New Joint Heads of Chambers

All at St. Mary’s are delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Howell and Gareth Jacques as Joint Heads of Chambers, with effect from 17 June 2023.

Claire and Gareth follow Vickie Hodges and Judy Claxton, the outgoing Joint Heads of Chambers who have been leading St. Mary’s together since 2016.

Claire has been a member of St. Mary’s since October 2019 and practices exclusively in Public Law, was appointed a Deputy District Judge in September 2021 and a Recorder sitting in Family Law in May 2023. Directories describe her as “caring,” “methodical in her preparation” and “dogged in her aspiration to ensure that her clients have fair representation.”

Gareth has been a member of St. Mary’s since December 2013 and practices exclusively in Financial Remedies. Gareth qualified as an Arbitrator (Financial Scheme) in September 2021 and sits as a Private FDR evaluator. Directories describe his as “exceptional,” “approachable” and “always prepared to go the extra mile.”

Our new Joint Heads will be assisted by Andrew Wren, who has been elected Treasurer, Clare Coles who remains Deputy Head of Chambers, and all of the Management Committee.

Commenting on their appointment, Scott Baldwin CEO, added “In my role I work closely with the Heads of Chambers and we have been through some very challenging but rewarding times. In the early days of the pandemic we probably spent more time communicating with each other than we did of our own families. It is impossible to work that closely and not to create a strong bond, I am therefore very sad that our time together has ended. I am however looking forward to working with our new Heads of Chambers in the coming years, and facing together the challenges and triumphs to come. ”

Claire, Gareth and all at St. Mary’s would like to express our considerable thanks to Vickie Hodges and Judy Claxton for their exceptional leadership. This was a period in which we faced huge changes, but under their supervision we saw continuous growth, and considerable success. Claire and Gareth are looking forward to building on their work and are keen to explore new opportunities for St. Mary's in the coming years.