Awards & Rankings

Outer Temple Chambers is proud to have been recognised by numerous directories and professional bodies over the years. Below is a chronology of some of our achievements.

2026 Awards & Accolades

Lydia Seymour KC and Martina Murphy KC appointed King’s Counsel.

Charlotte Elves included in The Lawyer’s ‘Top 10 Appeals of 2026’ for her involvement in Município De Mariana v BHP Group (UK) Limited & Ors.

Charlotte Elves named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 list.

Outer Temple Chambers ranked in the Legal 500 UK 2026 Guide with 2 Top Tier rankings in in Crypto & Blockchain Assets and Pensions, including 10 set recommendations, and over 140 individual rankings.

Outer Temple Chambers awarded 12 set rankings in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar 2026 Guide, including 4 new set rankings, and over 110 individual rankings. This is our best set of rankings yet, as our individual rankings see 14 new entries and 27 elevations, and 2 new Band 1 set rankings for Personal Injury: Animal Claims and Cryptocurrency.

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted for Commercial Set of the Year: English Bar in the Middle East at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2026. Justina Stewart also nominated for Commercial Junior of the Year.

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Oliver Powell KC and Ben Bradley KC appointed Kings Counsel.

Barrister John McKendrick KC appointed as High Court Judge to The Honourable Mr Justice McKendrick.

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2025 for Chancery, Clinical Negligence, Employment, Financial Services and Insurance, Personal Injury and Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Set of the Year. Additionally, Nicolas Stallworthy KC shortlisted for Chancery Silk of the Year, Andrew Short KC shortlisted for Employment Silk of the Year, Fiona Horlick KC shortlisted for Professional Disciplinary and Regulatory Silk of the Year, and Sarah Crowther KC shortlisted for Personal Injury Silk of the Year. Lydia Seymour was shortlisted for Chancery Junior of the Year.

Sarah Crowther KC awarded Legal 500 Personal Injury Silk of the Year.

We are proud to have been recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto & Blockchain Assets again, as well as achieving a Top Tier Set ranking in Pensions in the Legal 500 2025 Guide. These Tier 1 rankings mean we are now ranked for excellence in nine practice area rankings with 73 individual members ranked across 27 practice areas.

We are proud to have been ranked as a Tier 1 Set in the ‘Middle East: The English Bar: Commercial’ guide by Legal 500 EMEA 2025. In addition to a Tier 1 Commercial Set ranking, eight members achieved individual rankings in the Commercial guide as well as a barrister ranking in the Construction guide.

Outer Temple Chambers awarded 9 set rankings in the 2025 Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide and over 110 individual rankings, including two Band 1 awards for our Pensions Law team and Travel Law team.

Outer Temple Chambers wins ‘Litigation Team of the Year’ at the inaugural LAW Middle East Awards 2025, held in Dubai.

Patrick Tomison shortlisted in the category of Junior Counsel of the Year at the International Employment Lawyer (IEL) Awards 2025. 

 Henry Reid included in The Lawyer’s ‘Top 10 Appeals of 2025’ for his involvement in James “Jes” Staley v the FCA.

Harry Steinberg KC and Aliyah Akram included in The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases of 2025’ for their involvement in The Military Deafness Litigation.

Charlotte Elves named ‘Lawyer of the Week’ by The Times

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted across 16 areas, including ‘Set of the Year’ for Clinical Negligence, Employment, Personal Injury, Sport, and Technology Data & Crypto at The Legal 500 Bar Awards. Additionally, Sarah Crowther KC was shortlisted for Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year, Andrew Short KC for Employment Silk of the Year,  Gerard McDermott KC for Personal Injury Silk of the Year, Fiona Horlick KC for Professional Disciplinary Silk of the Year and Andrew Spink KC for Technology Data and Crypto Silk of the Year. Harriet Jerram was shortlisted for Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year, Lydia Seymour for Employment Junior of the Year and Aliyah Akram for Personal Injury Junior of the Year.

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted for Commercial Set of the Year and Commercial Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024.

Recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto and blockchain assets, recommended in 9 practice areas and to have received 19 Leading Silk, 5 New Silk, 48 Junior and 5 Rising Star rankings in the Legal 500 2024 Guide.

Legal 500 announced their 2024 EMEA results and we are proud to have been ranked as a Tier 1 set in the ‘Middle East: The English Bar: Commercial’ guide including nine barrister rankings, as well as barrister listings in the ‘Middle East: The English Bar: Construction’ guide.

Following the release of the Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2024 guide, we are delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings, including 9 practice area rankings and 58 barrister rankings.

Fiona Horlick KC shortlisted as Professional Discipline – Silk of the Year at the 2024 Chambers UK Bar Awards.

Naomi Cunningham named ‘Lawyer of the Week’ by The Times

James Leonard KC and Claire van Overdijk KC appointed King’s Counsel.

Paul Rogers appointed as part time First Tier Tribunal Judge.

David E Grant KC, Gus Baker, Andrew Short KC and Helen Pugh included in The Lawyer’s ‘Top 10 Appeals of 2023’.

Outer Temple Chambers awarded Personal Injury Set of the Year by Chambers & Partners.

Won the Technology, Data and Crypto Set of the Year award at The Legal 500 Bar Awards.

Recognised as Top Tier Set in Crypto and blockchain assets by Legal 500.

David E. Grant KC appointed Queen’s Counsel (now Kings Counsel)

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted at The Legal 500 Bar Awards for Clinical Negligence, Personal Injury, and Employment Set of the Year. Additionally, Saul Margo shortlisted in the Chancery Junior of the Year category and Oliver Powell nominated for Corporate Crime Junior of the Year.

Outer Temple Chambers shortlisted as an Outstanding Set in Diversity & Inclusion by Chambers Bar Awards. James Leonard  shortlisted as Health & Safety Junior of the Year, Matthew McDonagh shortlisted as Professional Discipline Junior of the Year, and Naomi Ling shortlisted as Employment Junior of the Year.

Outer Temple Chambers have once again been ranked as a leading set across eight practice areas in the 2023 edition of Chambers & Partners. We now have 92 ranked barristers, including over 20 individual promotions and newly ranked barristers.

We have also been ranked in the Legal 500 UK 2023 rankings, with over 60 barristers now holding rankings across 27 practice areas.

Rachel Vickers appointed Queen’s Counsel in March 2021.

Rachel Vickers wins Clinical Negligence Junior of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards.

Outer Temple Chambers nominated for Client Service Set of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards.

Naomi Cunningham named ‘Lawyer of the Week’ by The Lawyer.

  • Andrew Allen appointed Queen’s Counsel in March 2020
  • Andrew Short QC awarded Employment Silk of the Year for The Legal 500 UK Awards 2020

  • Jonathan Hand and Fiona Horlick appointed Queen’s Counsel
  • Claire van Overdijk shortlisted for “Advocate of the Year” at the 2019/2020 STEP Private Client Awards
  • Andrew Short QC shortlisted for Employment Silk of the Year and Outer Temple Chambers won Employment Set of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Andrew Short QC shortlisted in the ‘Barrister of the Year’ category at The Lawyer Awards.

  • Outer Temple Chambers won the Chambers of the Year category at the STEP Private Client Awards
  • Christine Kings, then CEO, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Fiona Horlick is shortlisted for Professional Discipline: Junior of the Year Award at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Outer Temple Chambers was shortlisted for 2018/2019 STEP Private Client ‘Chambers of the Year’ at the STEP Private Client Awards
  • Outer Temple Chambers becomes a proud Silver Sponsor of the SIA
  • Tim Nesbitt, Nathan Tavares, Eliot Woolf and Sarah Crowther appointed Queen’s Counsel

  • Outer Temple achieved ‘Highly commended’ in the Modern Law Awards Chambers of the Year
  • Outer Temple shortlisted in Legal Week’s British Legal Awards – ‘Chambers of the Year’ category
  • David Russell QC was awarded ‘Lifetime Achievement’ at the WealthBriefing GCC Region Awards
  • Outer Temple awarded ‘Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Set of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • James Leonard wins ‘Health & Safety Junior of the Year’ Award at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • James Counsell and Matthew Phillips appointed Queen’s Counsel

  • Employment Team nominated for Employment Set of the Year at the Legal 500 UK Awards
  • Fiona Horlick nominated for Professional Discipline Junior of the Year Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • John McKendrick appointed Queen’s Counsel

  • Outer Temple was awarded the Chambers Innovation Award by Legal Week
  • Outer Temple was runner up in The Lawyer Award for Chambers of the Year 2015
  • Ben Compton QC awarded ‘Health & Safety Silk of the Year’ at the Chambers Bar Awards
  • Christopher Wilson Smith QC won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chambers Bar Awards

  • Outer Temple has been commended in the FT’s Innovative Lawyers 2014 Report. Identified as a ‘Legal Industry Pioneer’, the FT noted that Outer Temple, the only traditional Chambers featured, had been restructured to meet the challenges of a changing legal market
  • Outer Temple recommended as a Top Tier Set in Business and Regulatory Crime at the Legal 500 UK Awards
  • James Leonard won ‘Professional Discipline Junior of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Ben Compton shortlisted as ‘Silk of the Year in Health & Safety’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Gerard McDermott QC won the award of ‘Excellence in Legal Care’ at the SIA’s ‘Rebuilding Lives After Spinal Cord Injury’ Awards
  • David Russell QC won ‘Chartered Tax Adviser of the Year’ at The Tax Institute’s 29th National Convention

  • Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Teams won ‘Set of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Professional Discipline Team shortlisted for ‘Set of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence Teams won ‘Set of the Year’ at the Legal 500 UK Awards
  • John McKendrick was featured in The Times Lawyer of the week column
  • Winner of ‘Employment Team the Year’, jointly nominated with Leigh Day at The Lawyer Awards
  • Daniel Barnett was shortlisted for the 2013 Legal Journalism Award

  • Professional Discipline Team won ‘Set of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Gerard McDermott QC won Personal Injury Silk of the Year 2012 at the Personal Injury Awards
  • Outer Temple Chambers awarded ‘Friends in Law 2012’ for providing finance and support to FRU and the Bar Pro Bono Unit

  • David Westcott QC won ‘Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence Silk of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards
  • Richard Hitchcock QC was featured in The Times Lawyer of the week column

  • Black Solicitor Network Awards – Outer Temple won awards for Retaining Talent and for Promoting Talent. Chambers was also one of the three finalists in the Attracting Talent category
  • The Pensions team at Outer Temple Chambers was short listed for the Professional Pensions, Pensions Awards, in the category of Pension Lawyers of the Year

“Lovely Clerks. Efficient administrators and easy to deal with.”

Legal 500- Tier 1 – Crypto and Blockchain Assets

“A pensions powerhouse. All the barristers in the pensions team are approachable and lovely to work with.”

Legal 500- Tier 1 – Pensions

"A key player in the clinical negligence sphere.”

Legal 500- Tier 2 – Clinical Negligence

"At the cutting edge of employment at the moment”.

Legal 500- Tier 2 – Employment

“Enviable reputation for specialist PI counsel at all levels from juniors to seniors”.

Legal 500- Tier 2 – Personal Injury

"A preeminent set active in the Middle East with particular focus on Dubai and UAE law, exemplified by the set’s active contributions in the drafting of new legislation and amending of foundational laws, recently in relation to the new Digital Assets Law”.

Legal 500 EMEA – Tier 1 - Middle East: The English Bar: Commercial

"The set is particularly noted for its deep bench of barristers, who combine exceptional technical insight with strategic acumen."

Chambers & Partners – Band 1 –Cryptocurrency

"It has a fabulous clerking team. They are proactive, friendly and straightforward."

Chambers & Partners – Band 1 – Personal Injury (Animal Claims)

“A market-leading set housing a range of barristers with a wealth of experience in the handling of complex and high-value international personal injury matters.

Chambers & Partners – Band 1 – Travel: International Personal Injury

"Involved in the most important and complex cases in this field."

Chambers & Partners – Band 1 – Pensions

"Outer Temple are responsive, reliable and armed with talented counsel, from junior end to the most senior, to suit every instruction."

Chambers & Partners – Band 2 – Employment

“The barristers always add considerable value, and are highly skilled and responsive advocates. They have an excellent reputation for health and safety cases, which is well deserved."

Chambers & Partners – Band 2 – Health & Safety

"Go-to for complex matters. The clerks are the best I have dealt with. Super responsive and helpful, reliable and efficient too.”

Chambers & Partners – Band 3 – Group Litigation

"Outer Temple Chambers houses considerable expertise in serious criminal matters, and is well regarded in the market for its handling of the region's most high-profile and complex cases."

Chambers & Partners - Band 1 - Crime

"A strong pool of experienced counsel".

Chambers & Partners – Band 3 – Professional Discipline

"The barristers at Outer Temple Chambers are well regarded for their expert handling of prosecutions arising from a wide range of health and safety offences."

Chambers & Partners - Band 2 - Health & Safety

"Outer Temple Chambers as a "very modern and organised set... members are very professional and the quality of the work they produce is amazing."

Chambers & Partners - Band 3 - Clinical Negligence

"An excellent set of chambers, with a great collection of barristers' who are 'technically brilliant'. The set offers 'not merely the numbers to provide strength in depth, but also a range of sub-specialisms, which gives them a real edge'."

Legal 500 - Tier 2 - Clinical Negligence

Outer Temple Chambers is 'extremely efficient and all the clerks are helpful when looking for suitable counsel at affordable fees'.

Legal 500 - Tier 2 - Employment

The set is well known for its involvement at the epicentre of ground-breaking mass equal pay litigation.

Chambers & Partners - Band 2 - Employment

"Outer Temple Chambers has 'strength and depth across the gamut of financial services' and is 'generous in offering insights and education and training programmes'."

Legal 500 - Tier 2 - Financial Services Regulation

"Outer Temple Chambers is consistently rated as 'one of the top' pensions teams."

Legal 500 - Tier 2 - Pensions

"Outer Temple Chambers demonstrates notable expertise... with sources commenting on the "breadth of expertise" at the set."

Chambers & Partners - Tier 2 - Pensions

"Outer Temple Chambers' 'excellent reputation' comes from its 'huge breadth of expertise relating to accident and injury types'... 'great number of silks at the top of their game' and 'juniors who complete work well beyond their call'."

Legal 500 - Tier 2 - Personal Injury, Industrial Disease and Insurance Fraud

"Instructing solicitors praise the "quality of counsel" available within the set and note that "whenever you instruct Outer Temple Chambers you know your case will be dealt with professionally and efficiently."

Chambers & Partners - Band 2 - Personal Injury

"The set has excellent capability across a broad spread of regulated professions. Commentators observe that the set "devotes real energy to professional discipline, without seeing it as an add-on."

Chambers & Partners - Band 3 - Professional Discipline

"Outer Temple Chambers stands out for its 'strength in depth in pensions professional indemnity work', frequently advising on claims against solicitors, barristers, actuaries, financial services professionals and insolvency practitioners."

legal 500 UK - Tier 4 - Professional Negligence

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