Parklane Plowden Chambers names new head

Leeds and Newcastle-based barristers set Parklane Plowden Chambers has officially announced the election of its new head of chambers, Elizabeth Hodgson. Hodgson replaces James Murphy, who held the position for five years and significantly shaped the chamber's development during his tenure. Established in 2007 as a result of the merger between Parklane Chambers in Leeds and Plowden Chambers in Newcastle, Parklane Plowden possesses a robust roster of 119 barristers and has earned a reputation for excellence.

Notably, Hodgson is the first woman to lead the chambers, as well as its two predecessor chambers. She was called to the bar in 1993 and has specialised in personal injury and clinical negligence throughout her career. Joining Parklane Plowden in 2001, Hodgson has also served as a Recorder (Family) and a Deputy District Judge on the North Eastern Circuit since 2020. Since 2021, she has held the position of deputy head of chambers.

Reflecting on her new role, Liz said “Chambers has thrived under James’s outstanding leadership over the past five years, furthering its reputation as a progressive set committed to developing positive outcomes in all our specialist practice areas." She went on to acknowledge the contributions of her predecessor by stating “I thank him, both on behalf of Chambers and personally, for the enormous contribution he has made to Chambers’ success in that time.”

In her vision for the future, Hodgson expressed enthusiasm for collaboration with the senior management team to further enhance the chambers. “I look forward to working with our excellent senior management team to build upon that success as we continue to grow and evolve Chambers for the benefit of our clients, our staff and our members.”

Despite stepping down as head, James Murphy will remain an active member, focusing on his practice areas of industrial disease and serious personal injury.

Parklane Plowden has consistently ranked highly among its peers, with the 2025 rankings from the legal directory Chambers & Partners establishing it as Band 1, the highest designation for chambers across various practice areas including chancery, clinical negligence, employment, family and children, and personal injury. Furthermore, the chambers achieved a Band 2 ranking for family: matrimonial finance and inquests and inquiries.

The Legal 500's 2025 edition echoed this success by ranking Parklane Plowden Chambers as a tier one barristers’ set in five key practice areas, including chancery, probate and tax; clinical negligence; employment; family and children law, and personal injury. The directory also recommended 79 barristers from the set across 11 distinct practice areas, reinforcing its stellar standing within the legal community.