United Kingdom > London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
Index of tables
- Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – Leading Sets
- Banking and finance – Leading Silks
- Banking and finance – New Silks
- Banking and finance – Leading Juniors
Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – Leading Sets
Banking and finance – Leading Silks
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- Thomas Beazley QC Blackstone Chambers
- Adrian Beltrami QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Anthony Boswood QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Matthew Collings QC Maitland Chambers
- Rhodri Davies QC One Essex Court
- Dominic Dowley QC Serle Court
- David Foxton QC Essex Court Chambers
- Ian Glick QC One Essex Court
- Jeffrey Gruder QC Essex Court Chambers
- Richard Handyside QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Hodge Malek QC 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Terence Mowschenson QC Wilberforce Chambers
- Jonathan Nash QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Andrew Onslow QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Craig Orr QC One Essex Court
- Mark Phillips QC 3-4 South Square
- Stephen Phillips QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Gordon Pollock QC Essex Court Chambers
- Andrew Popplewell QC Brick Court Chambers
- Joe Smouha QC Essex Court Chambers
- Malcolm Waters QC Radcliffe Chambers
- David Wolfson QC One Essex Court
- Antony Zacaroli QC 3-4 South Square
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- Tom Adam QC Brick Court Chambers
- Richard Adkins QC 3-4 South Square
- Stephen Auld QC One Essex Court
- James Ayliffe QC Wilberforce Chambers
- Andrew Baker QC 20 Essex Street
- Michael Blair QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Michael Bowes QC Outer Temple Chambers
- Simon Browne-Wilkinson QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Dominic Chambers QC Maitland Chambers
- Jeffrey Chapman QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Alain Choo Choy QC One Essex Court
- Derrick Dale QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Helen Davies QC Brick Court Chambers
- Anthony de Garr Robinson QC One Essex Court
- Brian Doctor QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Paul Downes QC 2 Temple Gardens
- James Eadie QC Blackstone Chambers
- Philip Edey QC 20 Essex Street
- Nicholas Elliott QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Vernon Flynn QC Essex Court Chambers
- Clive Freedman QC Littleton Chambers
- Andrew Green QC Blackstone Chambers
- Timothy Howe QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Stuart Isaacs QC 3-4 South Square
- Elizabeth Jones QC Serle Court
- Leslie Kosmin QC Erskine Chambers
- Nicholas Lavender QC Serle Court
- Richard Lissack QC Outer Temple Chambers
- Tim Lord QC Brick Court Chambers
- John Martin QC Wilberforce Chambers
- Richard Mawrey QC Henderson Chambers
- John McCaughran QC One Essex Court
- Robert Miles QC 4 Stone Buildings
- Richard Millett QC Essex Court Chambers
- Clare Montgomery QC Matrix Chambers
- Gabriel Moss QC 3-4 South Square
- Stephen Moverley Smith QC XXIV Old Buildings
- John Nicholls QC Maitland Chambers
- Jeffery Onions QC One Essex Court
- David Owen QC 20 Essex Street
- Guy Philipps QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Robert Rhodes QC Outer Temple Chambers
- Patricia Robertson QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Richard Slade QC Brick Court Chambers
- Marcus Smith QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Richard Snowden QC Erskine Chambers
- Michael Swainston QC Brick Court Chambers
- Michael Todd QC Erskine Chambers
- Daniel Toledano QC One Essex Court
- Anthony Trace QC Maitland Chambers
- Francis Tregear QC XXIV Old Buildings
Banking and finance – New Silks
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- Stephen Cogley QC Quadrant Chambers
- Javan Herberg QC Blackstone Chambers
- Barry Isaacs QC 3-4 South Square
- Daniel Jowell QC Brick Court Chambers
- Paul McGrath QC Essex Court Chambers
- Andrew Mitchell QC Fountain Court Chambers
- Simon Salzedo QC Brick Court Chambers
- Sonia Tolaney QC 3 Verulam Buildings
- Andrew Twigger QC 3 Stone Buildings
Banking and finance – Leading Juniors
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- Andrew George Blackstone Chambers
- Matthew Hardwick 3 Verulam Buildings
- Simon Hattan Serle Court
- Andrew Henshaw Brick Court Chambers
- Richard Hill 4 Stone Buildings
- Louise Hutton Maitland Chambers
- Michael Lazarus 3 Verulam Buildings
- Roger Masefield Brick Court Chambers
- Nicholas Medcroft Outer Temple Chambers
- Stephen Midwinter Brick Court Chambers
- Elizabeth Ovey Radcliffe Chambers
- Fred Philpott Gough Square Chambers
- Benjamin Pilling 4 Pump Court
- David Quest 3 Verulam Buildings
- Ben Strong One Essex Court
- John Taylor Fountain Court Chambers
- Nik Yeo Fountain Court Chambers
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- Oliver Assersohn Outer Temple Chambers
- James Barnard 11 Stone Buildings
- Simon Birt Brick Court Chambers
- Guy Blackwood Quadrant Chambers
- David Blayney Serle Court
- Anna Boase One Essex Court
- Richard Brent 3 Verulam Buildings
- Andrew Bruce Serle Court
- Nazeer Chowdhury Henderson Chambers
- Geraldine Clark Serle Court
- James Counsell Outer Temple Chambers
- Jonathan Dawid Brick Court Chambers
- Brian Dye Essex Court Chambers
- Damian Falkowski 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square
- Mark Fell Radcliffe Chambers
- Catherine Gibaud 3 Verulam Buildings
- Andreas Gledhill Blackstone Chambers
- David Head 3 Verulam Buildings
- William Hibbert Henderson Chambers
- Philippa Hopkins Essex Court Chambers
- Sa’ad Hossain One Essex Court
- Ben Jaffey Blackstone Chambers
- Laura John 3 Verulam Buildings
- Edmund King Essex Court Chambers
- Edward Levey Fountain Court Chambers
- Iain MacDonald Gough Square Chambers
- Deepak Nambisan Fountain Court Chambers
- Sam Neaman Littleton Chambers
- James MacDonald 3 Verulam Buildings
- Alexander Pelling XXIV Old Buildings
- Richard Perkoff Littleton Chambers
- Rosalind Phelps Fountain Court Chambers
- Jonathan Mark Phillips 3 Verulam Buildings
- Fionn Pilbrow Brick Court Chambers
- Rajesh Pillai 3 Verulam Buildings
- Thomas Raphael 20 Essex Street
- Toby Riley-Smith Henderson Chambers
- Stephen Robins 3-4 South Square
- Dennis Rosenthal Henderson Chambers
- Julia Smith Henderson Chambers
- Tom Smith 3-4 South Square
- Marcus Staff XXIV Old Buildings
- Ian Wilson 3 Verulam Buildings
- Adam Zellick Fountain Court Chambers
Brick Court Chambers is ‘one of the very top sets, with excellent, approachable clerks who always seem available and flexible’. The ‘first-rate’ Mark Hapgood QC is ‘the person to go to for weighty finance matters’. The ‘exceptional’ Mark Howard QC is ‘quick to understand even the most complex of issues’ and ‘without a doubt one of the best in this field’. The ‘extremely client-friendly’ Tim Lord QC is ‘a first-rate silk’. Richard Slade QC is ‘a great choice for difficult cases, where he will do his utmost to fight for the client’. Simon Salzedo QC ‘was an exceptional junior who deservedly took silk this year. A very deep and subtle tactician and an excellent lawyer’. Daniel Jowell QC is ‘particularly good at understanding and rationalising European legislation’. Jasbir Dhillon is ‘a careful, cautious and meticulous lawyer, with a good eye for detail’. Andrew Henshaw has ‘excellent attention to detail and is a first-rate draftsman’.
One Essex Court is ‘right at the top of the tree; the in-depth quality it has is probably unmatched’. The ‘absolutely phenomenal’ Laurence Rabinowitz QC is ‘a formidable legal talent who continues to be at the top of his game’. Lord Grabiner QC is ‘an obvious heavyweight’ and ‘a first-rate advocate’. Rhodri Davies QC ‘is incredibly commercial and has a gift for anticipating how judges will think and how they will react’. Stephen Auld QC is ‘a confidence-inspiring leader who is a fantastic trial advocate’. Anthony de Garr Robinson QC is ‘an energetic leader with acute commercial and tactical awareness’. Alain Choo Choy QC is ‘excellent on complicated financial instrument and derivative cases’. David Wolfson QC ‘has a profound knowledge of banking and finance law’. Hannah Brown is ‘excellent on the banking side of commercial company disputes’. Sa’ad Hossain is ‘an excellent junior, bright, hardworking and very personable’. Ben Strong is praised for his ‘excellent written work and ability to think around complex problems’.
Fountain Court Chambers has ‘some of the best names at the Bar in the banking and finance area’. Anthony Boswood QC is ‘hugely experienced and full of common sense’. Michael Brindle QC, who is representing the US trustee on the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, ‘brings his vast experience and strong strategic input to large litigation in a down-to-earth and accessible manner’. The ‘extremely impressive’ David Railton QC recently acted for the defendant in Haugesund Kommune v Depfa Bank. Raymond Cox QC ‘combines a fierce intellect with solid advocacy skills’ and quickly gets to grips with ‘technical banking issues’. Bankim Thanki QC is ‘top choice’ for complex financial markets issues. Richard Handyside QC is ‘extremely clever, very hardworking, very personable’, and Guy Philipps QC ‘prepares terrific documents and is a first-rate advocate’. Andrew Mitchell QC is ‘technically outstanding and combines this with a high level of client focus’. Patrick Goodall ‘keenly appreciates the commercial pressures on clients’. Rosalind Phelps is ‘both impressive in conference and good on her feet’. Adam Zellick is ‘for his level of experience, an outstanding advocate’.
3 Verulam Buildings is ‘undoubtedly the leading banking and finance set’. Ali Malek QC is ‘a true world-class specialist in letters of credit cases’. Richard Salter QC is ‘a master of the detail, every fact is at his finger tips and his cross-examination is first-rate’. Adrian Beltrami QC is ‘extremely approachable, and excellent at seeing the wood for the trees’. Ewan McQuater QC is noted for his ‘excellent client-handling skills, robust legal analysis and outstanding advocacy’. Clients commend the ‘exceptionally bright’ Jonathan Nash QC’s ‘uncompromising cross-examination’. Nicholas Elliott QC is valued for his ‘clear, concise, definitive and commercial advice’. The ‘supremely clever’ Stephen Phillips QC is ‘excellent in court and a delight to deal with’. Sonia Tolaney QC is ‘very bright, tenacious and formidable on her feet’. Richard Brent has ‘exceptional analytical skills’. Jonathan Davies-Jones is simply ‘the best junior at the banking bar’. Catherine Gibaud is ‘absolutely first class for finance litigation’. The ‘super’ Matthew Hardwick is especially recommended for Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) claims, where he has been defending numerous brokers and lenders. The ‘technically excellent’ John Odgers is ‘very responsive and a pleasure to work with’. The ‘very bright’ Matthew Parker is ‘excellent in cross examination’.
Considered one of the leading sets for financial regulation, Blackstone Chambers has ‘a number of members with excellent practices in this area’. Barbara Dohmann QC is ‘excellent to work with, and is a tough and able advocate when clients are in a tight spot’. Thomas Beazley QC is ‘an exceptionally strong performer and absolutely top of his game at the moment’. The ‘urbane and wise’ Charles Flint QC ‘is the pre-eminent QC in this area’, particularly for FSA-related matters. Andrew Green QC is ‘a fearless advocate who clearly thrives in the courtroom, but he is also good with clients and an excellent draftsman’. Javan Herberg QC is praised for his ‘excellent drafting’ and is particularly strong on financial regulation matters. Recommended for FSA enforcement issues, Ben Jaffey ‘provides very focused and practical advice based on excellent legal knowledge plus good common sense’.
Essex Court Chambers has ‘an excellent reputation’ for banking and finance matters. The highly rated David Foxton QC has been involved in a number of significant banking disputes, including IMC v Barclays Bank and Deutsche Bank v Sebastian Holdings. Vernon Flynn QC is ‘a real favourite’, ‘happy to get his hands dirty and has a fantastic courtroom demeanour’. Clients and barristers praise the ‘intellectually extremely bright’ Joe Smouha QC. A recent highlight for Jeffrey Gruder QC has been advising the claimant in RZB v RBS over a claim for misrepresentation arising from a syndicated loan to Enron. Paul McGrath QC is ‘an expert courtroom bruiser with a good eye for the winning argument’. Edmund King has been very active, particularly on hedge fund related cases.
‘You pay for what you get and you get the highest quality of advice’ at Serle Court, which has ‘great strength in depth’. Elizabeth Jones QC is ‘a superb strategist and ferocious in attack’. Philip Marshall QC ‘always provides incisive and practical advice’, and has recently been very busy in JSC BTA Bank v Ablyazov. Nicholas Lavender QC is ‘a good tactician and advocate and extremely good on quantum issues’; his ‘expertise in banking and finance matters is first-rate’. David Blayney is commended for his ‘clear and unequivocal advice’. Andrew Bruce has a ‘thorough grasp of the law’, and his ‘paperwork is excellent’. Simon Hattan ‘has an impressive eye for detail’ and an ‘ability to think extremely quickly on his feet’. Geraldine Clark is ‘excellent with clients, and has a great ability to get the salient points with speed and efficiency’.
3-4 South Square has a superb reputation for insolvency work and this extends into major banking and finance matters. Robin Dicker QC ‘can be relied on to be fantastically well prepared and to identify all the arguments’. Dicker has been involved in numerous disputes arising from the Lehman Brothers collapse, including the ‘RASCALS’ trial. Antony Zacaroli QC is often ‘first choice on difficult financial restructurings’, and ‘an extremely effective advocate’. Barry Isaacs QC is ‘very user friendly’, and his ‘advancement to silk is richly deserved’. Ben Valentin is ‘technically excellent. He is also very client friendly, and well able to deal with a substantial matter without a leader’. The ‘extremely good’ Jeremy Goldring is ‘very hardworking and very personable’. David Allison has ‘excellent commercial understanding as well as legal knowledge, and his advice is always practical and decisive’.
20 Essex Street is ‘extremely impressive’, and according to one Magic Circle partner, ‘there is a greater depth of derivatives knowledge amongst the barristers in this set than any other’. ‘One of the absolute stars at the bar’, Iain Milligan QC, who has been advising the administrators of Lehman Brothers on several related matters, is ‘ferociously hardworking and committed, and is constantly coming up with new ideas and fresh ways to approach difficult problems’. Philip Edey QC has ‘oceans of intellectual fire power’. Thomas Raphael is ‘terrific, a star in the making’.
Henderson Chambers’ position as a leading set for consumer credit work was significantly enhanced by the arrival of William Hibbert and the ‘excellent’ Julia Smith from Gough Square Chambers. Among the silks, Richard Mawrey QC is a good choice for those seeking a ‘high-quality opinion from a barrister whose views hold some weight’. Dennis Rosenthal, who despite only being called to the Bar in 2009, is also recommended for advisory matters after a long career as a partner and consumer credit specialist at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP.
The ‘excellent’ Radcliffe Chambers is highly recommended for consumer credit related issues. Praised for his ‘outstanding expertise and knowledge of building society law and consumer regulation’, Malcolm Waters QC ‘has been at the forefront of the developing law and advising on groundbreaking transactions in the sector’. Mark Fell is also commended for serving clients well on issues relating to consumer products. Elizabeth Ovey is also highly recommended and has a strong niche in pensions work.
At Erskine Chambers, clients are quick to praise the ‘excellent’ Leslie Kosmin QC and Richard Snowden QC, who is considered ‘first class in his field’. Michael Todd QC is also ‘very easy to work with and extremely effective’.
At Gough Square Chambers, ‘the fees are fair and reasonable given the level of expertise, and the chambers as a whole has a deserved reputation for being experts in consumer credit’. Among the barristers, ‘there is rarely anything that Fred Philpott hasn ’t seen before’. As with most of the other barristers in chambers, Philpott is an expert in consumer credit law, and highly recommended for his advisory and advocacy work. Iain MacDonald is commended as ‘a very commercially minded counsel, which is a definite strength in the field of defendant Consumer Credit Act work’. Nevertheless, the set’s strength was reduced by the departures of William Hibbert and Julia Smith to Henderson Chambers.
Littleton Chambers is a ‘helpful and responsive’ set with a strong stable of banking barristers. Clive Freedman QC is praised for his ‘excellent technical ability and attention to detail’, and is ‘effective in cross-examination’. A recent highlight has been advising on Spreadex v Jeremy Barnes, a major spread betting related case. Richard Perkoff is ‘a pleasure to work with, with massive attention to detail and a commercial outlook’. Sam Neaman has also been very active on a number of cases for Lloyds TSB.
Outer Temple Chambers is particularly recommended for its regulatory expertise. Michael Bowes QC is highly recommended for financial services and regulatory issues and was recently instructed by the FSA on its first criminal prosecution for insider dealing, R v McQuoid and Melbourne. Richard Lissack QC is valued for his ‘very practical advice and strong regulatory nous’. Among the juniors, the ‘very user-friendly’ Nicholas Medcroft has ‘a thorough appreciation of both criminal law and procedure and also how banks work’. Oliver Assersohn has an ‘invaluable knowledge of the FSA disciplinary process’.
4 Stone Buildings is ‘very strong in relation to all restructuring, Chancery and financial services matters’. George Bompas QC is ‘a tremendously intelligent barrister with great analytical skills’. Robert Miles QC, who successfully represented the appellant CRC against Lehman Brothers International in the Court of Appeal, is praised for his ‘excellent intellect and advocacy’. Jonathan Crow QC is ‘one of the top advocates at the commercial Bar’.
At Wilberforce Chambers, Lawrence Cohen QC has a strong reputation and recently advised a number of financial institutions in the Caribbean. James Ayliffe QC recently represented the borrowers in Monte Properties Ltd v Bank of Cyprus, which settled two weeks into trial.