Name: Gavin Bennison Chambers: Falcon Chambers Location: London University: The University of Cambridge Degree: Geography and law
do some catching up and “adapt to changes in court practices – for example, remote working and virtual hearings”. Before the pandemic, he says: “When I went to court I often wouldn’t even take a laptop, I’d just have pen, paper and my file”. As well as ensuring that the Bar remains up to date, Gavin talks about how covid-19 affected his practice area and explains that “property law had to adapt fundamentally during the course of the pandemic, and the government is intervening all the time. It was crucial to stay abreast of the changes as they came in and to keep clients properly advised.” Foundations of becoming a successful lawyer Keeping on top of changes to the law is crucial for lawyers and aspiring lawyers, but Gavin has some additional advice for those entering the profession. As well as having strong analytical ability and legal research skills, in order to succeed in becoming a barrister practising in property law he encourages applicants to “maintain a general interest in property issues that aren’t necessarily legal – for example, understanding the housing situation and why property is expensive”. Despite the independent working that comes with being a barrister, it’s also important to have “very good client management skills to develop a practice – you must be able to get on with solicitors and understand their business and their clients’ business.” Finally, for budding barristers contemplating a career in property law Gavin suggests “trying to obtain a mini-pupillage in a chambers whose members practise in real property, landlord and tenant or housing law so you can see what it’s like in practice; take any opportunities to volunteer with a housing- related charity or similar pro bono initiative; and think about what potentially relevant experience might be available to you – it may not be immediately apparent.”
to get the landlord to act, but it then sued them for the rent.
“I was really proud because the arguments involved complex points of law that hadn’t really been considered before and they were difficult to deal with. We settled at the start of the fourth hearing for a large sum of money. It felt good to win for people to whom it really matters because a lot of the time you’re working with big companies. It was a high-stakes case because if we’d lost, the landlord would’ve probably made the tenants bankrupt to pay the costs of the claim. It was really one way or the other – it was going to be life-changing in either a good or bad way for my clients.” Investing in the Bar It’s no secret that the route to becoming a barrister is expensive and, while Gavin loves being self-employed, he understands that a career at the Bar isn’t financially viable for all aspiring lawyers, with many being put off by the costs and the low legal aid rates. Considering the issues that the Bar is facing, Gavin says: “The profession must push for it to be sustainably funded at the bottom end – particularly for criminal barristers and barristers who accept publicly-funded instructions.” Gavin also observes that “the Bar is ageing”. He adds: “I read that the number of barristers under five years call, which would include me, has fallen quite significantly over the past five to 10 years. The profession must work out how to encourage more talented people to consider becoming barristers.” As part of this, there’s a real need to improve diversity: “Until chambers consider how they can appeal to all segments of society, including people who may come from very different backgrounds to their current members, they won’t recruit the best talent.”
Meanwhile, in light of covid-19, Gavin emphasises that the property Bar has had to
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