General News

A clarification of the “relationship akin to employment” and the “sufficiently close connection” tests in grooming cases

7th September 2023

3PB Head of Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Michelle Marnham (pictured here) and future 3PB Pupil Jeremy Warner analyse MXX v A Secondary School [2023] EWCA Civ 996. The case concerned the grooming/abuse of a minor by a work experience student. It provided the Court of Appeal with an opportunity to clarify the “relationship akin to employment” and the “sufficiently close connection” tests set out in The Catholic Child Welfare Society and others (Appellants) v...

Rebecca McKnight secures unanimous acquittal of a client charged with supplying Class A drugs

6th September 2023

3PB’s specialist criminal law barrister Rebecca McKnight (pictured here) has successfully secured an acquittal for her client of two charges of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and two charges of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs, after a trial at Southampton Crown Court. The defendant was a vulnerable person who had been facing these allegations for almost 2 years. If found guilty, the defendant would have likely faced a period...

3 Paper Buildings handpicks trio of family barristers

1st September 2023

Pictured here: Elizabeth Gooderham (left), Paul Froud (centre) and Andrew Duncan (right) Three experienced family law barristers have joined 3PB (3 Paper Buildings) to bolster its already award-winning, 80-strong Family Law Group. The national chambers handpicked the trio from the Midlands/South East specialist family law set, Senate House Chambers. Elizabeth Gooderham is a 22-years call childcare barrister, representing clients in public law and complex private law proceedings. She often acts in cases with vulnerable clients, including those with...

Employment Appeal Tribunal upholds appeal on TUPE location issue

1st September 2023

Judgment was handed down this week (29 August 2023) in Jagruti Rajput v Commerzbank AG and Societe Generale (London) [2023] EAT 116. The underlying case concerns a claim of discrimination against two investment banks. The appeal was on the question as to when a TUPE transfer took place, with Mr Justice Kerr finding that the tribunal judge had erred in law in excluding from his consideration matters which took place in Germany, wrongly finding that...

Nick Robinson’s client found Not Guilty of possessing 1kg of cocaine with intent to supply

30th August 2023

3PB specialist criminal defence barrister Nick Robinson represented CL at his trial at Oxford Crown Court for possessing a class A drug with intent to supply. On 13 February 2023, officers from Scotland in conjunction with Oxfordshire Constabulary, executed a stop and search warrant of CL's Mercedes vehicle in Oxford as it travelled from Hamilton, Scotland to Bournemouth, England. The police found 1kg of high purity cocaine concealed in a stage light in a box...

Sarah Bowen joins the Birmingham Law Society's Employment Law Committee

29th August 2023

3PB's specialist Employment, Discrimination and Education barrister Sarah Bowen has joined Birmingham Law Society's Employment Law Committee, chaired by Shoosmiths LLP's Charlie Rae. The Employment Law Committee, formed of senior employment law practitioners from across the Midlands region, meets monthly to consider recent and proposed changes in employment law and practice. The Committee also undertakes annual discussions with senior representatives of ACAS, the regional judiciary, and various trade unions, as well as responding to government...

Incorrect invoices: the consequences of failing to name your price

29th August 2023

3PB Commercial law barrister Alexander Whatley analyses the case of Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc v Goodrich Corporation [2023] EWHC 1637 (Comm), a case in which the High Court had to consider if the original, contractual agreement between the two parties or the incorrect invoice issued by the supplier was to take primacy in this commercial dispute. In reaching its decision, the High Court examined the cases of Ruttle Plant Hire Limited v Secretary of State for...

Mark Green promoted to Attorney General's London A Panel

21st August 2023

Chambers is delighted to announce employment and national security law barrister Mark Green's promotion to the Attorney-General’s London A Panel for a period of five years, commencing on Friday 1st September 2023. He had been on the London B Panel since September 2019. Mark Green, pictured here, frequently appears for both claimants and respondents, dealing with claims in the Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal, Court of Appeal, High Court and County Court. Mark has a...

Benjamin McQueen Inquest – Prevention of Future Deaths report published

17th August 2023

3PB's regulatory law and crime barrister Tom Horder, pictured here, acted for the Health and Safety Executive in the recently-concluded inquest into the death of Marine Benjamin McQueen. Marine McQueen tragically drowned during a military diving exercise in Portland Harbour. He experienced complications during the dive and was later recovered from the sea bed from a depth of about 18 metres. The Inquest, held over 3 weeks in the Royal Courts of Justice before Judge...

Thomas Acworth and Thomas Evans successfully defend clients charged with drugs offences after Operation Eternal

7th August 2023

Two of 3PB's crime and regulatory barristers Thomas Acworth and Thomas Evans (picture left to right) successfully represented two people arrested whilst fleeing their North London property along with a third male. In excess of 11kg of cocaine and more than £40,000 in cash was seized at the house. The execution of the search warrant of their property was part of the Metropolitan Police's Operation Eternal, a major operation launched in April 2020 to target...

Nathalie Bull writes on “How to apply for permission to relocate” for Family Law

4th August 2023

3PB family law barrister Nathalie Bull (pictured here) has written a brief guide on “How to apply for permission to relocate” for the Family Law Journal. The guide, published on 31 July, considers the steps required when seeking or opposing the permanent relocation of a child either internationally or nationally. Nathalie analyses the Court’s approach and sets out the crucial evidence to improve prospects of making or defending applications. To read the full article if...

Liz Adams considers how new technology may impact family law practitioners

28th July 2023

Technology has dramatically changed the ways in which we relate to each other and how we live our lives. In this article written for Today’s Family Lawyer, 3PB pupil Elizabeth Adams (pictured here) examines how new technology could change how family law practitioners deal with case issues and evidence through 3 practical examples covering: Instant messaging and images Financial data and ‘Natural Language Processing’ and jargon bursting. Click here to read Elizabeth’s article. Elizabeth Adams...