Cloisters Chambers appoints new Joint Heads of Chambers
Cloisters Chambers is delighted to announce that Caspar Glyn KC and Rachel Crasnow KC have been elected as Joint Heads of Chambers, with their term commencing on 15 December 2025. They succeed Martyn McLeish, who has led Chambers so very well for the past seven years.
Caspar and Rachel bring more than 60 years of combined experience at Cloisters and a long history of collaboration as colleagues and friends. They have both undertaken extensive leadership roles in the profession before, with Rachel as Chair of the Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee and Caspar having chaired the Industrial Law Society and as the current Chair of the Employment Lawyers Association.
Each of them have wide appellate and trial work, including repeated appearances before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and in Rachel’s case the CJEU. Their cases continue to affect many tens of thousands of working people and reflect the depth of expertise that they will bring to this new leadership role.
At the heart of Caspar’s and Rachel’s leadership mission are:
Fairness and equity. The cornerstone of a great place to work with the opportunity for all to thrive.
Joint responsibility. All members and all staff are responsible for delivering to the very high standards that Cloisters clients expect, involving outstanding advocacy, sector leading legal expertise and great customer service.
Strategic Development. Working with Cloisters barristers to plan their practices so that they fulfil their ambitions whether it be from moving on to more impactful cases, silk, judicial office or wherever their ambition takes them. Cloisters will have a plan for all its members.
Team Cloisters. Building on the already strongly supportive working environment, encouraging an Anchor Day, working together in teams to deliver on our collective aims; and most importantly stopping to enjoy our friendships, deepening our bonds and laughing together.
Rachel Crasnow KC is one of the leading employment and equality silks at the Bar and is renowned for her work in complex, high-value and often ground-breaking discrimination and human rights cases. Ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners and recommended by Who’s Who Legal, she has appeared extensively at the highest levels, including multiple times before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the CJEU. She is widely recognised for her expertise in equal pay, whistleblowing, worker status and all aspects of discrimination law. Rachel acts for an exceptionally broad range of clients, from financial institutions and public authorities to charities, trade unions and regulatory bodies. Her litigation has shaped national understanding of worker status for atypical workers from judges to foster carers as well as identifying the scope of Equality Act obligations. Alongside her courtroom practice, she is a respected CEDR-accredited mediator, Chambers & Partners’ ranked independent investigator and Recorder in both the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Family Courts. She has sat in the Police Appeals Tribunal for many years and in all these jurisdictions is known for her sensitivity, analytical precision and judgment in highly protracted disputes. A passionate advocate for equality, diversity and wellbeing at the Bar, Rachel is recognised for her leadership in driving inclusion throughout the legal profession and continues to advise on discrimination and human rights issues across the UK and beyond.
On confirmation of her joint appointment, Rachel Crasnow KC said:
“I’m so pleased to have the chance to give back to Cloisters after all it has given to me. Chambers sits in an excellent place in the market thanks to the huge efforts of all who continue to dedicate themselves to its success. I’m particularly grateful to the hard work of our outgoing head Martyn and I look forward to working with Caspar to take Cloisters to even greater heights.”
Caspar Glyn KC is widely recognised as one of the leading employment silks in the country. Ranked Band 1 by both Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, and named by Who’s Who Legal as one of the UK’s top national thought leaders in employment law, he is consistently praised for his commanding courtroom presence, exceptional cross-examination skills and persuasive advocacy. Caspar has appeared in many of the most significant employment and industrial relations cases of the past decade, including multiple landmark appeals before the Supreme Court, and maintains a highly respected appellate and trial practice spanning complex discrimination, worker status, contractual and regulatory disputes. His reputation as a formidable advocate is matched by his collaborative, client-focused approach, which has earned him acclaim across the legal directories and a national following among employers, unions and individuals alike. Caspar has been a Deputy High Court Judge and was a temporary judge of the Employment Appeal Tribunal.
On confirmation of his joint appointment, Caspar Glyn KC said:
“Martyn McCleish has led Chambers brilliantly. Chambers is in a superb place with a hugely talented roster of barristers. We have the best clerks and support staff in the Temple. Working with Rachel I believe that as we develop our mission that the future is bright, and the future is Cloisters.”
We look forward to working with our new Heads as they lead Cloisters into an ambitious and forward-looking future.
