The number of new Queen’s Counsel (QC) has rebounded after a 2018 dip, including a record 22 appointments from ethnic minority backgrounds.
The proportion of female appointments fell, however, two percentage points to 28% of successful candidates, making up 30 of the 114 to take up silk in total. A total of 108 QCs were appointed last year.
Five solicitors from outside the UK and with practices focused on international arbitration were also appointed to QC. They include Singapore-based Sapna Jhangiani from Clyde & Co, who was one of the QCs of ethnic minority backgrounds appointed, Magic Circle partners Nigel Blackaby from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Washington and Simon Chapman from Herbert Smith Freehills in Hong Kong were appointed.
Andrew de Lotbiniere McDougall from White & Case and Jason Fry from Clifford Chance, both based in Paris, were also named as QCs.
McDougall told Legal Business: ‘I’m honoured to receive such a prestigious award. It’s particularly meaningful to me and a true honour. I just looked at the list quickly and I see some friends and people I know. It’s encouraging and a real privilege to be recognised alongside people who practice in court on a day to day basis and that our practice of international arbitration is considered at the same level.’
Fountain Court had a record year following the appointment of six new QCs, including Giles Wheeler, Edward Levey, Robin Barclay, Chloe Carpenter, Ben Lynch and Tamara Oppenheimer. Other notable chambers such as Essex Court, 4 Pump Court and 1 Crown Office Row did not appear on this year’s list.
The 30 women appointed was said to be ‘comparatively low’ by the chair of the selection panel, Sir Alex Allan: ‘I am pleased that of those women who did apply, almost 60% were successful.’
The overall number of QCs appointed this year increased by five per cent. All appointed QCs will formally become silks at a ceremony on 16 March 2020.
The full list of appointments (in alphabetical order):
Dominic James Adamson, Temple Garden Chambers
William Andrew Allen, Outer Temple Chambers
William Siward Atkins, Maitland Chambers
Robin Nicholas John Barclay, Fountain Court Chambers
Jonathan James Barnard, Cloth Fair Chambers
Zoë Maria Marsden Barton, Wilberforce Chambers
Nigel Alexander Blackaby, Freshfields
David Anthony Blundell, Landmark Chambers
Christopher Leigh Wilson Boardman, Radcliffe Chambers
Samantha Jane Bowcock, 15 Winckley Square
Michael Antony Brady, 18 St John Street Chambers
Cameron Kennedy Duncan Brown, Red Lion Chambers
Stewart John Buckingham, Quadrant Chambers
Matthew Paul Butt, Three Raymond Building
Henry James Byam-Cook, Twenty Essex
Rebecca Jane Carew Pole, 1 Hare Court
Chloe Carpenter, Fountain Court Chambers
James Frederick Horatio Carpenter, Hailsham Chambers
Jennifer Anne Carter-Manning, 7BR
Simon James Chapman, Herbert Smith Freehills
Allison Jean Clare, Red Lion Chambers
Timothy Donald Collingwood, Serle Court
Ben Lion Cooper, Doughty Street Chambers
Gary Adam Cowen, Falcon Chambers
Nicholas John de la Poer, New Park Court
Marcus Benedict Dignum, 12 King’s Bench Walk
Louis George Doyle, Kings Chambers
Delroy Benell Duncan, Cloisters
Richard Mark Fisher, South Square
Mark Steven Ford, Lincoln House Chambers
Jason Alva Fry, Clifford Chance
Gurdeep Singh Garcha, Citadel Chambers
Peter Seamus Patrick Goatley, No5 Chambers
James Daniel Goldsmith, One Essex Court
Mark Narayan Graffius, 2 Hare Court
Andrew Timothy Grantham, Kings Chambers
Alexander Edward Hall Taylor, 4 New Square
Justin Beresford Higgo, Serle Court
Samantha Hillas, St Johns Buildings
John Leslie Hipkin, Iscoed Chambers
Jamas Rusi Hodivala, Matrix Chambers
Syed Ahmed Izharul Hossain, Temple Court
Frida Hussain, Furnival Chambers
Sapna Jhangiani, Clyde & Co
Leon Samuel Kazakos, 2 Hare Court
Martin Goddard Kingerley, 36 Family
Jennifer Claudia Knight, Two Harcourt Buildings
Adrian Mark Langdale, 7BR
Blair Patricia Leahy, Twenty Essex
Krista Lee, Keating Chambers
Edward Michael Levey, Fountain Court Chambers
Richard Ian Liddell, 4 New Square
Benjamin John Patrick Lynch, Fountain Court Chambers
Scott Edward Lyness, Landmark Chambers
Shantanu Joseph Majumdar, Radcliffe
Roger Mallalieu, 4 New Square
Aileen McColgan, 11KBW
Andrew de Lotbinière McDougall, White & Case
Gerard Patrick McMeel, Quadrant Chambers
John Mehrzad, Littleton Chambers
Julian Robert Milford, 11 KBW
Barbara Mills, 4 Paper Buildings
Peter Mitchell, 29 Bedford Row
Eleni Mitrophanous, Matrix Chambers
Anurag Mohindru, Foundry Chambers
Andrew Matthew Stephen Mold, Wilberforce Chambers
Veronica Allison Munroe, Garden Court Chambers
Charlotte Anne Newell, 5 Kings Bench Walk
Katharine Julia Newton, Old Square Chambers
Andrew James Steedsman Norris, Hogarth Chambers
Harry John William Oliver, 1 Kings Bench Walk
Ijeoma Chinyelu Omambala, Old Square Chambers
Tamara Helen Pasternak Oppenheimer, Fountain Court Chambers
Jane Elizabeth Osborne, 2 Harcourt Buildings
Deshpal Panesar, Old Square Chambers
Conall Patton, One Essex Court
Cleo Perry, 4 Paper Buildings
James Patrick Pickering, Enterprise Chambers
David Richard Pievsky, Blackstone Chambers
Marcus James Pilgerstorfer, 11 KBW
Rajesh Pillai, 3VB
Henry William Stodart Pitchers, No5 Chambers
Sarah Selena Rixar Plowden, Guildhall Chambers
Paul Nikolai Raudnitz, Hollis Whiteman
Stanley Reiz, 2 Bedford Row
Philip Geoffrey Hurry Riches, Twenty Essex
Jeremy John Richmond, Quadrant Chambers
Brendan Roche, 7 Bedford Row Chambers
Adam Julius Rosenthal, Falcon Chambers
Noah Daniel Rubins, Freshfields
Harish Salve, Blackstone Chambers
Jonathan Robert Sampson, Harcourt Chambers
Jonathan Sandiford, St Pauls Chambers
Amanda Claire Savage, 4 New Square
David Luke Scannell, Brick Court Chambers
James Jeffrey Segan, Blackstone Chambers
Katherine Emma Selway, Radcliffe Chambers
Sharif Asim Shivji, 4 Stone Buildings
Stephen John Simblet, Garden Court Chambers
Melanie Denise Simpson, 25 Bedford Row
Adam Speker, 5RB
Heidi Lorraine Stonecliffe, UK Government
Timothy James Storrie, Lincoln House Chambers
Allison Summers, Drystone Chambers
Jacqueline Louise Thomas, Spire Barristers
Andrew James Thornton, Erskine Chambers
Rebecca Louise Tuck, Old Square Chambers
Richard Daniel Wald, 39 Essex Chambers
Henry Warwick, Henderson Chambers
Simon Mark Webster, 1 Hare Court
Colin West, Brick Court
Giles Neil Laurence Wheeler, Fountain Court Chambers
Robert Brychan James Williams, Monckton Chambers
Stephen Wood, Broadway House