We are a friendly, busy, long-established set. Our strengths lie in our outstanding reputation for advocacy and in the high quality of work we attract across many different practice areas. The reasons that most would-be pupils give for choosing 7BR are remarkably similar. They are attracted by the excellence and diversity of the work we do, coupled with the extremely high reputation we enjoy in our profession.
22 of our 94 members are KCs. A number sit as Deputy High Court Judges and Recorders (part time judges in the Crown and County Courts). Former members of Chambers have risen to the highest ranks of the judiciary, and currently include members of the Circuit Bench, High Court, Court of Appeal and the recently retired Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Judge.
The Work We Do
The work in chambers encompasses the following practice areas: clinical negligence; personal injury; product liability; commercial litigation; regulatory and professional discipline; complex fraud and serious crime; employment and discrimination; child and family; public law and inquiries and sports law.
In clinical negligence, personal injury and product liability pupils will see and be exposed to the most complex, sensitive and high value claims that are currently being litigated in this field. In personal injury, senior members have been involved in advising on, and litigating, most of the recent high profile cases of historic sexual abuse.
In commercial work and complex fraud, members are engaged in substantial litigation and often in cases of fraud, bribery and corruption. They are regularly instructed in offshore jurisdictions including Dubai, Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, Jersey and the Isle of Man. In the regulatory sphere members are instructed in serious financial regulatory cases and have been instructed in cases arising out of the alleged manipulation of LIBOR, the collapse of the Icelandic banks and other high profile financial regulatory issues.
In employment members practise in the whole range of employment work including discrimination, whistleblowing, equal pay and trade union work.
Members of the child and family team are involved in the full range of child and family work including international child abduction cases in which the team has a strong reputation.
The criminal work of Chambers includes all types of serious crime, acting for both prosecution and defence. We have a strong reputation for advisory and trial work in cases of commercial crime and a longstanding association with the Serious Fraud Office.
A Mixed Practice
Many tenants, particularly the junior tenants, have a mixed practice. We encourage this, believing that it is better for all new tenants to experience a wide variety of work before making choices that may affect the rest of their career at the Bar. It is typical for a junior to spend a few years doing a mixture of work before specialising.
The structure of our pupillages ensures that all pupils receive a broad-based training in both the criminal and civil areas of Chambers’ work. In 2011, we introduced what we call ‘bespoke’ pupillages. Under this new scheme our pupils have a thorough grounding in civil and criminal work, including some experience of family work, during their first eight months of pupillage, and then choose the practice area in which they wish to spend the final four months of their pupillage.
