Gatehouse Chambers welcomes two new pupils and two probationary tenants
Gatehouse Chambers is delighted to welcome two new pupils and two probationary tenants.
Phyllida Spackman – Pupil Barrister
Phyllida is interested in all areas of Chambers’ practice, particularly commercial dispute resolution and cross-border litigation.
Prior to joining Gatehouse, Phyllida spent two years at the Government Legal Department covering a broad range of litigation and advisory work with a particular focus on international trade law. She has worked as a Research Assistant at the Law Commission as part of the bill team during the passage of the Charities Act 2022, and as a Commercial Law Research Assistant here at Gatehouse Chambers.
Phyllida has previous advocacy experience from her time as a County Court Advocate, having appeared in over 100 hearings in the County Court.
Phyllida completed a BSc in Biochemistry & Genetics before undertaking the Graduate Diploma in Law. She was supported on the Bar Course as a Middle Temple scholar and has an LLM in Public Law.
Jelani Allman – Pupil Barrister
Jelani is particularly interested in commercial dispute resolution and enjoys analysing complex factual and commercial issues. He is also interested in insolvency and restructuring, international arbitration, cross-border disputes, and insurance and reinsurance.
Alongside a commercial practice, Jelani is keen to develop experience in private client work, particularly wills, probate and trusts.
Jelani read Jurisprudence at Wadham College, University of Oxford, graduating with a BA, before completing the Bar Practice Course at the Inns of Court College of Advocacy, where he was awarded a PGDip in Bar Practice.
During his studies, Jelani was awarded the Lord Denning Scholarship by Lincoln’s Inn and received Wadham College’s Exhibitioner Scholarship in two consecutive years. He was also recognised by Powerful Media and Latham & Watkins as one of the UK’s Most Outstanding African and African Caribbean Students and New Graduates, and was nominated for an MBE for services to social mobility and widening access to education and the legal profession.
Christopher McHugh – Probationary Tenant
Christopher has a broad interest in commercial disputes, with a particular focus on construction and engineering matters. Within Chambers’ core practice areas, he is especially interested in commercial dispute resolution, construction, insurance, professional liability and international arbitration.
Prior to joining Gatehouse, Christopher completed pupillage at a specialist commercial set, where he worked on a wide range of construction, energy and commercial disputes. His experience spans contract and remedies, insurance, litigation and arbitration, construction and building safety, and professional negligence.
Christopher read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford, where he won several academic prizes and was elected an academic scholar of Keble College. He later completed the BCL as the Gabriel Moss KC Scholar, focusing on Commercial Remedies and Restitution of Unjust Enrichment.
Christopher was part of the Oxford team that won the UK rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and received the award for Best Overall Applicant in the White & Case International Rounds. Following the BCL, he achieved the highest overall distinction on the Bar Course at BPP.
Seongwook Nam – Probationary Tenant
Seongwook has a broad interest in all areas of Chambers’ practice, with particular interests in international arbitration, construction, shipbuilding and engineering disputes, and commercial litigation.
Before joining Gatehouse Chambers, Seongwook completed pupillage at a specialist commercial set, where he assisted on a range of construction and energy disputes. His recent experience includes acting as a junior member of the counsel team representing a buyer in a US$800 million SIAC shipbuilding arbitration governed by English law, which proceeded to an eight-day hearing in Singapore. He is also currently instructed as part of the counsel team representing a buyer in a further high-profile shipbuilding arbitration against a leading Asian shipbuilder.
A native Korean speaker, Seongwook is well placed to assist on matters involving Korean parties and witnesses before English-language tribunals.
Seongwook read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford.
