Following the release of the 2025 edition of Chambers UK Bar, with an outstanding amount of 29 individual rankings, our barristers continue to be recognised as leaders in their field across a wide range of practice areas including: Employment, Personal Injury, Crime, Family, Real Estate Litigation, Chancery, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Partnership, Tax, Sport, Ecclesiastical Law, Personal Injury: Animal Claims, and Mediations.
Congratulations to everyone who has appeared in this year’s directory and thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their feedback, it is deeply appreciated.
You can view our complete rankings below as well as through the Chambers and Partners website.
Employment (Band 1)
“Widely acknowledged as a leading employment set on the Northern Circuit, 9 St John Street is regularly instructed to handle the most sensitive employment issues faced by clients including NHS trusts, local authorities and others. Matters handled by the set include complex discriminations and TUPE claims, with individuals acting on behalf of both employers and employees. Some members are additionally sought out for representation in ‘commercial’ employment law claims, involving restrictive covenants or injunctions. Members recently represented the respondent in Markowski v Tesco Stores Limited, a matter concerned with unfair dismissal. One client sums up the offering as follows: “Outside of London they are a go-to set.”
Leading Silks:
Paul Gilroy KC (Band 1)
Leading Juniors:
Joanne Connolly (Band 1)
Louise Quigley (Band 1)
Stefan Brochwicz-Lewinski (Band 1)
Amy Smith (Band 2)
Lena Amartey (Band 2)
Nigel Grundy (Band 2)
Rachael Levene (Band 3)
Robert Lassey (Band 3)
Chancery (Band 2)
“9 St John Street is a strong set of barristers who regularly appear in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, as well as the First-tier Tribunal. This set’s barristers handle a wide variety of property cases and company and insolvency matters. A source states: “The set has always easily grasped the issues at the crux of the dispute and provided pragmatic advice.” Another source states: “The set has a strong team able to deal with all matters.”
Leading Juniors:
James Fryer-Spedding (Band 1)
David Gilchrist (Band 2)
Andrew Clark (Band 3)
Personal Injury (Band 2)
“9 St John Street is a highly regarded set on the Northern Circuit, and its members are regularly instructed to act for both claimants and defendants, including several insurers and public bodies, in complex catastrophic and fatal injury cases. The additional areas of expertise for the team include industrial disease matters and employers liability claims. The set is also noted for its expert handling of cases arising from RTAs, and its barristers are frequently called upon to handle claims involving allegations of fraud. Instructing solicitors praise the set’s depth of quality, stating “it’s my go-to set for complex and high value matters due to the strong individuals, from newly called barristers up to KC.” Recent instructions include successfully representing the defendant in Bennion vs Adventure Parc Snowdonia, which turned on the scope of the duty of an occupier to a visitor who is engaged in what both know to be an activity with risk.”
Leading Silks:
Christopher Kennedy KC (Band 1)
Leading Juniors:
Brian McCluggage (Band 1)
Matthew Snarr (Band 1)
Ian Little (Band 2)
Julie-Anne Luck (Band 2)
Zoe Thompson (Band 2)
Chris Taft (Band 3)
Joseph Mulderig (Band 3)
Michael O’Neill (Band 3)
E: PI@9sjs.com
Family (Band 3)
“9 St John Street impresses with its substantial expertise in public and private children law cases. Members are experienced in handling cases concerning domestic and sexual abuse, shaken baby cases and adoption matters. Its barristers are also frequently instructed in cross-jurisdictional cases.”
Leading Juniors:
Emma Greenhalgh (Band 1)
Sarah Kilvington (Band 1)
Crime (Band 3)
“The barristers at 9 St John Street offer expertise spanning a wide range of criminal matters. Members are routinely instructed by major defence firms in the region, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service. Areas of strength for the team include serious crimes such as rape and sexual offences, with recent instructions including the defence of historic child sexual offences. The team is also regularly instructed in homicides and large drugs conspiracies. The set’s barristers have experience of appearing in the magistrates’ and Crown courts, at inquests and in appellate proceedings.”
Leading Silks:
Jaime Hamilton KC (Band 2)
Leading Juniors:
Helen Longworth (Band 3)
Real Estate Litigation (Band 3)
“9 St John Street continues to offer expertise in a wide range of property disputes. Barristers from the set are often instructed by both landlords and tenants in high-value commercial cases, as well as complex residential disputes. The members of the set showcase strength in adverse possession claims, nuisance matters and a variety of covenant and easement issues.”
Leading Juniors:
James Fryer-Spedding (Band 1)
David Gilchrist (Band 2)
Commercial Dispute Resolution
James Fryer-Spedding (Band 2)
Partnership
James Fryer-Spedding (Band 2)
Tax: The Regions Bar
Joanna Vicary (Band 1)
Ecclesiastical Law: All Circuits
Ed Morgan KC (Band 2)
James Fryer-Spedding (Band 2)
Mediators (All Circuits)
Richard Price (Band 4)
Personal Injury: Animal Claims
Victoria Rigby (Spotlight)