ST PHILIPS - Key Persons
Abigail Turner is an experienced, diligent and respected advocate specialising in public and private law relating to children.
The empathy and sensitivity she shows towards her clients means she is frequently instructed to act in complex cases especially those involving vulnerable clients.
Abigail is listed as a leading junior in Family and Children Law in the Legal 500.
Alexander Rozycki is an experienced litigator with a busy practice in the fields of employment, personal injury and commercial law and has been Tier 3 ranked in the 2024 Legal 500 UK Bar Rankings for his Employment work.
He appears regularly in the Employment Tribunals undertaking work across the full spectrum of employment law. He also has expertise in employment-related matters which fall within the jurisdiction of the civil courts, in particular restraint of trade/restrictive covenants and claims based on contract. Alexander also regularly appears in the civil courts from the County Court to the High Court and Court of Appeal. He has particular expertise in cases involving credit hire, fraud and fundamental dishonesty, as well as tortious and contractual claims, including professional negligence.
Alexander has experience of working in-house in a firm of solicitors specialising in professional negligence and professional indemnity insurance. He therefore has significant experience of advising on professional negligence disputes, as well as on insurance policy coverage.
In 2005/2006, and prior to commencing his pupillage, Alexander completed a "Stage" at the Legal Service of the European Commission in Brussels, in the course of which he was involved in trade disputes involving the Commission at the WTO Dispute Resolution Panel in Geneva, competition and anti-dumping disputes and cases involving international terrorism.
Languages: French (fluent), Polish (fluent), Russian (intermediate) and Mandarin (beginner).
Ali Tabari is widely recognised as a leading commercial junior, consistently ranked in the legal directories for many years and described variously as "a highly skilled and persuasive advocate", "exceptional on his feet", "a very impressive trial advocate", "very incisive", "a pleasure to work with", "very approachable, responsive and friendly", "absolutely fantastic", and with an "excellent manner with clients and the judiciary".
He has a busy and thriving commercial practice focussing on heavy commercial litigation involving fraud, insolvency, company and finance aspects. His experience in those fields also leads to instructions in professional liability matters.
He regularly appears in lengthy and complex trials in the High Court, and has been instructed in the Court of Appeal several times. Recent experience has seen him led in a 3-week fraud trial worth £100m+ and sole junior (against four Silks) in a month-long conspiracy and breach of duty trial worth £30m+ in the Rolls Building.
First and foremost, Ali is a confident courtroom advocate who is diligent, proactive and approachable. He welcomes early involvement so as to help formulate a strategy in line with the client's commercial objectives, and his advice is robust, pragmatic and realistic. Ali's responsive and collaborative style is well-suited to urgent applications for injunctive relief, as well as applications for pre-action and interim relief, all of which are regular features of his fraud and insolvency practice areas.
Moreover, Ali is an accredited civil/commercial mediator through ADR Group, and uses those skills when instructed as the advocate in mediations; he has acted in over 50 mediations as either mediator or advocate. His sensible and considered approach has also led to instructions as an independent investigator for private companies requiring findings of fact and determinations of internal disputes.
Ali is qualified to take instructions through the Direct Public Access scheme. He writes regularly for well-established practitioner resources, regularly delivers seminars, and speaks a number of languages (fluent in Farsi, good working knowledge of German and French).
Ali Tabari successfully defended two former directors of the Hospital Medical Group in a £35m claim brought after the collapse of a high profile healthcare provider which had been involved in the PIP breast implants scandal, and which had undergone a major complex restructuring exercise. The claim was brought on multiple grounds: that the directors … Continue reading Ali Tabari successfully defends in £35m breach of duty trial in the Rolls Building
Ali Tabari successful in application to validate out-of-hours administration appointment
Job Titles:
- Specialist Business and Property Pupillage in October 2021 and Joined Chambers As a Tenant in October 2022
Amanprit Kaur began a specialist Business and Property pupillage in October 2021 and joined Chambers as a tenant in October 2022.
She observed and worked on a variety of commercial, insolvency and property law matters with Ali Tabari, Marc Brown and Anthony Verduyn, and was a speaker at chambers' 2022 Insolvency and Restructuring Conference. Amanprit has been accepting instructions in her own name from April 2022.
Before commencing pupillage, Amanprit was a legal researcher at Keating Chambers. She also helped edit practitioner textbooks in this field, including Keating on Construction Contracts (11 th Ed) and Wilmot Smith on Construction Contracts (3 rd Ed).
Between completing her degree and starting the BPTC, Amanprit was a private client paralegal at a regional law firm in Nottingham working on Wills, Trusts and Probate matters.
Amanprit read law at the University of Manchester and completed her BPTC at City Law School of London.
Amanprit was brought up in the North East of England where she worked in her parents' local business inspiring her to begin her own start-up business whilst studying for her A-Levels.
In her spare time, Amanprit enjoys doing yoga.
Amarjit Rai has wide experience in civil litigation focusing on commercial disputes, property (commercial and residential), personal injury and clinical negligence. Amarjit has acted on behalf of Vodafone, Next, Burger King and HMV as well as numerous private individuals with contentious property/commercial issues.
He has extensive experience in high value clinical negligence and employers liability cases and regularly appears before the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Amarjit's clinical negligence practice includes several multi-million pound claims.
Amarjit is a specialist Fraudulent Claims Group have extensive experience of all types of fraudulent personal injury and motor claims.
Amrisha Parathalingam is a specialist criminal and regulatory practitioner and is a Grade 3 CPS prosecutor. Her recent criminal practice includes cases of increasing complexity and gravity ranging from homicide to fraud, sexual offences and offences of serious violence.
Amy holds membership on the CPS Advocates Panels for RASSO, General Crime and Serious Organised Crime at Level 3.
She has a very strong Criminal practice, and is instructed by both the defence and prosecution on matters spanning the criminal spectrum. Amy is particularly experienced in defending serious sexual and violent offences.
Amy is also instructed in Regulatory matters and believes that the skills and experience developed in the Criminal court give real advantage in Regulatory cases.
Job Titles:
- Head of the Personal Injury
Andrew Evans is Head of the Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Groups in Chambers.
Andrew Jackson is a well-established practitioner in criminal law. He has been ranked consistently in Band 1 of Chambers & Partners. He is an "across the board" advocate: if the case involves an infringement of the criminal law, then he will undertake it to the best of his ability. His experience ranges from so-called "simple" cases of dishonesty to sophisticated fraud involving Bills of Exchange; from factually uncomplicated assaults to child homicide involving complex medical evidence.
He has regularly been instructed to defend and to prosecute in all types of sexual offences, frequently involving child witnesses. He has defended and prosecuted police officers and public body officials charged with misconduct in public office. Drugs cases frequently come his way. He prosecuted successfully a six-handed conspiracy to import cocaine and cannabis worth in excess of £40 million; he has defended in comparable cases.
He is a Grade 4 Prosecutor.
Job Titles:
- Senior Clerk - Crime
- Senior Clerk of St Philips Crime Group
Andrew Rourke is Senior Clerk of St Philips Crime Group, having worked in the Criminal Justice System for 19 years. He commenced his career as a Bar Clerk at No5 Chambers in the Crime Group before moving to the Courts Service where he spent 7 years as a Crown Court Clerk and Listing Officer. Andrew joined St Philips in 2022 having spent 6 years at St Ives Chambers as the Crime Group Practice Manager.
Andrew brings a wealth of experience to the role of Senior Clerk. As evidenced by testimonials in legal directories Andrew prides himself on providing excellent service to his clients as well as developing relationships with new clients whilst building networks for future work. Andrew has an ability to keep his ear to the ground to ensure Chambers are briefed in cases of the highest profile.
With three young children and being the coach of his son's football and rugby team, Andrew's free time is limited, but given the opportunity, nothing makes him happier than to be watching NFL and going to the horse racing.
Angus Thomas undertook a specialist Business and Property pupillage under the supervision of Rob Mundy, Marc Brown, and John Aldis.
Having assisted on a variety of company, insolvency, and property matters, Angus has acquired a broad experience of commercial and chancery work.
Angus studied History and Politics (First Class) at the University of York before reading for an LLB in Law (First Class) at BPP University.
Angus completed a master's in Commercial and Corporate Law (Distinction) at Queen Mary University of London. He received a Faculty of Law academic prize for attaining the highest marks in the year.
Before starting pupillage, Angus undertook the bar course at City University (Distinction). He is a recipient of the Lord Denning scholarship from Lincoln's Inn.
Angus began accepting instructions on 3 April 2023.
Anna Peaston is a family law specialist with an established practice in children matters, both public and private. She has experience in dealing with case management hearings, directions hearings, contested removal hearings, urgent applications and multi-day final and fact finding hearings.
In public proceedings, Anna has experience in representing parents, children and Local Authorities at all stages of proceedings and all levels of judiciary up to and including the Hight Court. Notable cases include:
Acting for a parent in a matter where one parent had been killed by another, including a successful, contested application for the termination of a parent's parental responsibility.
Acting for vulnerable parents with cognitive difficulties and those requiring lay advocates or an intermediary. This includes experience both at interim removal hearings and in multi - day final hearings involving expert evidence and where the Local Authority are seeking care and placement orders.
Acting for the child in a DOLS application in the High Court in respect of an unregulated placement.
Acting for a parent and successfully obtaining a supervision order in a matter where the Local Authority was seeking care orders at final hearing.
Fact finding, case management and final hearings involving NAI allegations, an area in which Anna has a particular interest.
In private proceedings, Anna has experience in representing both parents and children through their 16.4 Guardian at all stages of proceedings. Notable cases include:
Acting for parents in emergency applications, including in respect of school moves or applications to relocate.
Acting for a parent requiring an interpreter in a particularly long- running dispute involving expert evidence and allegations of alienation, including at a multi-day final hearing.
Acting for a parent in an exceptionally complex private matter in which a 16.4 Guardian was appointed, involving an existing criminal conviction for viewing indecent images of children and allegations of parental alienation.
Acting for a parent in proceedings which later developed into public law proceedings, involving a successful appeal of an interim decision as to residence.
Acting for parents in cases where allegations of coercion and control and of sexual abuse are being made, both for the party making the allegations and those defending them.
Prior to commencing pupillage, Anna worked as a paralegal in the family law department of a firm in London and in business development at a charity working with offenders and their families. She has held voluntary positions including providing information on issues affecting the LGBT community and representing families contesting a child's exclusion from school.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys walking, cooking and travelling.
Education
LLB (Hons), Law with French, University of Birmingham, 2:1
BPTC, University of Law, Very Competent
Annabel Hale is currently completing pupillage under the supervision of Carl Templar-Vasey and is enjoying gaining experience in all areas of criminal and regulatory work.
Annabel has assisted in drafting documents for Court, including skeleton arguments, bad character applications/responses, hearsay applications, legal research, cross examination and final speeches.
Prior to commencing pupillage, Annabel gained experience working with pro bono organisations such as the Freedom Law Clinic, Advocate and the School Exclusion Project alongside her legal studies.
Annabel actively participated in mooting throughout her studies. She was awarded the CEPLER Prize for Outstanding Contributions to Advocacy from University of Birmingham having represented the University at the Helga Pedersen European Mooting Competition, placing third. She was also awarded the Lady Barber Prize for Mooting following her achievements in internal competitions. Annabel went on to represent Gray's Inn at the Philip C Jessup International Mooting Competition, reaching the advanced rounds in Washington D.C and ranking in the top 40 oralists.
In her spare time Annabel is a keen baker, she enjoys exercising, getting outdoors and taking trips to the theatre.
Annabel will be on her feet and accepting instructions from 2 April 2024.
Education
LLB - University of Birmingham - First Class
BVS - City Law School, London - Distinction
Job Titles:
- Chancellor of the Diocese of Lichfield
Anya Newman was called in 2007 and quickly gained a reputation for her advocacy work, being consistently recognised in the legal directories since 2014.
Anya has a reputation for being practical and supportive to her clients whilst being "formidable" in court. In addition, her attention to detail and drafting is highly valued. Flexible in her approach, she is regarded as being able to expertly read her audience to be able to present arguments in the most persuasive manner possible.
In addition to her real property practice, Anya has a national reputation in Landlord and Tenant. She is passionate about houses, often advising Local Authorities who are considering the redevelopment of estates and private landlords with difficult tenancy issues. She particularly enjoys agricultural work and those cases which affect those living and working in the countryside.
Anya regularly appears in the High Court and has experience of large and complex litigation. She is a practical barrister, able to advise clients on the most cost-effective options in litigation. For that reason, she is frequently instructed to attend mediations and is often engaged at the very beginning of the litigation process, working with her clients to achieve the best possible outcome in each case.
Currently, Anya continues to work on the groundbreaking case of Wolverhampton and Others v Persons Unknown which prevents dangerous car cruising across the Black Country.
Anya Newman specialises in property with an emphasis on real property and commercial leases. The 2023 Legal 500 comments that:
"Anya has excellent technical knowledge and attention to detail. She can explain complicated technical issues to clients in such a way that they understand the key points and considerations in a case."
Anya is passionate about houses and land and often goes the extra mile for clients with such issues when asked to attend site visits and onsite mediation. Her flexible approach to opponents renders Anya well suited to interfamilial dispute claims whilst the straightforward manner in which she tackles technical issues means she is also highly sought after for boundary and easement cases.
Anya's real estate work covers claims such as:
Boundary disputes
Trespass
Adverse possession
Rights of way / Easements
Nuisance
Injunction claims
Restrictive covenants
Family trusts and complex agreements
Misrepresentation / duress / undue influence in interfamilial agreements
Anya frequently undertakes cases relating to commercial leases including those dealing with renewal. She advises in dilapidations matters and has a particular interest in leasehold claims involving multiple tenants with partial residential use.
With regard to her commercial property work, Anya regularly advises on:
Termination and renewal of 1954 Act leases
Forfeiture and possession
Disrepair / dilapidations
Breach of covenant
Trespass and adverse possession
Access / Rights of way
Declaration and alteration matters
Service charge disputes
Due to her work spanning both real property and landlord and tenant, Anya is often instructed to represent clients with complex lease issues where part of the use might be residential.
Anya is also highly sought after to advise in private landlord and tenant issues including possession and rent review cases. Housing is often a political issue and Anya is closely watching the progress of the Renters Reform Bill and the changes that might mean for those who rent properties.
Ben Close has been a specialist criminal practitioner since he was called to the Bar in 2009. His practice also encompasses regulatory work.
Ben is instructed by various prosecuting authorities and the defence, typically in serious and complex cases. His recent and ongoing cases include murder, attempted murder, large and complex drug conspiracies, high-value fraud and cases involving serious sexual offences.
As well as appearing regularly in the Crown Court, he has also appeared successfully numerous times in the Court of Appeal including in reported cases, where he has been complimented for his thorough approach.
He is a Grade 4 prosecutor (the highest grade). He is on the specialist Grade 4 lists for Fraud, Serious Crime and Proceeds of Crime and he is on the Grade 3 Counter-Terrorism panel. He has also been appointed to the CPS specialist rape panel.
He has several ongoing cases in which he is leading junior counsel.
Ben is on the Serious Fraud Office's Panel A for confiscation and Panel B for fraud, and he has been appointed to the ‘B' list of Specialist Regulatory Advocates.
Ben has earned a reputation for a hard-working and thorough approach, but without losing sight of the importance of being personable and persuasive. He is equally at home addressing juries or judges.
After obtaining a First Class degree in Law where he achieved the highest marks in his University year, Ben completed an LLM in Criminal Justice prior to completing the Bar course.
He is a Midland Circuit trained advocacy tutor.
In 2020 Ben was elected to the Bar Council where he sits on the Education and Training Committee. He is a member of St Philips' pupillage committee.
Ben Close leading Catherine Ravenscroft have secured convictions of all 5 defendants who carried out an audacious armed robbery of a jewellers, the footage of which went ‘viral'. The robbers stole gold valued at £300,000, having blocked off a busy road in Birmingham. 3 men entered the jewellers, whilst 1 man acted as ‘crowd control' … Continue reading Ben Close leading Catherine Ravenscroft secure convictions for armed robbery
Ben Close (led by Jason Bartfeld KC and instructed Saddique & Uddin Solicitors) successfully secured a young defendant's acquittal of murder. At trial in Birmingham, Mr Justice Choudhury allowed a submission of no case to answer in respect of their client. The prosecution unsuccessfully sought to appeal that ruling, leading to their client's acquittal. Another … Continue reading Ben Close successfully secured a young defendant's acquittal of murder
Ben Close, led by Jason Bartfeld KC, defends in a murder trial at Birmingham Crown Court where five teenagers are accused of stabbing an 18 year old. Find out more details about the case here [external link]: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/accused-killer-found-rap-lyrics-25351348
Ben Close successfully prosecuted the trial of 2 defendants for their part in the armed robbery of a jewellery shop using a firearm. One defendant received 16 years' imprisonment with an extended period of 4 years and his female partner whose role included the ‘getaway driver' received 8 years. Coventry Telegraph press can be found here.
Ben Douglas-Jones QC acted for the four appellants in the first secondary ticketing s.90 Consumer Rights Act 2015 appeals before the President of the FTT General Regulatory Chamber. He raised procedural impropriety and the four appeals succeeded paving the way to concessions that the penalties imposed in other cases were not safe, due to procedural manipulation by the enforcement authority. The penalties were also found (technically given that the appeals succeeded) to breach natural justice.
Ben, leading James Marsland, appeared for the Specialist Fraud Division before the Court of Appeal R v Mumtaz [2017] EWCA Crim 1843 (serious and complex fraud). In a judgment given by Hickinbottom LJ the Court agreed with Ben that there was no prejudice in an amendment to the indictment which had secured the conviction of the Appellant.
Ben Douglas-Jones has appeared in two Court of Appeal cases (Z, 7 July 2016 and Chikho, 13 October 2016) which considered the status of Turkey as a stopover point for refugees seeking to rely on the asylum seeker's defence to criminal offences. The 1951 Refugee Convention, as a post-Second World War instrument, was originally limited in scope to persons fleeing events occurring before 1951 within Europe. A 1967 Protocol removed the geographic and temporal limits of the Convention. Turkey however maintained the geographical limitation. Thus no Convention protection was historically afforded to refugees from outside Europe seeking asylum in Turkey. A stopover in Turkey could (historically) not prevent a refugee from relying on the refugee defence. In Chikho the importance of advice given at the Crown Court was highlighted.
Ben Douglas-Jones KC, leading James Robottom (Matrix), instructed by Philippa Southwell of Southwells, secured a victory for the Appellant in R v AJW in the Court of Appeal. The Court (Carr LJ, Jay J and Sir Nigel Davis) overturned the conviction of a woman who had been a child at the time, but who was … Continue reading Ben Douglas-Jones KC secures victory for the Appellant in R v AJW in the Court of Appeal
Ben Williams is recommended in Chambers & Partners 2023:
Job Titles:
- Junior Clerk - Employment, PI and Clinical Negligence
Job Titles:
- Junior Clerk - Business and Property
Job Titles:
- Senior Clerk - Regulatory
Job Titles:
- Senior Clerk - Business and Property
Job Titles:
- Senior Clerk - Employment, PI and Clinical Negligence
Job Titles:
- Junior Clerk - Regulatory
Stephen Oliver was represented by Ben, led by Graham Trembath QC. He faced allegations of creating and operating copycat government websites to defraud the public. The case was complex and substantial. After a trial the defendants were acquitted of copycat website fraud and the prosecution abandoned further proceedings concerning consumer protection offences. A second case was then discontinued.
Job Titles:
- Junior Clerk - Business and Property