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September 2008
Legal 500 2008
Commercial Chancery:
Leading set
11 Stone Buildings is promoted following a quiet revolution in chambers. The legendary Chris Berry having retired from the set, Michael Couling's arrival from Fountain Court Chambers has coincided with an upturn in work for the set's barristers. This year sees individual improvement in the tables, but also gaining mention in the media, commercial litigation and civil fraud tables, and promotion in the insolvency rankings. Alan Gourgey QC and Tim Penny are two barristers prominent in our tables.
Junior Counsel to the Crown B Panel: Jonathan Lopian
Banking & Finance:
James Barnard - leading junior
Commercial Litigation:
Leading set
Alan Gourgey QC - leading silk
Tim Penny - leading junior
Marcia Shekerdemian - leading junior
Entering the rankings, firms say 11 Stone Buildings‘ applies a commercial approach to work, ably assisted by some of the best clerks in the business'. Alan Gourgey QC is ‘extremely bright, very good in court and user-friendly', Marcia Shekerdemian is ‘ thorough and practical', and Tim Penny has ‘ first-rate advocacy skills' and ‘ commercial acumen'.
Company & Partnerships:
Jane Giret QC - leading silk
Sally Barber - leading junior
Tina Kyriakides - leading junior
Fraud:
Leading Set
Alan Gourgey QC - leading silk
Max Mallin - leading junior
Tim Penny - leading junior
Iain Pester - leading junior
11 Stone Buildings breaks into the rankings this year. ‘Excellent advocate' Max Mallin, formerly an investment banker, garners significant accolades, along with the ‘very clever, very hard-working' Iain Pester.
Information Technology:
Alan Gourgey QC - leading silk
Nick Parfitt - leading junior
Insolvency:
Leading Set
Jane Giret QC - leading silk
Alan Gourgey QC - leading silk
Marcia Shekerdemian - leading junior
Raquel Agnello -leading junior
Tina Kyriakides - leading junior
Christopher Boardman - leading junior
Jonathan Lopian - leading junior
Birgitta Meyer - leading junior
Sally Barber - leading junior
Reuben Comiskey - leading junior
Adam Deacock - leading junior
Jamie Riley - leading junior
11 Stone Buildings moves up this year, ‘the wide range of experience in this specialist area, combined with the responsiveness of the clerks and individual members of chambers' making the set the ‘top choice (for insolvency)' for many instructing solicitors. ‘Excellent, both on paper and in court', the ‘absolutely exceptional junior' Marcia Shekerdemian receives numerous plaudits as being ‘very bright, user-friendly, and particularly alive to the needs of clients'. An ‘excellent communicator, technically very adept', Jane Giret QC has been acting on the Thakrar litigation for the trustee in bankruptcy. Rated for providing ‘pragmatic and clear advice', as well as for being ‘very responsive', Tina Kyriakides moves up to join Raquel Agnello in the upper echelons of the rankings. Agnello is considered ‘terrifically good' by clients, and acted in the Court of Appeal in Hickling v Baker last year. The ‘extremely impressive' Christopher Boardman is ‘seen as up-and-coming' here.
Intellectual Property:
Robert Deacon - Leading junior
11 Stone Buildings offers Robert Deacon, who is described by clients as ‘ our first port of call for a junior barrister on IP matters' and ‘a bright star' of ‘exceptional quality'.
Media, Sports & Entertainment:
Leading set
Tim Penny - leading junior
Robert Deacon - leading junior
Jamie Riley - leading junior
At 11 Stone Buildings IP specialist Robert Deacon recently acted for Status Quo. Tim Penny, who acted for the claimants in the ‘Busted' case, impresses solicitors with his ‘ ability to grasp complex matters quickly and provide sound tactical advice'.
Pensions:
Raquel Agnello - leading junior
New entrant Raquel Agnello at 11 Stone Buildings joins the table this year on the strength of her work as counsel for the Pensions Regulator in several cases including Sea Containers- the specific needs of the Regulator representing a new strand of pensions advice.
Property Litigation:
Jonathan Arkush - leading junior