*/
© 1MCB
1MCB Chambers has announced a significant expansion with 13 barristers and two clerks joining from the former Staple Inn Chambers, effective from 3 August 2026
The new members bolster Chambers’ established crime, family, immigration, housing and civil teams, further enhancing the breadth of specialist legal services on offer at the multidisciplinary set.
Following the transition, the former Staple Inn barristers are supported by 1MCB’s experienced clerking team. Led by senior clerk Adam Brosnan, the clerking team has done a great deal of work behind the scenes to ensure a seamless move and continuity of service. Existing instructions, professional relationships and ongoing cases continue without interruption.
1MCB, which was founded in 1977 and formerly known as 8 KBW, confirmed that clients will continue to receive the ‘high standard of service they expect, with the added benefit of access to the wider expertise, broader range of practice areas and enhanced resources available across 1MCB’.
Bryan Cox KC, Head of Chambers, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the barristers and clerks into 1MCB. This is an exciting moment in a long and distinguished history for Chambers, giving us the ability to offer clients an even more versatile team without compromising on what has always defined us: excellence in advocacy, access to justice, and representation for clients from all sectors of the community. Those are the principles this Chambers was built on, and they are exactly what our new colleagues bring with them.’
Barrister Alison Brooks, formerly of Staple Inn Chambers, said: ‘Joining 1MCB felt like a natural step. The values are closely aligned, a commitment to access to justice and to representing clients from all sectors of the community. We were made to feel welcome from the outset and we’re looking forward to contributing to Chambers as members of 1MCB.’
Salma Lalani, Deputy Head of Chambers, added: ‘This expansion reflects our continued growth and strength and creates real opportunities for our new colleagues to build on the practices they’ve established within 1MCB and for clients and professional users to draw on a genuinely broader offering. It also comes as we look ahead to celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, a milestone that makes this new chapter feel especially fitting.’
For 1MCB, this expansion marks the start of a wider growth strategy and it is keen to hear from barristers looking to successfully build their practice.
The new members bolster Chambers’ established crime, family, immigration, housing and civil teams, further enhancing the breadth of specialist legal services on offer at the multidisciplinary set.
Following the transition, the former Staple Inn barristers are supported by 1MCB’s experienced clerking team. Led by senior clerk Adam Brosnan, the clerking team has done a great deal of work behind the scenes to ensure a seamless move and continuity of service. Existing instructions, professional relationships and ongoing cases continue without interruption.
1MCB, which was founded in 1977 and formerly known as 8 KBW, confirmed that clients will continue to receive the ‘high standard of service they expect, with the added benefit of access to the wider expertise, broader range of practice areas and enhanced resources available across 1MCB’.
Bryan Cox KC, Head of Chambers, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the barristers and clerks into 1MCB. This is an exciting moment in a long and distinguished history for Chambers, giving us the ability to offer clients an even more versatile team without compromising on what has always defined us: excellence in advocacy, access to justice, and representation for clients from all sectors of the community. Those are the principles this Chambers was built on, and they are exactly what our new colleagues bring with them.’
Barrister Alison Brooks, formerly of Staple Inn Chambers, said: ‘Joining 1MCB felt like a natural step. The values are closely aligned, a commitment to access to justice and to representing clients from all sectors of the community. We were made to feel welcome from the outset and we’re looking forward to contributing to Chambers as members of 1MCB.’
Salma Lalani, Deputy Head of Chambers, added: ‘This expansion reflects our continued growth and strength and creates real opportunities for our new colleagues to build on the practices they’ve established within 1MCB and for clients and professional users to draw on a genuinely broader offering. It also comes as we look ahead to celebrating our 50th anniversary next year, a milestone that makes this new chapter feel especially fitting.’
For 1MCB, this expansion marks the start of a wider growth strategy and it is keen to hear from barristers looking to successfully build their practice.
1MCB Chambers has announced a significant expansion with 13 barristers and two clerks joining from the former Staple Inn Chambers, effective from 3 August 2026
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
