Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Elves published in Counsel Magazine

Naomi Cunningham and Charlotte Elves have been published in Counsel Magazine in article titled ‘Sharing The Advocacy’.

In this article, Naomi and Charlotte suggest that giving junior counsel a speaking role should be seen not only as a development opportunity but as something that can genuinely benefit the client. Drawing on their personal experience working together in lengthy employment tribunal hearings, they suggest that sharing advocacy can improve focus, reduce fatigue, and strengthen the overall quality of representation.

The article explains that advocacy is often already shared behind the scenes, with juniors helping to draft submissions and prepare cross-examination even when they do not speak in court. Naomi and Charlotte describe how role-playing a witness examination in advance helped refine questioning and led to a stronger cross-examination in the tribunal itself.

They also highlight that cross-examination is particularly well suited to being divided between counsel. Letting a junior handle less central witnesses can sharpen the team’s performance by allowing each advocate to concentrate more closely on their own area, while also helping manage the pressure and exhaustion of long hearings.

Sharing The Advocacy

To read the full article, published on Monday 13th April 2026, click here.

Counsel Magazine

Founded in 1985, COUNSEL is the official monthly Magazine of the Bar of England and Wales, published by LexisNexis on behalf of the Bar Council. COUNSEL is largely written by and for barristers. The authors are thought leaders and experts in their fields.

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Naomi Cunningham has specialised in discrimination law, mainly but not exclusively in the employment context, throughout her career. In recent years, Naomi has developed a particular interest in the interaction between the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act, gender reassignment discrimination, the single-sex exceptions in the Equality Act, and the public sector equality duty and the Human Rights Act 1998. She gave evidence to the Women and Equalities Select Committee on reform of the GRA in February 2021, to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament in June 2022, and again to the Women and Equalities Select Committee at Westminster in January 2023. She was named by The Lawyer as one of their “Hot 100” for 2022.

To find out more about Naomi, contact Nick Levett on +44 (0)20 7427 4908 for a confidential discussion.

Charlotte Elves completed pupillage in October 2023. In January 2026 she was named in The Hot 100 by The Lawyer. Charlotte is a sought-after Junior. Her broad academic background enables an agile response to complex legal issues, especially those cutting across multiple areas of law. She practices predominantly in contempt, pensions, discrimination, commercial litigation and professional discipline, and is often instructed in high-profile cases, or those in the media spotlight where her strategic approach, composed manner and careful judgment are especially valued. Charlotte is credited as a robust and precise advocate, with a bedside manner which belies her relatively few years call.

To find out more about Charlotte, contact Lexie Johnson on + 44 (0) 207 427 0801 or Dave Lovitt on +44 (0)20 7353 6381 for a confidential discussion.

External Publications, News 13 Apr, 2026