Five Serle Court barristers named in 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List

We are proud to announce that James Weale, Sophie Holcombe, George Vare, Wilson Leung and Matthew Innes have been featured on the 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List of England and Wales for their dedication to pro bono work.

Now in its second year, the Pro Bono Recognition List is an initiative that recognises barristers and solicitors who have given 25 or more hours of pro bono legal assistance over the previous calendar year, with many offering substantially more than that. Endorsed by its patron, The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, the Recognition List was set up under the aegis of the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, with support from the Access to Justice Foundation, Advocate, Advocates for International Development, International Lawyers Project, the Law Officers, the Bar Council, CILEX, the Clinical Legal Education Organisation, the In-House Pro Bono Group, the Law Society, LawWorks, the National Pro Bono Centre and TrustLaw.

Following its publication, the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, expressed her gratitude to all of those recognised on this year's List, emphasising the importance of pro bono work, commenting that "Pro bono is not a substitute for legal aid, but it is a valuable part of our system of justice, working alongside the advice sector. The judiciary sees first-hand how pro bono advice and representation helps those who might not otherwise receive legal assistance. I hope that recognition on the List encourages the legal profession to continue its commitment to providing pro bono help to those in need."

To learn more about the Pro Bono Recognition List, click here.

Serle Court is also proud to be a Silver Patron of Advocate, contributing core funding that enables Advocate to help hundreds of people achieve fair and equal access to justice. To read more about our pro bono work as a set and Serle Court’s commitment to access to justice, click here.

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James Weale KC has a very busy commercial chancery practice with a focus on domestic and international commercial and trusts disputes.

He is recognised as a leading practitioner in those fields by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers High Net Worth, and Who’s Who Legal, where they describe him as a “brilliant lawyer” and a “Superstar”. He was Chambers & Partners’ Chancery Junior of the Year in 2023.

He regularly appears (both as sole and junior counsel) in the English High Court and has appeared several times in the Court of Appeal. He also has considerable experience in overseas jurisdictions (including as sole counsel), including Bermuda, the DIFC, the BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and Panama.