advocacy. Understands strategy as well as the law.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah’s drafting is very good quality, clear and persuasive. She has a good straightforward manner with clients and is commercial. She is also approachable and easy to work with.’
-
Costs and litigation funding
Set
Offering a ‘well-skilled costs team at all levels’, Gatehouse Chambers members are well-versed at handling complex appellate cases, as well as assisting litigation teams on applications for security for costs, wasted costs and non-party costs orders. The ‘superb’ PJ Kirby KC continues to regularly advise on detailed assessments, costs budgeting and funding arrangements; having recently led Martyn Griffiths in Wilkins v Serco, a case of fundamental importance to the extension of the fixed costs regime. In Abbott v Ministry of Defence, Robin Dunne acts for the MoD in the determination of the costs arising from the claimant’s solicitors incurring in excess of £3m in issuing claims following the High Court finding that they could not be issued on one claim form.
PJ Kirby KC
‘PJ has a superb manner in court. He leads in conferences with lay clients and takes control and provides confidence.’
Alaric Watson
‘Alaric is very approachable and practical in his advice. He is responsive and a good sounding board for queries.’
Charlotte Wilk
‘Charlotte is highly intelligent and capable. Her knowledge of costs law and practice is significant and greater than juniors of similar call due to her involvement in multiple costs cases. Her written work as well as her advice to clients are both first class.’
Martyn Griffiths
‘Martyn has the ability to provide advice that is both technically sound but also is commercially pragmatic. He is able to see the bigger picture and come up with solutions that sometimes haven’t even been considered by clients.’
Robin Dunne
‘Robin’s attention to detail is second to none. He regularly appears against leading counsel and more than holds his own. He provides realistic, commercial advice and is always willing to entertain new and innovative tactics.’
-
Court of protection: health and welfare
Alison Meacher
‘Alison’s experience is unparalleled. She is knowledgeable and fantastic with clients. She is always well-prepared and readily available for advice. She is knowledgeable and exceedingly careful when drafting.’
Shazia Akhtar
-
Education
Shazia Akhtar
‘Shazia is an outstanding barrister, with an excellent knowledge of the law in relation to special educational needs. She is a good advocate, she takes no nonsense from her opponent local authority and instils the client with confidence about the way in which their case is handled and achieves outstanding results for parents of children with disabilities.’
-
Employment
Lauren Godfrey
‘Lauren is astute, pragmatic and thorough. He works well with clients and provides practical solutions.’
Mark Stephens
‘A rare talent who is worth his weight in gold.’
Matthew Hodson
‘A steady and authoritative junior who is a good performer in court.’
Paul Strelitz
‘He is hugely pragmatic and a robust advocate. He can be challenging without alienating the judge.’
Rajiv Bhatt
‘He is confident and articulate before the tribunal, and unflustered under questioning. He has an eye for a good point. He’s brilliant on his feet.’
Sara Ibrahim
‘Sara is always well-prepared for hearings, and her steady hand in navigating the vagaries of the employment tribunal system is always a great source of comfort.’
-
Fraud: civil
David Lewis KC
‘A phenomenal advocate and a real street fighter.’
Nigel Jones KC
-
Inquests and inquiries
Emma Hynes
‘Emma has an exceptional depth of knowledge of statutory public inquiry work.’
Emma Zeb
‘Emma’s knowledge and approach to managing the Inquest process is impeccable.’
-
Insolvency
Set
Gatehouse Chambers houses a number of barristers with experience in insolvency cases, ranging from issues with director misfeasance, cross-border shareholder disputes, as well as disputed winding up petitions and unfair prejudice petitions. Within insurance insolvency, Sarah McCann is involved in a variety of cases, including a cross-border dispute that emerged as a result of Enterprise Insurance Company’s insolvency in Gibraltar. Sarah Clarke represents high-profile clients in a variety of claims, while Jonathan Titmuss is involved in multiple insolvency disputes. Charles Raffin and Ryan Hocking are also key names at the set.
Alaric Watson
‘Deep expertise in insolvency, technically excellent but also experienced enough to cut to the commercial reality.’
Charles Raffin
Jonathan Titmuss
‘Jon is approachable, gives punchy advice and genuinely cares about the outcome of the case.’
Katrina Mather
‘Katrina has a friendly but robust style, which is conducive to effectively managing client expectations. She gives firm but measured advice when approaching a case.’
Phillip Patterson
‘Philip is very effective on his feet. His cross-examination style is thorough and he does not move on until his point has hit home with the judge, but he measures this well.’
Ryan Hocking
‘Ryan is a solid junior, very commercial minded and quick to understand all the issues/points in play.’
Sarah Clarke
‘Sarah is very hardworking and tenacious. Her advocacy is calm and methodical. She ensures that she sees a point through to its conclusion, even when it appears that a judge seems to be with her, in order to ensure that a thorough approach is taken. Sarah is extremely commercial and willing to understand our clients’ needs, constraints, and decision making processes.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah is hard-working, conscientious and intelligent. She always makes herself available as and when necessary.’
Wendy Parker
‘Wendy brings a great deal of experience, which really shows in her advocacy. She is a team player and knows how to work as part of a wider team.’
-
Insurance and reinsurance
Set
The insurance team at Gatehouse Chambers is experienced in policy coverage work, having acted for a range of insureds, insurers and reinsurers. Members routinely advise on coverage and avoidance issues, including dealing with issues of misrepresentation and non-disclosure. Paul Reed KC is regarded as a ‘leading authority on construction and engineering insurance,’ having led Ebony Alleyne and James Shaw on the case of Sky Broadcasting Ltd, Mace Ltd v Insurers, winning a liability declarations trial against insurers and secured interim payment for the cost of repairing damage during construction to the largest flat roof in Europe, that of Sky’s site on Osterley. Michael Wheater KC took silk in the 2024 round.
David Pliener KC
‘David’s elevation to KC was richly deserved. He goes from strength to strength.’
Michael Wheater KC
‘Technically excellent, very user friendly and good with strategy. Also very commercially minded and great with clients. Well deserved recent promotion to KC.’
Nigel Jones KC
Paul Reed KC
‘Paul is the leading authority on construction and engineering insurance. Having him on your team provides instant reassurance. His advice on difficult issues is consistently on point.’
Ebony Alleyne
‘Ebony is fantastic and solicitors would never have any hesitation in instructing or recommending her. She knows her cases inside out and back to front and never misses any of the detail.’
George Eyre
‘Very bright, up and coming junior. Good drafting skills and user friendly.’
Helena White
‘Helena is very good with client and explaining the most complex areas to them in a way that they understand. She put\’s them at ease. She has a commercial outlook which clients like and her advice always recognizes this.’
Louis Zvesper
‘A highly intelligent and thoroughly likeable junior. Excellent with clients. Wise and calm beyond his years. Louis has made a real name for himself as a leading junior in insurance.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah is intelligent and very hardworking.’
Simon Kerry
Tom Bell
‘A fantastic team player. Very cool and calm, unflappable. Willing to be clear with his advice and not sit on a fence, especially when in conference with clients to put the point across. Does not just take the legal answer, also factors in the other commercial drivers at play and comes to a reasoned approach.’
-
International arbitration
Frederico Singarajah
-
Personal Injury - Personal injury, industrial disease and insurance fraud
Set
The personal injury offering at Gatehouse Chambers fields ‘an impressive and complete service to the insurance industry‘, acting for both claimants and defendants in public and private liability claims involving cognitive and spinal injuries, polytraumatic and neurological claims, along with chronic pain issues incurred in traffic, workplaces and during strenuous activities. Charles Bagot KC is a notable senior practitioner of personal injury, typically acting in domestic and multijurisdictional cases involving maximum severity brain and spine injuries, fatal claims and amputations. Emma Zeb works closely with Bagot in high-value injury cases.
Charles Bagot KC
‘Charles has developed into a leader in his field. He has all the attributes you want to see in a barrister. It is not just that he knows the law but you accept his advice because it comes from someone with such authority. He is charming but tough. He is efficient and approachable.’
Colm Nugent
Tactically astute, Colm brings a wealth of experience to all cases. He offers a unique insight and is very tactically flexible, offering a different viewpoint and approach for how to take a case forward. Clients love him.’
Emma Zeb
‘Emma brings an all round excellent addition to any legal team, the clients warm to her, she is always thoroughly prepared, forensically precise, is a robust advocate and a dominant presence in the court room, but remains unflappable in the most trying of circumstances.‘
Henry Slack
Jake Rowley
‘Jake provides eloquent and concise advice in a very personable manner.’
Jasmine Murphy
‘Never fails to achieve the intended result. No praise can be higher.’
-
Private wealth and probate
Set
Gatehouse Chambers is ‘a strong chancery set with a big private client team at all levels of strength in depth’. Brie Stevens-Hoare KC recently acted for the claimant in Pidsley & Pidsley v Spencer, challenging a will which is alleged to have had the signatures of its witnesses procured by fraud on the part of the deceased’s stepdaughter. Charlotte John is ‘incredibly thorough and leaves no stone unturned’ and is representing the claimant in Ellis v Care, a probate and proprietary estoppel dispute in which the brother of the deceased farmer questioned the capacity of his brother to make the will.
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC
‘Brie is a true leader of the bar. She is a formidable opponent and approachable. She commands the court’s confidence and has an easy manner that makes judges warm to her.’
Adam Smith-Roberts
‘Adam has excellent written advocacy and is very responsive.’
Cameron Stocks
‘Cameron is a brilliant junior in both his drafting and on his feet. He is the go-to, down-to-earth barrister who can easily converse and explain complicated legal concepts to inexperienced clients.’
Charlotte John
‘Charlotte is the barrister who leaves no stone unturned and knows the documents upside down and back to front. Her drafting is brilliant, and she is always a step ahead when putting pen to paper. Her cross-examination is meticulously thought out and prepared.’
-
Professional negligence
Set
Housing ‘a range of very good juniors’, Gatehouse Chambers handles a breadth of professional negligence claims, including matters relating to property transactions, construction, and financial services. Nigel Jones KC and Sarah McCann were instructed to act for the claimant in Enterprise Insurance Company Plc (in liquidation) v EY Limited, a high-value case alleging negligence on behalf of the auditors. Daniel Gatty and Jack Dillon are both experienced property litigators who also handle professional liability cases within the sector. Michael Wheater KC was appointed silk in March 2024. Wheater’s professional negligence practice is complemented by his expertise in construction; one of his recent cases was OCL Facades v Absolute Insurance Brokers in which he represented a specialist cladding contractor in a claim against its insurance broker.
Catherine Piercy KC
‘She is incredibly intelligent, perceptive, and a joy to work with. Not only does she know the law inside out, she’s also commercial and her technical understanding is second to none.’
David Pliener KC
‘He’s a great commercial barrister. He’s a safe pair of hands and has a wonderful approach with clients.’
John de Waal KC
‘He is very down to earth and easy to discuss ideas and tactics with. He is an expert in his field.’
Michael Wheater KC
‘Michael is an absolute star. He is brilliant on the technical side, great with clients, and provides commercial advice. Judges seem to like him and you know you have an advantage with Michael on your side.’
Nigel Jones KC
Paul Reed KC
‘Paul is the go-to advocate for construction insurance. He’s insightful with a sixth sense for how cases will play out.’
Daniel Gatty
‘He has good attention to detail and is always thoroughly prepared. He builds a good rapport with clients and witnesses.’
Ebony Alleyne
‘Ebony goes above and beyond in her preparations and attention to detail, particularly in cross-examination. She is also very strategic and highly commercial.’
George Eyre
‘He has an exemplary knowledge of both the law and of the client’s commercial needs. He has an ability to retain, understand, and analyse a huge amount of information.’
Helena White
‘Helena is a pleasure to instruct. She is highly responsive and personable. Helena is commended for her technical prowess and takes a logical and analytical approach to highly complex issues.’
Jack Dillon
‘Jack is thorough, approachable, and excellent both on in writing and on his feet. He is calm, considered, and persuasive.’
James Hall
‘James is everything you want in a barrister. He is thorough, diligent, knowledgeable, commercial and great with clients. As an advocate he is always well-prepared, persuasive, and quick on his feet.’
Jonathan Titmuss
‘Jon has a wide appreciation of the commercial issues and is very pragmatic. His advocacy is first-rate, calm, and considered.’
Joshua Griffin
‘He is excellent on his feet. He always prepares thoroughly and takes time to understand the underlying strategy.’
Kort Egan
‘Kort’s written work is superb. He has a great ability to get on top of complex cases and understands how to value quantum.’
Louis Zvesper
‘He is excellent at distilling complex legal issues and providing clear and concise advice. He is very responsive and excellent for instructing solicitors to deal with.’
Michael Levenstein
‘Michael has the combination of razor-sharp wit and laser-like focus. He is excellent with clients. He’s an easy choice when looking for a junior who can handle large and complex matters.’
Sara Ibrahim
‘Sara is a phenomenally talented barrister. Her advice is detailed and thorough. Her central focus is on the client and what they are ultimately trying to achieve. Sara is a strong advocate and a pleasure to work with.’
Sarah McCann
‘Sarah is hard working, intelligent, and user-friendly.’
Simon Kerry
‘Simon is incredibly hardworking and has an excellent grasp of technically complicated issues that arise during construction disputes.’
Tom Bell
‘He’s a fantastic team player. He is very cool and calm. His written work is especially excellent in submissions, which is incredibly helpful as it feels as if the judge is already with you.’
-
Property litigation
Set
Gatehouse Chambers acts on a broad range of property disputes. Core areas of focus for the team include commercial leases, development and mortgages, and the set has particular strength in advising on matters crossing over with its broader professional negligence expertise. Recent case highlights include Brie Stevens-Hoare KC acting on behalf of the respondent in the Supreme Court in Sara & Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd v Blacks Outdoor Retail, an appeal involving issues of liability for disputed service charge payments and interpretation of service charge provision in commercial leases. In another matter, John de Waal KC and Gemma de Cordova appeared before the Court of Appeal in FSV Freeholders v SGL1 Ltd, concerning the validity of an offer notice under section 5 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and the tenants’ rights of first refusal. Additionally, Jamal Demachkie appeared before the Court of Appeal in Prescott Place Freeholders Ltd & Ors v Batin & Donovan, a case involving the issue of whether an order made pursuant to section 19 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 was in interest in land or created solely personal rights and obligations.
Brie Stevens-Hoare KC
‘Brie is a star and highly respected in the field of property litigation. She is a great advocate, calm and measured but firm.’
John de Waal KC
‘As an advocate he is a master of his brief and fights tenaciously for his clients. He is oil on troubled waters when the tension is rising in litigation, and can take the heat out of situations easily.’
Amanda Eilledge
Andrew Skelly
‘A formidable advocate. He has the ability to expose dissembling and prevarication with devastating effect.’
Byroni Kleopa
‘Byroni offers practical advice that goes to the heart of a dispute.’
Cameron Stocks
‘Cameron’s advocacy is very direct and authoritative.’
Carl Brewin
‘Carl has a serene manner, and remains unfazed in every case.’
Clare Anslow
‘Clare is a tenacious advocate. She is clear and commanding on her feet.’
Daniel Gatty
‘His quiet and calm manner belies a sharp intellect, impressive attention to detail and real team spirit.’
David Peachey
‘An exemplary barrister.’
Emily Betts
‘A responsive junior with deep legal knowledge.’
Faisel Sadiq
‘Faisel communicates effectively and persuasively in court. His advice is clear and well-reasoned.’
Gemma de Cordova
‘Gemma is a force to be reckoned with. She is tenacious in the courtroom and stands her ground. She is also incredibly good with the lay client and gains their confidence at the outset.’
Jack Dillon
‘Jack is a very calm and confident advocate, who does not demur from assertively defending difficult positions in court when he has to but always with charm and a level of experience beyond his year of call.’
Jamal Demachkie
‘Jamal is an outstanding property litigation counsel. In court he is poised but assertive.’
John Beresford
‘John’s legal analysis is excellent. He does not take bad points or waste time. His advocacy is measured, calm and thorough.’
John Clargo
‘An exceptional advocate who is extremely knowledgeable. His written work is first rate.’
Katrina Mather
‘She provides excellent technical advice and fantastic commercial considerations.’
Laura Tweedy
‘Laura is a formidable strategist. She gets on top of the detail immediately and provides considered and commercial advice on how to run the case and achieve the client’s objectives.’
Lina Mattsson
‘Lina is a tenacious and determined litigator. She fights her clients’ corner hard.’
Monty Palfrey
‘Monty is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of property law and conveys that knowledge both lucidly and persuasively.’
Peter Petts
Steven Woolf
‘Steven is exceptionally versatile and knowledgeable, and has a great talent for dissecting and disseminating information into a comprehensible, readily accessible format.’
-
Social housing
Set
Gatehouse Chambers has ‘great strength in residential property issues’ with their close-knit team covering a wide range of issues, including right to buy, disrepair and anti-social injunctions. Alison Meacher is ‘a strong advocate’, with recent highlights include representing a local authority in resisting an application to stay an order for possession; she is also well regarded in complex right to buy cases. Laura Tweedy has ‘a tremendous intellect matched with brilliant advocacy’, her recent work has included Mears Housing Management v Luton, a case that involved the eviction of homeless individuals. She also has experience in anti-social behaviour cases and possession proceedings.
Alison Meacher
‘Alison is very knowledgeable in this area of law. She’s incredibly intelligent and this is reflected in the quality of her advice and her drafting. She is a strong advocate and presents her client’s case clearly and firmly. Her advice is always thorough and well reasoned.’
Laura Tweedy
‘A tremendous intellect matched with calm, effective and brilliant advocacy. Laura knows how to approach judges. She can go on the attack but is also succinct and tactful when needed.’