Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Public Procurement - London (Bar)

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Monckton Chambers is an esteemed set that undertakes the full range of procurement cases, both advisory and contentious. Chambers receives instructions from tenderers and contracting authorities alike, and can assist with all stages of the procurement process. Its members have experience across a variety of sectors, from health and transport to utilities and IT. A significant case this year was Airwave Solutions Limited v The Secretary of State for the Home Department, a complex and high-profile procurement dispute. Monckton Chambers acted for Airwave Solutions, the incumbent provider of the UK emergency services mobile network, in a claim alleging that the defendants had breached their obligations under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 by failing to conduct an open procurement process for these services. Members of the set also continued to represent The National Lottery Company in The National Lottery Company v The Gambling Commission, one of the most high-profile and valuable disputes of the year. According to one commentator, the set is "undoubtedly the leading chambers for procurement law.”

David Hockney is the senior clerk.

Strengths

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Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Michael Bowsher
Michael Bowsher
Star Individuals

Michael Bowsher KC is a renowned silk with significant prowess in public procurement matters. Having been at the forefront of this area from its inception, he is an advocate revered by both claimants and defendants faced with high-value and important procurement challenges.

Michael Bowsher KC has seen it all and so can cut through an issue. He finds the sophisticated legal arguments that are needed to develop procurement challenges.

Michael is clearly a leader in his field and is an impressive fount of legal knowledge.

Michael is very clever and knows everything the solicitor needs to know when faced with a tricky case.

Michael remains one of the senior figures of the public procurement Bar, and is a man with unrivalled knowledge of the issues at play.

Philip Moser
Philip Moser
Star Individuals

Philip Moser KC is highly regarded for his experience in procurement and EU law. A significant portion of his work arises from instructions received from the government, and he is also frequently sought out to represent claimants challenging procurement awards. Moser has acted in a range of procurement cases, including those in the defence, transport and healthcare sectors.

Philip Moser KC has encyclopedic knowledge of the area.

Philip is an excellent advocate with a calm and authoritative manner that reassures clients and works well with the judiciary too.

Philip Moser is top of the tree in this sector.

Alan Bates
1
Alan Bates
1
Band 1

Alan Bates is a popular junior with experience of handling a broad array of procurement matters. His representation of government departments is of particular note. He brings to bear his wider knowledge of state aid, competition and EU law.

Alan was a fantastically collaborative worker who formed a key member of our team and was well respected and trusted by our client.

Alan Bates is a superb lawyer who has very good commercial judgement.

Alan is fiercely bright and extremely tactically and strategically adept.

I have been particularly impressed by the clarity of Alan's legal submissions in court.

Fiona Banks
1
Fiona Banks
1
Band 1

Fiona Banks is an able barrister with a far-reaching client list that takes in both contracting authorities and tenderers. She is frequently sought out to advise on procurement agreements and also has a strong track record of handling procurement challenges.

Fiona's ability to understand highly technical information and convert that into submissions that can be understood by a judge, who may not be as familiar with the information, is second to none.

Fiona has a great manner with clients. When handling a case, she is all over the detail and effective at drafting.

Fiona Banks has got a really good manner with clients and is a great team player.

Valentina Sloane
1
Valentina Sloane
1
Band 1

Valentina Sloane KC is an admired adviser and litigator who handles procurement cases as part of her wider European law practice. She is regularly instructed by top law firms and the government, and has experience across a range of areas, having handled procurement challenges relating to the rail, defence and security sectors.

Val was brilliant from start to finish. She managed the clients and their expectations very well and read the judges' minds superbly. She really got under the skin of the case and remained composed.

Valentina is at the top of her game and a leading individual.

A very strong procurement advocate who is very clear in her advice and very punchy in her submissions to the court.

2
Alfred Artley
2
Band 2

Alfred Artley is an up-and-coming barrister in the public procurement space who acts for both claimants and defendants. He was involved on the government side opposing a number of the Good Law Project's challenges to PPE and other COVID-related contracts, and appeared for the Secretary of State for Transport in the 2019 Rail Franchising Litigation.

Alfred Artley is a fabulous junior. He is very bright and likeable.

Alfred is very intelligent and one of the leading juniors in this field.

Alfred is my absolute go-to junior for procurement disputes. No one can cover the detail as quickly as he can.

Alfred has always been willing to go beyond what is expected of him to ensure a case is properly prepared.

Azeem Suterwalla
2
Azeem Suterwalla
2
Band 2

Azeem Suterwalla is a respected junior who acts for clients including local authorities and government departments on the full range of procurement matters. He also regularly represents claimant bidders challenging procurement awards.

Azeem is fantastic to work with. He is approachable, pragmatic and someone clients warm to.

Azeem is very easy to use. He's human in his approach and keen to develop relationships.

Azeem is a class act who's excellent to work with. He really knows his stuff and has a very personable manner.

Ewan West
2
Ewan West
2
Band 2

Ewan West KC was previously a civil servant in the Department for Transport. He is a well-respected barrister with a public procurement practice that covers transport, utilities and health. He has worked on many significant and high-profile challenges on behalf of both challengers and contracting authorities.

Ewan's command of the authorities is outstanding. He is on top of the latest developments and has the relevant cases at his fingertips in conference, a fact which puts clients at ease.

Ewan West KC is a very bright, hands-on lawyer who knows the law back to front.

Ewan has an especially fine ability to recall case law and apply it to the current issue at hand. He is also impressive on his feet, both in cross-examination and when making submissions.

Ewan has encyclopedic knowledge.

Ewan deeply understands the strategy required for claimant litigation. He has seen cases from both sides of the public procurement fence, so can add great value to any case.

Jonathan Lewis
2
Jonathan Lewis
2
Band 2

Jonathan Lewis is a rising junior in the field. He has a wide procurement practice, representing both claimants and contracting bodies in substantial procurement challenges. Lewis is instructed by businesses, local authorities, NHS bodies and the Ministry of Defence.

Jonathan Lewis's advice is commercial in nature and he understands the client's business and speaks their language.

Jonathan is a great procurement barrister. He is knowledgeable and supportive of clients, and has good strategic instincts.

Jonathan Lewis has very strong analytical skills and is very hard-working.

Jonathan is very responsive and delivers timely, accessible advice that clients can digest with ease.

Jon is extremely good with clients, and provides clear, concise and commercially sensible advice in the short periods of time available in procurement litigation.

Ligia Osepciu
2
Ligia Osepciu
2
Band 2

Ligia Osepciu is a talented junior who has experience in competition law, public procurement and utilities regulation. She has worked on a number of important cases, often unled.

Ligia Osepciu is on lots of cases and is very hard-working.

Rob Williams
2
Rob Williams
2
Band 2

Rob Williams KC is a go-to barrister who has been instructed in a number of leading procurement cases. He has a client base consisting of government departments and other public bodies as well as commercial entities. Williams regularly handles procurement cases in areas such as the health sector, and his recent experience also includes leading cases on rail procurement.

Rob was excellent and took some really creative and interesting points on appeal.

Anneli Howard
3
Anneli Howard
3
Band 3

Anneli Howard KC is a well-established public procurement practitioner with broad expertise in the space. She has in-depth knowledge of working with government departments and is able to provide guidance on services awards, procurement challenges and subsidiary control matters. She is also very well versed in EU law.

Anneli is an impressive EU practitioner. She is very bright and just a delight to work with.

Anneliese Blackwood
3
Anneliese Blackwood
3
Band 3

Anneliese Blackwood is a knowledgeable junior who handles significant contentious and non-contentious matters. She is frequently sought out by claimants to challenge high-stakes procurement awards, and her recent work includes notable cases in the transport sector.

Anneliese exhibits an impressive clarity in her drafting.

Brendan McGurk
3
Brendan McGurk
3
Band 3

Brendan McGurk KC is regularly involved in high-value procurement disputes, acting for both bidders and contracting authorities. He has experience in defence procurement as well as IT and healthcare-related matters.

Brendan is an effective procurement barrister. He is technically good and has exceptional client management skills.

Brendan McGurk KC is superb. His drafting skills are exceptional and he turns work around very quickly. He is highly strategic and gets to the point quickly.

3
Khatija Hafesji
3
Band 3

Khatija Hafesji is an up-and-coming procurement junior. She is regularly instructed in procurement cases before the Technology and Construction Court. Her clients include the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education and private clients.

Khatija Hafesji gave sound, thorough advice and didn't leave any room for ambiguity.

Khatija is exceptionally bright. She has an extraordinary ability to understand and recall complex facts and apply the law to novel situations.

Ranked Barristers at
Monckton Chambers

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Filter by
Band

Silks (KC)

London (Bar)

Public Procurement

Michael Bowsher KC
Michael Bowsher KC
Star Individuals
Philip Moser KC
Philip Moser KC
Star Individuals
Valentina Sloane KC
1
Valentina Sloane KC
1
Band 1
Azeem Suterwalla KC
2
Azeem Suterwalla KC
2
Band 2
Ewan West KC
2
Ewan West KC
2
Band 2
Rob Williams KC
2
Rob Williams KC
2
Band 2
Anneli Howard KC
3
Anneli Howard KC
3
Band 3
Brendan McGurk KC
3
Brendan McGurk KC
3
Band 3

Juniors

London (Bar)

Public Procurement

Alan Bates
1
Alan Bates
1
Band 1
Fiona Banks
1
Fiona Banks
1
Band 1
2
Alfred Artley
2
Band 2
Jonathan Lewis
2
Jonathan Lewis
2
Band 2
Ligia Osepciu
2
Ligia Osepciu
2
Band 2
Anneliese Blackwood
3
Anneliese Blackwood
3
Band 3
3
Khatija Hafesji
3
Band 3