No5 Barristers’ Chambers is well known as a ‘strong employment set with a good choice of counsel across all years of call’. Helen Barney is regularly instructed by NHS trusts, local authorities, and private companies, with strength handling grievance investigations. Charles Crow, praised for his ‘strong and persuasive advocacy skills’, has considerable experience in the healthcare, social care, education, housing, and banking sectors. With broad expertise covering TUPE, equal pay, and discrimination claims, Mugni Islam-Choudhury leads the team. He has recently been instructed by the respondent in Basra v University of East London, defending against 75 separate allegations of sex and race discrimination brought by a lecturer in the creative writing department. In 2023 ‘fabulous advocate’ Richard Hignett acted for the claimant in Record v Barclays Bank, a sex discrimination claim brought by a senior wealth manager dismissed for gross misconduct following allegations of sexual harassment by female colleagues.

St Philips Chambers boasts a reputation for offering ‘strength in depth‘ when it comes to employment law barristers, fielding a sizeable team that regularly acts for large private employers, public sectors clients such as NHS trusts and local authorities, and individuals. Edmund Beever, head of the employment group at chambers and part-time employment judge, offers broad expertise covering dismissal, discrimination, and whistleblowing cases. Sophie Garner was recently instructed by the claimant, a part-time senior manager allegedly denied a pay rise on the grounds that her husband earned sufficiently enough to provide for the household, in high-profile discrimination case Jiang v James Durrans Sheffield Ltd. Francis Mortin represents both claimants and respondents in worker status, discrimination, and whistleblowing claims. He is noted by clients for his advocacy and client care skills. Alexander Rozycki recently represented the claimant in D’Arcy v Rugby School and Govorusa – the housemistress bringing numerous claims against the school, including for whistleblowing detriment, disability discrimination, and victimisation, after she was suspended after allegations she acted inappropriately with students.