The Legal Cheek View
Despite having just 41 tenants, including 10 silks, 5 Stone Buildings has quietly amassed one of the stronger capabilities at the chancery bar. With its key strengths lying in traditional chancery, tax, Court of Protection work, art and cultural property, and pensions, several members also work in areas such as professional negligence, partnerships, and even ecclesiastical law. A go-to set for clients — from vulnerable inheritors to ultra-high net-worth individuals to church authorities to auction houses to venture capital firms – it should also be at the top of the list for any aspiring traditional chancery barristers, especially given its high ratings in training and quality of work.
As a traditional chancery set, the work carried out by tenants at 5 Stone Buildings tends to focus on problems facing individuals rather than companies. Commenting on this aspect of the work, one tenant tells us: “everything I do involves a person or a family or, very occasionally, an interesting object. You learn all about the family dynamic and (for example) the heirloom that everyone is fighting over.” This human interest is then combined with complex law, sometimes centuries old, which must be “traced through hilariously antiquated judgments”. Reflecting on the diverse clientele, another member tells us: “I might be acting for a very wealthy aristocrat one week, then an extremely vulnerable client in Court of Protection proceedings the next, then someone who desperately needs the small legacy they have been left under a will.” A junior jokes, “our clients may not always be charming but they’re always interesting”.
While some barristers at 5 Stone Buildings focus on litigation, others do more non-contentious work. Whether it be disputes concerning the administration of estates or advising on taxation of works of art, the set is regularly instructed on a variety of exciting matters, offering a mix of high-profile and complex work. We are told that cases often include “juicy facts” and “a lot of human interest”, meaning “the Daily Mail loves reporting on our cases!” Of course, it won’t always be exciting stuff. One junior at the set tells us that the quality of the work on offer is “very variable, but it is always satisfying to solve others’ problems and earn gratitude”.
Some case highlights from the past year include Oliver Marre acting for Rupert Grint (the Ron Weasley!) against HMRC in a case that made national headlines. Ruth Hughes KC appeared in the Court of Protection in a case over whether proceedings of assets owned by a party “who used to be in the public eye” with dementia should be kept secret. In the tax world, Ruth Hughes KC and Tomos Rees acted in a case concerning a children’s animation company and EIS shares. Meanwhile, William East, in Sullivan v Sullivan, argued a declaration of trust should be set aside on grounds of mistake.
Recent notable matters include Sam Chandler appearing as counsel for HMRC in an appeal challenging the validity of anti-avoidance legislation known as the Loan Charge, on the grounds of alleged inconsistency with EU and ECHR law; Penelope Reed KC, Emilia Carslaw, and Arabella Adams working on a contentious probate claim concerning the validity of a will signed by a self-made multi-millionaire tyre businessman and racehorse breeder; and Sarah Haren KC acting for the successful claimants, Lonsdale, in an interim application in professional negligence proceedings against a London firm of solicitors relating to a trust.
With the Assisted Dying Bill and Law Commission research into the law around wills, domestic chancery practice is likely to evolve significantly in the coming years. But 5 Stone Buildings barristers aren’t just confined to chambers in London (though most international cases, especially in the art and trusts world, do pass through the capital!). Barristers can also work from the chambers’ sunny sister set, 5 Stone Buildings Caribbean in Nassau, the Bahamas — exceptionally useful for offshore trusts, private international law, and piña coladas!
Whatever tenants at the set are working on, there are inevitably “periods of hard work”. However, one tenant at the set tells us: “I genuinely think that the area of work we do is one of the best kept secrets at the bar in terms of work/life balance”. Another echoes this sentiment, adding that “traditional chancery is one of the most family-friendly fields — you can effectively choose whether you want a court-based or paper-based practice.” The set’s work involves a lot of written advice meaning members can balance work around life and take a “real breather from fighting in court”. Members will of course work hard when coming up to trial, “but that only happens occasionally rather than all the time.”
On top of the good work-life balance, the “extremely supportive” colleagues are “one of the many upsides to 5 Stone Buildings”, with members known to be generous with their time and knowledge. Senior members are said to be “approachable, friendly and brilliant lawyers” whilst “juniors are in constant communication.” This promotes “a real culture of bouncing ideas off each other”, helped by the fact “you will be able to speak to someone who is the go-to person in the relevant area of law”. Chambers tea and WhatsApp groups are popular places for tenants, especially juniors, to ask questions of one another. All in all, “doors are always open, right up to and including the head of chambers”. Training can also include a secondment to instructing firms, like Farrar & Co or Withers, to help juniors understand the whole scope of private client work.
Daily chambers’ teas typify how tenants at 5 Stone Buildings frequently socialise with one another, especially among the juniors. People are always popping their heads through the door or congregating by the kettle, with it being “a real privilege to be able to laugh so much with other people at work”. This includes on time during annual trips abroad, with Rome and Budapest being recent highlights (alongside other conferences). One insider tells us: “there is something social happening most weeks. It’s always good fun, and not too work/case orientated”. Regular events are supplemented by “frequent spur-of-the-moment quick drinks at the end of the day”, we are told.
In terms of 5 Stone Buildings’ premises itself, the set is based in a Georgian stone building within the Lincoln’s Inn estate. The outside is “beautiful and historic”, and still bears the marks of the Blitz, with two raids in 1940 and ’41 having struck the street — with number five escaping major damage. The inside is what you would expect: high ceilings, cool rooms, old furniture with traditional decor — chancery barrister style. Some barristers prefer to share their workspace, whilst others enjoy a room of one’s own. One member says: “it’s a million miles away from a sweaty open plan office, but it’s not quite like a sleek city boardroom either”, and at least one other tenant likes it that way: “old school charm. Decent facilities. Nothing swanky (that would be vulgar)” they told Legal Cheek. Apparently, some members like to keep wine in their room and hang up art, while others keep it more minimalist. Conference rooms are light and neutral with all the modern features. There is also a “smart” annexe, however, nothing can ever be perfect — only the clerks have air conditioning.
A “brilliant in-house clerk” and out-of-chambers support provide IT help. Reviews on the IT setup range from “secure and works most of the time” to “the best online resources I have seen in a chambers” — not too shabby! And on the traditional side of tech, one member told us: “One of the best things about being in a specialist chambers is that we have nearly *all* of the books and electronic resources which one might want or need. We’re also virtually next door to multiple world-class libraries.”
For those sold on traditional chancery, 5 Stone Buildings is offering one to two pupillages a year, with an award of £75,000. Over the course of the pupillage year, pupils will sit with four different supervisors, each of whom will have a different focus to their practice, enabling pupils to gain experience in a range of work. The work is “complex and high-value” enough to provide “excitement,” but not so technically intricate to be beyond those new to chancery law. During the 12-month training period, pupils will develop drafting skills, build knowledge of chancery law, and observe conferences and hearings. Unlike at many other sets, second six pupils at 5 Stone Buildings do not tend to undertake their own work, as the focus here is on getting up to scratch in the specialist areas in which chambers practices.
We hear from current and recent pupils that tenants “set aside a very generous amount of time and effort for training pupils”. One former pupil tells us: “there is nothing quite like undertaking live or dead work then having it appraised by your supervisor — an expert — and getting very detailed feedback (everyone in chambers likes details!)”. With such attention paid to pupils’ work, they “learn a phenomenal amount in a short space of time”. The training is also said to be very supportive, with no culture of putting unnecessary pressure on pupils.
Those looking to apply for pupillage at 5 Stone Buildings should make their application through the Pupillage Gateway. Following the paper sift, shortlisted candidates will be sent a case study to complete. Those who impress will be invited to a first-round interview in front of two members of chambers. The interview will focus on key competencies. The final stage of the application process is an assessment day which takes place with a larger panel of members of chambers, and also provides an opportunity to learn more about the set.
5 Stone Buildings state that they are looking for candidates who can demonstrate intellectual ability, career motivation, communication skills, and personal qualities such as teamwork and organisational skills. The set has been actively developing its corporate social responsibility involvement in recent years. Members have contributed to several initiatives including the Chancery Bar Association’s ‘Step into Law and More’ programme, whereby school students from non-traditional backgrounds are mentored. The set also offers work experience to sixth form students from non-traditional backgrounds through the Bar Placement Scheme.