The recently launched Chambers Bar UK 2020 ranks 53 individual Monckton barristers across 18 practice areas with many appearing in multiple categories.

Monckton Chambers is one of the most highly ranked sets in the UK as it has been recommended in eleven practice areas; in five of these, Monckton is recognised as a “Band One” leading set:

• Competition
• European Law
• Telecommunications
• Public Procurement
• Indirect Tax

The Set has also been ranked in a further six categories:

• Administrative and Public Law
• Civil Liberties & Human Rights
• Data Protection
• Sports Law
• Environment
• Community Care

Individual members were also recognised as “Leading Individuals” in a further seven categories:

• Aviation
• Commercial Dispute Resolution – London and North East
• Education
• Immigration
• Local Government
• Public International Law
• Crime: International Criminal Law

This is how the researchers summarised the set:

A “first-choice set” for competition and EU law, Monckton Chambers also earns top-tier rankings for its indirect tax and telecommunications expertise. It is also widely considered one of “the leading public procurement disputes chambers.” The set houses an enviable bench of competition and EU experts including Daniel Beard QC, who is described by market sources as “a leading competition silk with profound knowledge of competition law issues, case law and procedure.” Top-ranked Gerry Facenna QC has quickly risen the rankings owing to his “really pragmatic approach” to EU law. Anneli Howard, whom a solicitor describes as “one of the leading juniors of her generation,” has the distinction of being ranked in the highest tier for both disciplines. The set is regularly called on by public bodies and international corporations to act in cases which address the most pressing issues of the day. The “premier competition silk” Jon Turner QC has recently represented household names including National Grid and British Airways. On behalf of Chris Leslie MP and Tom Brake MP, members successfully argued at the CJEU that the UK’s notice under Article 50 is unilaterally revocable. Monckton Chambers’ “excellent barristers” are also recognised this year for their work in community care, administrative and public law, civil liberties and human rights, data protection, environment and sports law.

For further details on how Monckton Chambers performed, visit the Chambers and Partners website.

Monckton Chambers is delighted to announce that Will Perry and Alfred Artley have accepted invitations to join Chambers following successful completion of pupillage.

Will is a graduate of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford with a first in History. In January 2020, he will take up a role as a judicial assistant in the High Court (Administrative Court).

Alfred graduated from Merton College,Oxford with a first in Literae Humaniores. Prior to coming to the bar, he spent four years teaching Classics at Winchester College.

Will and Alfred became tenants on 1st October 2019 having experienced a broad range of practice areas as part of pupillage.

Legal Week has announced the shortlist for The British Legal Awards 2019 and Monckton Chambers is one of seven sets nominated for Chambers of the Year. The 29 category winners will be selected by an independent judging panel which includes senior business lawyers from major banks and corporates, as well as former private practice leaders and the awards will be presented at a ceremony in London on Thursday 21st November 2019, hosted by Legal Week in association with The City of London Law Society.

For the full list of this year’s finalists, click here.

In the recently launched Legal 500 UK Bar 2020, 47 individual barristers from Monckton Chambers are listed across 19 practice areas with many recommended in multiple categories.

Monckton Chambers has been recommended, as a TOP-TIER set in the following five practice areas:

• Competition
• EU law
• Telecoms (regulatory)
• Public procurement
• Tax – VAT

The Set has also been ranked in a further four areas:

• Administrative and public law (including local government)
• Civil liberties and human rights (including actions against the police)
• Data protection
• Sport

Individual members were also recognised as “Leading Individuals” in:

• Aviation
• Construction
• Education
• Environment
• Immigration (including business immigration)
• International arbitration: counsel
• International Crime & Extradition
• Professional negligence
• Public international law
• Social housing

The annual legal directory further described the Set as follows:

Although known as a ‘leading set’ for EU, competition, and public procurement law instructions, thanks to having ‘excellent strength in depth across the spectrum’, Monckton Chambers ‘also has barristers who can turn their hand to more esoteric public law challenges’. Chambers is also a ‘go-to’ for civil liberties and human rights work. ‘Barristers have always made themselves available on a pro bono basis, including at the highest level, and consistently produced work of the highest quality.’ Robert Palmer, Ronit Kreisberger, and Valentina Sloane took silk in 2019. Meanwhile, in other news, Steven Gee QC joined chambers after five years at boutique litigation firm Joseph Hage Aaronson LLP, while Ben Emmerson QC arrived from Matrix Chambers. Senior clerk David Hockney and his deputy, John Keegan, ‘run a great clerking team’ that is ‘a cut above all other sets’. The clerks are ‘responsive to requests for assistance; open to considering varied arrangements for instruction, and thoroughly 21st century in their use of technology and means of communications’. First junior Steven Duffett is ‘highly effective in a hands-on and task-focused way’.

Professor Panos Koutrakos has been awarded a Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law by the European Commission. The Chair is accompanied by a financial award which, in the course of the next three years, will fund a range of activities, including the organisation of seminars and conferences on the role of the EU in the world and the relationship between EU and international law.

It is the third time in his career that this prestigious Chair has been awarded to Professor Koutrakos. The award decision recognises him as ‘an excellent scholar’ whose ‘expertise in the field of the law of the EU’s external relations is of special importance in the context of post-Brexit relations’.

Professor Koutrakos is a leading authority on EU law, who has written and advised in a wide range of issues, including trade and internal market law and, in particular, in those areas where EU law meets international law. He recently gave a lecture at the Legal Conference 2019 organised by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt on the relevance of EU law to investment arbitration (read here).

The shortlists for Chambers UK Bar Awards 2019 have been announced and Monckton Chambers and its members are up for multiple awards across two categories.

Monckton Chambers is nominated for the Set award for Competition with Paul Harris QC in the final three for Silk of the Year and Rob Williams for Junior of the Year for the same category.

Monckton is also in the running for the Set award for Tax with Melanie Hall QC shortlisted in the final three for Silk of the Year in the category.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday, 31st October 2019.at The London Hilton on Park Lane.

The aim of the awards is to recognise, reward and celebrate both sets’ and individual barristers’ pre–eminence in key practice areas. The awards are based on the research for the 2020 edition of Chambers Bar and reflect notable achievements over the past 12 months including outstanding work, impressive strategic growth and excellence in client service.

The members of Monckton Chambers are pleased to announce that in the recent round of Attorney General Panel appointments, Ewan West has been elevated to the A Panel and Imogen Proud has been appointed to the C Panel.

In addition Raymond Hill, Andrew Macnab and Peter Mantle have all been successful with renewed A Panel applications.

All appointments commence from 2nd September for five years.

The Attorney General maintains four advisory panels of junior counsel to undertake civil and EU work for all government departments. There are three London panels (an A panel for senior juniors, a B panel for middle juniors, a C panel for junior juniors) and a regional panel. In addition there are three Public International Law Panels.

In total 21 members of Monckton Chambers are on the AG’s panels:

A Panel: Raymond Hill, Anneli Howard, Alan Bates, Ben Lask, Andrew Macnab, Peter Mantle, Brendan McGurk, Rob Williams, Ewan West

B Panel: Eric Metcalfe, Azeem Suterwalla, Fiona Banks

C Panel: Anneliese Blackwood, Tarlochan Lall, Julianne Kerr Morrison, Conor McCarthy, Michael Armitage, Jack Williams, Imogen Proud

Public International Law B Panel: Anneli Howard, Thomas Sebastian

Public International Law C Panel: Nikolaus Grubeck

Monckton tax specialist, Frank Mitchell, has been granted Patents of Precedence entitling him to admission to the Inner Bar in Ireland and the status Senior Counsel (SC).

Frank is one of thirteen Irish barristers to be appointed, this month, by the Irish Government on the recommendation of an advisory committee currently consisting of the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, the Attorney General and the Chairperson of the Bar Council. The date for these barristers to be called to the Inner Bar will be fixed by the Chief Justice. See Irish Government news release.

Frank has specialised in VAT, Customs Duty and direct tax issues since 2000 when he worked in PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin and then London working in tax consultancy and litigation.

Frank read law in Trinity College Dublin (1994-98) before completing his Barrister-at-Law Degree in the Honourable Society of the Kings Inns, Dublin in 2000. He was admitted as an associate of the Irish Tax Institute in 2001 and will become President of the Irish Tax Institute in September this year.

Frank has been a member of the European Commission’s VAT Expert Group since its inception. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2010 and joined Monckton Chambers in the same year as a result of his specific interest in the European law aspects of indirect taxes. He spreads his time between the UK and Ireland according to clients’ needs.

Sandi Toksvig was the Master of Ceremonies at last night’s The Lawyer Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, presenting joint Head of Chambers, Philip Moser QC and Senior Clerk, David Hockney with the award for Monckton Chambers, winner of the new category, “Specialist Chambers of the Year”.

Judges commended in particular Monckton’s high profile cases, its record turnover for 2018/19 and its three new Silks, two of which are women.

David Hockney was thrilled with the specialist award: “This is a new category which rightly recognises the excellence of those sets that are known for key specialist areas; in our case Competition, EU Law, Public Procurement, Indirect Tax, Public Law & Human Rights, whilst still offering a wider range of services. The award applauds strategic focus and the achievement of excellence in core areas and Monckton Chambers is delighted to be its first recipient.”

Celebrating its 25th year, The Lawyer Awards commend excellence in the profession across private practice, the public sector, commerce and industry, and the Bar.

The FCA has appointed John Swift QC as one of two Independent Reviewers for the lessons learned reviews commissioned by the FCA’s Board. One review will cover the redress scheme for Interest Rate Hedging Products and the other will cover the regulation of firms involved with the Connaught Income Fund Series 1.

John Swift QC will carry out the review of the redress scheme for Interest Rate Hedging Products, which is expected to last 15 months.

See full FCA press release.

John Swift QC is a non-practising barrister specialised in competition and regulatory issues. He was Head of Monckton Chambers from 1999-2002. He now practices as a domestic and international Arbitrator based at Monckton Chambers.