Thomas Grant KC > Chambers of Brian Green KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

A ‘wonderful full-service set that engages in a modern and commercial way with instructing solicitors‘, Wilberforce Chambers‘ civil fraud work is closely aligned to the set’s enviable offshore practice. In Bourlakova v Bourlakov, Alan Gourgey KC acts for the principal defendant in a high-profile claim concerning ownership of approximately $3bn of assets. John Wardell KC represented a shopping centre magnate in his defence of a €55m claim brought against him by the Bank of Ireland, which claimed that he had lied about his assets and liabilities in a statement of affairs. Clare Stanley KC also routinely acts in major fraud cases; and in a boost to chambers, Thomas Grant KC, an expert in obtaining and defending freezing and related interim orders, joined from Maitland Chambers in October 2022.

Wilberforce Chambers has ‘strength-in-depth in all areas to the highest standard’ for insolvency and company law matters. The set has ‘a wide range of amazing juniors all the way up to the KCs, but particularly a phenomenal stable of mid-level juniors – you can’t go wrong’. Members are sought after for both domestic and cross-border company law work, including financial assistance, shareholder disputes and directors’ duties matters. Lexa Hilliard KC recently acted for the defendant in Titanium Capital Investments Limited, Philip Falzon Sant Manduca & Others v. Jonathan Hughes, Hughes Group Limited & Others, a high-value dispute between former partners of a business selling Covid tests. In Re Zaha Hadid, the vastly experienced Terence Mowschenson KC conducted an inquiry into corporate governance at the architectural practice of the late Dame Zaha Hadid. In 2022, the set recruited Thomas Grant KC from Maitland Chambers, who handled Wells v Hornshaw, Re Transwaste Aggregates for the claimants, which resulted in a fifteen-day High Court trial in respect of an unfair prejudice petition. Outstanding junior Sri Carmichael is frequently instructed on s.994 unfair prejudice petitions and breach of directors’ duty claims.

One of the largest commercial Chancery chambers in London, Wilberforce Chambers houses ‘a lot of good people for commercial disputes‘. Recent highlights include Alan Gourgey KC, in Arma Partners Limited v Wejo Limited, defending approximately £16m claims over a SPAC transaction, a relatively rare incident of litigation over special purposes acquisition companies. In Suppipat & others v Narongdej & 16 others, Tim Penny KC was leading counsel for the main defendant (as well as the 17th defendant) in a $2bn claim, which arose from an alleged fraud involving a Thai wind farm company. In a boost to the set’s silk ranks, Thomas Grant KC, who has particular experience in heavyweight, multi-party disputes, joined from Maitland Chambers in October 2022.