Ciaran Keller > Essex Court Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile
Essex Court Chambers Offices
24 LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS
LONDON
WC2A 3EG
England
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Ciaran Keller
Position
Commercial and chancery litigation and arbitration (domestic and international), including: business agreements and contractual disputes of all kinds; banking and financial services litigation; civil fraud and asset tracing; energy and minerals; jurisdiction disputes; company, partnership and insolvency matters; shareholder disputes; fiduciaries; professional negligence; enforcement of judgments and awards; and claims for and against sovereign states.
Admitted as a member of the Bar of the British Virgin Islands.
Notable cases include: Maximov v NLMK [2017] (Comm – enforcement of annulled award); Hellas II v Apax Partners [2017] (Ch – transaction defrauding creditors); Nogotkov v Browder [2017] (Ch – Cross Border Insolvency Regulations; public policy); British American Tobacco v Sequana [2016] (Ch – unlawful dividends; breach of fiduciary duty; transactions defrauding creditors); Krys v KBC Partners [2015] (Privy Council – construction of articles of a limited partnership); Yukos Capital v Rosneft (No. 2) [2014] (Comm – enforceability of annulled arbitral awards); Barnsley v Noble [2015] (Ch – deceit, breach of contract and fiduciary duty); Cifal Groupe v Meridian Securities [2013] (Comm – jurisdiction challenge); Yukos Capital v Rosneft [2012] (CA – act of state, issue estoppel); Favor Easy Management v Wu [2012] (CA – civil fraud); NML v Argentina [2011] (Supreme Court – sovereign immunity); Crossco v Jolan [2011] (CA – constructive trust, proprietary estoppel); Star Energy v Bocardo [2010] (Supreme Court – trespass by oil pipelines at depth); Crest Nicholson v Akaria [2010] (CA – contractual formation); IPCO v NNPC [2009] (CA – part enforcement of New York Convention awards); Meretz v ACP [2008] (CA – conspiracy; inducing breach of contract); Donegal v Zambia [2007] (Comm – debt recovery against a sovereign state); Gamlestaden v Baltic Partners [2007] (Privy Council – unfair prejudice remedy for shareholders).
Career
Formerly a Member of HM Diplomatic Service (serving at the United Nations and the British Embassy, Lisbon). Called to the Bar 2004.
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association; Chancery Bar Association; Financial Services Lawyers Association
Education
Educated at Cheadle Hulme School and Brasenose College, Oxford (MA, 1st Class Honours; Gibbs Prize, John House Prize, Shell Prize; Open Scholarship), City University (Distinction) and the Inns of Court School of Law (Barstow Scholarship, Sweet & Maxwell Company Law Prize). Member of Lincoln’ s Inn (Hardwicke, Lord Haldane, Lord Mansfield and Megarry Scholarships; Buchanan Prize; Sir Louis Gluckstein Advocacy Prize).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Partnership
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2London Bar > Tax: personal
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Fielding ‘one of the very finest groups of barristers around‘, Essex Court Chambers is a ‘go-to set for anything important or high-value‘. In recent highlights, Joe Smouha KC, leading Ciaran Keller, represented the government of Mozambique in the “Tuna bond case”, its claim against Credit Suisse concerning government-backed loans that were arranged by Credit Suisse and pushed Mozambique into a debt crisis. In The Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Process & Industrial Developments Ltd, Tom Ford was instructed as the most senior junior for Nigeria, which seeks to set aside an $11bn award, on the basis that it and the underlying contract were the result of a massive fraud. Ruth den Besten KC, who recently successfully defended a $1.2bn fraudulent misrepresentation and conspiracy claim concerning a mining venture in Guinea, was elevated to silk status in March 2023; and in November 2022, commercial dispute resolution junior Matthieu Gregoire joined from 4 New Square Chambers.
London Bar > Fraud: civil
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 1London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Essex Court Chambers‘ members high-profile and high-value international banking and finance litigation, with members receiving instructions from a number of magic circle and US firms. Louise Hutton KC, who is ‘calm and clear under pressure,’ has been involved in leading banking cases this year, including Stanford International Bank v HSBC, a case involving the Quincecare duty with its factual origins in Allen Stanford’s Ponzi scheme. Joe Smouha KC is a notable name in this space, while Stephen Houseman KC has developed a strong cross-border practice, in areas including Singapore, Dubai and the Cayman Islands. Ciaran Keller is noted for his cross-border work on high-profile cases acting for and against banks, hedge funds and private equity. Angeline Welsh KC, Siddharth Dhar KC and Ruth Den Besten KC were all appointed silk in 2023.
London Bar > Energy
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers ‘Ciaran is extremely intelligent and hard working and is able to provide helpful and practical advice that cuts through the complexity. He works extremely collaboratively in large teams and is a real asset and team player. As an advocate, his no nonsense style, mastery of his case, and eloquence wins him plaudits on the bench.’