Increased specialist chambers

We are noticing an increase in the amount of chambers that are specialising in only one main area of work, which is reflecting the way that solicitors are behaving too. More and more chambers have moved away from being general common law chambers, where the Crime team have to compete with the Civil and Family people for work, while often paying the same level of contributions to chambers expenses, but earning less. Unless you are a provincial chambers, who provide an essential one-stop shopping service for mainly local solicitors or professional clients, many London chambers are concentrating on one main area of work only. This means that there is a gradual movement of members of chambers towards other chambers - those specialising in their kind of work - hence the mergers that have occurred in recent times.
We have been approached by several chambers who now consider themselves too small to compete in the present climate. However, some chambers find it hard to accept that they have to change to survive, and some will never merge, as they are too proud of past achievements to allow anyone else in! They are likely to the be losers in the long run.
Clerks are survivors and a good clerk will adapt too. However, as a result of some of the re-alignment of various chambers, some people find themselves out of work. Chambers People is always looking for new opportunities to help find these people employment, but in a changing legal world, it is not always possible. Which is very sad......

Chambers People

7th April was the closing date for applying for a Senior Clerk post at Hollis Whiteman Chambers, Queen Elizabeth Building, Temple. The current Senior Clerk, Michael Greenaway, retires shortly, and the administration will change to a Senior Clerk and Chambers Director arrangment. Michael will be a tough act to follow, as anyone who knows him will understand, but the role of Senior Clerk at that chambers will remain a traditional one - day to day clerking duties, agreeing fees, developing business for the chambers and enhancing professonal relationships, while managing more junior staff - the same as any Senior Clerk role anywhere, but without having to worry about the administration, which will be run by others. Many clerks tell us that the job of Senior Clerk now is so much more administration than pure clerking, so an opportunity like this one will appeal to many.
Chambers People