Paul Burns
Exchange Chambers
A member of Exchange Chambers, the leading northern set, Paul Burns has made a
name for himself as one of the top young housing and local government
barristers outside London. Based in Liverpool, Burns, 33, has earned
plaudits for his work with police and local authorities in cracking down on
gangs, including winning several important rulings strengthening the
authorities’ right to issue antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs). Last year,
he received a formal commendation from the Merseyside Police — the first
time the force had so honoured a barrister. Educated at St Mary’s College, a
Catholic school where he is now a governor, and Liverpool University, Burns
was called to the Bar in 1998 and joined Exchange Chambers shortly after. A
keen pianist, he became a barrister, he says, for the independence, variety
and the chance to mix an intellectual challenge with the opportunity to
“make a positive difference to people’s lives”. If the headlines in
Liverpool are to be believed, Burns is well on the way.
Victoria Butler-Cole
39 Essex Street
Victoria Butler-Cole was a latecomer to the Bar, joining 39 Essex Street two
years ago at the age of 30. Before that, she was an assistant director at
the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, a body that advises on the ethics of
biological and medical research. That experience in the commercial world
seems to have been invaluable: since joining the leading personal injury
set, Butler-Cole has carved out a thriving practice. She is currently acting
for haemophiliacs infected with HIV and hepatitis who are suing a group of
American drug companies for supplying infected blood products. Originally
from New Zealand, Butler-Cole moved to the UK at the age of 11 and was
educated at Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar. She then did philosophy, medical
ethics and law degrees at Cambridge, King’s College London and City
University. Of her late career change, she says: “I became a barrister aged
30 because I knew I needed to find a job in which I would never be bored,
and it worked. I love everything about my job.” On top of a busy caseload,
much of her time is now taken up by an eight-month-old daughter.
Dakis Hagen
Serle Court
The opaque world of private client law, in which experience is often equated
with trustworthiness, is not an easy one in which to make your name as a
junior. Yet Dakis Hagen, still only 29, has done that. A specialist in
international trusts, Hagen has advised clients or acted in cases in
offshore jurisdictions such as Bermuda, the Bahamas and Jersey. And then
there was his role in the Court of Appeal alongside his head of chambers,
Alan Boyle, QC, on Charman v Charman, the blockbuster divorce case
(in which most of the assets in dispute were held in trust). Born in
Newcastle to a mother of Cypriot origin — hence his unusual first name —
Hagen studied history at Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and learned his
craft under Doug Close, one of the UK’s leading offshore trust barristers.
Outside the law, Hagen has shown journalistic inclinations, contributing
several pieces to The Huffington Post, the influential left-wing news blog,
during a trip to the US last summer. For the moment, however, he is busy
advising on a multimillion-pound offshore trust matter.
Ben Jaffey
Blackstone Chambers
As you would expect from a member of Blackstone Chambers, Ben Jaffey has a
broad practice: public law, human rights, finance, commercial law, media,
sport. But it is advising on regulatory issues that has brought him the most
success. In the past year Jaffey, 31, has been involved in the high-profile
litigation arising from BAE Systems’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia, acting
for anti-arms campaigners in the House of Lords, and in the shareholder
action over the nationalisation of Northern Rock. He has also been involved
in cases arising from insider trading and mis-selling investigations by the
Financial Services Authority. Such experience is likely to keep Jaffey in
demand as the financial crisis unfolds. Raised in Norfolk, Jaffey studied
political sciences and law at Cambridge. Called to the Bar in 1999, he is a
member of the management committee of the Public Law Project, a legal
charity that promotes access to justice. Away from the office, he teaches
scuba diving; under water is “the only place the clerks can’t call me,” he
says.
Edmund King
Essex Court
After 28 years as senior clerk at Essex Court, David Grief has seen a lot of
talented young lawyers come and go, including some who ended up as law
lords. So when he describes Edmund King as “clearly a star”, it counts for
something. From King’s first pupillage interview, Grief recalls, “It was
clear that he had the X-factor; that he would be a ferocious advocate,
someone you would want to go into the trenches with you.” King, 33, has a
broad commercial practice, including acting for a Russian oligarch and
representing several hedge funds specialising in distressed bonds in claims
worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Born in Lincolnshire, King cites his
mother, who died when he was 13, as his inspiration. She was the first
person in his family to go to university and “taught me the value of hard
work, and to never give up,” he says. King read philosophy and French for a
couple of terms at Balliol College, Oxford, before switching to law, and
went on to do a master’s degree at Harvard. He has two children, a boy and a
girl: “Spending time with them leaves little time for anything else,” he
says.
Maya Lester
Brick Court
It takes something to get noticed when you are surrounded by colleagues such
as Sumption, Green, Howard and Popplewell. But Maya Lester, 34, has earned a
reputation at Brick Court, one of the leading commercial chambers, for her
quick mind and measured advocacy. It helps that she has been involved in
three cases before the House of Lords this year, including representing the
displaced Chagos Islanders alongside Sir Sydney Kentridge, QC, the doyen of
the Bar. Although Lester was ultimately on the losing side of that case, her
reputation has not suffered. Along with her human rights work she has a busy
caseload of competition and European law matters; she has acted in cases
involving subjects as diverse as tobacco, pornography, casinos, terrorism,
football and horseracing. Originally from Herne Hill, in south London,
Lester's parents and two of her grandparents were lawyers: “I didn’t stand
much of a chance,” she says. After studying at Clare College, Cambridge, she
amassed a frightening list of academic achievements, including a fellowship
at Yale, before she was called to the Bar in 2000. On top of that, Lester
has clerked for an Advocate-General at the European Court of Justice and the
Chief Justice of Israel’s Supreme Court. She cites her interests outside
work as taking holidays in western Cork and writing theatre reviews.
Boy's I hope your 'reasonableness' is not always clouded by bitterness and the search for conspiracy (as well as your poor attention to detail). What great protectors of justice you will make!? I applaud their work ethic and determination.
Sarah, Manchester, UK
I find it ludicrous that the "finest" lawyers coincidentally hapen to be fantastic academics. As I am on the BVC at the moment, it appears to me that from what I have seen on the course and on many mini-pupillages that the best, most persuasive and charismatic Barristers are not academically gifted.
Benjamin Hope, Birmingham, UK
It does seem very strange that the two best universities in the country develop the finest legal brains who go on to reach the top of their profession. I also note that everyone in the list is a qualified lawyer! Absolutely preposterous!
Iain, London, UK
As someon studying law at Durham University, a law schoolranked between 3rd and 5th in the UK, it is still sad to see that the bar is dominated by the Oxbridge old boys. I plan to head to the bar after University but this "Hotshots" article is of putting having not been to Oxbridge.
Vincent, Durham, United Kingdom
Well done, Paul, for being the token non-Oxbridge chap. And you get put first in the list too!
Such diversity!
Lionel, Sydney,