In the 2027 Chambers and Partners rankings publication, Albion Chambers and its members received 25 rankings in total, 9 of which were in the highest band. As a set, our Family/Matrimonial Finance teams continue to be ranked in the top band, with our Crime team also ranking highly.
Congratulations to everyone who achieved a ranking this year, with a special mention to those who have been promoted or ranked for the first time.
As always, a big thank you to all of our clients who took the time provide feedback.
Members of Chambers and the Clerking team received the following comments:
“The family clerks are fantastic – Julie and Michael are second to none. In the team there is extraordinary experience and legal expertise.”
“Albion offer highly efficient, personable and responsive clerks who go the extra mile for their solicitor contacts.”
“The clerks are always willing to help or to try and move things around to try to accommodate and there are rare cancellations or changes requested.”
“Their clerking is fantastic. Fred is really good; he always comes back when you need him to and he is really accommodating with new instructions. Charlotte is also exceptionally good.”
“The experience of the clerking team at Albion Chambers is uniquely high; they have decades of experiences between them, and they are committed to providing the highest level of experience.”
“The clerks’ team has always been excellent and particularly benefits from the addition of Rhian Nuttall, Senior Crime Clerk, who has immediately forged good relationships with regular referrers and taken time to understand how her regular clients tick and who they work well with.”
“The clerks are responsive, accommodating, and we have a very good open rapport. They are very easy to speak to, and you can really discuss briefs, suitability and fees openly.”
Family: Children
“Sarah Pope is an expert with excellent client care skills.”
“Sarah Pope is amazing, extremely robust and with a real court presence. She is great for complex cases. She is exceptional and really impressive on her feet. She wipes the floor with the other side. She provides excellent client care.”
“Sarah Pope really fights her corner.”
“Sarah Pope is a fantastic and assertive advocate when needed. She is trusted on the most complex cases, especially when protecting the most vulnerable clients.”
“Hayley Griffiths is outstanding; she operates at silk level.”
“Hayley Griffiths is absolutely superb. Her integrity was second to none in a very difficult matter.”
“Hayley Griffiths deals with matters exceptionally well and the client are extremely impressed and grateful to her.”
“Hayley Griffiths is very good with the client and always makes herself available to represent them at most hearings.”
“Hayley Griffiths is a knowledgeable, highly skilled and approachable barrister.”
“Alice Darian is fearless on her feet and fights very hard for clients. She really cares and goes the extra mile.”
“Alice Darian is a very competent and knowledgeable barrister. Her advocacy skills are exceptional, and her client care is second to none.”
“Alice Darian works hard and is an effective advocate.”
“Fiona Farquhar is a very competent and knowledgeable barrister. Her advocacy skills are exceptional, and her client care is second to none.
“Fiona Farquhar provides a silk quality service every time; she is outstanding.”
“Fiona Farquhar is a good and strong advocate.”
“Fiona Farquhar is a personable barrister who is highly skilled and a great advocate.”
“Libby Harris is amazing. Libby is so calm and persuasive. She is exceptional.”
“Libby Harris is fantastic. Her attention to detail is faultless and her preparation is excellent.”
“Libby Harris is approachable, professional and a fantastic advocate. She is always prepared.”
“She cuts through a lot of detail, gets to the crux of a case very quickly and sifts through the less important things. She is very effective and highly responsive.”
“Joanna Lucas is a very helpful advocate. She is able to handle litigants in person deftly and run the case from the client’s position in a way that distils the evidence.”
“Joanna has a fantastic manner with clients. She delivers sensible and pragmatic advice and is a highly trusted advocate.”
“Joanna Lucas is the most experienced barrister.”
“Joanna always gets the best out of her clients. Her ability to be all over a case quickly, no matter how many papers there are, is sublime.”
“Stuart is always well prepared and makes his points well.”
“William Heckscher is approachable, professional and a fantastic advocate. He is always prepared.”
“William Heckscher is someone you can always rely on. He is very knowledgeable and his advocacy skills are exactly what you need.”
Family: Matrimonial Finance
“Nicholas is the go-to counsel for family work and has a formidable reputation. He establishes a good rapport with clients, who are confident that their case is in the best possible hands.”
“Nicholas has a really good manner with clients. His level of attention to detail is first class. He is very well respected by judges. I rate him very highly.”
“Nicholas Sproull is great to work with.”
“Nicholas Sproull manages different clients well and is a competent advocate.”
“Daniel Leafe is a really great advocate. He works pragmatically, with succinct submissions and liked by tribunals. He produces good quality work.”
“Daniel Leafe is on top of his game. He’s my go-to barrister.”
“Daniel Leafe is one of the leading senior junior counsels in the South West.”
“Daniel’s lawyer abilities are first class and he is really good in court.”
“Gemma is always efficient and well prepared.”
“Gemma is an exceptionally strong advocate and very knowledgeable. Her advocacy is determined and pragmatic and she is always very well prepared.”
“Gemma Borkowski is a solid and very competent barrister.”
“Gemma is one of the best brains in family law in the South West. She is also very detail focused and you have full confidence in her advice and preparation.”
“Gemma is completely thoroughly prepped and all over the detail. She is very hands-on, so clients feel as though she is on their side.”
“Hannah Wiltshire is always perfectly prepared and gets to the heart of any matter.”
“Hannah is a strong and determined advocate. Hannah is thorough in her preparation and clients feel reassured and confident that Hannah will present their case with meticulous attention to detail. Hannah has an admirable advocacy style and really wins the ear of the court. Clients really like her.”
“Hannah is brilliant on her feet in advocacy whilst having a superb manner with clients.”
“Richard is very capable and adopts a calm and measured approach, which clients find reassuring. He is an experienced advocate.”
“Richard has a really persuasive advocacy style. He knows the points to make and knows the points to drop. He works really collaboratively.”
“Richard has an assured and confident demeanour. He is a persuasive and thoughtful advocate. His case preparation is second to none.”
“Richard English is a very safe pair of hands.”
“A true gentleman that has a wonderfully composed and reassuring style.”
“Caroline Middleton stays calm and focuses on what needs to be sorted.”
“Caroline is well prepared, knowledgeable and a joy with clients. You know you are in safe hands.”
“Clients love her and she is fantastic to work with in terms of the support, flexibility and knowledge she brings.”
“Caroline has got a really analytical brain and it comes out eloquently – and importantly she speaks in a way that a lay client will understand.”
“Jack Duffy has been brilliant. He is well prepared and very calm. He’s punching above his weight. He is really persuasive.”
“Jack Duffy is a very capable lawyer.”
“Jack Duffy has great bedside manners. He is pragmatic and is a good orator in court.”
Crime
“He is a remarkable subtle knife of an advocate who I would rely upon for any case. Adam is brilliant at connecting with clients and really values the help of those who instruct him.”
“His knowledge of the law is impeccable, and he has a unique way of simplifying the more complex information in a receptive manner to his peers and clients.”
“Adam is great on sensitive matters. He is excellent with clients and very calm and understated in court, but forceful on the points that matter.”
“Adam is user-friendly and provides top-notch submissions and drafts; he is brilliant in front of a judge.”
“Sarah is outstanding, has huge experience and is very well respected by judges.”
“Her advocacy is excellent. She understands exactly what she is trying to do and what the issues are.”
“Sarah Regan is able to command a room and engage a jury effortlessly. She advocates with such calmness and confidence.”
“She is able to simplify complex issues in cases to enable her audience to digest the information most effectively.”
“Edward is just a masterclass in how it’s done. He is responsive, knowledgeable and excellent on his feet.”
“Edward Hetherington is a rare find; he is an extremely sought after barrister in all matters of the most serious nature. He has an exceptional way of making clients feel at ease and instilling immediate trust with them. He is exceptional to work alongside and never shies away from going the extra mile to provide an exemplary level of service.”
“Edward is a very good barrister.”
“He is very calm, has a measured, lovely, engaging court presence and is just unflappable.”
“Rupert Russell is an experienced advocate, providing a high level of service in all cases.”
“Rupert is really good with clients, particularly those that are more vulnerable.”
“He’s an excellent technical lawyer; he is very measured and persuasive in court and judges trust him.”
“Ehsanul is a rare talent and committed to achieving the best outcome for all clients. He will never shy away from going the extra mile for them and his instructing solicitors.”
Inquests & Public Inquiries
“Alex is an excellent advocate. He is very personable and provides a great level of service. Alex has a way of putting witnesses at ease and is very skilled at exploring the evidence.”
“I am always struck by Alex’s exceptional preparation and professionalism. He is meticulous in his approach, leaving no stone unturned and ensuring that every aspect of a case is considered in detail. He is an extremely polished advocate, with clear, precise and persuasive written work.”
“He is tenacious and doesn’t just accept things. Alexander pushes back, and I was very pleased with him for that. He is very composed, reliable, calm and cool-headed. His advocacy is very calm and succinct, and he is also responsive, knowledgeable and excellent on his feet.”
“I like David very much. He is a good advocate, and he doesn’t miss the points.”
“David is fantastic, particularly in anything with a regulatory angle. He is very experienced and highly regarded in the space.”
Health & Safety
“Adam is user-friendly with clients, and he communicates advice in a very effective way. He knows how to reach a goal for the client.”
A full list of our 2027 rankings can be found here
