Lower overheads mean that local chambers can take on capital rivals, says Cameron Timmis

Being within easy reach of the capital presents a challenge for local barristers in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, who have to compete with the large number of London-based sets also keen to attract work on their turf. Despite this handicap, there are a significant number of sets across the region offering specialist expertise in criminal, civil and family law.


Westgate Chambers in Lewes and Crown Office Chambers in Brighton head the pack. Now 46-strong, Westgate Chambers has a leading reputation for criminal work in the region, which accounts for about two-thirds of its work; the remainder is mainly family law. As well as serving the courts in Lewes – where there are eight Crown Courts – its barristers appear in Chichester, Croydon, Portsmouth and Maidstone as well as the central London courts, including the Old Bailey, and ‘go all over the country’ according to senior clerk Jason Britcher.


A local rival is Temple-based chambers 1 King’s Bench Walk, which has an annexe in Lewes that is used as a base by London tenants.


Brighton’s Crown Office Chambers is also an annexe of a London set – 1 Crown Office Row – but is a major force in the region with 34 barristers now based at its Brighton location, double the number of six years ago, according to Chambers’ director Bob Wilson. Its strongest suit is family law – accounting for about two-thirds of the practice – but it also has expertise in criminal and civil law. Although there are no QCs based in Brighton, clients can access silks at the London location, says Mr Wilson. ‘It’s a seamless service,’ he adds.


It is important to make local clients understand they have a very strong chambers in the region and do not need to constantly look to London, he adds. ‘The days when you were in the regions because you couldn’t hack it in the capital are long gone.’


Further east are a number of small sets providing a combination of criminal, family and civil law: Eastbourne Chambers, Stour Chambers in Canterbury and two Maidstone-based chambers – Maidstone Chambers and Kent Chambers.


Elsewhere, Chichester-based set Pallant Chambers is prominent and fast-expanding. Senior clerk Alister Williams joined in 2000 from a London Chancery set: ‘I said when I came here, I wanted a London set of chambers on the south coast, not a knockabout set of provincial chambers,’ he recalls. ‘[Now] we have 20 highly specialised practitioners… I don’t have jacks of all trades.’ As a result, he says ‘people are trusting us with quality work.’


As well as strength in family work, Pallant has an emphasis on ‘domestic chancery’ work, including trust, inheritance and boundary disputes: ‘I would say that if you look at the reported cases, we pretty much dominate [in this area]’ says Mr Williams.


In Surrey, Guildford Chambers has the market to itself; it is the only set in the county. It too is expanding, having grown by six barristers over the past year to 26 tenants, and expects to be 30-strong by the end of 2006. As well as traditional common law, the chambers also focuses on commercial work, acting in relation to regulatory bodies, insurance work, and education. It will be launching a specialist education team in July.


Being outside the capital works in its favour, says senior clerk David Smith: ‘We can offer the same services as London chambers and we can access the same courts, but because we are based outside London, our overheads are cheaper – we are far more marketable on the basis of fees.’