Partner – Chief Clerk, Neil McHugh
Following on from the launch of Express Chambers, the advocacy arm of Express Solicitors [1], a new Chief Clerk has been appointed to help manage and grow the department.
Neil McHugh [2] joins the team from 7 Harrington Street Chambers in Liverpool and will be tasked with helping to grow Express Chambers. He’ll be responsible, along with Head of Express Chambers, Nyssa Crorie for hiring barristers at every grade, as well as further support staff, developing more pupils and generally ensuring that the team can cover all the work that the rapidly growing Express Solicitors group brings.
Express Solicitors has recently acquired Sorry Mate / Smooth Law [3] and Aegis Legal [4], and has further acquisition plans that will feed more advocacy work to the team.
Express Chambers is an integrated chambers model comprising employed barristers, pupils, advocates, and clerks, and is an opportunity for barristers to be part of the employed Bar [5].
Neil, who brings with him over 30 years of clerking experience at a number of busy chambers, including being a Senior Clerk / Practice Director, will work alongside Nyssa who joined Express Solicitors as the firm’s first employed barrister in December 2016.
McHugh said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining Express Chambers. As Express Solicitors continues its growth, I can’t wait to help Express Chambers grow and ensure the team can continue to provide a great service to both the solicitors and our clients.
“I’m particularly looking forward to developing and growing all the talent in the team and being part of the employed Bar.”
In 2023, Express Solicitors announced it was to recruit aspiring barristers for the first time, offering four pupillage positions, after it was granted status as an authorised training organisation by the Bar Standards Board.
Pupils at Express Chambers, subject to certain conditions and criteria, can participate in court hearings during the first six months of their training, whereas in other settings, they generally have to wait longer.
Neil’s appointment follows on from John Sharples [6], a new Partner – Barrister joining the team and the addition of two new clerks, Helen Benyon and Laura Gibbons, strengthening the support provided to the barristers.
For more information about Express Chambers, visit http://www.expresssolicitors.co.uk/express-chambers [7] or follow Express Chambers [8] on Linked In.