The latest round of QC appointments has been announced today (26 February), with 129 barristers claiming the elite kitemark.

One hundred and twenty nine out of a total of 275 applicants have been awarded QC status, a success rate of 47% – up on last year's rate of 42% and the equivalent figure of 29% for 2007-08.

Twenty women are among those awarded silk out of 46 female applications – up on the 16 female appointments last year. Seventeen out of 35 ethnic minority applicants successfully applied – a 49% success rate.

Eversheds planning partner Marcus Trinick was the only solicitor-advocate to be awarded QC status, of 10 who applied. Last year three out of four solicitor-advocate applicants were awarded silk.

Successful candidates will pay approximately £6,000 for the accolade – comprising a £2,350 application fee and £3,500 success fee. It is not yet known whether the rates for the 2010-11 process, which is due to kick off in March, will increase.

Professor Dame Joan Higgins, chair of the QC selection panel, which recommends who should receive the award, said: "The selection panel believes that the quality of applications this year was higher than ever.

"I am encouraged that the proportion of successful applicants from an ethnic minority background broadly matches that for white applicants. I am also pleased that the number of successful women applicants remains high."

She added: "It is disappointing that we have not been able to recommend more solicitors or employed advocates, after the higher number of appointments last year. But all applicants are assessed against a common competency framework and a common standard of excellence. There are no quotas, and we treat all applications in the same way. I hope that there will be further appointments in future years."

The Law Society expressed disappointment at the lack of solicitors appointment in this year's round.

Law Society chief executive Des Hudson said; "These figures show a worrying trend. It is a matter of great concern that only one solicitor was appointed as a QC out of ten who applied."

He added: "The way in which QC appointments are being dealt with still appears to place certain categories of candidate at a disadvantage. The figures do not reflect the number of outstanding solicitor advocates that exist or the excellence of the profession. We will be watching future rounds closely to monitor the trend with regard to solicitor applicants."

naomi-ellenbogen-wrapQC appointments 2010: in full

David Aaronberg – 15 New Bridge Street
Piers Acland – 11 South Square
Mark Roger Anderson – No5 Chambers
Mohammed Jalil Akhter Asif
Nicholas Bacon – 4 New Square
Alex Bailin – Matrix Chambers
Rupert Baldry – Pump Court Tax Chambers
Charles Benson – Argent Chambers
Jane Bewsey – 18 Red Lion Court
Zia Bhaloo – Enterprise Chambers
Claire Blanchard – Essex Court Chambers
Veronique Buehrlen – Fountain Court
John Malcolm Burton – 15 New Bridge Street
David John Cavender – One Essex Court
Patrick Chamberlayne – 29 Bedford Row
Jeffrey Paul Chapman – Fountain Court
Julian Christopher – 5 Paper Buildings
Michael Coburn – 20 Essex Street
Michelle Colborne – Broadway House Chambers
Nigel Cooper – Quadrant Chambers
John Cooper – 25 Bedford Row
Jane Cross – Deans Court Chambers
Derrick Dale – Fountain Court
Katharine D'Arcy – 9 Bedford Row
Alan Dashwood – Henderson Chambers
Michael James Davie – 4 Pump Court
Anuja Ravindra Dhir – 5 Paper Buildings
Paul Downes – Two Temple Gardens
Michael Edenborough – Serle Court
Douglas Edwards – Francis Taylor Building
Naomi Ellenbogen (pictured above) – Littleton Chambers
John Elvidge – York Chambers
Susan Evans – 3 Pump Court Chambers
Frank Feehan – 42 Bedford Row
Francis FitzGibbon – Doughty Street Chambers
William Flenley – Hailsham Chambers
Steven Ford – 7 Bedford Row
Gerard Forlin – 2-3 Gray's Inn Square
Isabella Forshall – Doughty Street Chambers
Rudi Fortson – 25 Bedford Row
Kerim Fuad – 1 Inner Temple Lane
Joseph Giret – 15 New Bridge Street
Paul Greaney – Park Court Chambers
Andrew Green – Blackstone Chambers
Sally Harrison – St Johns Buildings
Neil Hawes – Charter Chambers
Sioban Healy – 7 King's Bench Walk
Kevin Hegarty – St Philips Chambers
Mark Heywood – 5 King's Bench Walk
David Hislop – Doughty Street Chambers
Katharine Holland – Landmark Chambers
David John Hooper – 25 Bedford Row
George Hugh-Jones – 3 Serjeants Inn
Raza Husain – Matrix Chambers
Paul Hynes – 25 Bedford Row
Thomas Kark – QEB Hollis Whiteman
Lee Karu – 9 Bedford Row
Christopher Kennedy – Nine St John Street Chambers
judy-khan-wrapJudy Khan (pictured) – Garden Court Chambers
Charles Kimmins – 20 Essex Street
Cyril Kinsky – 3 Verulam Buildings
Jonathan Kirk – 36 Bedford Row
Stephen Knafler – Garden Court Chambers
Steven Kovats – 39 Essex Street
Sean Larkin – QEB Hollis Whiteman
Nicholas Le Poidevin – New Square Chambers
Tom Leech – Maitland Chambers
Robert Levy – New Square Chambers
John Letablere Litton – Landmark Chambers
Andrew James Lloyd-Eley – 2 Hare Court
Andrew Lockhart – St Philips Chambers
Amjad Malik – 36 Bedford Row
David Mason – No5 Chambers
Harry Matovu – Brick Court Chambers
Richard Matthews – 2 Bedford Row
William McCormick – Ely Place
Angus McCullough – One Crown Office Row
Bryan McGuire – 2-3 Gray's Inn Square
Manus McMullan – Atkin Chambers
Alexander Milne – 18 Red Lion Court
Tim Moloney – Tooks Chambers
Neil Moody – Two Temple Gardens
Helen Mountfield – Matrix Chambers
Gordon Nardell – Thirty Nine Essex Street
Cairns Nelson – 23 Essex Street
Andrew Newcombe – Francis Taylor Building
Peter Oldham – 11 King's Bench Walk
Brian O'Neill – 2 Hare Court
Daniel Oudkerk – 11 King's Bench Walk
Ben Patten – 4 New Square
Robert Peel – 29 Bedford Row
Simon Phillips – Park Court Chambers
Julian Picton – Hailsham Chambers
Timothy Pitt-Payne – 11 King's Bench Walk
Nigel Power – 7 Harrington Street Chambers
Piers Pressdee – Harcourt Chambers
Thomas Price – 25 Bedford Row
Philip Rainey – Tanfield Chambers
Paul Reed – Hardwicke Building
Jonathan Rees – 2 Hare Court
Andrew Rigney – Crown Office Chambers
Jonathan Russen – Maitland Chambers
Matthew Ryder – Matrix Chambers
James Scobie – Garden Court Chambers
Akhil Shah – Fountain Court
Andrew Short – Outer Temple Chambers
Richard Slade – Brick Court Chambers
Marcus Smith – Fountain Court
Hugh Southey – Tooks Chambers
Paul Stanley – Essex Court Chambers
Daniel Stilitz – 11 King's Bench Walk
Christopher Stoner – Serle Court
Jemima Stratford – Brick Court Chambers
Jonathan Swift – 11 King's Bench Walk
David Travers – Six Pump Court
George Trinick – Eversheds
Paul Tucker – Kings Chambers
Ian Unsworth – Exchange Chambers
Adam Vaitilingam – Albion Chambers
Ian Wade – 5 Paper Buildings
Robert Weir – Devereux Chambers
Martin Westgate – Doughty Street Chambers
Philippa Whipple – One Crown Office Row
Jon Whitfield – 15 New Bridge Street
Anne Whyte – Atlantic Chambers
Joanne Wicks – Wilberforce Chambers
Sean Wilken – Thirty Nine Essex Street
Rhodri Williams – Henderson Chambers
Ian Wise – Doughty Street Chambers