Barristers

Barristers team members

Lee Bremridge

Year Of Call : 2003; Head of Chambers

Lee Bremridge is Head of Chambers at Walnut House and a criminal barrister experienced in all areas of complex and serious crime. Lee is known for dealing with serious cases, defending and prosecuting in equal measure.

lee.bremridge@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Laws KC

Year Of Call : 1991

In May 2021, Simon Laws KC was instructed to represent the victims in a trial in The Hague in which the former President of Kosovo and three others are being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The proceedings are ongoing and Mr Laws is therefore currently unable to accept other instructions.

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Paul Cavin KC

Year Of Call : 1995; Door Tenant

Paul is a Door Tenant of Walnut House, with family connections to the South West. He is also Head of Chambers at 2 Harcourt Buildings in London. Paul specialises in homicide, fraud, corporate crime – particularly bribery and corruption but also money laundering, cyber crime, and proceeds of crime.
He is regularly instructed by the CPS and the SFO and was on the Attorney General’s Criminal List for many years. Before his call to the bar he trained as a solicitor at a city firm (where he gained experience in all aspects of commercial law before qualifying in the commercial litigation/fraud group). He is a member of the Private Prosecutors’ Association and the Fraud Lawyers Association.

paul.cavin@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Mark Treneer

Year Of Call : 1987

The main focus is in ancillary relief (financial remedies) for husbands, wives and children, especially where there are trust and/or business assets and farms. Mark cuts through volume of paper to the core and critical issues and is focussed and blunt with his clients and the Court alike.

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Adrian Chaplin

Year Of Call : 1990

Adrian is a highly effective and sought-after advocate with extensive experience of heavy-weight and sensitive cases before a broad range of courts and tribunals.
He advises in criminal, misconduct, regulatory and coroner’s court work. He is experienced in appeal cases and judicial review.

adrian.chaplin@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Simon Burns

Year Of Call : 1992

Simon Burns is a specialist in criminal law undertaking prosecution and defence work.

simon.burns@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Peter Coombe

Year Of Call : 1993

Peter is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and other cases of serious violence.

peter.coombe@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Heather Hope

Year Of Call : 1993

Heather was called in 1993 and after having practiced in a leading criminal set in London for 22yrs, moved to the South West in 2015. Heather has prosecuted and defended in large-scale drug cases, gang violence and firearms cases along with rape and serious sexual offences. Heather has also defended and prosecuted as a led junior in murder trials at the Central Criminal Court and as leading junior counsel in numerous trials more recently. Grade 4 and RASSO panel Counsel.

heather.hope@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Mary McCarthy

Year Of Call : 1994

Mary is regularly instructed in cases of murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, rape and fraud.

“She’s an extremely good advocate, brilliant at cross-examination and very good tactically; she knows how to destroy the opposition.”
Chambers and Partners 2018

mary.mccarthy@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Lara Spencer

Year Of Call : 2000; Head of Civil

Lara has represented both Claimants and Defendants in a variety of matters for over 20 years and has appeared before most Courts and many different Tribunals. She has also given numerous talks and seminars in civil litigation to CPD providers and assisted in writing civil litigation material for online CPD providers. Lara is authorised to conduct all areas of litigation. She is a member of the Professional Negligence Bar Association and the Personal Injury Bar Association. Many of Lara’s cases are high value. As such, she often appears against KCs. Although based in Exeter, Lara undertakes court work throughout England and Wales. Lara’s wide common law practice affords her with a thorough understanding of the processes and tactics of civil law and litigation, and enables her to provide specialist, pragmatic and practical advice. Similarly, her early experience at the criminal bar, during which time she prosecuted and defended in the Magistrates Court and Crown Courts, and her continued work there in planning and environmental matters, provides her with a continued specialist knowledge and experience of criminal law and practice.

lara.spencer@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Kelly Scrivener

Year Of Call : 2001

Kelly appears for both the Prosecution and Defence in all matters before the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division).

kelly.scrivener@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Theresa McCormack

Year Of Call : 2002

Theresa is instructed in multi-day final hearings at which the Court determines whether children should be placed in care of the Local Authority, remain in the care of the Local Authority, be returned to their parents, placed with other family members or have placement orders made in respect of them. 

theresa.mccormack@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Helen Bray

Year Of Call : 2004

Helen is a very experienced member of our Family Team in Chambers.
(Full Profile to follow)

helen.bray@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Emma Smith

Year Of Call : 2005

Emma is a practitioner who accepts instructions in both civil and family law. Personable and approachable to clients, Emma has a practical and down-to-earth style both in conference and in court.

emma.smith@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Bathsheba Cassel

Year Of Call : 2005

Bathsheba is a criminal barrister with a wealth of experience across all areas of complex and serious crime.

bathsheba.cassel@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Joss Ticehurst

Year Of Call : 2006

Joss Ticehurst is instructed to defend and prosecute in cases involving the most serious criminal offences in the Crown Court, particularly those relating to allegations of rape, attempted murder, multi-defendant cases involving drugs and murder, and multi-defendant cases of fraud and drug conspiracies.

joss.ticehurst@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Dan Pawson-Pounds

Year Of Call : 2007; Head of Crime / Deputy HoC

Dan has wide experience in all aspects of criminal law, quasi-criminal regulatory law, corporate investigations and international war crimes. He specialises in business crime, criminal law, terrorism and private prosecutions, both in court and in an advisory role.

Legal 500 2025 – Leading Junior Tier 1
Chambers & Partners 2025 – Band 3
Recorder (Crown Court) 2023

dan.pawson-pounds@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Will Parkhill

Year Of Call : 2015

Defends serious crime.

will.parkhill@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Brian FitzHerbert

Year Of Call : 2008

Brian prosecutes and defends in all areas of criminal law. His practice encompasses murder, manslaughter, sexual offences, serious violence and organised crime. He is a Grade Four advocate on the Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel and is also on the RASSO and Serious Crime Panels.

brian.fitzherbert@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Felicity Payne

Year Of Call : 2010

Felicity is a common law barrister with an established and varied practice in all aspects of criminal and civil law. Felicity is thorough, practical and robust in her approach, whilst remaining personable.

felicity.payne@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Laura Searle

Year Of Call : 2011; Head of Family / Deputy HoC

Laura is a family barrister with a busy and varied practice acting and advising in public and private law proceedings, applications for injunctive relief and financial remedy proceedings. She is a personable and approachable advocate who prides herself on going the extra mile for her clients. She has studied and worked internationally in France, Brussels, Luxembourg and New Zealand and is a Denning and Eastham Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn

Legal 500 2025 – Leading Junior Tier 4

laura.searle@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Frederick Hookway

Year Of Call : 2011 (Door Tenant)

Frederick is a door tenant at Walnut House and lives in the South West. We are happy to accept instructions on his behalf for any matters that are relevant to the Western Circuit. His main Chambers is 5 King’s Bench Walk in London and his full profile can be found through their site.

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Emmi Wilson

Year Of Call : 2013

Emmi is a specialist family barrister with established practices in all aspects of public and private law and injunctive proceedings. Emmi joined Walnut House in September 2014 having successfully completed a twelve-month pupillage in chambers, and since then has continued to enjoy a busy family practice. Emmi prides herself on being a personable and persuasive advocate who is both thorough and robust in her approach

emmi.wilson@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Evie Dean

Year Of Call : 2019

Evie accepts instructions in both criminal and family law. She regularly appears in the Crown and Magistrates’ Courts where she prosecutes and defends in all stages of proceedings. She also acts for parents in both private and care proceedings from application stage through to contested interim and final hearings.

Since joining Walnut House after successfully completing a twelve-month pupillage in chambers, Evie has continued to enjoy a busy and varied practice. She has been complimented on her pragmatic and personable manner with her clients.

evie.dean@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Sam Wysocki

Year Of Call : 2020

Sam has developed a diverse practice across Chambers’ family and civil teams, representing clients throughout the South West. He prides himself on his attention to detail, being approachable and offering pragmatic advice.
Sam completed his pupillage and accepted tenancy from Walnut House in October 2021. Furthermore, Sam successfully obtained his public access qualification in October 2022.

sam.wysocki@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Zoe Kuyken

Year Of Call : 2021

Zoe joined chambers after successfully completing a 12 month pupillage in 2022.

Zoe accepts instructions in criminal and family law.

zoe.kuyken@walnuthouse.co.uk View Profile

Azzam Bhatti

Year Of Call : 2017

Azzam has a mixed Civil, Criminal and Family practice at Walnut House.

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