The Legal 500

London Bar

Set overviews: England and Wales

The ‘solid’ XXIV Old Buildings is ‘a strong commercial chambers’ and ‘a premier offshore set’ with ‘a good choice of top-flight barristers’. With ‘clear strength in depth’, counsel are always ‘available and ready to muck in’. Its ‘down-to-earth’ clerking operation, which is ‘in touch with the detail of the particular case and what they promise to do and when’, is helmed by the ‘always helpful’ chambers director Sue Medder, who ‘adds a depth of understanding to the whole support team that you don't get at many other chambers’. The ‘thoroughly professional’ team includes senior practice managers Paul Horsfield and James Ladbrook (‘offer a great service supported by their teams’), and Daniel Wilson (‘always a pleasure to deal with’). At practice manager level, Tommie Drury is singled out for ‘not shying away from dealing with difficult issues’. Offices in: London

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London Bar

Aviation

Aviation – Leading sets - ranked: tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings houses ‘exceptional’ members who are rated as ‘experts’ in aviation disputes. The set is involved in lease liability disputes in connection with Malaysian Airlines Berhad, the new entity resulting from restructured former Malaysian Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines v Honeywell is also a key case highlight.

Aviation – Leading silks

Aviation – 2018 Silks

Aviation – Leading juniors

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Banking and finance (including consumer credit)

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – Leading sets - ranked: tier 4

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings has ‘a strong group of silks and juniors’ who are ‘reliable, sound, down to earth and very accommodating’. The set has a strong pedigree in banking litigation, particularly with an offshore angle.

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – Leading silks

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – 2018 silks

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) – Leading juniors

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Charities

Charities – Leading silks

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Commercial litigation

Commercial litigation – Leading sets - ranked: tier 3

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is praised for its ‘strength and depth in numbers of counsel’. Its traditional strengths in Chancery and offshore work have increasingly seeped into the world of big ticket commercial litigation. Carlyle Capital v Conway, Arcadia v Bosworth, and Al Sadik v Investcorp, each required the expertise of multiple barristers within chambers.

Commercial litigation – Leading silks

Commercial litigation – 2018 silks

Commercial litigation – Leading juniors

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Company and partnership

Company – Leading sets - ranked: tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings

Partnership – Leading sets - ranked: tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Able to field talent at all levels’, XXIV Old Buildings is one of the ‘go-to sets’ for offshore company work. Members also act on a variety of partnership disputes across industry sectors. In Re Oakhurst Property Developments, Alan Steinfeld QC successfully acted for a company pursuing claims against the beneficiaries to recover costs associated with after-the-event insurance premiums. Drawing on significant expertise in the jurisdiction, Francis Tregear QC was instructed on several Cayman Islands partnership matters. Edward Cumming QC andLyndsey De Mestre QC took silk in 2018.

Company – Leading silks

Partnership – Leading silks

Company – 2018 silks

Company – Leading juniors

Partnership – Leading juniors

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Construction

Construction – Leading silks

Construction – 2017 silks

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Energy

Energy – Leading silks

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Financial services

Financial services – Leading juniors

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Fraud: civil

Fraud: civil – Leading sets - ranked: tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is an ‘outstanding set’ for fraud, ‘particularly where there are offshore trust issues’. The chambers has ‘excellent strength in depth’ and is singled out for its ‘strong bench of juniors’. Recent highlights include Arcadia Petroleum & others v Bosworth & others, and Aeroflot v Beresovsky.

Fraud: civil – Leading silks

Fraud: civil – 2018 silks

Fraud: civil – Leading juniors

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Insolvency

Insolvency – Leading sets - ranked: tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Well-managed’ XXIV Old Buildings has ‘a good depth in insolvency’. The set is most active in the area of cross-border disputes arising out of insolvencies, aptly demonstrated by Stephen Moverley Smith QC’s successful representation of two large shareholders opposed to the appointment of provisional liquidators of Shanshui Cement Co. Francis Tregear QC is currently instructed by the additional liquidator in Re Herald Fund SPC. Both Edward Cumming QC and Lyndsey de Mestre QC took silk in 2018.

Insolvency – Leading silks

Insolvency – 2018 silks

Insolvency – Leading juniors

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International arbitration: counsel

International arbitration: counsel – Leading silks

International arbitration: counsel – 2017 silks

International arbitration: counsel – Leading juniors

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Offshore

Offshore – Leading sets - ranked: tier 1

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is ‘very accessible and visible around offshore Chancery work’. Alan Steinfeld QC continues to advise the Carlyle-related entities in Guernsey’s Carlyle Capital Corporation v Conway case, part of a long-running saga concerning the collapse of an investment fund following the 2008 crash. Nicole Langlois, Daniel Warents, David Brownbill QC and Edward Cumming QC advised various parties in Crociani v Crociani, a Jersey case concerning an intra-family dispute of a trust created in the Bahamas in 1987 but subjected to changes of trustee and governing law.

Offshore – Leading silks

Offshore – 2018 silks

Offshore – Leading juniors

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Pensions

Pensions – Leading silks

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Private client: trusts and probate

Private client: trusts and probate – Leading sets - ranked: tier 1

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings has ‘some very well-known figures, especially in the offshore world, with deep expertise at all levels in trust and estate litigation’. Highlights included Stephen Moverley Smith QC advising on a challenge to the validity of an Isle of Man trust by a US government agency. In another matter Elspeth Talbot Rice QC advised on applications for Beddoe relief and the striking out of a claim against trustees.

Private client: trusts and probate – Leading silks

Private client: trusts and probate – 2018 silks

Private client: trusts and probate – Leading juniors

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Professional negligence

Professional negligence – Leading sets - ranked: tier 4

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is regularly instructed in professional negligence cases involving lawyers, accountants, auditors, surveyors, valuers and trustees, and it is noted for its ‘thorough and responsive’ approach.

Professional negligence – Leading silks

Professional negligence – leading juniors

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Set overviews: England and Wales

The ‘solid’ XXIV Old Buildings is ‘a strong commercial chambers’ and ‘a premier offshore set’ with ‘a good choice of top-flight barristers’. With ‘clear strength in depth’, counsel are always ‘available and ready to muck in’. Its ‘down-to-earth’ clerking operation, which is ‘in touch with the detail of the particular case and what they promise to do and when’, is helmed by the ‘always helpful’ chambers director Sue Medder, who ‘adds a depth of understanding to the whole support team that you don't get at many other chambers’. The ‘thoroughly professional’ team includes senior practice managers Paul Horsfield and James Ladbrook (‘offer a great service supported by their teams’), and Daniel Wilson (‘always a pleasure to deal with’). At practice manager level, Tommie Drury is singled out for ‘not shying away from dealing with difficult issues’. Offices in: London

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