Banking and finance (including consumer credit)

Leading Silks
2024 Silks
2023 Silks

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Adrian Beltrami KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Adrian is one of the true heavyweights of the commercial and especially banking Bar. He has gravitas in spades and a huge wealth of experience. He is unflappable; a generally softly spoken and calm advocate, meticulously and politely demolishing the side other side’s arguments.’

Richard Coleman KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘He knows the areas better than almost anyone else. His written and oral advocacy is excellent and he never puts a foot wrong.’

Helen Davies KC

Brick Court Chambers

Helen speaks with incredible authority and cuts right through complex matters. She is excellent.’

Patrick Goodall KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Outstanding legal analysis. Presents difficult arguments in a way the judge will find attractive. A formidable opponent.’

Richard Handyside KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Richard is one of the absolute leading lights of the banking and finance Bar. He is a stellar advocate, delivers beautifully written work, and is an absolute delight to deal with. He is also a tenacious fighter – meaning clients adore him because they really see how he fights their corner hard. Richard achieves excellent results and is constantly in high demand as a result.’

Timothy Howe KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Tim brings an uncompromising, no-stone-left-unturned approach to the cases he leads, with a willingness to get into the fine detail which you don’t often see at his level of seniority. He does not shrink from difficult points and is a formidable cross-examiner.’

Richard Lissack KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Richard has a proven ability to turn the tide in complex cases.’

Brick Court Chambers

Tim is a compelling advocate, with an inventive approach to problem solving which obtains good results for his clients.’

3 Verulam Buildings

‘A trusted advisor to clients who is commercial and direct in his advice. He is very hands-on even where supported by juniors and remains at all times aware of all moving parts. His advocacy skills are impressive as he deploys his direct, to the point approach to his oral submissions too.’

Philip Marshall KC

‘Philip is a superb advocate who commands the attention of the court.’

Ewan McQuater KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Ewan is a leading banking silk. He is clever and articulate with a wealth of experience at the top of the commercial Bar. Always well-prepared, committed and focused with good strategic and tactical judgement.’

Andrew Mitchell KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Andrew is one of the best banking/commercial litigators. He always has the ear of the court, he inspires confidence, and gives 150 per cent to his cases.’

Andrew Onslow KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Andrew is a superb KC and team leader, able to work on the largest matters of greatest significance to clients. He is a highly effective advocate, and able to persuade judges that his is the most trustworthy voice in the room. He is also excellent at predicting and reading judges.’

3 Verulam Buildings

‘David is an excellent advocate, being incredibly precise and persuasive.’

Laurence Rabinowitz KC

One Essex Court

‘When Laurence speaks everyone listens – very calm, persuasive, holds the room/court. Very strategic and handles very senior clients well.’

David Railton KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Philip Riches KC

Intellectual and client friendly.’

Patricia Robertson KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Lightning grasp of detail in a complex factual landscape.’

Essex Court Chambers

Joe’s oral advocacy is very strong. He has a relaxed manner but is precise and persuasive in his presentation.’

Bankim Thanki KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Bankim is justifiably a super-silk. He can come in to any case at any stage and he brings gravitas and a lifetime’s experience. He has the court’s ear, not because he is in the least flamboyant or bombastic, but simply because what he says is right.’

Sonia Tolaney KC

One Essex Court

‘Sonia is a leading silk in this space. She is very commanding when in court – she has the ear of the judges. Excellent drafting – very good with clients including at C suite level. Fabulous advocate.’

Daniel Toledano KC

One Essex Court

‘Polite, persistent and principled in cross-examination. Very strong on gathering multiple multi-faceted issues into digestible form for tribunals. Works well with junior team and instruction counsel. A very pleasant man of great ability and integrity and someone first on every team sheet.’

Lord Wolfson KC

One Essex Court

‘David is stupendously clever but he wears it lightly. His advice is always succinct and practical. His lightness of touch makes him hugely popular with clients and solicitors alike. He is the antithesis of the lofty silk and engenders a great team spirit. His advocacy is always to the point and properly understands what the judges are concerned about and need to have answered if the client is to win. Without any trace of facetiousness he can show enough humour to keep the court engaged and rooting for the client.’

David Allison KC

David always provides absolutely top notch, clear and detailed advice, always well considered, thorough and commercial. He is the top barrister in his areas.’

Stephen Auld KC

One Essex Court

‘Superb understanding of the banking sector and the law and regulation around it. Great advocate.’

Camilla Bingham KC

One Essex Court

‘I can’t praise Camilla highly enough. She is an all round superb barrister, adviser and advocate, whom clients love. Her cross-examination is masterful and her advocacy combines erudition and delicious turns of phrase with a perfectly gauged sense of fun.’

Brick Court Chambers

Simon is the best barrister of his call bar none. Formidably clever as well as formidable on his feet.’

Jeffrey Chapman KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Alain Choo Choy KC

One Essex Court

Alain is a truly outstanding KC. He is a brilliant lawyer but that is only the first of his talents. He is also an outstanding strategist and an exceptional team player. These qualities together put him head and shoulders above other KCs.’

Jonathan Davies-Jones KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘His performance is nothing short of exceptional. I would have absolutely no hesitation in instructing him again.’

Rhodri Davies KC

One Essex Court

Anthony de Garr Robinson KC

One Essex Court

‘Andrew is very user friendly, has a commanding presence in court and is excellent on his feet. He is also pragmatic and someone who clients instinctively warm to.’

Peter De Verneuil Smith KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Hugely experienced in consumer finance group litigation. A fantastic strategist. User friendly and great in conference. A shining star in his field.’

Quadrant Chambers

A tenacious advocate.’

Jamie Goldsmith KC

One Essex Court

‘Super bright; very responsive and user friendly; excellent with clients; an all round star – the full package.’

Andrew Green KC

Blackstone Chambers

‘You want him on your side in a fight, but also a sophisticated operator in this field who gives subtle advice and skilful representation to large banking and financial services clients. He knows the industry inside out and his advice is always realistic and considered, which makes banks so keen to use him for his wisdom and strategic antennae. A first class banking lawyer.’

Matthew Hardwick KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Absolutely at the top of his game and produces excellent results. His advocacy is always assured and his drafting is top notch.’

3 Verulam Buildings

Richard Hill KC

4 Stone Buildings

lear, direct and incisive and gets to the heart of the issues quickly.’

Stephen Houseman KC

Essex Court Chambers

Stephen is very smart, even by the standards of the commercial Bar. He is also cool under pressure, and generates confidence in his instructing solicitors and the client. His advocacy is focused and persuasive. Finally, he is a pleasure to work with and a real team-player.’

Brick Court Chambers

A towering presence as a cross-examiner and advocate and has exceptional litigation tactical awareness.’

Barry Isaacs KC

‘Extremely bright and thorough. Easy to get along with.’

Charles Kimmins KC

‘Charles is absolutely brilliant. His ability to see the way through complex financial disputes and achieve superb outcomes is masterful.’

3 Verulam Buildings

Adam is the best example of a modern silk: approachable and down-to-earth, user-friendly, great fun to work with, no airs and graces, terrifyingly bright, relaxed and confident on his feet, and oozing natural charisma and charm.’

Paul Lowenstein KC

Paul is an outstanding advocate. His analysis is excellent. His particular strengths lie in identifying crucial issues in the case which the judge is likely to base their decision on, and relentlessly pursuing those points in the interests of his client.’

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Excellent and insightful as well as very practical in his advice given. He is hands on and able to explain the legal position clearly to the lay client. One of the UK’s best in his field!’

Roger Masefield KC

Brick Court Chambers

Roger is very bright but easy to work with. He is a good trial advocate.’

Duncan Matthews KC

Highly experienced, well prepared, thorough and resonant advocate who is a strong team leader.’

Tom Montagu-Smith KC

3 Verulam Buildings

He is a very good advocate with sound judgment and is also a good lawyer.’

Jonathan Nash KC

3 Verulam Buildings

One Essex Court

‘Excellent. Calm and collected under pressure and secured the client’s confidence and trust early on. Provided pragmatic and commercial advice. Advocacy before the court in terms of breaking down complex points was very good. Would use again in a heartbeat!’

Rosalind Phelps KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Ros is superb. She is brilliant to work with.’

3 Verulam Buildings

Jamie has the ability to use a turn of phrase to turn complexity into clarity within a single line. He is compelling and authoritative in advocacy, and excellent in written work and analytical advice, particularly pleadings and written arguments. He is a go-to silk for best results.’

Richard Salter KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Richard speaks the same language as the senior judges so they listen to what he has to say. He is hugely persuasive in his arguments and very understated. He is a true class act.’

Simon Salzedo KC

Brick Court Chambers

Simon is a multi-talented barrister. Fiercely analytical in his approach and a compelling and persuasive advocate.’

Brick Court Chambers

Tony is very personable, responsive and collaborative.’

One Essex Court

‘Ben is always fully on top of the detail. He gives clear, commercial advice.’

Adam Zellick KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Adam is a pleasure to work with. He is calm under pressure, analytical and authoritative and has a deep knowledge of contract and banking disputes.’

Jonathan Adkin KC

Jonathan is an exceptional barrister. He is superb on his feet and is a great member of the team. Definitely someone you want on your side.'

Andrew Ayres KC

Andrew is a team player, has a very good advocate style and is good on strategy.’

Daniel Bayfield KC

‘Daniel is excellent and is the obvious go-to KC for investment bank insolvencies and schemes of arrangement with anything unusual or difficult about them. He is an excellent advocate and can deal with whatever is thrown at him.’

Tony Beswetherick KC

Nicholas Craig KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Nick’s particular strength is an advocacy style that is both forceful and persuasive but measured and rational. It is a winning combination which allows him to cross-examine skillfully and make carefully constructed legal submissions.’

Jonathan Crow KC

4 Stone Buildings

Edward Cumming KC

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Ed is absolutely superb and is destined for the very pinnacle of the London Bar. Superb advocate and brilliant to work with. The only problem is that many others have also now discovered this.’

James Cutress KC

Fountain Court Chambers

James is an experienced counsel and advocate. His written advocacy is excellent, and he delivers oral submissions on complex matters in a concise, persuasive and effective manner.’

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David Davies KC

Essex Court Chambers

Jasbir Dhillon KC

Brick Court Chambers

Real grip of detail. Impressive courtroom performer. Skillful cross-examiner. Very hands-on as a leader and on top of the detail of ISDA instruments.’

‘He is exceptionally charming both in court and out.’

Richard Fisher KC

Very intelligent and strong grasp of the key issues and evidential points. Excellent client care and communication skills. Confident on his feet making submissions to appeal judges.'

Andrew Fulton KC

Andrew Fulton is intellectually very able, extremely knowledgeable on trade, banking and arbitration. He is great on tactics, always fights the clients’ case with vigour; able to cut to the heart of the dispute quickly; understands the pressures of private practice and the need to adopt a commercial approach rather than giving ivory tower solutions.’

Jonathan Gaisman KC

7 King’s Bench Walk

‘A superb advocate – the best of the best. The case was exceptionally difficult but his presentation skills were exceptional.’

Andrew George KC

Blackstone Chambers

‘A wonderful barrister who has everything you want – assured client handling, silky persuasive advocacy, and he's a total joy to work with!’

Orlando Gledhill KC

One Essex Court

‘Orlando is diligent and considered in his approach, and very user-friendly. He was able to get up to speed with some difficult issues in very short order and slot into the team seamlessly.’

Jeremy Goldring KC

‘Jeremy is hugely experienced in banking and finance cases. His legal analysis, written advocacy and strategy are excellent and his measured presentation is persuasive.’

Lord Grabiner KC

One Essex Court

Christopher Harris KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Javan Herberg KC

Blackstone Chambers

‘Top of the game for banking disputes with a financial regulation angle. Very intelligent and able to see through very complicated and difficult issues. Very good advocate.’

Jonathan Hough KC

4 New Square Chambers

Very responsive, delivers very clear commercial and strategic advice. Helped the clients get to the issues to consider quickly and clearly.’

Louise Hutton KC

Essex Court Chambers

Sebastian Isaac KC

One Essex Court

‘Seb is a fantastic strategist. He is always thinking ten steps ahead. He is also very comforting in a time of crisis and is always able to find a sensible way through a sticky situation.’

Neil Kitchener KC

One Essex Court

Neil is tenacious and robust. He knows which points to focus on and has good fighting spirit to advance them for success.’

James MacDonald KC

One Essex Court

James is a class act. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and great judgement.'

James McClelland KC

Brick Court Chambers

A brilliant mind: one of the deepest thinkers at the Bar.’

Alexander Milner KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Alex is extraordinarily well prepared.’

Martin Moore KC

Erskine Chambers

Stephen Moverley Smith KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Stephen is an excellent commercial barrister. His advocacy is top-notch in complicated cases. He is also great at reading the court and figuring out which strategy will work.’

Zoe O’Sullivan KC

Zoe’s strengths are a combination of her incredible sharp mind and the speed at which she can deliver comprehensive, thought-through advice to issues as they arise. As an advocate, she has the gift of keeping the relevant adjudicator fully invested in her presentation.’

Tamara Oppenheimer KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Smooth advocate and has ear of court. Strong expertise on privilege issues. All round impressive court room performer.'

4 New Square Chambers

Shail oozes class. He consistently demonstrates excellence in everything he does. His written work is textbook in its power and persuasion, and his advocacy style is a joy to watch – he regularly defeats opponents of higher seniority, and knows how to win over the most skeptical of judges. Working with Shail is always a real treat.’

Rajesh Pillai KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Raj is an outstanding advocate, combining fierce intellect with tactical brilliance.'

Nathan Pillow KC

Essex Court Chambers

Nathan is exceptional – a go-to silk for me. Fabulous in writing, and a particularly effective advocacy style which puts judges at ease. Always calm and collected even under the most immense pressure. And tops it all off by being a real pleasure to work with, and very good with clients.’

Thomas Plewman KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Very user friendly and team player. Frank speaking but creative in relation to solutions. Excellent in court, not afraid to challenge the judge’s thinking and win them round.’

Essex Court Chambers

Iain is very user-friendly and collaborative. Iain’s advocacy style is very calm and conversational. He is not a grandstander.’

‘Rupert is highly intelligent, hard working and a pleasure to work with. Despite his seniority and experience he still gets involved with the detail of a case, getting his hands dirty in the documents and the facts. He also has a very fine legal mind.’ .

Charles Samek KC

Littleton Chambers

He is a go-to barrister in instances of tricky clients and tricky cases. He has a wonderful attitude to complex issues and thinks creatively when needed. He has a very good rapport with all parties including the clients. He is very approachable and a pleasure to work with.’

Daniel Saoul KC

4 New Square Chambers

Dan is thorough and thoughtful and has an excellent understanding of what the court would wish to know. He has measured and calm advocacy style, which makes the court feel that it is in safe hands.’

Fountain Court Chambers

Akhil is a go-to silk for trade finance-related work. His speed of analysis and responsiveness really sets him apart.'

Sharif Shivji KC

4 Stone Buildings

Sharif is one of the smartest, hardest working barristers. He has a very natural advocacy style and is able to cross-examine any technical witness with ease.’

Paul Sinclair KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Paul is highly intelligent, impressively concise in his written arguments and a good advocate.’

Fountain Court Chambers

Felicity Toube KC

Ben Valentin KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Ben is a convincing speaker with an impressive command of the facts of the case and a good way of simplifying complex matters.'

James Willan KC

Essex Court Chambers

James has a razor sharp mind. He is one of the brightest minds at the Bar of his or any generation. His advocacy and cross-examination is both brutal and deft. He has a great future ahead of him having made silk at an unusually early stage in his career.’

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Ian is very bright, tactically astute and a pleasure to work with. He is excellent with clients and very user friendly particularly for a silk. He has a calm and measured advocacy style, his submissions are always very well prepared and has an excellent understanding of the court. Strongly recommended.’

David Blayney KC

David is an exceptional intellect and a pleasure to work with.’

Hannah Brown KC

One Essex Court

Hannah is a fantastic advocate - calm, unflappable and can always see the bigger picture when arguing the detail.'

James Collins KC

Essex Court Chambers

James is a compelling advocate, winning the ear of the tribunal by maintaining absolute credibility and through his understated charm. James does not descend into the theatrics often seen with other advocates, he is the real deal.'

James Counsell KC

Outer Temple Chambers

‘James has the ability to win the confidence of judges in court through his abilities and charm and applies the same skills to work with clients in conference.’

Fountain Court Chambers

Derrick Dale KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Derrick always comes up with solutions and avenues for even the most difficult of cases. A robust advocate who remains calm and controlled in all situations.’

Andrew de Mestre KC

4 Stone Buildings

‘Andrew is very user friendly, has a commanding presence in court and is excellent on his feet. He is also pragmatic and someone who clients instinctively warm to.’

Catherine Gibaud KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Catherine is very hard working and analytical. She is a specialist in complex financial disputes. Her advocacy is a model of clarity.'

Thomas Grant KC

Wilberforce Chambers

Extremely clever yet very user-friendly; excellent with clients; offers brilliant yet pragmatic solutions.'

3 Verulam Buildings

Saima is an excellent combination of thoughtful and reflective but ultimately incredibly robust and compelling in the advice she gives. She is able to balance technical legal and policy points deftly into excellent analysis. Very user-friendly.’

Lexa Hilliard KC

Wilberforce Chambers

‘Lexa is utterly, utterly committed, really lives and dies with her client’s case. She has a fierce sense of right and wrong and justice.’

Fountain Court Chambers

Laura is a formidable opponent, identifying her points with clarity and arguing them with tenacity.’

Paul McGrath KC

Essex Court Chambers

Stephen Midwinter KC

Brick Court Chambers

Stephen's advocacy is superb: concise, direct and always focused laser-like on the issue that matters.’

David Mumford KC

Maitland Chambers

Matthew Parker KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Eye for detail. Good commercial awareness. Easy attitude with clients.’

Wilberforce Chambers

Tim is an outstanding advocate, particularly adept at dealing with enormous volumes of documentary material which can be a hallmark of complex fraud trials. He has an understated but highly persuasive style of advocacy which is extremely effective when serious accusations are being made. He is incredibly hardworking and has complete mastery of all the details.’

Mark Phillips KC

Fionn Pilbrow KC

Brick Court Chambers

Fionn is the most user-friendly silk to work alongside. He has an uncanny ability to cut through extremely complex issues and present sensible proposals for a way forward, even in extremely stressful, high-pressure scenarios.’

Benjamin Pilling KC

Very calm, clear and incisive. He is an extremely intelligent silk, and a pleasure to work with.’

Alexander Polley KC

One Essex Court

‘Alex is very user-friendly. He is incredibly responsive, commercial and bright. He’s a very strong and considered advocate both orally and in writing, and a skillful cross-examiner.’

Alex assimilates information very well and provides concise and practical advice.’

Toby Riley-Smith KC

Henderson Chambers

Stephen Robins KC

‘Stephen is a fantastic lawyer – he is extremely knowledgeable, user-friendly, and also creative. He can think across different areas in order to arrive at solutions for clients.’

Guildhall Chambers

Andrew Sutcliffe KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Andrew has a gravitas that means he can be put in front of a board of directors and immediately command their respect. His work as a deputy high court judge gives him a perspective that others lack. His advocacy is of the highest order and the fact that he is also a warm and kind person makes him very easy to work with.’

Francis Tregear KC

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Very professional.’

Henry Warwick KC

Henderson Chambers

Henry is incisive, a stickler for detail and determined to represent the case in the best possible light. He leaves no stone unturned and is military in his precision and preparation. Henry is laser-focused when cross-examining.’

Brick Court Chambers

‘Sarah is a pleasure to work with. She is evidently extremely clever, and is clear and convincing in her advice. Sarah is able to absorb large volumes of information at short notice, and cuts to the chase on the key points.’

David Alexander KC

4 Stone Buildings

Laurence Emmett KC

One Essex Court

Brick Court Chambers

Alec drafts beautifully. As an advocate, he is always well prepared and not afraid to run difficult points or tell the judge that he is wrong (which sometimes has to be said)!’

Andrew Hunter KC

Blackstone Chambers

Andrew is one of the most outstanding KCs for civil fraud. He is an eloquent and convincing advocate whom judges trust implicitly. He is wonderful with clients and instantly inspires confidence.’

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Henry is the real deal. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and the factual record. He is also a powerful oral advocate who isn’t afraid to argue difficult points. A real star of the Bar.’

Jonathan Kirk KC

Gough Square Chambers

‘Advocacy stands out as a key strength amongst his peers. He his focused on simplifying his submissions to ensure the key points do not get lost in a very complicated area of law. He manages to get get the all key points across without losing the detail and has a knack of doing so with an extremely likeable demeanour.’

Richard Millett KC

Essex Court Chambers

Richard is a master advocate.’

Conall Patton KC

One Essex Court

Conall is an incredibly impressive silk. He gives the impression that he has many more years under his belt than is the case. He handles clients well, showing that he has understood their priorities. He leaves no stone unturned to ensure all angles are considered.’

Richard Slade KC

Brick Court Chambers

Great both for advice as well as advocacy. Richard is a team player and adapts to client needs. Hugely experienced with international matters, including jurisdiction challenges. Excellent in court and well received by judges.’

Giles Wheeler KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Giles is a top class banking litigation silk. He is a formidable advocate, with an ability to win the ear of the court quickly. He is fantastic with clients.’

Essex Court Chambers

Careful, calm and considered. Her advocacy style allows the court to follow points quickly. She is also adept at responding to tricky questions.’

2024 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Oliver Assersohn KC

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Oliver was incredibly focused on achieving the right result for the client – tracking through all the detail, participating in in-depth discussions with the client, and ensuring that every care was taken to guide the client through a complex process.’

Adam Al Attar KC

‘Adam is the the most intelligent barrister and a number 1 point of call for any financial services insolvencies. Adam is always well respected by the courts and is masterful in his ability to guide judges through very complex areas of law.’

Richard Blakeley KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Richard is tough and resilient. He is also calm and confident under pressure. His cross-examination at trial was good.’

Fountain Court Chambers

‘James is a pleasure to work with. He is very hard working, extremely able, and very commercially minded.’

Brick Court Chambers

Analytical and clear in approach and advocacy.’

James Sheehan KC

Essex Court Chambers

James was in my view the best senior junior in London until he recently took silk. I have no reason to doubt that he will thrive as a KC. He is incredibly bright and has a depth of knowledge that is, at times, hard to believe.’

2023 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Simon Atrill KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Richard Eschwege KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Richard is one of the brightest barristers of his generation. He is very driven and hard working and is committed to achieving success for his clients. He is also good fun to work with.’

Henry Forbes Smith KC

One Essex Court

‘Great choice, unique international and comparative law experience, very hardworking.’

Craig Morrison KC

Brick Court Chambers

Craig combines forensic attention to detail with a very relaxed and user-friendly manner. He will soon be one of the go-to barristers for banking and fraud work and is years ahead of his time.’

Luke is fantastic. He is laser focused and his oral advocacy is clear, precise and hugely persuasive. He ran rings around far more senior KCs. A real star.’