Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Chancery: Traditional - London (Bar)
What the Team is Known For
Ten Old Square remains a premier set for handling trusts, probate and estates matters. The bench strength at the set is highlighted as a particular asset, with one interviewee commenting: “It is definitely the go-to for us for traditional chancery, both international and domestic trust and probate disputes. They have got particularly excellent juniors who are up and coming.” Another source says: “Ten Old Square have shown themselves to be strong across every aspect. They are unfazed by complex legal points and provide first-class advice whatever the topic.”
Strengths
The clerks at Ten Old Square are very efficient and helpful, quick to respond and they communicate clearly.
Ten Old Square's clerking is very, very good. both Marc Schofield and Keith Plowman are very helpful. For a lot of matters, we are usually looking at them as our go-to set.
They go above and beyond. Marc Schofield's ability to juggle diaries is something to behold.
Notable practitioners
He is such a calm and inspiring barrister, he inspires confidence in clients.
He is a powerhouse. In terms of probate and tax disputes, there are few in the area better than him. He has enormous experience, combined with service levels. I am a big fan.
Richard really inspires confidence. He has a lot of chancery experience and knowledge of trusts, but what stands out is his practical application of this for his clients.
Simon is incredibly user-friendly. He breaks things down and makes things very easy to understand. He also turns things around quickly - you can't fault him.
Simon Taube is very thoughtful, robust but also sensible. He is great at getting into the detail and the clients have complete faith and confidence in him.
Simon Taube's reputation within the field is well deserved. He is truly outstanding.
Georgia Bedworth has a super brain, she is so clever.
I have always found Georgia excellent. She is responsive, thorough and knows the area inside out. She knows how to deal with complex issues very simply.
Georgia Bedworth is absolutely excellent. She is always picking up on things, she is good at looking at the whole thing, gets the detail and sees the angles.
Susannah Meadway is very creative and extremely knowledgeable on variation of trust applications. She is an excellent advocate and gives really sensible advice.
Susannah Meadway is brilliantly commercial, always looking for client-focused and efficient solutions. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.
He is bright, easy to work with, understands the value of teamwork and is extremely responsive in terms of work product. He is extremely good, thoroughly fantastic.
James MacDougald is one of the best team players and can put his hand to pretty much anything complex. He is happy to work with anyone he needs to as he is really collegiate. He has got a superb mind.
James MacDougald is very good at absorbing information. He is just a thoroughly safe pair of hands.
Robert Arnfield is a noted junior with a wide-ranging traditional chancery practice encompassing everything from contentious wills and trusts to inheritance claims and estates work.
He not only advises on the applicable law but also considers the practical implications of his advice. He has a way of quickly understanding the crux of issues and the risks for the clients.
Dealing with Robert Arnfield is a pleasure. He understands complex trust issues quickly and thoroughly and takes into account the client's family and commercial circumstances in his advice.
He is great at chewing through problems with you. He is great in a contentious environment as he is great on his feet and also very user-friendly.
James Poole is a rising star who often handles disputes that fuse probate, trust and property law. He handles offshore work and domestic cases.
He is a force of nature in how he runs a case. He is incredibly clever. He is definitely a future KC.
James Poole is easy to work with, thinks his arguments through and has got a great grasp of technical knowledge. He is able to articulate that well. Clients really feel he has fought their corner.
He is a very genuine, fun person who is also intellectually outstanding. He brings dynamism to the work, can really connect with people and has strategic and deep knowledge.
Philip Jenkins is very impressive, user-friendly and turns things around well.
Philip is a very nice chap. He is friendly and approachable, clients like him and he's incredibly good at what he does.
Philip Jenkins is excellent. He is really easy to work with, a very good advocate, very clear and thorough in written work, and empathetic with clients.
James Egan advises on contentious and non-contentious private client matters. He also represents clients in Court of Protection cases and has a real property practice.
He is unbelievably bright and can always find answers even in murky issues or complex areas of law. He is just very pleasant to deal with and meticulous in his preparation as well.
I have been blown away with how thorough and commercial he is. I would not hesitate to use him again.
James Egan is a great choice. He is extremely responsive, sharp and intelligent.
James Kirby works on significant trust and estate disputes. He also advises clients on Court of Protection cases and advises on contentious and non-contentious tax matters.
James Kirby is very knowledgeable and has an eye for the most minute of details. He is hands-on and his advice never fails to combine his technical knowledge with practicality.
James Kirby is technically great and can turn his hand to anything. Clients and lawyers like him equally and enjoy working with him.