Planning, property and children law specialists among 105 new silks in 2025 round

January 24, 2025

Barristers specialising in planning, property, public, and children law are among the 105 new King’s Counsel announced today (24 January).

Among those appointed in the 2025 round are:

Simon Allison, Landmark Chambers (property)
Sasha Blackmore, Landmark Chambers (environmental, planning, public law)
Wayne Clark, Falcon Chambers (property)
Tom Cross, 11KBW (public law)
Nathaniel Duckworth, Falcon Chambers (property)
Alison Easton, Coram Chambers (children, Court of Protection)
Professor Rob George, Harcourt Chambers (family)
Cecilia Ivimy, 11KBW (public law)
Emily James, 1GC (children)
Richard Jones, 1GC (children)
Naomi Madderson, Crown Chambers (children)
Peter Mant, 39 Essex Chambers (administrative law, mental capacity)
Katie Phillips, 42BR (children)
Zack Simons, Landmark Chambers (planning)
Julia Smyth, Landmark Chambers (public law)
Azeem Suterwalla, Monckton Chambers (judicial review, procurement)
Harriet Townsend, Cornerstone Barristers (planning)
Adam Wagner, Doughty Street Chambers (human rights)

Monisha Shah, Chair of the Selection Panel, said today: “The selection process is a rigorous and demanding one and I believe that every one of these new silks will be a credit to their profession.

“I am particularly pleased to note the many successful applicants from a range of diverse backgrounds including minoritised communities and those with disabilities. However, we continue to be concerned about the lack of success of black applicants and the challenges they face to demonstrate their excellence in the higher courts of England and Wales in the course of their careers.”

The statistics for successful applicants were as follows;