Andrew Hunter KC and Celia Rooney feature in The Lawyer Hot 100 2025

Andrew Hunter KC is credited for the high-profile work he has undertaken over the last 12 months. The Lawyer highlights his involvement in two of "the most consequential legal disputes ever to be heard in the UK ", and he earns praise as "one of the key figures in how the future of football plays out in England."

Celia Rooney, described by The Lawyer as "one of the go-to juniors in a diverse practice across the commercial Bar", is recognised for her work across a range of areas, including sports law, fraud and music. The publication concludes, "A promising future beckons."

Please find The Lawyer’s full write-ups for Andrew and Celia below. The full list of members of The Lawyer’s Hot 100 2025 can be found here.

Andrew Hunter KC

"Lawyers were nearly as prominent as players in the football world last year and Andrew Hunter KC was right at the heart of it. The Blackstone Chambers silk led for the Premier League on its two major cases in 2024: defending its Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules in a challenge by champion club Manchester City FC in June, and bringing more than 100 charges for the League against the same club in September.

Hunter didn’t have much time for a holiday when 2024 rolled around, having led the arguments for Ukrainian bank Privatbank in its major case against its former owners. The Commercial Court trial wrapped up in November 2023.

Many barristers will not be familiar with their cases being dissected on Twitter, or being photographed on the way into trial, but those two cases are arguably the most consequential legal disputes ever to be heard in the UK. Although heard behind closed doors, rumours suggest they’ve been fought bitterly, each side claiming victory in the messy fallout from the APT case. Win or lose, Hunter is now one of the key figures in how the future of football plays out in England."

Celia Rooney

"Called to the Bar a decade ago, Celia Rooney has made a name for herself as one of the go-to juniors in a diverse practice across the commercial Bar. With fingers in many pies, including sport, fraud, finance, music and public law, the Blackstone Chambers barrister has developed a knack for appearing on some of the biggest cases of the day.

In the sports and entertainment world, she has acted for and against regulators like the Premier League, appearing last year for Everton FC in the defence of charges brought against it by the Premier League. She made headlines in the sports pages when she described the Premier League’s legal fees as “eye-watering”. Rooney is also acting in one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2025, for McLaren Racing in its claim against ace racing driver Alex Palou. Her music experience is also vast, having worked on cases that involved the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Moby and the music of Coldplay, Eminem and Andrea Bocelli.

Working alongside Andrew Scott KC, Rooney has been instructed by the Chinese property giant Evergrande on the English proceedings of the biggest (alleged) fraud to ever come out of China. Rooney is also helping to defend the Serious Fraud Office in now-infamous claims brought against it by ENRC. A promising future beckons."