Elspeth Talbot Rice has a varied commercial Chancery practice and an extremely loyal client base.  She is particularly well known for her work in contentious probate and domestic and international trust matters and in company and partnership disputes.  Clients comment especially on her meticulous eye for detail, particularly well used in cross examination, and her clear and robust advocacy in Court.

Chambers & Partners recommend her for traditional Chancery, Commercial Dispute Resolution and Partnership, describing her as a “tough operator”, as “pragmatic and responsive” and praising her ability to switch comfortably from contentious probate and trust-related matters into more commercial areas.  Before she took silk, Legal 500 also recognised Elspeth as a leading junior in Private Client:  trusts and probate work, Partnership law and Insolvency law.  She acted for the RSPCA in the well publicised Gill disputed will case, for the children in the well publicised Sherrington disputed will case and for the sculpture-owner in the high profile claim against Fine Arts Logistics for loss of a valuable Anish Kapoor sculpture.   

Many of her cases have overseas and international elements.  She has been called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean, has been licensed to appear as an advocate in the Isle of Man in a number of cases and has advised on many cases being fought in the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, the USA, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and other islands of the Caribbean and Hong Kong.

Recommendations:
Chambers & Partners 2008 recommends Elspeth for traditional Chancery, Commercial Litigation and Partnership, calling her a “tough operator” and commending the breadth of her practice and experience.With a "pragmatic and responsive” approach, a peer is reported to have said “you know she will fight every point and fight it well”.

Before taking silk, she was recommended in Legal 500 for Private Client: trusts and probate work, Insolvency work and Partnership work, it being noted that “She doesn’t take bad points and judges listen to what she says” and that she “should be the first point of contact” in partnership matters. .

Academic history:
BA (Hons) Dunelm
Wigglesworth Scholar of Lincoln's Inn
Consultant Editor and Contributor to Palmer's Company Law Manual
Prosecuting Counsel for the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar Council

Professional memberships:
Chancery Bar Association (committee member 1994-1996, 2008- )
Denning Society of Lincoln's Inn (committee member since foundation)