Michael Bolding | Brick Court Chambers

Senior Clerk

Paul Dennison

Paul joined Brick Court Chambers in 2007, having previously been at Blackstone Chambers for ten years. He was appointed Senior Clerk in August 2018.

Paul leads the clerking team with Tony Burgess, and oversees and strengthens members of chambers' practices. As well as this responsibility for individuals, Paul concentrates on business development with clients, and domestic and international marketing of chambers.

He is a member of chambers’ executive and marketing committees which oversee all aspects of chambers' business and strategic development.

Paul is a member of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks and the International Bar Association.

Client feedback includes:

'Paul Dennison is a great operator.' Professional disciplinary and regulatory law: Legal 500 2025

'The clerks are excellent. Luke Carvalho and Paul Dennison go above and beyond.' International Arbitration: Legal 500 2025

'Paul Dennison is very responsive and commercially savvy.' Banking & Finance: Legal 500 2025

'Paul Dennison is always available and great at finding solutions.' Fraud: Legal 500 2025

'The clerks are very pleasant, in particular Paul Dennison, Phil Wilkes and Jo Francis.' Competition: Legal 500 2025

'Tony Burgess and Paul Dennison lead a high-quality team with approachability, warmth, real skill and a deep knowledge of their chambers and its caseload.' Commercial litigation, Fraud, Energy: Legal 500 2025

'Tony Burgess and Paul Dennison are excellent. They are responsive, pragmatic and commercial - the epitome of fantastic modern-day clerking!' Commercial litigation: Legal 500 2025

'Responsive high-quality service from the clerks. Paul Dennison is strong on service and user-friendly.' Commercial litigation: Legal 500 2025

"Senior clerk Paul Dennison is great. He's a super nice guy who just gets stuff done for you." International Arbitration: C&P 2025

"Paul Dennison is a go-to senior clerk, who is very upfront and solution-orientated. I'd go to him with any problem." Commercial Dispute Resolution, Energy: C&P 2025

"The clerking is brilliant. Paul Dennison is marvellous. He's charming, very responsive and commercial. Tony Burgess is equally good. They are absolute role model clerks." Banking & Finance, Fraud: C&P 2025

"Senior clerks Tony Burgess and Paul Dennison are fantastic guys and are highly experienced and super responsive. They take good leadership and show good direction. Excellent collaborative clerking." Banking & Finance, C&P 2025

For out of hours requests please contact Paul via his mobile phone: +44 (0)7930 532991

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Deputy Senior Clerk

Luke Carvalho

With a clerking career spanning over 25 years and having joined Brick Court Chambers in 2014, Luke has over two decades of experience of working in the most reputable chambers in the country.

Working closely with Paul, Tony and Jo, together with chambers various committees’, Luke plays a pivotal role with promoting chambers both domestically and overseas. Key responsibilities include business development, building long-lasting client relationships together with the day-to-day management, development and success of both individual barristers’ practices and chambers as a whole.

Luke has previously been shortlisted for the Clerk of the Year award at The Legal 500 Bar Awards (2022) and for the Pro Bono (Advocate) Chambers’ Professional of the Year Award (2020 & 2024).

He has been a member of chambers' Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee since 2018, with chambers winning The Legal 500 Diversity and Inclusion Set of the Year award 2024, and he is a member of the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks.

Client feedback

Luke is committed to providing a high quality service to clients and has received recognition from the legal directories for many years mirroring the same with praise including;

Chambers and Partners 2025:

"The clerking team is incredibly helpful and responsive. Deputy Senior Clerk Luke Carvalho is really good, and has been for a long, long time. He is able to make sure you always get the right person."

"The clerking is excellent. They are very good at finding the right people. Deputy Senior Clerk Luke Carvalho is brilliant."

Legal 500 2025:

'The clerks are excellent. Luke Carvalho and Paul Dennison go above and beyond.'

'The clerks are excellent, in particular Luke Carvalho.'

'The clerks' room is always friendly and helpful. Luke Carvalho is outstanding as a proactive, helpful clerk.'

Previous praise includes;

"The responsiveness is second to none and they are always willing to find solutions. Luke Carvalho, Deputy Senior Clerk, is great to work with and can always be relied on to help at short notice and with difficult demands." Group Litigation

“Deputy Senior clerk Luke Carvalho is responsive commercial and pragmatic in his approach. He'll find you the right counsel for the case." Commercial Dispute

"Brick Court are really good, with a particular shout out to Luke Carvalho and Paul Dennison. They are really responsive, commercial and pragmatic in their approach, finding you the right counsel for the right case." Fraud: Civil

"Luke is a standout presence in the clerks room."

"Luke is exactly what you want in a clerk; responsive, knowledgeable - excellent all round."

“Luke is particularly easy to deal with and has world-class client care and understanding.”

“Luke is excellent – approachable, friendly, pragmatic, commercial, fast to respond.”

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Practice Managers

James Knapp

James began his career in 2014 and joined Brick Court in 2016 as a junior clerk. He became Head Junior and subsequently progressed to Paul Dennison’s clerking team in 2018. His main responsibilities include; diary management, allocation of work, fee negotiation, and working alongside colleagues on chambers marketing and business development initiatives.

James has completed the IBC's BTEC Level 3 Advanced Award in Chambers Administration and previously sat as the Chair of the Career Development Committee of the IBC.

Client feedback includes (Legal 500 & Chambers and Partners):

"Practice managers Phil Wilkes and James Knapp are both excellent."

"James Knapp and Paul Dennison are good to deal with, and sensible in terms of fees."

"The clerking team, led by senior clerk Paul Dennison, is excellent - extremely knowledgeable and responsive. James Knapp, practice manager, is proactive and prompt."

"We've worked with Jo Francis, Sam Jones, Ben Rippengale, Tom Bennett, Hannah Rayner, James Knapp and Kate Trott, and they are all great to deal with. They are friendly, approachable, and highly responsive."

"James Knapp is always very responsive."

For out of hours requests please contact James via his mobile phone: 07768 614883

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Philip Wilkes

Philip began his clerking career in 2010, and has been at Brick Court Chambers since early 2015, becoming a practice manager in the summer of 2018. Philip has responsibility of managing the individual practices of barristers across all seniorities within chambers, and having an active role within chambers’ marketing and business development initiatives. In addition to this other key day-to-day responsibilities include advising clients as to the suitability and expertise of counsel, fee negotiation across all seniorities, and listing of cases in all divisions of chambers’ key practice areas.

Recent Chambers & Partners, and Legal 500 Client feedback includes:

“Phil Wilkes is extremely responsive and has an uncanny knack of finding a way to make things work, however awkward.”

“Philip Wilkes is great. He knows his business and delivers the best for you.”

"Phil Wilkes, practice manager, is great. Client service is very, very good."

"Impeccable – Philip Wilkes is incredibly helpful and proactive."’

"Very good clerking team. Phil Wilkes in particular is stand out."

"Philip Wilkes was incredibly helpful in both the initial selection of leading counsel and in arranging work throughout."

"Efficient, helpful and pragmatic – Phil Wilkes in particular shines."

"Philip Wilkes has been helpful throughout."

"Practice managers Phil Wilkes and James Knapp are both excellent."

"Clerks are impressive – Paul Dennison and Philip Wilkes are both excellent."

"The clerks are great. In particular, I am a big fan of Paul Dennison. Tony Burgess and Philip Wilkes are also great."

“The clerking is excellent. Practice manager Phil Wilkes is very helpful and prompt and Paul Dennison is super."

For out of hours requests please contact Philip via his mobile phone: 07939 509873

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Clerking Team