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The new edition of Chambers and Partners’ Guide to the Legal Profession has recommended 8 members of Chambers across the fields of personal injury, employment, local government and chancery. It also confirms Chambers own view as to how positively the market has reacted to the setting up of Civitas:

 

 

Chambers’ PI practice received a comprehensive compliment by being declared the primary set on circuit.

 

In terms of specific practitioners, the guide reads as follows.

 

“Sources commend "the sound and practical" Andrew Arentsen for being "extremely approachable but also straight with you - he will tell you if you are going down the wrong route."

 

His colleague in chambers Bryan Thomas "handles an enviable volume of work, and also has a large catastrophic injuries practice." Solicitors enjoy working with him and explain that his responsiveness is impressive: "He will be with you at the drop of a hat."

 

Theodore Huckle is "excellent at all serious personal injury cases but has particular expertise in industrial disease and occupational illness claims." Sources have been bowled over by his expertise on cases involving noise-induced hearing loss.

 

Meanwhile, Nicholas David Jones "is excellent with clients and their families and has a good legal brain." He is a particular favourite of instructing solicitors, who state that they "feel confident in his advice and appreciate the fact that he doesn't dominate a team - he allows all parties to work together."

 

Finally, Michael Brace and Robert O'Leary were both applauded by market commentators. Brace is thought to be "particularly effective when defending claims on behalf of the public sector", while O'Leary is described as "expert at handling occupational disease claims.”

The Guide also specifically reviewed the expertise of barristers in industrial disease work. Only 17 junior counsel were nominated countrywide, and of these 5 were outside London and 2 of those in Civitas Law, the best representation for one set of Chambers. The Civitas PI Group welcomes this as particular recognition of the team's overall expertise in this specialised area of personal injury work.

 

The only practitioner on the Wales and Chester Circuit to be recommended is Jonathan Walters whom it describes as:

 

Chambers and Partners states of Graham Walters that he is: "the junior to consult in Wales when it comes to property, planning, and public and administrative law matters. He has built up a wealth of experience over his career and is a firm favourite of the Welsh Assembly and a number of local authorities, who seek out his advice on planning and public law matters in particular. His vast practice also covers housing, education and freedom of information issues."

 

The Guide recommends Robert O'Leary highlighting his recent success defending the National Assembly for Wales in a claim arising out of alleged breaches of the Data Protection Act.