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Chambers & Partners lists endorsements for nearly all of our barristers. 5RB itself is ranked as a leading set in Defamation/Privacy and individual barristers are also recommended for Media & Entertainment and Sports Law.
Chambers & Partners (2012)
THE SET 5RB is "a cut above the rest" and offers "across-the-board strength at all levels of call." Its members have a varied skill set, handling matters as diverse as IP and sports regulatory work. They really come to the fore, however, when tackling defamation and privacy matters, and count amongst their number a good proportion of the real heavy hitters in the field. Internationally renowned, these individuals have a hand in the vast majority of the leading cases of the day and also contribute to the furtherance of the law in this area through their academic work. They further appeal to solicitors as they are clerked by "excellent, flexible and helpful individuals who are there to assist." One client commented: "The barristers here are that bit more user-friendly than elsewhere, and they are reachable at all hours, which is essential for media work."
Legal 500 (2011)
Within Defamation and privacy, 5RB is a top tier firm,
‘Truly experts for defamation and privacy matters’, 5RB has ‘high-quality barristers throughout’ and houses ‘clerks who are always helpful and approachable’.
Leading silks include the ‘brilliant’ Desmond Browne QC, who acted for the BBC in Doncaster Council v BBC, successfully discharging an injunction obtained by Doncaster Council relating to the Serious Case Report on the Edlington boys convicted of serious assault. The ‘fantastic’ Adrienne Page QC has ‘incredible intellect’ and acted for Channel 4, Studio Lambert and Jane Preston in successfully defending the libel action by Matt Fiddes, in relation to a documentary about the Jackson family. Other recommended silks include Mark Warby QC, who is ‘very thorough and thoughtful’, and James Price QC, who is ‘outstanding’. Among the juniors, standout individuals include Jonathan Barnes, who ‘consistently provides reassuring and sensible advice, demonstrating his unerringly sound judgment’; the ‘brilliant’ David Sherborne; Alexandra Marzec, who is ‘highly recommended’; Justin Rushbrooke, who is ‘simply outstanding’; the ‘knowledgeable’ Matthew Nicklin; Jacob Dean, who is a ‘top-notch junior’; Adam Wolanski, who is ‘competent and resourceful’; the ‘client-friendly’ Adam Speker; David Hirst, who is ‘a pleasure to instruct’; William Bennett, who ‘thinks outside the box’; and Iain Christie, who is ‘first rate’.
Our barristers are also singled out in the Media, Entertainment & Sports Law category.
5RB’s Desmond Browne QC is recommended for media disputes, and Mark Warby QC is ‘a finely polished advocate, who is particularly strong in horseracing cases’. David Sherborne has a niche practice relating to the media and confidentiality issues in high-net-worth and high-profile divorces; and Jacob Dean is ‘a solid, reliable and user-friendly junior’ who handles media and entertainment issues, as well as football and horseracing cases.