Serle Court is delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in four categories at the Legal Cheek Awards 2022.

The four shortlisted categories are listed below together with extracts taken from Serle Court's Legal Cheek interview and survey.  We are always very pleased to read our members' responses to the annual survey.  

Best chambers for training 2022

(What the Junior Barristers say - Max Marenbon)
"I was fortunate to work on some of the most high-profile cases around during my pupillage, including two which were widely-reported in the national press: the Fundao Dam litigation, representing Brazilian municipalities and villagers against BHP in the largest group action ever brought in England; and a circa $1 billion fraud claim by HMRC against US conglomerate General Electric, on which I was then formally instructed after pupillage, including on an appeal to the Supreme Court (although the case settled after we secured permission to appeal). Despite being only a pupil, I was treated like part of the team, with fellow counsel and instructing solicitors seemingly happy to treat me as an additional resource they could draw on! Although there were two formal assessments, an advocacy exercise and an opinion-writing exercise, given the continuous feedback we had received on all our work, the formal assessments were less daunting because it did not feel like everything turned on them."

Best chambers for quality of work 2022

“Big money, big personalities, difficult problems: keeps the adrenalin flowing!” is how one Serle Court barrister describes the work on offer at the set. Another says: “My work can be summed up as ‘families at war over money’, with all the fireworks, drama and human interest which suchdisputes involve”. The work is often challenging, highly varied and stimulating meaning “there is rarely a boring day,” another tells us. And it’s always that bit more interesting when members come up against each other in the same case, which apparently happens often

Best chambers for facilities 2022

Chambers has been modernised (as much as possible in the Inn) for today’s working practices including video hearings with technology being a major area of heavy investment in recent years. We’re also told tenants conducted remote hearings throughout the pandemic using chambers’ IT system, with little or no trouble.
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Best chambers for work/life balance 2022

With exciting work on offer, it can be hard to say no to cases but we are told clerks are very supportive in meeting the wishes of individual members and that everyone’s choices are respected by all. Offering further insight into work/life balance, one female silk with two young children tells the 2021-22 Legal Cheek Barristers Survey: “This is an absolute priority for me and one which the clerks at 100% supportive of. I don’t get it right all the time, but generally manage to preserve weekends, half terms and some of the school holidays as ‘sacrosanct’ family time. I have learnt to say no!”.
 

The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 24th March. We would like to wish all other shortlisted chambers the best of luck!

The full shortlist can be viewed here.