The Legal Cheek View
Gatehouse Chambers is a powerhouse with deep roots at the bar. With almost 100 juniors and 16 silks, this Gray’s Inn-based set handles a broad spectrum of work but is particularly renowned for its expertise in construction and property law, as well as professional negligence, insurance and commercial dispute resolution.
Other areas taken on by tenants include clinical negligence, personal injury, private client work, costs litigation, and insolvency/restructuring, while there is a growing arbitration and alternative dispute resolution practice. It really is a mixed bag! Whether you lean towards the commercial or the civil side of practice, you have some degree of control over the areas you gain exposure to during pupillage.
As well as being broad in range, the work is of seriously high quality. “The work that comes into chambers is of phenomenal quality,” according to one junior tenant. Another former pupil explains that “the work in chambers has improved dramatically in the last five years as our reputation has grown,” with a third agreeing that this “drastic” improvement is still on the up. “No longer do I spend my time on simple county court work,” one insider tells us. “Instead I have a hearty caseload of complex matters in all levels of court, and I am regularly led on trials and appeals in the High Court and above.”
Big cases have included the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Madonna stage collapse litigation, in which two people were killed and others seriously injured when a stage being set up for a Madonna concert in France collapsed on them. Juniors can expect a variety of court work and paperwork, both led and unled. One tells us they enjoy “great variety, from cases in my own right to assisting more senior members on more complex cases,” while another adds: “I have a perfect balance of court and paperwork to keep me stimulated.” One junior, who has a “non-traditional practice (by choice),” speaks of seeing “a range of really fascinating things,” including “very high profile work and niche things, both of which genuinely excite me.”
Appearances in the appellate courts have seen Brie Stevens-Hoare and Cameron Stocks succeed in the landmark CFA case Hirachand. Members have also tackled complex points of property law (including land torts), high-stakes shareholder disputes and contentious probate. Other headline cases include representing the Leeson family in their successful bid for a declaration that Donald McPherson unlawfully killed Paula Leeson in 2017, and addressing the issue of secondary victims and psychiatric injury in the Supreme Court, in cases involving claimants who witnessed the death of close relatives as a result of the defendants’ admitted or alleged clinical negligence.
Perhaps most notably, the set played a significant role in Skatteforvaltningen v Solo Capital Partners LLP and others, a high-profile case concerning the alleged fraudulent claiming of £1.5 billion in tax rebates. The matter reached the Supreme Court on a preliminary issue, and the High Court trial spanned almost an entire year, with six tenants from the set involved. In 2025, Nigel Jones KC, who led the defence, secured a resounding victory for the set’s clients, bringing an end (subject to appeals) to almost nine years of litigation.
What is agreed across the board is that the work is “varied and challenging,” and that “no two days are the same.” One rookie even goes so far as to say that “no two cases I have done are the same” — impressive stuff if variety is your thing.
If tenants ever get stuck, they can always turn to their colleagues for support. Gatehouse is, we’re told, a very friendly and collegiate place to work, with an open-door policy “that means something.” “Gatehouse Chambers is probably the most supportive place I have ever worked,” one tenant says, while another adds: “I am in and out of people’s rooms constantly.” As one explains: “We truly mean it when we say we have an open-door policy, and it applies from the most senior to the most junior. We have a host of members-only events to give people a chance to unwind, including games nights, quizzes and dinners.”
Other adjectives our insiders reach for include “truly exceptional,” “wholly supportive and encouraging,” and “really great.” Juniors variously tell us they “could not ask for more supportive colleagues,” “always feel like there is someone to turn to,” and “could not think of a more supportive environment in which to practise at the bar.” In short, as one rookie puts it, “I am lucky to be here.” If there is higher praise for one’s colleagues, we can’t think of it.
The chance to unwind and socialise is clearly important at Gatehouse. One junior describes the set as “exceptionally fun and social.” Tenants regularly head out for fish and chips in Hall together on a Friday, while the monthly chambers’ lunch is also popular. “I find myself attending at least one event a fortnight,” one insider tells us. “It’s allowed me to get to know colleagues better than I might otherwise.”
The rooftop terrace (more on this later) is said to be a great social spot, with junior juniors frequently setting up informal events. The only complaint? There are “almost too many opportunities to socialise.”
Of course, there isn’t always time for this. As at most top sets, views on work-life balance are more mixed, but tenants generally report that the “practice team are excellent in this regard.” Clerks will encourage people to ease off if they think someone is overdoing it, with one tenant happily revealing they “never work weekends” unless they have a trial starting on Monday. Praise is also offered for the “very heavy emphasis” the set places on work-life balance during the pupillage year, with its importance “impressed on us,” one junior says. “This is ingrained from day one – to try to find a balance, no matter how elusive it may seem.”
Whether during pupillage or beyond, “there has been no pressure to take on extra work,” one insider tells us, with lawyers grateful to the practice managers for “blocking time out after a particularly gruelling trial or busy period.” In case it wasn’t already apparent, one junior confirms that the focus on wellbeing is “not just lip service,” and that all staff and tenants “do really care about everyone’s wellbeing.”
Now, more on that rooftop terrace. Gatehouse’s premises are described by jolly juniors as a “fantastic building with modern facilities.” Along with all three roof terraces, features include air-conditioned rooms, full video conferencing facilities in each conference room, and a “hub” for members with “exceptional coffee machines.” One insider reveals: “We can even play music through our inbuilt speakers on client floors, which makes parties much more enjoyable!” The “super plush” digs are variously described as “really excellent,” “fantastic,” “impressive,” “unmatched,” and “without a doubt one of, if not the, most impressive buildings at the bar.”
With a modern building comes modern tech and IT support. Beyond the party-friendly speaker system, rookies are pleased with the dedicated IT support, and overall have “nothing negative to say.” External backup and cyber security provisions are also warmly appreciated, though most issues seem to be resolved by the in-house team.
The set was known as Hardwicke Chambers, and based in Lincoln’s Inn, until its rebrand some years ago. The change of name followed the discovery that its former namesake, Lord Hardwicke, was one of two authors of the Yorke-Talbot opinion of 1729, which was relied upon as legal justification for slavery. Then joint head of chambers Brie Stevens-Hoare KC explained at the time: “The discovery of the provenance of our business’ name did not sit comfortably with our values as an organisation, or with the inclusive and diverse nature of our people and our clients. We have spent many years building up a reputation for excellence, innovation and diversity, and we are proud to move forwards with a new name that accords with who we are.” That reputation for modernity is now firmly established.
Gatehouse looks to recruit two pupils per year, each with three supervisors over the course of the 12 months. During the first six, pupils shadow their supervisors and work on their cases, as well as completing work for other members of chambers; they can expect to draft documents and attend court and client conferences. In the second six, pupils begin taking on their own cases and can expect to be on their feet. This work usually comes from possession actions, property-related injunctions, bankruptcy, winding-up petitions, and small claims trials. There is a generous pupillage award of £85,000 on offer. One former pupil and current tenant says the “training programme is second to none,” adding that “as well as extensive training for pupils, we host internal training days for members on substantive topics as well as marketing, judicial careers, taking silk and how to be an effective junior.”
Extra advocacy training and sessions focusing on cross-examination and expert evidence are also on the cards, as are regular lunchtime learning sessions on substantive legal issues, life at the bar, managing finances, and business development. Across the board, the training is agreed to be “great,” “well structured, thoughtful and varied,” and of “excellent quality” — both during pupillage and beyond.
Those looking to apply should do so through the Pupillage Gateway. Around 40 to 50 hopefuls are invited to a first-round interview, which includes a legal problem; those scoring highest are invited back for a second round. Gatehouse is looking for pupils who are not only excellent lawyers but also have the stamina, motivation and mindset to succeed — and to bounce back from the inevitable knocks that come with life as a barrister.
Gatehouse’s corporate responsibility programme is one of the most well developed at the bar, and it’s something the set takes seriously. Chambers is part of a host of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives, including Bridging the Bar, Pathways to Law, FreeBar, and COMBAR’s mentoring scheme. Former member Morayo Faborun Bennett (now a judge) is a founding member of All Rise, an initiative aiming to create a better culture at the bar. And if that weren’t enough, PJ Kirby KC is famed for his annual charity pop-up restaurant.