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  1. Insolvency – Leading Sets
  2. Insolvency – Leading Silks
  3. Insolvency – New Silks
  4. Insolvency – Leading Juniors

Insolvency – Leading Silks

Insolvency – Leading Juniors

Pre-eminent’ set 3-4 South Square is ‘undoubtedly the leader in insolvency matters’, and plays host to many of the leading insolvency silks at the bar. Clients praise the ‘responsive’ clerks, who ‘leave no stone unturned in helping the client’. Foremost among the silks is Gabriel Moss QC, who is the ‘textbook of the sector’, and whose name is ‘worth a lot internationally’. Moss appeared with ‘top-drawer, razor-sharp intellectRobin Dicker QC and the ‘wonderfully measured and polished in courtWilliam Trower QC in Re Nortel; Re Lehman Brothers International (in administration). The ‘exceptionally bright, accessible and commercialAntony Zacaroli QC had a notably busy year on Lehman matters, and many have commented on his growing profile. Further highly recommended silks include Simon Mortimore QC, whom ‘judges are always prepared to take the law from’, and Robin Knowles CBE QC, who appeared with others in Barclays Bank v HHY Luxembourg Sarl. Three new silks came from the set in 2011: the ‘very best of this year’s silk cropFelicity Toube QC; Barry Isaacs QC, whose advancement to silk was ‘richly deserved’; and ‘thorough lateral-thinkerGlen Davis QC. The many recommended leading juniors at the set include the ‘terrific, real star of the future’ contentious insolvency specialist Daniel Bayfield; ‘very thorough, feisty opponentLloyd Tamlyn; ‘very impressive high-flyerDavid Allison; the ‘brilliant and unflappableTom Smith; the ‘very pleasantAdam Al-Attar, whose ‘encyclopaedic knowledge’ is valued; the ‘very busyJeremy Goldring; and Richard Fisher.

Erskine Chambers specialises in company law and maintains a leading insolvency practice, with several high-profile silks. The most prominent member is the ‘hugely prolific’ and ‘incredibly knowledgeableRichard Snowden QC, who has appeared opposing the Lehman Brothers insolvency scheme. Further leading silks include ‘terrific advocateDavid Chivers QC, who is ‘brilliant to have on your team for offshore company work’, and who acted in the high-profile Halliwells insolvency; and insolvency and restructuring expert Michael Todd QC. Several of the juniors made a mark on the insolvency sector in 2010, including Stephen Horan (noted for his ‘easy manner, commercial approach’); Andrew Thompson (‘technically very strong, with a phenomenal memory’); and the ‘very able, clever, thoughtful, responsiveEdward Davies.

Maitland Chambers is a leading commercial Chancery set with ‘very good clerking’ and has much experience in all aspects of insolvency, especially offshore matters. ‘Very strong opponentAnthony Trace QC appeared in Islamic Investment Co v Mehta, and is rated along with ‘all-round rising star’ and ‘brilliant advocatePaul Girolami QC and ‘calm, persuasive’ advocate Matthew Collings QC as leading silks in chambers. Catherine Newman QC and Nicholas Peacock QC are also strong individuals. Among the juniors, the ‘really driven’ and ‘hardworkingRebecca Stubbs is praised; the ‘thoroughly decentAndrew Westwood is ‘quite simply one of the brightest juniors at the Bar’; Amanda Tipples QC is a ‘very strong performer in the field’; and the ‘superCatherine Addy has ‘great attention to detail’.

Serle Court is many clients’ ‘chambers of choice’ with ‘excellent response times’, ‘impressive strength in depth on a national and international level’, and clerking that is ‘second to none’. Victor Joffe QC is a ‘Superman’ and has the ‘highest level of business acumen of any barrister’, and Philip Marshall QC is an ‘impressive operator’. Philip Jones QC has a ‘strong reputation’ in company litigation and insolvency and has appeared in several aspects of the collapse of Northern Rock, Lehman Brothers, and the various Icelandic banks. Timothy Collingwood is praised for his ‘high standards’, ‘prompt’ paperwork, and ‘good level of service’, and the ‘highly intelligent and thoughtfulDavid Blayney is praised for his ‘tight and persuasive’ drafting. Further recommended juniors include Ruth Jordan and David Drake.

4 Stone Buildings is ‘very commercial, very approachable and very client focused’, with John Brisby QC described as a ‘real fighter in court’ and ‘prepared to roll his sleeves up’ in fighting for his clients. Other recommended silks include Robert Miles QC, who acted in matters connected to Lehman Brothers International. George Bompas QC, who has ‘everything you could want in a leader’; and Jonathan Crow QC, who appeared in Re Freerider Limited in the Cayman Islands. Leading juniors include Hermann Boeddinghaus (‘intellectually very strong’); Sharif Shivji (‘very clever and immensely hardworking’); Tiran Nersessian; Richard Hill; Andrew de Mestre; Tom Gentleman; and Donald Lilly, who is a ‘real rising star’ at the chambers.

11 Stone Buildings is able to ‘turn work around quickly’, ‘offers excellent value for money’ and benefits from ‘very efficient’ clerks. Jane Giret QC has ‘excellent technical knowledge, is great in complex cases, and is very thorough’, recently appearing in Alfa Laval Tumba AB & Another v Mark Pacy. ‘Popular, charming and exceptionally gifted’ silk Raquel Agnello QC is also recommended. Among the leading juniors, Christopher Boardman is exceptional at cross-examination’; Marcia Shekerdemian has ‘great technical knowledge’ and ‘goes out of her way for clients’; David Peters is ‘very commercial and always makes the right call’; Thomas Robinson has ‘great attention to detail’; Jamie Riley is a ‘very competent barrister’; Tina Kyriakides is ‘extremely strong’; and Adam Deacock has a ‘good, sound commercial approach’.

Enterprise Chambers has ‘very deep’ strength in depth and benefits from ‘excellent’, ‘friendly’ and approachable’ clerks and an unstuffy reputation. Foremost among the silks is the ‘very thoroughPeter Arden QC, who is appreciated for his ‘hardworking, intelligent, friendly, and straightforward’ manner. The many talented juniors in the set include Geoffrey Zelin (‘excellent, good with clients’); property expert and ‘superb advocateTim Calland; the ‘very able, approachable and commercialHugo Groves; the ‘fast, user-friendly and efficientBridget Williamson; commercial litigator James Barker and who is a ‘tenacious, reliable, and efficient advocate’, who appeared in Re: Westek Limited; the ‘confident, articulate, and quick-thinkingRebecca Page, who appeared in Clydesdale Financial Services Limited v Smailes & Others; the ‘extremely proficientNiall McCulloch; Kavan Gunaratna (‘highly articulate and excellent on his feet’); Olivier Kalfon (‘excellent, thorough, clear, concise, reliable’); Linden Ife, (‘a real barrister of choice’), and Anthony Beswetherick, who ‘never misses a point or potential argument’.

New Square Chambers is an ‘excellent set with a very strong team of barristers across the board’; it has a wide range of capabilities and particular expertise in the area of insolvency arising from fraud. Leading silk Robin Hollington QC is ‘calm and solid’ and ‘always gives good advice’, and appeared in Re Pioneer Iron & Steel Group Company Ltd with the ‘absolutely superbDavid Eaton Turner. Stephen Smith QC is a ‘definite go-to’ advocate and an ‘absolute star’ in the field of civil fraud and tracing. Stephen Schaw Miller is ‘calm, thorough and meticulous’, and Clive Jones is ‘highly respected by the bench’. The ‘impressiveJames Bailey is ‘strategically strong and pragmatic’, and Sebastian Prentis is ‘hugely respected and a very fair advocate’.

XXIV Old Buildings displays ‘real strength in depth’ with ‘high-quality barristers at all levels’, and the clerks are praised as ‘always helpful, responsive and a pleasure to deal with’. ‘Accessible and a real team playerStephen Moverley Smith QC has appeared in several matters involving insolvent companies based in the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. The ‘outstandingElspeth Talbot Rice QC is ‘impeccable’, with an ‘astonishingly fast’ turnaround time. Of the juniors, the ‘very bright, upbeat and positiveEdward Cumming is popular, as is the ‘extremely knowledgeableSteven Thompson. ‘Fantastic’ barrister Sarah Bayliss is ‘approachable and highly professional’, and ‘top-quality counselRichard Ritchie is highly rated. Further key names are David Herbert (‘remarkable advocate’, and ‘excellent tactician’); Stuart Adair (‘tenacious, commercial’); and Edward Knight (noted for his ‘excellent legal knowledge and analysis’).

3 Verulam Buildings is an ‘excellent commercial set providing access to very high-quality and able counsel’, and its clerking is widely admired. ‘Superb’ leading silk Ewan McQuater QC is renowned for his ‘clear, no-nonsense advice’ and high technical ability, and appeared in Excalibur Funding Plc v Lehman Brothers International (Europe) Ltd. Gregory Mitchell QC is very active and has extensive experience of sport-related matters, recently appearing in HMRC v Football Association Premier League Ltd. Sonia Tolaney QC is ‘clever, charming and committed’. Recommended juniors include the ‘excellent and giftedAngharad Start; the ‘sharp and pragmaticSophie Mallinckrodt; ‘invaluable assetMatthew Hardwick, whose advice is ‘clear, well researched and to the point’; and the ‘very sharp, responsive and efficientWilliam Edwards.

Also recommended are: Clara Johnson and ‘outstanding’ advocate Simon Davenport QC at 3 Hare Court (praised for his ‘top-notch analysis and decisiveness in getting to the relevant points’); Wendy Parker at Hardwicke; the ‘unfailingly helpful’, ‘approachable’ and ‘knowledgeableTerence Mowschenson QC at Wilberforce Chambers; the ‘ferociously hardworking and committedIain Milligan QC at 20 Essex Street; and Peter Shaw, and Elaine Palser at 9 Stone Buildings, the latter ‘technically excellent’ and ‘no shrinking violet when it comes to advocacy’.

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