Paul Martenstyn, a well-known figure in London’s clerking community, is to leave his role as director of clerking at barristers’ chambers 36 Stone following the set's completion of a project with his legal management consultancy Prosperant.

Martenstyn joined 36 Stone 18 months ago after a stint as a manging director of litigation funder Vannin Capital at a critical time in the set’s development.

The specialist London trade, arbitration and maritime chambers had seen successive exits at barrister and clerk level to rival sets including 7 King’s Bench Walk, Twenty Essex, and Quadrant Chambers in the few years before Martenstyn’s arrival, seeing its headcount fall as a result.

Former senior clerk Luke Irons also left the set for Maitland Chambers in July 2019 having managed its integration into 36 Group, one of the larger full-service sets in London, the year before following the dissolution of a relationship with St. Philips Chambers.

Membership of the 36 Group gave Martenstyn the opportunity to provide fresh direction to the set through a consultancy arrangement, with his hire described at the time by Charles Debattista, 36 Stone’s co-head, as an “innovative and forward-looking method of delivering critical practice management and business strategy services.” 

One of the first barristers’ clerks to obtain professional marketing qualifications, during his tenure Martenstyn oversaw a team that put in place a new practice management system, digital marketing campaign and strategy.

The team also oversaw the acquisition of “some major new junior talent” that Martenstyn said “bodes well for the future.” 

The set has taken on six new juniors over the last eighteen months, including dual Finnish and English qualified lawyer Heidi Yildiz, who joined from Dittmar & Indrenius, former Credit Suisse in-house lawyer Khadija Leuenberger, Essex Court’s Andrew Ng and former Gibson Dunn & Crutcher associate Moeiz Farhan.

Martenstyn added that "to have achieved all of this during a pandemic was a challenge but we came together as a team to make a real difference. 36 Stone is a top class set from top to bottom and I am excited to see where they go next."

Martenstyn joined 36 Stone while still chief commercial officer of legal services marketing firm Overture though his contract was transferred by mutual agreement to Prosperant, of which he is co-founder and partner, last year.

Debattista added: “Paul brought to the project with 36 Stone the energy, enthusiasm and creativity for which he is renowned in the clerking world. We shall be very sad to see him leave,” while Vasanti Selvaratnam QC, co-head of both 36 Group and 36 Stone, called Martenstyn’s influence on the brand “tremendous”, adding “we look forward to working with him on new projects in the future.”

36 Stone said Martenstyn will continue as director of clerking and work on a handover until next February, adding that developments in the clerking team will be announced in the following weeks.