Iris Ferber KC is a specialist in Employment, Property and Social Housing law, with a particular focus on litigation involving discrimination. She was called to the Bar in 2005, and was appointed to Silk in 2023.
Iris deals with high value, legally complex, factually difficult cases – and her cases often involve vulnerable parties and witnesses.
In her Employment practice, that includes all types of discrimination, whistleblowing, trade union detriment, health and safety detriment, historic and high value wages claims, and appeals. She appears in the Employment Tribunal, the High Court and the appellate courts.
In her Property practice, and particularly her specialism of Social Housing, Iris is very often instructed in cases involving allegations of discrimination under the Equality Act.
Iris also acts in cases of tenancy fraud and serious criminal and anti-social behaviour, and in cases involving highly technical aspects of property law, such as forfeiture, service charges, boundaries and tenancies at will.
Iris regularly represents appellants and respondents in statutory homelessness appeals and judicial reviews; she also writes on homelessness and allocations for the Lexis+ service.
Iris has been recommended by both Legal 500 and Chambers UK, in both the Employment rankings and the Social Housing rankings, since 2018.
Employment
Iris Ferber KC conducts the full range of Employment Tribunal and appellate work, acting regularly for both employees and employers. She provides advice, and undertakes drafting work, in all aspects of Employment litigation.
Iris works with a wide range of employers, from public sector and national companies with thousands of employees, to small businesses and individuals.
She also represents claimants in complex, high value, and high-profile claims.
Iris is particularly sought after in cases requiring the handling of vulnerable parties and witnesses. Her clients often instruct her in the early stages of litigation, when she can advise not only on the shaping of the legal issues in their dispute, but also on procedure, practicalities, and litigation tactics.
Iris provides Employment Law training to solicitors and companies: both seminars on current legal issues, and practical workshops on employee management and litigation.
Housing Law
Iris began her legal career in 2006 as a Housing specialist with Cobden House Chambers. Since then, she has always maintained a busy Housing practice and a keen interest in Housing law.
Iris regularly deals with all aspects of Housing law and has long experience in dealing with complex anti-social behaviour cases, including those involving mental health issues, on behalf of both landlords and tenants.
She is particularly good at dealing with vulnerable clients and witnesses, and managing the complex legal arguments involved in Equality Act, public law and Human Rights cases.
Iris’s expertise in discrimination law generally (because of her combined practice in Housing and Employment Law) makes her particularly adept at handling Equality Act claims and defences.
Iris has extensive experience of homelessness litigation, including s204 appeals in the County Court, judicial review in the High Court, and appeals to the Court of Appeal. She regularly trains local authorities on homelessness law and procedure.
Iris also delivers very popular workshops, both online and in person to solicitors and clients at their offices, on all aspects of Housing litigation. She is a Committee member of the Social Housing Law Association.
Property Law
Iris Ferber KC is a highly experienced property litigator.
She appears in the First-tier Tribunal, the County Court, the High Court and the Court of Appeal in a wide range of property disputes. She is valued by her clients for her technical expertise and her “forensic, detailed and devastating cross-examination”.
Clients also value Iris’s efficient turnaround of advisory and drafting work, and her thorough, practical and client-friendly advice.
Iris is instructed in a very wide range of property matters, and especially in:
Service charge disputes
All other aspects of residential landlord and tenant
Commercial landlord and tenant
Boundary disputes and adverse possession
Disputes arising from cohabitation
Restrictive covenant litigation
Conveyancing-related disputes
Property fraud
Iris is also particularly sought after in professional negligence disputes arising from the sale of land.
Business Law
Iris Ferber KC has a Commercial litigation practice focused principally on contractual disputes involving misrepresentation, undue influence, duress and fraud, as well as professional negligence.
Her Commercial practice also crosses over with her Employment practice in disputes relating to post-termination restrictive covenants, where Iris is valued both for her ability to provide practical, strategic advice which avoids litigation and – when a case does proceed to Court – for her exceptional Courtroom presence and “forensic, detailed and devastating cross-examination”.
Iris delivers very popular workshops, both online and in person to solicitors and clients, on all aspects of restrictive covenant disputes, contractual disputes and professional negligence.
Direct Access
Iris Ferber is authorised to accept instructions direct from members of the public. She encourages clients who are considering this route to contact Chambers and discuss their problem.
In suitable cases, Iris can provide client conferences, written advices and representation at court. Iris accepts public access work across Chambers’ areas of expertise.
