How we work
Method matters more than volume.
Most cases are lost in preparation rather than in argument. What follows is how the chambers actually runs a matter, from the first conference to the last order.
- 01
The first conference
We begin by reading the documents, not the summary. The opening conference is used to establish what actually happened, what can be proved, and what a court is likely to make of it.
- 02
A written view
Before any filing, clients receive a written assessment: the available forums, the probable timeline, the cost of each route, and the risks we consider material. It is written plainly and it records our reservations.
- 03
Preparation of the record
Pleadings are drafted in-house and read against the primary documents. We assemble the record with the appellate stage in mind, because the paper book filed today constrains every argument available later.
- 04
Conduct of the matter
The advocate who advised on the matter appears in it. Where a Senior Advocate or an Advocate-on-Record is engaged, we brief them ourselves and remain present throughout.
- 05
Reporting and review
Clients are told what happened in court on the day it happens, in a short note rather than a bill of costs. At each stage we revisit whether continuing is still the right decision.
On fees
Fees are agreed in writing before work begins, and are structured to suit the matter: per-appearance, per-stage, or a retainer where the volume of work justifies it. We do not bill for internal conferences between our own advocates.
Where a matter is likely to be long and the outcome uncertain, we say so at the outset and set out what each stage will cost. Clients are entitled to know the likely expense of the whole route, not only of the next hearing.
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