South Square > London, England > Set Profile

South Square
3-4 SOUTH SQUARE, GRAY'S INN
LONDON
WC1R 5HP
England

Email firm Visit website 020 7696 9900 020 7696 9911

London Bar > Insolvency Tier 1

‘The number one set for restructuring and insolvency matters,‘ South Square has all of its members specialising within insolvency and restructuring law. Members, such as Mark Phillips KC have appeared in significant and high-profile insolvency cases in the UK, such as Sova Capital Ltd in which Phillips KC, alongside William Willson, put an investment broker focussing on the Russian markets into administration, which raised numerous complex issues from valuing claims to dealing with client claims, as well as how Moscow-listed assets would be handled by a UK company. ‘Extremely knowledgeable and unflappable‘ junior Charlotte Cooke has appeared in a number of high-profile insolvency and restructuring cases, including three times in the Supreme Court, while Felicity Toube KC has depth in experience includes acting in major insolvency cases such as Greensill and Liberty Steel. David Allison KC has developed a strong cross-border practice, handling insolvency cases in the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Hong Kong, whereas Clara Johnson is noted for her experience in bringing and defending claims brought by officer holders involving fraud and where urgent injunctive relief is required.

Leading Silks

David Allison KC –South Square ‘David has knowledge of judges’ comments married with excellent judgement as to when points are robust or should be dropped and an accessible, open and friendly manner all help to make David the very top of his chosen game. His advocacy is also second to none.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Mark Phillips KC –South Square ‘Vastly experienced, quite probably the most so in the insolvency and restructuring space. Pragmatic and no-nonsense barrister, comes to a clear view and gives advice rather than just pointing out risks.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Felicity Toube KC –South Square ‘Felicity is really fantastic and a go-to in this area.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Tom Smith KC –South Square ‘Extremely smart. Always helpful and responsive. Excellent judgement – knows where to push the envelope and where discretion is the better part of valour.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Richard Fisher KC –South Square 'Very commercial. Good strategic strengths. Strong advocate.'

Ranked: Tier 2

David Alexander KC –South Square ‘Excellent. Calm, authoritative and pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Daniel Bayfield KC –South Square ‘Daniel has unparalleled experience of investment bank insolvencies and is one of the stars of the insolvency Bar. He is excellent on his feet and is able to deal with difficult points when they arise.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Barry Isaacs KC –South Square ‘Barry has a brilliant way of getting into the intricacies of financial details on a matter and a fabulous work ethic when called in to save the day. Barry’s manner in court is excellent, meticulous and persuasive even when under intense fire from the judge.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Glen Davis KC –South Square ‘Great attention to detail. Very happy to get stuck into the minutiae and provide a practical solution.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Mark Arnold KC –South Square ‘Mark is the leader in his field. He is technically very very good, he is enthusiastic about his subject matter, he is extremely knowledgeable and really gets into the detail. He is also very approachable, easy to work with, proactive and willing to assist.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square ‘Jeremy is excellent – extremely thoughtful and insightful with a great grasp of case law with a flair for finding the innovative point of view, which adds great value. He is also very calm and collected, both in court and in conference. He has a wealth of experience.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Martin Pascoe KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 5

2022 Silks

Stephen Robins KC – South Square

2024 Silks

Adam Al-Attar KC –South Square ‘Very bright, very personable and completely gets being a team player. Not a star of the future - a star of now.'

Leading Juniors

Henry Phillips –South Square ‘Henry has a fearsome intellect, and brings the full force of that to his analysis and advocacy. He is quick to understand the complexities of a particular matter, and always thoroughly interrogates issues, leaving no stone unturned. He is great to work with – approachable, insightful and a really nice guy.’

Ranked: Tier 1

William Willson –South Square ‘William is a great operator – he has the confidence and skills of a KC, and a great commercial sense without compromising his pure legal knowledge. Clients are very comfortable with him advising unled and doing the advocacy at big hearings. He has a great connection with judges.’

Ranked: Tier 1

Georgina Peters –South Square 'Georgina is top class. She has an excellent grasp of the details and what need to be put before the court. Her advocacy is clear and concise, which is received very well.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Marcus Haywood – South Square

Ranked: Tier 2

Matthew Abraham – South Square ‘Matthew is very knowledgeable and experienced in cross-border insolvency matters. He is adept at explaining complex technical issues to lay clients, is extremely bright and is a pleasure to work with.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Hilary Stonefrost - South Square

Ranked: Tier 3

Adam Goodison –South Square ‘He is a truly first class senior junior. He is a superstar advocate with astonishing intellect shown through his written work. Magic with clients.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Edoardo Lupi – South Square ‘Edoardo is an exceptionally bright lawyer, who has an outstanding grasp of insolvency law. He works equally well on his own or when led.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Clara Johnson – South Square ‘Clara has total command of her subject area, including all of its darker recesses. She uses that knowledge to produce excellent strategic insight. She has a great written style, which delights clients, since it is brisk but detailed.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Lloyd Tamlyn –South Square ‘Lloyd is an extremely hard working and collaborative barrister. He is a team player and an instills complete confidence in solicitors and clients alike. His knowledge of the law is incredible and he uses it very pragmatically. As an advocate he is simply unflappable.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Charlotte Cooke –South Square ‘Charlotte has an excellent eye for detail and a calm yet incisive manner. She knows her stuff and is a fearless advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Robert Amey –South Square ‘Robert is very user-friendly, smart and quick to respond.’

Ranked: Tier 3

John Briggs –South Square ‘Technically proficient and very pragmatic.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Oliver Hyams – South Square ‘Oliver is clearly clever and very familiar with the way the insolvency courts work. He has a reassuring manner and is friendly and nice to interact with.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Andrew Shaw – South Square

Ranked: Tier 5

Hannah Thornley –South Square

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘The clerks (Dylan Playfoot, Marco Malatesta and others) are highly skilled, understand the issues and direct us always to the best barrister available and are known for their understanding of urgency of a situation and quick response times- they are also and personable and always available and extremely helpful.’

‘Without a doubt my favourite clerks room. Pragmatic, commercial, reasonable, friendly, responsive, flexible. Everything that you could wish for. Dylan Playfoot and Marco Malatesta stand out but all are excellent.’

‘Clerks are fast and helpfully reactive. One can be open with them about the client’s needs and will be dealt with effectively and professionally.’

‘The clerks team is excellent. Very responsive, user-friendly and helpful. They will do everything they can to be helpful in terms of engaging counsel but also helping litigation run smoothly.

‘The clerks are fantastic. They are always on hand to help, with nothing you ask of them too much trouble. They are polite and responsive.’

‘South Square is clearly the number one set for restructuring and insolvency matters and they have some excellent barristers at all levels.”

‘By far the best set for insolvency – and very strong for general commercial skills.’

‘South Square are the go to set if you need any insolvency advice. They have such an impressive roster of people that no matter the issue they are likely to have experience.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 2

The ‘go-to set for all restructuring and insolvency mandates,‘ South Square has established an international presence in banking and financial litigation, having appeared in high-profile disputes including cases which give rise to issues of significant market importance, generally crossing over with the set's pre-eminence in the insolvency space. One such example is the case of Galapagos Bidco SARL v Kebekus; Barings (UK) Ltd v Galapagos which saw Tom Smith KC, Daniel Bayfield KC, David Alexander KC, Henry Phillips and Ryan Perkins appear in a dispute arising out of a €1bn multi-jurisdictional finance restructuring, raising novel issues in relation to enforcement powers under intercreditor agreements, after a German court had wound up the company which was subject to an English administration petition. Richard Fisher KC has a good practice advising banks, hedge funds and trade parties in relation to structured finance issues and derivatives contacts, while Georgina Peters is noted for her work in high-profile banking disputes involving securisations, capital markets issuances and derivatives using ISDA contracts.

Leading Silks

David Allison KC –South Square ‘David is at the top of his trade. He is responsive, thorough and insightful. A pleasure to deal with.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Tom Smith KC –South Square ‘Tom is a formidable advocate and master strategist with a towering intellect. Yet, despite his status, he rolls his sleeves up and mucks in.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Ranked: Tier 3

Daniel Bayfield KC –South Square ‘Daniel has unparalleled experience of investment bank insolvencies. He is excellent on his feet and is able to deal with difficult points when they arise.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Felicity Toube KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 3

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square ‘Jeremy is very knowledgeable about banking matters across a wide variety of subjects. He understands the documents and the wider drivers of the case. His advocacy is very measured but persuasive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Richard Fisher KC – South Square ‘Flawless reasoning and legal knowledge. Always able to innovate and advance creative arguments, and willing to take on difficult positions. Richard is a source of immensely calm and collected advocacy delivered in compelling arguments.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Alexander KC –South Square ‘Extremely experienced – good gravitas in his advocacy.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Mark Phillips KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Stephen Robins KC –South Square ‘Stephen is an absolutely excellent barrister. He is a detailed and creative thinker. He has particular expertise in insolvency-related issues but is also very adept at interpretation of finance documents more generally. He is a very impressive advocate - one who quickly gains the trust and confidence of the tribunal.'

2024 Silks

Adam Al Attar KC –South Square ‘Technically strong, dynamic and commercial and approachable. Strong advocacy skills.'

Leading Juniors

Georgina Peters –South Square ‘Georgina’s strengths are her attention to detail, exquisite drafting, deep experience and knowledge of banking and commercial law, and that she is user-friendly and very hard-working.’

Ranked: Tier 1

William Willson –South Square ‘William's strengths are his prodigious output and legal acumen. He is a master of detail and has an incredible memory. He knows a winning argument.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘Excellent – Marco Malatesta in particular.’

‘All of the clerks have been amazing. Particular shout out to Dylan Playfoot and Luke Clark.’

‘The go-to set, still, for all restructuring and insolvency mandates.’

‘South Square is unquestionably the top Chambers for restructuring and insolvency, with a strong banking and finance practice, including incredible strength in depth.’

‘Remains by far the pre-eminent set for corporate insolvency work.’

‘Very strong set.’

‘South Square are an excellent set of Chambers. They have lost one or two of their most prominent leaders to the bench, but there are some truly excellent juniors coming up through the ranks and still several Silks at the top of their game. They would always be my first choice on any matter touching on Insolvency and increasingly my go to set for commercial or finance litigation too.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Company Tier 2

South Square is perhaps best known for insolvency and restructuring work in the corporate field, but members are frequently involved in high-value directors duties cases and other matters concerning the intricacies of company law, including having status of ‘the go-to set for offshore insolvency work’ with ‘a strong company practice, including incredible strength in depth’. David Alexander KC is currently acting for Incredible Power in a high-value shareholder litigation concerning claims of unfair prejudice, just and equitable winding-up, breach of fiduciary duty and conspiracy. David Allison KC’s strong company law practice saw him lead the counsel team for Nostrum Oil and Gas plc in a matter that raises novel issues concerning the impact of sanctions arising from the war in Ukraine. William Willson is a highly regarded senior-junior commercial Chancery practitioner.

Leading Silks

David Allison KC – South Square ‘David is extremely clear-minded in his advice, and a masterful advocate for his clients.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Barry Isaacs KC – South Square ‘Barry is exceptionally thorough in his preparation, his written advocacy is clear, direct and appropriately concise, and his oral advocacy is always perfectly measured.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Tom Smith KC – South Square ‘Excellent responsiveness and technically amazing, he has a brilliant advocacy style, reads the court well and is highly persuasive.’

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Arnold KC – South Square ‘Mark is thoughtful, considered and always able to back up with advice with authority, and he holds the court's attention well.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Alexander KC – South Square ‘David is just excellent, very responsive, positive, clever and calm, the judges love him and he is a client favourite.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Daniel Bayfield KC – South Square ‘Daniel is one of the stars of the insolvency Bar, excellent on his feet and able to deal with difficult points when they arise.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Felicity Toube KC – South Square ‘Felicity is an absolutely fantastic advocate who brings a cool head and a laser-sharp focus to her practice, and is able to distil complex issues and really get to their core.’

Ranked: Tier 3

2022 Silks

Stephen Robins KC - South Square ‘Intellectually at top of the game, he is a pleasure to watch on his feet, delivering legal arguments in his quietly unassuming but assured and persuasive manner.’

Leading Juniors

William Willson – South Square ‘William is a great operator – he has the confidence and skills of a KC, and a great commercial sense without compromising his pure legal knowledge.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘The clerks at South Square provide an excellent service.’

‘Good sensible clerking with reasonable fees. Chris Filby is very helpful and responsive and no nonsense or exaggerated brief fees that need to be heavily negotiated.’

‘The clerks at South Square are excellent. They are highly professional, yet accommodating to commercial needs and practicalities. They are a pleasure to work with. Of particular note are Dylan Playfoot and Marco Malatesta.’

‘Clerks are fast and helpfully reactive. One can be open with them about the client’s needs and will be dealt with effectively and professionally.’

‘It is the go-to set for offshore insolvency work.’

‘South Square is unquestionably the top chambers for restructuring and insolvency, with a strong company practice, including incredible strength in depth.’

‘There are some truly excellent juniors coming up through the ranks and still several Silks at the top of their game.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Commercial litigation Tier 3

‘An excellent set of chambers‘, South Square‘s members are routinely involved in heavyweight commercial litigation, particularly cases with banking and financial law aspects. In Emtel Ltd v Cellplus Mobile Telecommunciations Ltd, a Privy Council appeal relating to alleged unlawful cross-subsidies paid under Mauritian law, Aidan Casey KC, who joined the set in June 2022 from 3 Hare Court, is instructed by Cellplus. In BNP Paribas v Uro Property, David Allison KC, led the counsel team representing BNP Paribas (BNP), which refused to release the security on a loan until a make-whole premium of approximately €250m was paid. Another leading silk, Felicity Toube KC is currently acting for the claimants in three sets of heavy litigation concerning the NMC Health scandal.

Leading Silks

Tom Smith KC –South Square ‘Tom is absolutely at the top of his game - a highly respected and authoritative presence in front of judges, masterful in his cross-examination of hostile witnesses, and also very responsive and willing to get involved in a way that instructing lawyers and clients really appreciate.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Allison KC –South Square ‘The clarity, structure and persuasiveness of his advocacy may be David's greatest strengths. His tone and delivery are always perfect, and the structure of his submissions is always spot on.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Felicity Toube KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

Aidan Casey KC – South Square ‘Excellent and persuasive written work – a gifted advocate whose clear presentation resonates with courts and tribunals.‘

Ranked: Tier 5

David Alexander KC –South Square ‘Very client focused, greatly into the detail, fierce cross-examination. Hugely experienced in unfair prejudice claims.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square ‘Jeremy is extremely bright and incisive, with a first-rate mind and the ability to find the hidden point that makes all the difference to the case. His advocacy is superb.’

Ranked: Tier 6

Mark Phillips KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 6

2022 Silks

Stephen Robins KC –South Square ‘A very good advocate - very good at drafting and gets on top of the detail.’

2024 Silks

Adam Al-Attar KC –South Square

Leading Juniors

Georgina Peters – South Square

Ranked: Tier 5

William Willson – South Square ‘William is a go-to senior junior. He has seen everything and cuts through the chaff like few others can. William is a master client-handler, giving surefooted advice even under the most challenging of circumstances.’

Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Dylan Playfoot is very reliable, and always gives excellent intelligence on likely lead times on hearings and the navigation of tricky practical challenges in the courts.’

‘Dylan Playfoot and Marco Malatesta stand out, but they are all excellent.’

‘William Mackinlay, Dylan Playfoot and Lewis Madle are all very personable and responsive.’

‘All of the clerks are amazing. Particular shout-out to Dylan Playfoot and Luke Clark.’

‘An unmatched depth of talent and they are all superb.‘

‘South Square is an excellent set of chambers.‘

‘Without a doubt the best clerking room.‘

‘Pragmatic, commercial, reasonable, friendly, responsive, and flexible clerks. Everything that you could wish for.‘

London Bar > Fraud: civil Tier 3

Comprising ‘great barristers‘ and providing ‘great service‘, South Square‘s recent track record includes large fraud claims commenced both in London and several offshore jurisdictions. Felicity Toube KC‘s broad practice covers civil fraud work, and she regularly appears in the Cayman Islands and BVI, as well as Bermuda, in high-stakes matters. In recent highlights, Tom Smith KC represented technology investment firm Softbank, in relation to claims made by Credit Suisse further to the collapse of supply chain finance business, Greensill; and at junior level, Robert Amey acted as sole counsel in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, defending an alleged $50m fraudulent transaction.

Leading Silks

Tom Smith KC –South Square 'A formidable advocate and master strategist with a towering intellect. He is a first choice for complex fraud work; and despite his status, he rolls his sleeves up and mucks in.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Aidan Casey KC – South Square ‘Excellent and persuasive written work – a gifted advocate whose clear presentation resonates with courts and tribunals.‘

Ranked: Tier 2

Mark Phillips KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 3

Felicity Toube KC –South Square ‘An outstanding advocate: technically brilliant and very responsive.’

Ranked: Tier 3

David Alexander KC – South Square ‘No-one is better prepared for any hearing or conference. He is simply brilliant and one of the best cross-examiners clients can have.’

Ranked: Tier 4

2022 Silks

Stephen Robins KC –South Square 'Stephen is a very skilled and persuasive advocate in court and has excellent drafting skills.'

Leading Juniors

Robert Amey – South Square 'Robert gives incredibly clear and quick advice. He is easy to work with and he is very persuasive in court.'

Ranked: Tier 4

Oliver Hyams – South Square ‘Very attentive and offers support through the whole instruction. He really knows his subject matter and is very diligent.‘

Ranked: Tier 4

William Willson –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘South Square is one of my favourite sets all round.‘

‘Dylan Playfoot is very good.‘

‘Great barristers and great service.‘

‘Very business minded and commercial.‘

‘Bright and dedicated across the board.‘

‘Wide skill sets, including civil fraud.‘

Work highlights

London Bar > Sport

Leading Silks

Mark Phillips KC – South Square

Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

Leading Silks

Tom Smith KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

London Bar > Private client: trusts and probate

Leading Juniors

Kira King - South Square ‘Kira grasps the important points quickly and explains them clearly. She is very responsive.’

Ranked: Tier 4

The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore Tier 1

South Square is well-known within the offshore marketplace as a leading set for financial services, insolvency, company and fraud-related work, with members receiving instructions across a vast range of jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, BVI, Bermuda and the Channel Islands. Multiple members are involved in ongoing litigation in the Cayman Islands in Port Fund (Cayman Islands) regarding a $100m claim arising from the management of a fund, raising complex questions regarding the duty of the general partner in Cayman Islands limited partner investment vehicles and the circumstances in which limited partners may bring derivative claims. Tom Smith KC and David Allison KC are representing the Kuwait Port Authority, across the table from Felicity Toube KC and Robert Amey who are acting for the Gulf Investment Corporation. In the BVI, David Alexander KC acted in an appeal to the Privy Council in respect of an unfair prejudice and just and equitable winding up application in Ma v Wong. Meanwhile, David Allison KC and Richard Fisher KC were involved in the application for the appointment of a conflict liquidator to pursue litigation in Sian Participation Corporation (In Liquidation) v Halimeda International Limited, a dispute estimated to be worth several billion US dollars arising from the seizure from a port in Russia.

Leading Silks

Barry Isaacs KC –South Square 'Barry has meticulous attention to detail and a ferocious work-rate. He is willing to take on the hospital passes and give them the intense care that they need, often succeeding against the odds.'

Ranked: Tier 1

David Allison KC – South Square 'David has a laser focus on the key legal issues and an ability to grasp the commercial realities to find a solution.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Tom Smith KC –South Square 'Tom is quite simply the gold-standard of restructuring and insolvency barristers. His advocacy is measured, logical, and surgical - and as a result, incredibly persuasive. This is always underpinned by excellent written work, both in terms of advice and written advocacy.'

Ranked: Tier 1

Felicity Toube KC - South Square

Ranked: Tier 2

David Alexander KC –South Square 'David is popular with the clients, very responsive and a team player. He brings value and is prepared and very easy to work with, especially in stressful trial situations.'

Ranked: Tier 2

Glen Davis KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

Richard Fisher KC – South Square ‘Richard is an excellent lawyer and very responsive. He is equally strong on paper, in conference and as an advocate. He reads the court and his opponents well, and his submissions are always succinct and clearly delivered.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square

Ranked: Tier 4

Aidan Casey KC – South Square ‘Aidan is amazing with clients and great to work with. He is a go-to silk – very commercially minded, great on the law and a brilliant advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Aidan Casey KC – South Square ‘Aidan is amazing with clients and great to work with. He is a go-to silk – very commercially minded, great on the law and a brilliant advocate.’

Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Adam Al-Attar –South Square

Ranked: Tier 1

Toby Brown –South Square 'Super attention to detail, responsive, and very good drafting.'

Ranked: Tier 1

William Willson –South Square

Ranked: Tier 1

Robert Amey –South Square

Ranked: Tier 2

Edoardo Lupi – South Square ‘Edoardo is incredibly bright but doesn’t lose sight of the client’s commercial objectives. He is hard-working, always willing to roll up his sleeves which has meant he has become a go-to junior. The quality of his written work is also exceptionally and of the quality of someone many years his senior.’

Ranked: Tier 3

Henry Phillips - South Square

Ranked: Tier 3

Clara Johnson – South Square 'Calm under pressure, ability to listen and work with the clients. Strong commercial legal mind and a team player with clients and insolvency practitioners.'

Ranked: Tier 3

Marcus Haywood –South Square

Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘South Square are the go-to set for insolvency matters. They have incredible depth in both silk and juniors.’

‘South Square has an array of sparkling KCs and juniors who are real experts in the fields of Insolvency and Company Law. The clerks are usually able to provide suitable alternatives when my first choice of counsel is not available.’

‘Always very responsive and commercial.’

‘Leading insolvency set.’

‘Great set with depth in the junior ranks as well as the array of KCs.’

‘The entire South Square team is second to none. They have great depth which means that we have no hesitation in instructing any of their team on even the most complex of matters. Their silks are industry leading and their juniors often seem far more senior than they are.’

‘The set is excellent with very few weak points. They are the ‘go to’ for contentious insolvency.’

Work highlights

The set: South Square is a leading set of commercial law barristers who have acted in many of the most important restructuring, insolvency, banking, commercial, company and fraud-related disputes of recent times. The set is highly regarded internationally, with barristers regularly appearing in courts around the world, including in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Types of work undertaken
Restructuring and insolvency: South Square is consistently recognised as the top set for restructuring and insolvency work – both domestic and cross-border. The credit crunch and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic have generated a substantial amount of restructuring and insolvency litigation. South Square barristers have been involved in all of the major cases including Virgin Atlantic, Swissport, Debenhams, Lehman Brothers, Saad, Singularis, and Nortel.

Banking and finance: South Square has a strong banking and finance practice, with a particular specialisation in large-scale financial disputes, derivatives, securitisations and structured finance products. Due to its insolvency and restructuring expertise, the set is uniquely positioned to deal with credit crunch litigation and advisory work. Examples of cases include Graiseley v Barclays Bank, BNY Corporate Trustee Services v Eurosail, Landsbanki v Heritable, Landsbanki v Rabobank and GSO Capital Partners v Barclays Bank.

Commercial litigation and dispute resolution: South Square barristers are involved in significant pieces of high-profile commercial litigation in the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division. The set is instructed by a wide range of firms, predominantly leading City firms, in commercial matters with a business dimension. Recent cases include Constantin Medien AG v Bernard Ecclestone, BNY Mellon Corporate Services v LGB Capital and Edgeworth Capital (Luxembourg), S.A.R.L. v Ramblas.

Company: South Square plays a major role in company law cases, regularly appearing in litigation arising out of shareholders’ disputes, derivative proceedings and claims relating to directors’ duties. High-profile cases include Smithton v Naggar, McKillen v Barclay and Jackson v Dear. In addition, barristers have acted in virtually all of the recent high-profile creditor schemes of arrangement under the Companies Act, including Hema, Flint Group, Swissport, NN2 Newco and Lecta. South Square barristers also appeared on the first “restructuring plan” promoted (by Virgin Atlantic) under Part 26A of the Companies Act.

Civil fraud: South Square handles some of the most complex commercial fraud and asset tracing litigation. Recent work in England and offshore includes acting in litigation arising from the Saad, Madoff and Stanford frauds as well as litigation involving the Tchenguiz brothers and Bernie Ecclestone/Formula One.

International and offshore: South Square barristers are at the forefront of insolvency, banking, company and fraud cases before the courts of all the major offshore jurisdictions. Examples of work include Abraaj, Ocean Rig, Saad, Singularis, Oscatello, Picard v Primeo, Primeo v HSBC, Dubai World, Thyssen, Marrache and Nolan v Minerva.

Financial services: South Square undertakes a broad range financial services work, including conduct of business rules, client money, payment services, insurance regulation, derivatives, security issues and financial collateral arrangements. Prominent examples of financial services insolvencies have included SVS, Beaufort, Lehman Brothers and MF Global.

Sport: South Square barristers have a long track-record of appearing in high-profile sports law cases. These cases involve acting for numerous sporting bodies (including UEFA, the FA, the Premier League, the English Football League and the England and Wales Cricket Board) and teams (including the McLaren motor racing team and Arsenal FC). In recent years South Square barristers have acted in a number of case concerning the application of financial fair play rules to football clubs, including UEFA v MCFC, EFL v Sheffield Wednesday FC and EFL v Derby County FC.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Chambers director	William Mackinlay M.V.O
Senior Clerk	Dylan Playfoot
Team Leader	Tom Gibbons
Team Leader	Luke Clark
Team Leader	Marco Malatesta
Members of Chambers	HACKER KC, Richard (1977)
Members of Chambers	PHILLIPS KC, Mark (1984)
Members of Chambers	PASCOE KC, Martin (1977)
Members of Chambers	ODITAH KC, Fidelis (1992)
Members of Chambers	ALEXANDER KC, David (1987)
Members of Chambers	DAVIS KC, Glen (1992)
Members of Chambers	ISAACS KC, Barry (1994)
Members of Chambers	TOUBE KC, Felicity (1995)
Members of Chambers	ARNOLD KC, Mark (1988)
Members of Chambers	GOLDRING KC, Jeremy (1996)
Members of Chambers	ALLISON KC, David (1998)
Members of Chambers	SMITH KC, Thomas (1999)
Members of Chambers	CASEY KC, AIDAN (1992)
Members of Chambers	BAYFIELD KC, Daniel (1998)
Members of Chambers	FISHER KC, Richard (2000)
Members of Chambers	ROBINS KC, Stephen (2001)
Members of Chambers	GOODISON, Adam (1990)
Members of Chambers	STONEFROST, Hilary (1991)
Members of Chambers	TAMLYN, Lloyd (1991)
Members of Chambers	HAYWOOD, Marcus (2002)
Members of Chambers	THORNLEY, Hannah (2003)
Members of Chambers	JOHNSON, Clara (2005)
Members of Chambers	WILLSON, William (2006)
Members of Chambers	PETERS, Georgina (2005)
Members of Chambers	AL-ATTAR, Adam (2007)
Members of Chambers	PHILLIPS, Henry (2008)
Members of Chambers	COOKE, Charlotte (2008)
Members of Chambers	ABRAHAM, Matthew (2012)
Members of Chambers	BROWN, Toby (2005)
Members of Chambers	AMEY, Robert (2012)
Members of Chambers	HYAMS, Oliver (2012)
Members of Chambers	SHAW, Andrew (2013)
Members of Chambers	PERKINS, Ryan (2014)
Members of Chambers	MOKAL, Riz (1997)
Members of Chambers	JONES, Madeleine (2015)
Members of Chambers	LUPI, Edoardo (2015)
Members of Chambers	COLCLOUGH, Jon (2015)
Members of Chambers	DARCY, Roseanna (2016)
Members of Chambers	WILKINS, Stefanie (2017)
Members of Chambers	PYPER, Lottie (2017)
Members of Chambers	JUDD, Daniel (2018)
Members of Chambers	MUSTAFA, Jamil (2018)
Members of Chambers	FRADLEY, Paul (2019)
Members of Chambers	BURGESS, Peter (2019)
Members of Chambers	WANG, Annabelle (2021)
Members of Chambers	KOK, Rabin (2021)
Academic Member	PROFESSOR WORTHINGTON KC (Hon), Sarah
Associate Member	CRYSTAL KC, Michael
Associate Member	DeKOVEN, Ronald
Associate Member	JAIRAM SC, Seenath
Associate Member	SHEAHAN KC, John
Associate Member	PROFFESOR Paulus, Christoph G.
Associate Member	NEWBOULD KC, Frank J.C
Associate Member	PROFESSOR ELLINGER, Peter
Associate Member	MORTIMER GBS KC, Barry
Associate Member	SHELDON KC, Richard
Associate Member	BAMFORD, Colin
Associate Member	HEATH KC, Paul
Associate Member	MORTIMORE KC, Simon
Associate Member	PERKINS, Joanna
Associate Member	BRISTOLL, Sandra
Associate Member	ISMAIL SC, Roxanne
Associate Member	SHANDRO, Sandy
Associate Member	BRIGGS, John

Name	Position	Profile
Matthew Abraham	Matthew’s practice includes insolvency and restructuring, commercial litigation/arbitration, banking and financial services…	View Profile
Adam Al-Attar KC	Adam specialises in insolvency and restructuring. He has had substantial experience of…	View Profile
David Alexander	He has a predominantly litigation-based practice with a particular emphasis on company,…	View Profile
David Allison	David specialises in business, commercial and financial law, with a particular emphasis…	View Profile
Robert Amey	Robert specialises in business and finance law, with a particular emphasis on…	View Profile
Mark Arnold	Mark specialises in domestic and cross-border restructuring and insolvency, banking and finance,…	View Profile
Daniel Bayfield	Daniel specialises in business and finance law, with a strong emphasis on…	View Profile
Toby Brown	Toby practices in commercial litigation and arbitration, insolvency and restructuring, banking and…	View Profile
Mr Aidan Casey		View Profile
Jon Colclough	Jon is a commercial chancery practitioner, who specialises in insolvency and company…	View Profile
Charlotte Cooke	Charlotte specialises in domestic and cross-border insolvency and restructuring, banking and financial…	View Profile
Mr Glen Davis	Glen is a senior silk with nearly thirty years’ experience of specialising in…	View Profile
Mr Glen Davis	Glen is a senior silk with nearly thirty years’ experience of specialising in…	View Profile
Richard Fisher	Richard has a commercial dispute focused practice with a particular specialism in…	View Profile
Jeremy Goldring	Jeremy undertakes a wide range of commercial litigation and advisory work. He…	View Profile
Adam Goodison	Adam Goodison’s specialisations include restructuring, insolvency, finance/business litigation, company law and trusts…	View Profile
Richard Hacker	Richard has a mixed litigation/advisory business law practice, with a specialisation in…	View Profile
Marcus Haywood	Marcus specialises in domestic and cross-border insolvency/restructuring, banking and financial services, commercial…	View Profile
Oliver Hyams	Oliver is an experienced commercial barrister who specialises in insolvency, civil fraud…	View Profile
Barry Isaacs	Barry specialises in insolvency and restructuring, banking and finance, commercial litigation and…	View Profile
Clara Johnson	Clara is frequently instructed to act for office holders, directors, creditors and…	View Profile
Madeleine Jones	Madeleine’s practice includes all forms of domestic and cross-border insolvency, commercial litigation,…	View Profile
Edoardo Lupi	Edoardo joined South Square as a tenant in 2016. He specialises in…	View Profile
Riz Mokal	Riz specialises in all aspects of domestic and cross-border insolvency, restructuring, bank…	View Profile
Fidelis Oditah	Fidelis practices at the English and Nigerian Bars in a broad range…	View Profile
Martin Pascoe	Martin’s recent practice includes acting as lead counsel for the administrators of MF…	View Profile
Ryan Perkins	Ryan has experience in all of South Square’s core practice areas, including…	View Profile
Georgina Peters	Georgina’s practice focuses on commercial litigation (with a strong emphasis on banking…	View Profile
Mark Phillips	Mark Phillips QC is Company and Insolvency Silk of the year at…	View Profile
Henry Phillips	Henry specialises in domestic and cross-border insolvency/restructuring, banking and financial services, commercial…	View Profile
Stephen Robins KC	Stephen specialises in the fields of insolvency and restructuring, banking and finance,…	View Profile
Andrew Shaw	Andrew’s main areas of practice are insolvency/restructuring, commercial litigation, banking disputes, company…	View Profile
Tom Smith	Tom specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration, banking and finance, corporate insolvency…	View Profile
Hilary Stonefrost	Hilary Stonefrost is a barrister at South Square. She spent a decade…	View Profile
Lloyd Tamlyn	Lloyd specialises in all aspects of domestic and cross-border insolvency and restructuring,…	View Profile
Hannah Thornley	Hannah is an experienced advocate and litigator. She appears regularly in the…	View Profile
Felicity Toube	Felicity Toube QC specialises in domestic and cross-border insolvency and restructuring,…	View Profile
William Willson	William specialises in insolvency and restructuring, banking and finance and commercial litigation.…	View Profile