Colossal amounts of new legislation account for both an increase in the volume of work and a new slant on the nature of that work. There is also an increase in the number of people claiming unfair dismissal now that the ceiling for damages has risen from 12,000 to 50,000. The National Minimum Wage Act and the Working Time Directive have not yet made their marks, but they will also encourage people to put forth claims. King's Bench Walk is traditionally the favoured employment chambers, but since the departure of Patrick Elias QC, who left to become Justice Elias, there has been fierce competition for work. Everybody has their favourite.
Some chambers have a reputation for being better value than others.
Charge-out rates vary hugely across the board and the bar is more sensitive to the market in this field than in many others. Some chambers can charge more because they have already established a reputation, whereas others still need to attract new clients. Different chambers charge different rates for different types of clients. One barrister says he charges trade union clients up to 50 per cent less than employers. Law firms need to be more discerning about which chambers are cost effective if they want to be confident about receiving the service for which they pay.