Silk Appointments: Lydia Seymour and Martina Murphy

We are overjoyed to share that Lydia Seymour and Martina Murphy have been elevated to the ranks of King’s Counsel (Silk) in the 2025-2026 King’s Counsel competition, announced today.

The title of KC is awarded to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in the conduct of advocacy. His Majesty The King has approved the appointment, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, of 96 barristers as new King’s Counsel (KC) in England and Wales. The Lord Chancellor is advised by a selection panel of senior representatives from across the legal sector, civil service, judiciary, and academia. 

The Lord Chancellor will preside over the award ceremony at Westminster Hall in March 2026, where he will formally bestow the title of KC upon the successful applicants and award the Honorary KCs.

On behalf of all at Outer Temple Chambers, a huge congratulations to (the soon-to-be) Lydia Seymour KC and Martina Murphy KC on this achievement.

Lydia Seymour has a specialist pensions and employment law practice, including professional negligence claims in both areas. She has been recognised by the legal directories as a leading junior since 2005 and is listed for employment, pensions and professional negligence. She also acts in claims of professional negligence arising from actuarial and legal advice to pension schemes, including cases in which allegations of breach of duty have also been made in respect of professional or lay trustees.

Chambers & Partners describe Lydia as, “A real pensions specialist. She has an incredible intellect and is such an incisive thinker.”… “extraordinarily adept on her feet and is an extremely consistent, very safe pair of hands for complicated claims.” Legal 500 describe Lydia as, “An absolute pleasure to work with. She is insightful but measured, always calm and incredibly well prepared.”

Martina Murphy specialises in employment,  group litigation and professional discipline. She is recognised for her “excellent advocacy” and as a “ highly effective cross-examiner”. Martina’s cross-over knowledge of human rights law is sought after in employment cases. She increasingly works with clients in the financial services sector and for major financial institutions, particularly in whistleblowing and complex discrimination matters. Martina is the immediate past Chair of the Employment Law Bar Association (ELBA). She has a long-standing commitment to pro bono work.  She was listed in Advocate’s 2025 Pro Bono Recognition List and shortlisted for the Pro Bono Counsel of the Year Award (2021). She was shortlisted for ‘Employment Junior of the Year’ at the 2024 International Employment Lawyer Awards.

Chambers & Partners describe Martina as, “An excellent, practical and client-friendly barrister. She is thorough and incisive.” Legal 500 describe her as, “A strong advocate who is well-prepared, respectful of opposition and provides robust delivery.”

2025 – 2026 King’s Counsel appointments

To see the full list of this year’s KC appointments, click here.

Find out more

To find out more about Lydia, contact Matt Sale on +44 (0)20 7427 4910 for a confidential discussion.

To find out more about Martina, contact Nick Levett on +44 (0)20 7427 4908 or Mark Gardner on +44 (0)20 7427 4909 for a confidential discussion.

News 23 Jan, 2026