Seasoned senior clerk Julian Hawes has resigned from his post heading the clerking team at Cornerstone Barristers just four months after joining the leading public law set.

The arrival of the former Brick Court senior clerk in March had completed a reshuffle of Cornerstone’s management team following the departure of his predecessor, Elliot Langdorf, who joined Gatehouse Chambers as practice director, and long-term chief executive Clare Bello, who joined Littleton Chambers in January. 

Cornerstone’s clerking team is now being led by Hawes’ former deputy, Daryl Hughes, working alongside Nadia Biles Davies, who joined the set in February from leading public law firm Sharpe Pritchard, where she was chief operating officer.

The set confirmed Hawes’ exit but declined to comment further. Hawes declined to comment.

Hawes is one of London’s best-known senior clerks, having served as joint senior clerk at Brick Court Chambers for 23 years, where he formed a long-term partnership with Ian Moyler, who spent 32 years at the set, 22 of them as senior clerk.

Following his departure from Brick Court in 2019, Hawes spent three-and-a-half years serving as director of business development at the privately-owned International Arbitration Centre before subsequently joining Cornerstone.

Moyler himself also spent a brief period as a chambers director, at XXIV Old Buildings, before moving to engagements with Brewin Dolphin, Grant Thornton and Prosperant, a legal consultancy, alongside his own consultancy business and charitable work for the Temple Music Foundation.

The duo were succeeded at Brick Court by Tony Burgess and Paul Dennison, their former deputies, with the set celebrating its centenary in 2021, marking 100 years since its founding in 1921.

There have been a number of senior clerk moves in recent months. In March, Chris Gittins returned to Outer Temple Chambers as director of clerking, having previously worked there from 2002 to 2010, before holding senior roles at other leading chambers, including Fountain Court and Quadrant Chambers.

Rod McGurk, meanwhile, left Church Court Chambers in January, where he spent eight years as senior clerk, to join Farringdon Chambers in May.

In April, Matthew Phipps retired from 1 Crown Office, after 41 years at the set. His departure led to a restructuring of the clerking team, which is now led by chambers director John Petrie and a trio of practice directors.

Former 4 Stone Buildings senior clerk David Goddard became a consultant at the end of March after a 52-year clerking career. He was succeeded by Ben Lashmar and Ryan Tunkel, who were appointed as joint senior clerks from April 2025

John Grimmer left 2 Bedford Row at the end of 2024 after a 40-year career as senior clerk. He was succeeded by Paul Rodgers in January. Like Goddard, he retained a consultancy role with his former set.

Cornerstone also sees the departure this month of one of its longest-standing barristers, Ian Abnutt, who has retired after a 44-year career at the Bar, 33 of which were spent at Cornerstone, which was formerly known as 2-3 Gray’s Inn Square.