XXIV OLD BUILDINGS

Guide toPuPillaGe2016-2017

Who we areWelcome to our ‘Guide to Pupillage’ at XXIV Old Buildings’ for 2016-2017. Its purpose is to provide an interesting and, hopefully, helpful introduction both to our chambers and to our pupillage process.

XXIV Old Buildings is widely recognised as one of the leading sets of chambers. Our 43 barristers (including 12 QCs) specialise in commercial and chancery work and offer their “excellent expertise” in undertaking the widest range of contentious and advisory work in those fields. XXIV Old Buildings has been described as “incredibly commercial and modern” by Chambers & Partners and lauded as “top of the class” by The Legal 500. In 2016 XXIV Old Buildings was shortlisted for Chambers of the Year by the British Legal Awards and ranked first for Traditional Chancery in the inaugural Chambers & Partners High Net Worth directory, and one of our juniors, Edward Cumming, has been shortlisted for “Chancery Junior of the Year” at the 2016 Chambers UK Bar Awards.

We are recognised for the “extremely high quality” of our barristers “from the top down” and also have a particular reputation for our breadth of expertise. By way of example, Alan Steinfeld QC, our head of chambers, is the only barrister to be ranked in 11 practice areas in Chambers & Partners, which also recognises him as one of only a handful of “Stars of the Bar”. The publication also routinely recognises us as one of the sets with the highest number of rankings per barrister.

Our unrivalled reputation for international and cross-border litigation is a further major distinction between us and other

chambers. As well as appearing in courts and tribunals at every level in England and Wales, members of chambers frequently appear as advocates, offer advice, act as arbitrators and work alongside other lawyers in jurisdictions around the world, including the US, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Mauritius, Malaysia, Gibraltar, China (including Hong Kong), Singapore, Dubai and Samoa. We are unique in having offices in Geneva in addition to our main London chambers in leafy Lincoln’s Inn.

We aim to recruit the best applicants and to invest heavily in our pupils – and their training – to build on our ongoing success. We recognise that today’s pupils are tomorrow’s tenants and the future of chambers; we therefore offer one of the most enjoyable, well-structured and generously funded pupillages at the Bar.

Steven Thompson QCBarrister and Pupillage Co-ordinator

What we doWe are a commercial chancery chambers and our barristers’ areas of specialism include:

• Business disputes/general commercial litigation

• Offshore structures and international law (including the conflict of laws)

• Litigation and advice regarding trusts, estates and contentious probate matters

• Civil fraud and asset tracing • Company law and partnership law• Insolvency/restructuring • Banking and financial services disputes• Spread-betting and capital markets• Arbitration (as both counsel and

arbitrators)• Professional negligence • Charities• Property (including landlord and

tenant)

XXIV Old Buildings also has niche groups specialising in aviation and travel law, construction law, art law and sports law (including recent instructions in relation to the high-profile departure of a manager from a leading football club and, at the time of the 2012 Olympics, obtaining a freezing injunction to prevent a horse which won 2 silver medals from leaving the country).

Members lecture widely and regularly contribute to journals and key practitioners’ texts in our core areas of practice (such as International Trust Laws, Palmer’s Company Law Manual, Kerr and Hunter on Receivers and Administrators and Tolley’s Company and Insolvency Law).

Please do browse the detailed profiles of individual members on our website (www.xxiv.co.uk) for a full picture of the quality and breadth of work which our members undertake.

Life at XXIV Old Buildings:a junior tenant’s view

“I have a rich and exciting practice.It is exactly what I hoped I would findat the Bar.”

My first five years as a tenant at XXIV Old Buildings have been varied, fast paced and, above all, hugely rewarding. I do a range of work under the umbrella of “commercial chancery”, from pure commercial work, such as banking and finance disputes or claims to prevent people making off with Boeing 747s, through to traditional chancery disputes over trusts and probate.

One of the best things about chambers for a junior tenant is the open, relaxed atmosphere and the strong sense of camaraderie. There is a strong open door policy, which means that I can always pick the brains of more experienced members, and all of the junior tenants are very friendly and sociable (so much so, that we even picnic together, weather permitting!). This makes for a pleasant working environment – and offers important support in a profession where you are self-employed.

The variety of work which we do allows for the opportunity to act for and advise a wide spectrum of clients. At one end of the scale, I might be advising multinational public companies about urgent injunctions to protect their business, or offshore trustees about the impact complex concepts of trust law may have on their liabilities; at the other I might be in court for an individual who has recently lost their job and faces bankruptcy or eviction, or for relatives who have been

unfairly cut out of their inheritance. The range of areas encompassed under the umbrella of commercial chancery means that I am often able to pick up ideas or concepts from one area and apply them to another area of practice. It also definitely keeps me interested.

Perhaps more than any other area of the Bar, commercial chancery practice offers the opportunity at all levels to wrestle with difficult legal problems in a practical environment. Instead of being just academic points of the sort raised weekly on a law degree or the GDL, resolving these problems will have a direct impact in the real world and on the clients involved.

New junior tenants at XXIV Old Buildings are often pleasantly surprised by how often their cases take them to court and, when we are in court, we frequently have the privilege of arguing complex and interesting points of law: I will be in court twice in the next fortnight on various heavy matters that require a lot of preparation. It may not be the sort of practice which allows for quick visits to court every single day, but, when we are in court, we are able to argue well considered and well developed points with the luxury of properly addressing the law in question.

I have a rich and exciting practice. It is exactly what I hoped I would find at the Bar.

Heather Murphy joined XXIV Old Buildingsafter her pupillage in October 2011

At XXIV Old Buildings, pupillage is not a year-long job interview, or a test of endurance. Still less is it a year of fetching, carrying and tea-making. Instead it’s both a continuation of your legal education and a point of transition where the knowledge you’ve acquired in the classroom is finally put into practice.

You will rapidly discover that although strong academics in the law are necessary for practice at the Bar, they’re far from sufficient. The most valuable skills you’ll acquire during pupillage are practical. I fast realised that at the outset I had little idea how to do the job of being a barrister. Thankfully, to cure this there is no substitute for the constant immersion in your supervisor’s practice which pupillage entails. Both your supervisors and chambers as a whole treat pupillage as a period for learning and training. Hard though it sometimes is to put the tenancy decision out of your mind, you are not being continually assessed. The emphasis is very much on acquiring the skills you need to begin practice as a junior barrister, not to jump through hoops.

To begin with I found myself shadowing the work of my supervisor: if he was drafting a defence or preparing a skeleton argument, I would do the same, and we would compare them later; if he had a hearing or a conference, I would go along too. During pupillage at these chambers the emphasis is always on doing work that is useful for your own professional development, and not acting as an assistant to your supervisor. Although the variety of work in which members of XXIV Old Buildings are involved is such that you may well end up researching novel points of law in an overseas jurisdiction, hunting down an elusive authority in one of the Inn libraries, this will never be at the expense of learning the day-to-day essentials of pleading, drafting

skeleton arguments and correspondence, and advising clients in writing and in person.

You can – and should – ask questions without worrying that you’ll betray any ignorance. You will certainly encounter areas of law that are entirely unfamiliar to anything you’ve studied before. I very soon found, before the end of my first quarter, that I felt able to approach other members of chambers – both junior and senior – to check my understanding and to ask for tips on where to look next. Before long, and without really noticing it, you’ll find that you’re able to offer useful opinions and to contribute to your supervisors’ work. It’s worth remembering that when it feels like you’re being grilled on an especially arcane point on the calculation of damages or the conflict of laws there’s often no better way to work out a knotty problem than to discuss it with another informed person: you’re not being tested, but helping your supervisor to clarify her thinking. The benefits of working in an environment where there is always someone with whom to discuss a tricky problem become invaluable once you’re in practice. There’s also the tremendous satisfaction that comes from seeing work you’ve been immersed in relied upon, and having the chance to see at first-hand barristers at the top of their game tackling major pieces of litigation.

It’s equally important to add that as a pupil you are very quickly made to feel welcome and to participate in the social as well as the work life of Chambers, from regular lunches together to marketing events and to the occasional drink after work. You might even find that you look back rather fondly on pupillage: it’s undeniably one of the most stimulating inductions to a profession that you might find. I can’t imagine a better place to prepare for a career at the Bar.

Life at XXIV Old Buildings: a pupil’s view

Robert Avis completed his pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings in September 2014

“…I can’t imagine a better place to prepare for a career at the Bar…”

Pupillage at XXIV Old BuildingsWe aim to recruit the best applicants and to invest heavily in our pupils’ time with us in order to build on our ongoing success. We recognise that today’s pupils are tomorrow’s tenants and the future of chambers and therefore seek to offer one of the most enjoyable, well-structured and generously funded pupillages at the Bar.

We now offer three12-month pupillages each year with an annual award of at least £65,000 (subject to annual review). Up to a quarter of the award may (upon application) be drawn down during the BPTC. Since we place great emphasis during pupillage on training and preparing our pupils for successful practice at the Bar, the opportunity for pupils to do their own work during their second six is limited, in common with most other commercial and chancery sets.

Our pupils can expect to spend three months with four different pupil supervisors, experiencing work across the full breadth of our expertise. Pupils work in their supervisor’s room and have the opportunity to observe the whole of their practice, including attending court and conferences, drafting pleadings, skeleton arguments, opinions and other documents, and accompanying them to conferences with clients.

The emphasis in the first 3 months of pupillage is on introducing you to practice at the Bar in general and chambers in particular. We do not generally subject our pupils to formal written or advocacy assessments, preferring instead to assess their work and performance over time. As well as continuous feedback, pupil supervisors provide formal feedback at the end of each three months and, after six months, pupils will have a review with our Pupillage Co-ordinator.

Pupils are encouraged to work with other members of chambers, especially when members are involved in a particularly interesting matter. This gives our pupils to witness the leading cases of the day, such as Foskett v McKeown, Schmidt v Rosewood Trust, RBS v Etridge, Criterion Properties v Stratford, President of the State of Equatorial Guinea v Logo Ltd and Rubin v Eurofinance SA.

We usually take tenancy decisions in late June/early July each year and aim to recruit from among our own pupils. We particularly pride ourselves on recruiting all pupils who meet the required standard and on helping to find alternative opportunities, either at the Bar or elsewhere, for those pupils to whom we do not offer tenancy.

Further information including our detailed Pupillage and Recruitment Policy is available on our website at www.xxiv.co.uk, and you can also follow our dedicated pupillage Twitter feed @XXIVpupillage.

What We Look ForWe look for candidates with strong academic qualifications, intellectual ability, sound common sense and judgment, and enthusiasm for the type of work in which we specialise. We aim to identify potential to become great advocates and successful tenants in our Chambers. We take account of high grades in post-graduate law qualifications if they are relevant to our area of practice.

We take particular pride in our transparent, fair, rigorous and friendly application process which we believe our applicants deserve and appreciate. After an online test and a first interview, we invite about a dozen applicants to a Selection Day comprising a range of exercises designed to identify the potential capacity of the applicants to excel as a self-employed barrister in our Chambers.We pride ourselves in keeping applicants updated on the progress of their application

once the process has started. We give and solicit feedback on the later stages of our recruitment process. We operate an equal opportunities policy and recruit without regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, gender re-assignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, religion or belief or pregnancy and maternity.

How to ApplyApplications for pupillage commencing in October 2018 should be made by 9am on Friday 25 November 2016 using a short, simple application form. The application form will be available on our website, together with full details of how we will progress applications, from early November

2016. Late applications will not be considered.

In summary the process is likely to comprise the following stages, in the course of late November and early December 2016:

• Stage one: Online test• Stage two: First round interviews

(about 40 candidates)• Stage three: Final selection day (12

candidates)

Please refer to our website and our Pupillage & Recruitment Policy (available on our website) for full details of the application process.

Mini pupillageThe purpose of mini-pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings is to help potential pupils see what life is like as a junior tenant and to offer a broader insight into chambers and the commercial chancery Bar.

We offer mini-pupillages throughout the year. Each lasts on average three days. Since mini-pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings is in particularly high demand, and in order to ensure that mini-pupils gain as much as possible from their experience, we prefer applications from those who will have commenced or completed their legal studies (that is law undergraduates, graduates and those who have commenced or completed the GDL) by the time they come to Chambers.

Our experience is that prospective pupils are more likely to wish to become pupils in Chambers if they have previously done mini-pupillage with us. Accordingly – although we neither require applicants for pupillage to have undertaken a mini-pupillage with

us nor assess them – we do encourage potential applicants to consider applying. Applicants for mini-pupillage must submit an application comprising a covering letter and CV in accordance with the timetable set out below. Applications must be submitted by email to minipupillage@xxiv.co.uk.

An applicant wishing to undertake mini-pupillage between January and April should apply by 15 October of the preceding year. Each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application by 31 October.

An applicant wishing to undertake mini-pupillage between May and September should apply by 15 February. Each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application by 28 February.

An applicant wishing to undertake mini-pupillage between October and December should apply by 15 June. Each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application by 30 June.

Further information is available on our website at www.xxiv.co.uk/mini-pupillage.

“Pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings is a stimulating, enjoyable and hugely rewarding experience. The work is consistently varied and interesting - one day you might be drafting a skeleton argument for a hearing in Dubai and the next shadowing a member of chambers to the Privy Council to watch a dispute between Russian parties on appeal from the BVI.

Your pupil supervisors keep a keen eye on your workload to ensure you are never overwhelmed and that you see as broad and interesting a range of chambers’ work as possible. Other members of chambers and the clerking and administration teams also make a real effort to offer helpful advice and to include you in chambers’ life. I would recommend it wholeheartedly!”

Tom Stewart CoatsBarrister (Pupil 2015-16)

What people say about us

XXIV Old Buildings is widely recognised within the profession as a top commercial chancery set. Here are just some of the things the main legal directories say about us...

“Members at XXIV Old Buildings are among the most revered and highly regarded barristers in the traditional chancery sphere.”

“...regularly engaged in market-leading cases...”

“A respected presence at the London Chancery Bar for many years, which is noted for having silks and juniors blessed with excellent legal knowledge and skill. ”

“…far more engaged than most and looking to facilitate the needs of the instructing solicitor.”

“ [XXIV Old Buildings has] a long-standing reputation as a set for offshore work and is a go-to destination for many of the leading solicitors in the field.”

Chambers and Partners

“XXIV Old Buildings is ‘top of the class’,

with ‘fantastic depth across the

whole range of Chancery work.’

“‘Clearly the leading set for offshore

work’ and ‘the chambers to go to

with particularly tricky trusts issues.’”

Legal 500

“ ...a set that is ahead of the game when it comes to offshore work...”

“With trusts, aviation, company, commercial and insolvency disputes all on the cards, pupils bear witness to a lot of high-value cases.”

“XXIV’s continuous assessment also means that pupils are never pitted against one another in competition for tenancy.”

Chambers and Partners’ Student Guide

LondonXXiV old Buildingslincolns innlondon WC2a 3uPTel: +44 (0)20 7691 2424Fax: +44 (0)870 460 2178clerks@xxiv.co.uk

GenevaXXiV old Buildings11, rue du Général-dufourCH - 1204 Geneva SwitzerlandTel: +41 (0)22 322 2500Fax: +41 (0)22 322 2515clerks@xxiv.co.uk

MembersFull details and CVs of each member can be

found on our website: www.xxiv.co.uk

Martin Mann QCalan Steinfeld QCMichael Black QC Stephen Moverley Smith QC Philip Shepherd QC Francis tregear QC Malcolm davis-White QC david Brownbill QC elspeth talbot Rice QC Robert levy QCStephen Cogley QCSteven thompson QC Michael KingRichard RitchieMichael Gaddelizabeth WeaverHelen Galleyamanda Haringtonian Meakinarshad GhaffarMarcus StaffStuart adair

Prof Matthew Conaglen(door tenant)

alexander PellingBajul ShahJessica HughesNicole langloislyndsey de Mestreedward Knighttom Montagu-SmithSarah Baylissadam Clohertyedward Cummingerin Hitchensandrew Holdenowen Currydaniel WarentsHugh MiallHeather MurphyHarry SharpeMatthew WatsonRobert avistimothy Sherwintom Stewart Coats

Prof Graham Virgo (door tenant)