Archives 2021

Daniel Proctor accepts instructions in all of chambers’ key practice areas. Daniel has consistently received positive feedback from his  professional and lay clients alike for his empathetic yet robust approach in court.

Family Law
Daniel’s family practice incorporates both private and public children cases, financial remedies as well as injunctions. Daniel has acted at all stages of family litigation including fact-findings, final hearings and appeals.
Daniel’s private children work began when he provided pro-bono advice and represented litigants-in-person whilst he was completing his professional qualifications.

Civil Law
Daniel also has a broad civil practice and has been instructed to appear in trials and interim applications in a wide range of civil matters including Road Traffic Accidents, Personal injuries, Contracts and Banking.
Prior to starting his pupillage Daniel gained over 4 years’ worth of invaluable experience working as a paralegal in the clinical negligence department of a leading national law firm.

John Brooke-Smith specialises in Financial Remedies, private Children Act work and personal injury.

John was called to the Bar in 1981. He practised in London before moving to East Anglia in 1988, where he has established his practice working for solicitors and direct access clients throughout the region and beyond. John was appointed a Recorder (part-time Judge) in 1999 and sits in the County and Crown Courts, hearing family, civil and criminal cases.

John is a strong advocate with excellent technical knowledge who easily gains clients’ trust.  He is highly experienced and approachable and has been recommended in the Legal 500 in it’s 2024 edition: ‘John is a confident and exceptional advocate. He is calm, focused and professional and has a strong ability to express arguments clearly. He firmly grasps the issues in cases and obtains excellent results for clients. His attention to detail is impeccable, and he is able to relate and build a rapport with a wide range of clients..’  The Legal 500 puts him in Tier 2 of its rankings of leading juniors.

John’s previous entries in the Legal 500 said: “He has the gravitas that you want. When you instruct him it’s like having the wind at your back. He has a good grasp of the issues and is an excellent advocate.” and “He is a charismatic practitioner and is great at explaining matters to clients in simple language.”

Legal 500 2024

‘John is a confident and exceptional advocate. He is calm, focused and professional and has a strong ability to express arguments clearly. He firmly grasps the issues in cases and obtains excellent results for clients. His attention to detail is impeccable, and he is able to relate and build a rapport with a wide range of clients.’

John Brooke-Smith has ‘an incredible knowledge of the law and his vast experience is invaluable in more complex financial remedy cases’.

Legal 500 2023

‘John is well-known and very much-liked for his client-facing approach. He has a broad knowledge in and out of the courtroom of matrimonial and cohabitation law, he is a local go-to.’

John Brooke-Smith is known to be ‘well prepared and amiable and be empathetic with individual circumstances’.