Legal 500 recommends 9 Park Place in more practice areas than ever

The latest edition of the Legal 500 has again named 9 Park Place Chambers as a leading tier one set offering strong all-round expertise. Head of Chambers Paul Hopkins Q.C. said: “we are delighted to report that, once again, more than twenty of our members are recommended across the Legal 500 practice areas, again illustrating the breadth of quality available at 9 Park Place. We are especially pleased to note that we now have recommendations in more practice areas than any other set in Wales, highlighting our real strength in depth” 

Within Commercial, Banking and Insolvency it is noted that the 9 Park Place’s "commercial team handles Chancery cases, commercial litigation and insolvency matters. Members have recently been involved in disputes concerning wills, TOLATA, bankruptcy and partnership disputes."

Individual members recommended are Gwydion Hughes, who is ‘experienced in Chancery cases involving contentious trusts and probate,’ Richard Kember, ‘highly experienced in Chancery law’ and  Emyr Jones, who has ‘a broad practice encompassing insolvency, Chancery and commercial litigation.’

Within Construction, Planning and Environment:"9 Park Place is home to well-known practitioners with construction, engineering and planning expertise. Cases include a £315m project to build a motorsport facility with retail outlets and a hotel in Ebbw Vale. Wind farms and motorway projects have also been areas of activity.”  Recommended are Emyr Jones, as being ‘highly experienced in construction and planning disputes’ and Phillip Morris who ‘deals with building disputes, planning matters and judicial reviews.’

Within Crime, the Legal 500 reports that "9 Park Place is best known for cases involving historical sexual abuse and large-scale fraud, where the team defends and prosecutes. Major cases for 2015 include Charlton & Ali v R, in which Heath Edwards represented the appellant in the Court of Appeal against his conviction of murder in the 1990s."

Individual recommendations include head of the criminal team David Elias, who is ‘experienced in a wide range of serious crime cases,’ Matthew Roberts, ‘well known for both sexual offences and fraud cases,’  Heath Edwards, who ‘has a broad criminal practice with particular expertise in large-scale drug and fraud cases,’  Matthew Cobbe, ‘experienced in cases involving historic sexual abuse’ and Elizabeth Pearson who is ‘highly experienced in cases involving serious sexual offences and dishonesty issues.’ 

Within Employment, it is noted that "9 Park Place handles the full range of employment cases, acting for both employers and employees. In 2015, Richard Kember acted for the successful respondent, a former director of a company, in an appeal concerning restrictive covenants." 

Individual recommendations within Employment include head of the team Richard Kember, described as ‘experienced in senior employee and directors’ claims,’  Robert Vernon, who ‘has a broad practice encompassing all forms of discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal,’  Phillip Morris, ‘recommended for cases concerning TUPE and discrimination’ and Carys Williams, who is noted as being ‘experienced in the full range of employment cases.’ 

Within Family and Children law, at 9 Park Place, "members are well versed in all areas of family law; they handle family finance disputes, private law children cases and public care proceedings. On the care side, the set is active in cases involving sexual and physical abuse, and counsel represent local authorities, parents and guardians."

Head of Chambers Paul Hopkins Q.C., is ‘a family law specialist with vast experience in difficult and sensitive cases,’  head of family team Owen Thomas, who recently handled a case concerning forced marriage and honour-based violence and who ’has a broad practice including public law care proceedings,’ Christopher Felstead, who ‘specialises in finance cases involving businesses and trusts,’ Richard Miller, ‘highly regarded for public law children cases.’ Christina Thomas, who ‘specialises in public law children cases,’  Lisa Thomas, ‘she handles financial remedy disputes, care proceedings and private law cases,’ Andrew Barcello, described as ‘an expert in Children Act proceedings,’ Eifion Williams, ‘experienced in a range of areas including financial remedy,’  Katherine Broadhurst, ‘an expert in both private and public law children cases’ and Matthew Barry, who is ’knowledgeable on financial remedy cases’ are all recommended in the Guide.

Within Property, where the work "focuses on Chancery-related property law," Gareth Thomas is ‘recommended for boundary disputes, adverse possession claims, and sales and trusts of land’ and Emyr Jones described as ‘knowledgeable in adverse possession and landlord and tenant work.’ 

New for 2017 is a recommendation for our Public Law work: "very competent public law set 9 Park Place deals with immigration and asylum cases and accordingly has a human rights practice. Recent cases concern asylum claims and appeals against deportation."  Nuhu Gobir is recommended  as ‘an expert in immigration matters.’

Within Regulatory, Health and Safety and Licensing, in which it is noted that 9 Park Place "houses experts in health and safety cases and licensing disputes," David Elias is recommended as being  ‘an experienced advocate in health and safety cases’ and Michael Hammett, another new entry, as ‘an expert in licensing matters.’  

9 Park Place Chambers has been a leading Welsh legal brand for almost seventy years and continues to set the standard for top quality legal representation in Wales. Based in the centre of Cardiff, it provides barristers recommended in commercial litigation, crime, employment, family, personal injury & clinical negligence, property law and public law & planning.  Its members are frequently involved in some of the most high-profile cases on the Wales and Chester Circuit as well as representing clients nationwide.