Leading Silks

Adrian Beltrami KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘At the top of his game - his intellect and established credibility is such that the judiciary clearly take note in hearings when he makes submissions. He is the go-to silk for many clients.’

Jonathan Crow KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Jonathan is a star of the Bar. He is a formidable charismatic advocate and a ruthless – but charming – cross examiner.’

Helen Davies KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Probably the best barrister around for a difficult case. Incisive analysis, clear advice and respected by tribunals at every level.'

Jonathan Gaisman KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Jonathan is one of the leading commercial advocates of his generation. He prepares meticulously and is able to make the court listen in the most difficult cases when the submissions may not be immediately attractive.'

Alan Gourgey KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Alan is a top commercial silk, great on the law, shows fantastic judgment and is a terrific advocate.’

Mark Howard KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Mark has this amazing ability to cut through the fiendishly complex, making the fundamentals of a case seem almost childishly simple. And of course he has a matchless courtroom aura.'

Tim Lord KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Tim’s reputation as one of the leading silks at the commercial bar is fully justified. He is a masterful litigation strategist and second-to-none in terms of his ability to sniff out and exploit the weaknesses in the other side’s case. He is a first-rate advocate and his tenacious and effective cross-examination is particularly notable. He is also an effective leader of large counsel teams on the most complex matters.’

Ali Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘A heavyweight. Ali talks and judges listen.’

Philip Marshall KC –Serle Court ‘The best of the best – a tremendously skilled advocate with an outstanding legal brain and rightly regarded as one of the most able silks at the Chancery and commercial Bar. Always try and be on his side.’

Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘Extremely bright and his advocacy is very persuasive.'

Ewan McQuater KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Superb and compelling advocacy.’

Laurence Rabinowitz KC –One Essex Court ‘The stand out silk at the Bar. Very clever, and hard working, and a very accomplished advocate.’

David Railton KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘An outstanding senior silk and team leader for the largest cases. Makes submissions with real substance and credibility.’

Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Calming gravitas, wonderful intellect, deadly advocate.’

Bankim Thanki KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘A first-rate intellect; breath-takingly hard-working and always superbly well-prepared; an excellent cross-examiner in an unshowy but highly effective way; and all courts (from the High Court to the Supreme Court) have the greatest of respect for him. Really exceptional.’

Sonia Tolaney KC –One Essex Court ‘Superb oral advocate. Clear, forceful, excellent construction of arguments, whilst at the same time maintaining a quite light and relaxed style. Clearly leading in the area - well on top of the law.'

Daniel Toledano KC –One Essex Court ‘Deep thinker on all legal issues with an acute ability to find the right answer.Extremely effective advocate; reads the court well and chooses his points superbly. Top drawer in every way.'

David Allen KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Fantastic advocate, he is always completely on top of the brief and is prepared to be robust when needed but able to back it up with an impressive grasp of all of the factual, legal and commercial issues. He is also great to work with in a team with counsel, solicitors and clients - he pitches in, is responsive and builds strong relationships quickly.'

Robert Anderson KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Extremely effective advocate – can take down even the most robust witness without them even realising it. Able to master huge amounts of information quickly – you want him in your corner when you’re working round the clock on an urgent matter.’

Stephen Auld KC –One Essex Court ‘Very client-friendly. Stephen delivers complicated, legal advice in a succinct, easy to understand way while offering commercial advice which many KCs shy away from.’

John Brisby KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Clever. Gets on well with clients. Works well as part of a team. Really goes into battle as an advocate.’

Charles Béar KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Charles is a formidable advocate. He is razor sharp. He combines an outstanding intellect with a willingness to adopt an aggressive litigation strategy. His oral advocacy is exceptional and he has a wonderful ability to think on his feet. There is no better cross-examiner in London and he really is the man you want on your side for a big court room battle.’

Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Philip is a formidable lawyer and arguably the best advocate of his generation. He always over prepares, is client friendly and is always available to listen and discuss.'

Justin Fenwick KC –4 New Square ‘Pre-eminent in the field and the best cross-examiner at the commercial and common law Bar.’

Vernon Flynn KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Vernon is an excellent advocate and knows his audience extremely well. He is able to convey complex legal arguments in a clear and concise manner. He is also very responsive and industrious, quickly digesting large amounts of information and focusing on the pertinent factual and legal issues to provide timely advice.'

Andrew Green KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘A beast in court and a consummate trial advocate. An opponent to be feared, with a punchy and aggressive court style. Uncompromising and relentless. Particularly at home with cross-examination and an ability to put unruly judges back in their boxes. A nose for the weak points in an opponent's case.’

Richard Handyside KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Calm polished and unflappable – a client’s dream silk.’

Andrew Hunter KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘One of the very best in a field full of stars. Brilliant lawyer and a superb, calm advocate who is instantly trusted by Judges. Always very busy but a pleasure to work with.’

Elizabeth Jones KC –Serle Court ‘Outstanding - at the very top of the tree - you do not want to be against her.'

Nigel Jones KC –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Excellent technical skills, great advocate very pragmatic and easy to deal with. Clients love him, opponents respect him.'

Philip Jones KC –Serle Court ‘Clear-sighted analysis; very strong intellectually; great bedside manner with clients; a genuine heavyweight with real authority.'

Daniel Jowell KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘He is an excellent all-round lawyer with strong analytical skills. Also a highly competent advocate, very fluent and quick on his feet.'

Gavin Kealey KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘An éminence grise with a commanding courtroom presence and a masterful rhetorical flourish - his advocacy is an event. A professorial legal mind and a work ethic undimmed by his seniority. Charming with clients, solicitors, and judges alike.'

Neil Kitchener KC –One Essex Court ‘Neil is brilliant - simply someone you want on your side not against you. He has a fertile mind, always looking for an angle. Neil leads his team well and has a great sense of humour, which matters in the trenches.’

Kenneth MacLean KC –One Essex Court ‘Ken is excellent with banking clients, and is an exceptional advocate. His advocacy style is energetic and persuasive.'

John McCaughran KC –One Essex Court ‘His advocacy is both measured and understated which he deploys skilfully to stunning effect. Exceptional with clients.'

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘He’s phenomenally clever, and a really nice man, who is a real team player, to boot.’

Ian Mill KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Intellect, thorough preparation, very good with clients (exuding confidence), very tough and excellent in court. Able to gauge the judge's mood and then go for the jugular.’

Jeffery Onions KC –One Essex Court ‘Jeff rightly enjoys an exalted status at the commercial bar as one of the very best for both his legal knowledge and his advocacy. He is wonderful to work with, with years of experience deployed through a thoroughly modern attitude to his instructing solicitors and clients.'

Andrew Onslow KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Very good on his feet. Has a distinct air of gravitas when in court. Highly creative in his approach and a fearsome as a cross examiner.’

Craig Orr KC –One Essex Court ‘He is excellent both on the drafting but also on his feet. He is personable and great with clients too, and immerses himself in the detail.’

David Quest KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘David is a brilliant man; he seems laid back, but don't be deceived - he is mentally dissecting the opposition case ready to eviscerate them. A terrific cross-examiner of fact and expert witnesses alike.'

Simon Rainey KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Simon's approach to advocacy is well-tempered and he oozes gravitas. He is very efficient with his time and gives robust, considered, advice.’

Stuart Ritchie KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Superb all round commercial litigator with excellent technical legal knowledge and courtroom presentation style. Also a great leader of a multi-barrister and solicitor team. Fantastically hard worker and motivator of other team members.'

Simon Salzedo KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘An outstanding advocate with an outstanding brain: when he speaks the Supreme Court listens carefully.'

Nigel Tozzi KC –4 Pump Court ‘Nigel is always thoroughly prepared, an excellent cross examiner and one of the best advocates in the country.'

John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘He cares about his clients, very easy to work with, very responsive, fantastic in court, a real star.'

Lord Wolfson KC - One Essex Court

Tom Adam KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘He is one of the most impressive advocates at the top of his game.’

Jonathan Adkin KC –Serle Court ‘He wins cases. Direct and sees the bigger picture, he is a fantastic advocate who reads the court perfectly. Clients are always impressed.’

George Bompas KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘A creative lawyer who is excellent on the law.'

Richard Boulton KC –One Essex Court ‘Exceptionally talented, clever and a pleasure to worth with.’

David Cavender KC –One Essex Court ‘David has great instincts and feel for how the court will receive a case. Has the gravitas to bring the bench with him.’

Jeffrey Chapman KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Jeff is extremely bright, offers robust, pragmatic advice and has fantastic instinct and insight on fraud matters. In court he is tenacious and outside he is very witty and client friendly.'

David Chivers KC –Erskine Chambers ‘David is an outstanding company law barrister. He provides his clients with detailed knowledge of the law and practical analysis and problem-solving.'

Alain Choo Choy KC –One Essex Court ‘Outstanding - very responsive, quick to grasp the issues and solution-focused. The clients feel that Alain fights for them.'

Stephen Cogley KC –4 Pump Court ‘Vigorous advocate who fights exceptionally hard for the client. Assimilates huge volumes of information and processes it effectively to deliver the necessary results. Client friendly approach.'

Anneliese Day KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘A brilliant advocate, with a well-deserved stellar reputation.'

Charles Dougherty KC –2 Temple Gardens ‘One of the finest KCs at the Bar today. An understated intellectual heavyweight. Very experienced and persuasive advocate.’

Paul Downes KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Paul is a powerhouse. He is exceptionally bright and always looking for commercial solutions / strategies to place clients in the best possible position both commercially and in front of Judges.’

Andrew George KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Extremely clever, fantastic with clients and very compelling on his feet. He's a big hitter and always great fun to work with.'

Patrick Goodall KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘He is a calm and efficient commercial silk with a nice turn of phrase and a good sense of humour. Definitely one to go for.'

Lord Grabiner KC – One Essex Court

Charles Graham KC –One Essex Court ‘Logical and clear thinker. Excellent with tricky clients. He carries an air of authority.’

Thomas Grant KC –Maitland Chambers ‘Tom is a powerhouse both in his thinking and as an advocate. He is preposterously intelligent but uses this as a means of problem solving which is hard to match even amongst silks. He is overwhelmingly persuasive as an advocate, and commands authority in the court.'

Jeffrey Gruder KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Outstanding intellect, extraordinary advocacy married with sharp commercial acumen.'

Richard Hill KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Excellent team leader who is not afraid to get stuck into the details and make his mark on difficult cases; excellent judgement; great courtroom manner which combines forensic precision with a robust approach. Consummate modern advocate.’

Andrew Hochhauser KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘A scary adversary and fantastic on the law.'

Stephen Houseman KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very user-friendly, extremely intelligent and calm under pressure.'

Timothy Howe KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Tim is a true heavyweight; yet he is without airs and graces; hungry for work, incredibly responsive and conscientious. Judges sit up and listen to him.’

David Joseph KC –Essex Court Chambers

Robert Levy KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘An excellent advocate. Very persuasive with the court and one of the best cross-examiners. Robert makes the complex simple and an ability to present a case which is highly persuasive through a combination of intellect and character.’

Thomas Lowe KC –Wilberforce Chambers

Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex ‘Very responsive, commercial and user friendly. A robust well prepared advocate who leaves nothing to chance. Really gives it to the other side.'

Alan Maclean KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Alan is incredibly bright and easy to engage with. He is clear with his responses, user friendly, and doesn't sit on the fence.’

Hodge Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Excellent advocate - controlled, calm and informative presentations which judges appreciate. Always demonstrates knowledge of the facts and the law.’

Roger Masefield KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Described as a rockstar by a client. He is not precious about rolling his sleeves up and working as hard as his juniors. He is very client friendly and has a enthusiastic and smooth manner in court.’

Harry Matovu KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘A great team-player, always willing to discuss and accommodate ideas, fantastic oral and written advocacy.'

Andrew Mitchell KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Andrew is extremely personable and has real gravitas both in court and in advice to clients. He is a brilliant choice to put in front of major institutional or ultra high net worth clients as he combines clear and simple presentation of legal concepts with a highly refined sense of commerciality.’

Richard Morgan KC –Maitland Chambers ‘He is an exceptional advocate who uses his natural wit to handle (and dismantle) challenging witnesses. He is always (at least) one step ahead.'

Stephen Moriarty KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Stephen has the best mind at the commercial bar. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of commercial law, coupled with excellent judgement. His analytical ability allows him to present even the most factually complex matters in a clear and compelling manner.’

Jonathan Nash KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Jonathan gets to the heart of the matter extremely quickly and has a way of making his advice sound simple, even when the facts and law are complicated. It confirms his mastery of the subject matter. He is also a purposeful and combative advocate, notwithstanding his easy going delivery and general nature.’

Hugh Norbury KC –Serle Court ‘Hugh is consistently excellent in virtually all aspects of his work. He is incredibly bright, has an unparalleled command of detail, fantastic rapport with clients, quickly cuts through complex issues and consistently commercial and pragmatic in his approach.'

Christopher Pymont KC –Maitland Chambers ‘A top silk.’

Elspeth Talbot Rice KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Elspeth is a superb all-rounder. A very strong advocate, excellent with clients and cuts through complexity to get to the core and then consider a commercial and practical approach.’

Stephen Rubin KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Stephen is a very experienced silk possessed of a superb strategic mind. This is balanced by an infectious enthusiasm for the cases and the detail. He is particularly gifted at cutting through vast quantities of information to pull out nuggets and threads which can change a case.’

Richard Salter KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Charles Samek KC –Littleton Chambers ‘Charles has tremendous energy and is 100% committed to the cause. He works very well as part of a team and is excellent on his feet.’

Tom Smith KC –South Square ‘His advocacy is incredibly effective - a superb trial advocate.'

Andrew Thompson KC –Erskine Chambers ‘Extremely intelligent and excellent feel for the strengths and merits of the case. Turns round work very quickly and always prepared to give a view. Real team player and prepared to get into the detail.'

Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven is a truly brilliant advocate. He is always meticulously prepared and is an immaculate court room performer. Exceptional in every way.’

Richard Waller KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘He is tough when needed and I would not go to anyone else to be my clients’ best advocate in court. He is formidable in court.’

Tom Weisselberg KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Absolutely first class. Great knowledge of detail and a wonderful advocate. Very easy to work with. A real team player.'

David Allison KC –South Square ‘David is a silk at the peak of his powers. He perfectly balances a thoughtful and considered approach to the legal issues with a commercial awareness and understanding of the lay client's business, needs and objectives. He works prodigiously hard and is always thoroughly prepared for any trial, appeal or interlocutory hearing. His advocacy is clear, concise and compelling.'

Lance Ashworth KC –Serle Court ‘An excellent barrister.'

Camilla Bingham KC –One Essex Court ‘Superb advocate; very robust in her approach; reads the court well; not afraid of taking on difficult arguments; wickedly smart in her written work.'

David Blayney KC –Serle Court ‘David is an outstanding practitioner in this area, a superb advocate, technically quite brilliant, and enormous fun to work with.’

Michael Bloch KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘From an advocacy point of view, he is excellent – a more mellifluous and silver-tongued counsel solicitors cannot think of, and he is not afraid to take on the judge if required.’

Graham Chapman KC –4 New Square ‘First rate advocate and analytical barrister. Great judgement and easy to work with.’

Aidan Christie KC –4 Pump Court ‘Aidan is an outstanding leading counsel, with excellent technical and strategic knowledge. He is able to absorb highly technical subject matter and convert it to advice which is easily digestible to clients. Lay clients have been universally impressed.’

Richard Coleman KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Richard is exceptionally bright, a fearsome advocate who clearly enjoys the intellectual battle of litigation but while remaining mindful of the commercial drivers and very approachable. Solicitors are glad when he is on their side.’

Matthew Collings KC –Maitland Chambers

Derrick Dale KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Derrick is extremely charming and a great pleasure to work with. He is very proactive and goes the extra mile. He is also very practical and keeps an eye on the commercial realities of the case.'

Simon Davenport KC –3 Hare Court ‘An excellent advocate who can cut through the complexities and get to the heart of the matter - passionate in his desire to get the best possible result for the client. A true team leader but also a team player.'

Huw Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘An excellent advocate with a calm and convincing style. Responsive and direct regarding advice.'

Rhodri Davies KC –One Essex Court ‘Extremely user-friendly. Fabulous advocate. No nonsense and a pleasure to deal with.'

Jonathan Davies-Jones KC –3 Verulam Buildings 'Very good at rolling his sleeves up and getting stuck in. A good lawyer and advocate and easy to work with.’

Graham Dunning KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘His advocacy is brilliant.’

Colin Edelman KC –Devereux ‘An excellent silk in commercial litigation.’

David Head KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Clever, good tactically and very much a team player. Very good advocate. Gets the points across succinctly and persuasively.'

Sioban Healy KC – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘First rate.’

Lexa Hilliard KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Lexa leaves no stone unturned and will not be fazed by the opponent’s guerilla tactics. She is a very persuasive advocate and will always have solid advice for the client. It is a pleasure to work with Lexa.’

Charles Hollander KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Charles is a powerful advocate on his feet, and makes his voice heard amongst various other barristers where multiple parties are involved.'

Sa’ad Hossain KC – One Essex Court ‘Now one the leading silks in the commercial market and deservedly so. He combines strategic insight, creative thinking and an effective advocacy style devoid of pomposity or self regard to deliver great results for his clients in difficult cases.’

Robert Howe KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Technically excellent, clients and Judges respect him, very user friendly.'

John Jarvis KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Charles Kimmins KC –Twenty Essex ‘Brilliant advocate in a league of his own. Sharp intellect. Incredibly user-friendly and approachable. An absolute pleasure to work with.'

Peter Knox KC –3 Hare Court ‘He is a superb advocate in the best traditions of the Bar. A real all-rounder, solicitors would confidently seek his advice on commercial cases as well as those with public law elements.’

Daniel Lightman KC –Serle Court ‘An extraordinarily persuasive advocate at the very top of his game, he is strategically brilliant and able to identify with precision those points most likely to be determinative of the issues at hand.'

David Lord KC –Three Stone

Michael McLaren KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Absolutely first class in conference. He comes across as authoritative and measured and the clients were in awe of his ability to grasp the issues yet distil them to an understandable and manageable level. He is outstanding.'

Richard Millett KC –Essex Court Chambers

Terence Mowschenson KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Terry has an easy going attitude and his arguments flow. He is persuasive and very good with cross-examination of difficult witnesses. Solicitors also like his concise arguments and he has the ear of the court.’

David Mumford KC –Maitland Chambers ‘He is frighteningly bright, has excellent judgement, is a great team player and has the perfect blend of technical excellence and commercial astuteness. His advocacy and court room presence continue to grow - judges listen to him and has achieved some outstanding results for our clients.'

Daniel Oudkerk KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Excellent strategic judgment, smooth as butter with his advocacy and just a thoroughly decent human being. Great fun to work with.'

Tim Penny KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘He is a meticulous advocate, keen to identify, investigate and seek to answer all issues in preparation. He likes to have all the answers ready. In court he has a pleasing, human and accessible style that is therefore persuasive without unnecessary or overt showmanship.'

Anthony Peto KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Very seasoned and has seen it all so has a good sense of what to expect and how best to navigate tricky issues.’

Rosalind Phelps KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Ros is frighteningly intelligent, a fierce and effective advocate, and the kind of person to whom one does not wish to be opposed.'

Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Nathan is one of the absolute best. He is charming in court, and his advocacy and cross-examination is insightful, incisive and has left many witnesses in great difficulty. He is also supremely user friendly, works well with people at all levels, and is strategically brilliant.'

Patricia Robertson KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘A super silk. Cuts straight through to the heart of the case, sees all the angles, pitches it beautifully before the Court and is completely on top of the papers. One of the very best at the Bar.’

Rebecca Sabben-Clare –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Absolutely first rate.’

Alistair Schaff KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘A brilliant advocate. The best insurance silk around.’

Richard Slade KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Incredibly strong allrounder. Very analytic and pragmatic in advising and persuasive and effective in court. Very good and down-to-earth with clients. My go-to leading counsel for complex cross-border disputes.'

Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘His advocacy is clear and calm. He does not get ruffled, even in heated hearings. First class.’

Paul Stanley KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘His forensic skills, alongside his fierce intellect, allow him to cut through any legal claim which is put in front of him. He is efficient, strategic and businesslike which is highly attractive to clients.'

Andrew Sutcliffe KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Utterly reliable; calm; unflappable; huge attention to detail.'

Robert-Jan Temmink KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Rob is an amazing advocate. He has a commanding presence in the court/hearing room even in a virtual hearing. He’s a pleasure to work with.’

Felicity Toube KC –South Square ‘She is an intellectual heavyweight and her commercial nous is second to none. Her ability to turn a judge in her favour in very difficult cases is astonishing. Her advocacy is powerful, entirely compelling and flawless - she is outstanding in every way.'

Nicholas Vineall KC –4 Pump Court ‘Nick is excellent on his feet and very thorough in his preparation.’

Antony White KC –Matrix Chambers ‘He is an excellent advocate, has a very good feel for judges and is trusted by courts. He is very easy to work with. A real team player. Straightforward. Diligent.’

David Alexander KC –South Square ‘Oral advocacy great - straight talking and clear. Very client friendly. Gets on top of all the facts. Very effective cross-examiner.'

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is excellent at setting strategy and communicating that clearly to the team and clients. He is a force to be reckoned with on his feet.'

Simon Birt KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘The brightest and most effective commercial barrister of his call, bar none. He combines sharp forensic insight with commercial acumen, can digest vast quantities of information quickly, and has an instinct for the next right step in the most complex litigation.'

Michael Black KC –XXIV Old Buildings

Guy Blackwood KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘Very good on the law, commercial and very good with clients.’

Michael Bools KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Mike's geniality makes him a real pleasure to work with and he is a calm and charming advocate. But don't be fooled - he has a razor sharp intellect, deep knowledge of the law and a healthy appetite for success.'

Andrew Clutterbuck KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Andrew has a fantastic, analytical mind, able to deal with the most complicated points. He has a great presence and is very impressive with clients.'

Jonathan Cohen KC –Littleton Chambers ‘Excellent as an advocate, he carries the judge with him at all times. Incisive brain, gets to grips with a point impressively quickly.’

Simon Colton KC –One Essex Court ‘Separates the wheat from the chaff with ease, always makes himself available and great fun to work with. I cannot recommend him highly enough.'

Ian Croxford KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Ian has considerable presence and commands the respect of tribunals and opponents.'

Jasbir Dhillon KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘The courtroom master, Jasbir is one of the most powerful advocates at the English Bar. He has superb strategic skills and a remarkable ability to get the evidence he needs out of difficult witnesses in court.’

David Edwards KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘One of the best insurance and reinsurance silks.’

Ben Elkington KC –4 New Square ‘A logical thinker who is easy to deal with, friendly and a pleasure to work with.'

Michael Fealy KC –One Essex Court ‘Michael is incredibly insightful. He is a quick study who quickly gets to the heart of the key issues. More importantly, he has a keen intellect with the ability to come up with out-of-the box solutions that achieve the commercial goals of clients as well as win cases.'

Orlando Fraser KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Very commercial, easy to deal with, thinks out of the box.'

Matthew Hardwick KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘His advocacy is outstanding - calm, precise, and compelling. He is undoubtedly head and shoulders above his peers. An absolute star.'

David Lewis KC –Twenty Essex ‘A smooth and charming advocate.’

Richard Lissack KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘He delivers exceptionally clear advice in a confident manner that reassures clients. He also has the ear of the Court. His understanding of regulatory, fraud, criminal and civil issues means he has a unique practice.’

Fenner Moeran KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Fenner is one of those barristers who is equally superb on this feet in court as he is advising clients on the legal issues. A big personality in the commercial silk market.'

Zoe O’Sullivan KC –Serle Court ‘Incredibly responsive - super bright and practical in her advice. Makes the right calls based on intellect, experience and (importantly) instinct.’

James Potts KC –Erskine Chambers

Graham Read KC –Devereux ‘His technical brilliance, combined with a very approachable and pleasant demeanor makes working with him an absolute delight.’

David Reade KC –Littleton Chambers ‘A very compelling advocate who has a conversational and warm style with both the judge and clients and is very amenable and willing to get involved and run many different types of commercial litigation.’

Rupert Reed KC –Serle Court ‘Enormously impressive grasp of Middle Eastern politics and business, his ability to manage complex issues and produce detailed submissions has been remarkable. As an Arabic speaker, he is somewhat unique.’

Nikki Singla KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Nikki is very and hands-on. He works hard to get to the bottom of what can be a very fact heavy and generally complex factual matrix. A very good advocate with clear, logical and comprehensible presentation.'

Andrew Spink KC –Outer Temple Chambers

‘He is a commanding advocate with impeccable judgement and a way of knowing exactly which arguments will resonate, and how to deliver them. He reads situations brilliantly, and is calm and composed. He is also superb with clients, and is an excellent team player.’

Clare Stanley KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Her advocacy is exceptional - you won't find better in terms of pitching the case in exactly the right way to the court.'

Alan Steinfeld KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Incredibly bright, charming in court, reassuring for clients and incisive with decision making.'

Romie Tager KC –Selborne Chambers ‘Excellent trial lawyer. Very creative and thinks outside the box.'

Michael Todd KC –Erskine Chambers ‘Strength in finding solutions to difficult questions; navigating carefully through case law; excellent pragmatic advice.'

Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Frances is calm and measured, independent-minded and thoughtful. As an advocate (both orally and in writing), his work is very poised and attractively presented. He has real intellectual fire-power.'

Andrew Twigger KC –Maitland Chambers ‘Andrew is a fantastic advocate - always thoroughly prepared, and gives a very eloquent presentation of complex points to the court.'

Adam Zellick KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘First rate advocate and excellent tactical sense.'

Lawrence Akka KC –Twenty Essex ‘Combines a brilliant legal mind with unparalleled knowledge of the IT sector. Plus he is wonderfully user friendly. Clients love him.'

Stephen Atherton KC - Twenty Essex 'What sets him apart is that he is able to explain the law in a very straightforward and simple way (both orally and in writing) which my clients (who are not familiar with common law insolvency law) can easily understand.'

Gregory Banner KC – Maitland Chambers ‘Extremely commercial and sees the bigger picture. Works well with others including other barristers. Clients like his calm assured approach and he is forensic in his preparation for trial and hearings.’

Anna Boase KC – One Essex Court ‘Anna’s strengths are her acute attention to detail, her user friendliness, and her excellent advocacy skills. In numerous interlocutory hearings, Anna was head and shoulders above her opponent: better prepared, steely calm and razor sharp.’

James Brocklebank KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘James is incredibly bright but with an incredible work ethic. Drafting is a particular strength and clients comment on his excellent manner and clear explanations. His advocacy is clear, concise and he’s well liked and respected by his peers and judges alike.’

Aidan Casey KC –3 Hare Court ‘Aidan is a first choice silk for commercial litigation. He is simply a pleasure to work with. He is exceptionally intelligent and is always thinking two moves ahead.’

James Collins KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Calm and assured both as an adviser and as an advocate. Excellent both at first instance and in the Court of Appeal.’

Jeremy Cousins KC –Radcliffe Chambers 'Very thorough and a pleasure to work with.'

Edmund Cullen KC –Maitland Chambers ‘It is a real pleasure to hear Edmund's advocacy. As long as he is not your opponent. Because he has authority, gravitas and tone that delivers. His advisory and strategic advice is also excellent.'

Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Ed is the absolute best when it comes to commercial chancery work. He works incredibly hard, is commercial, is an outstanding advocate and is loved by clients for being aggressive and knowing their cases inside out. He is the first name that comes to mind for any high value and difficult case.'

Edward Davies KC –Erskine Chambers ‘Very good technical lawyer with strong sense of tactics. Good interpersonal skills and manages difficult clients well. He also is good for offshore work.'

Andrew De Mestre KC – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Andrew is the go-to counsel for complex, challenging and evidence-intensive cases. His ability to take in and synthesize mountains of information is legendary. Andrew can be relied on to spot the points that others miss.’

Peter De Verneuil Smith KC - 3 Verulam Buildings 'Peter is clever and tenacious. He is extremely thorough. He has strong client skills and offers clients a reassurance that he is on their side, however challenging the situation.'

Dominic Dowley KC –Serle Court

Shaheed Fatima KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Shaheed is a fantastic advocate - she fights your corner and is very persuasive. You can tell that the bench really respect her views.’

Andrew Fletcher KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Great attention to detail and very good at separating wheat from chaff and getting the tactics right. Just what you need from a silk on large scale litigation. Presents well in court, in the senior statesman like role.'

Steven Gee KC –Monckton Chambers ‘Steven has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and he really does constantly test the case and strength of arguments. He is an excellent advocate, at the top of his game.'

Charles Gibson KC –Henderson Chambers 'An excellent barrister.'

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square ‘Excellent - his instructing solicitors use him regularly.’

Patrick Green KC –Henderson Chambers ‘Top barrister at the peak of his powers. Extremely persuasive advocate. Master tactician.'

Alec Haydon KC - Brick Court Chambers 'Alec has a formidable intellect. He has excellent forensic skills and leaves no stone unturned in investigating and assessing a case. His advocacy skills are superb and he skilfully prosecutes his client's case.'

Stephen Hofmeyr KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Very learned in the law. Excellent research and written advice.'

Philippa Hopkins KC - Essex Court Chambers 'She has a great capacity for absorbing detail while keeping the big picture in mind. She is use-friendly, responsive and extremely bright. A persuasive and credible advocate. Overall a pleasure to work with, and excellent with clients.'

Hugh Jory KC –4 New Square ‘Hugh is a stand out advocate. His preparation and ability to grasp oversight and understanding of the issues is second to none. His cross examination skills are remarkable and he will work tirelessly in this regard.'

Yash Kulkarni KC - Quadrant Chambers 'Yash has a knack for finding a runnable argument when the issues seem stacked against a client. He is not frightened to wade into technical, complex detail. He has an affable way of communicating with clients and inspires their confidence. Yash is unflappable on his feet in court and knows how far to take cross-examination of a witness.'

John Lockey KC –Essex Court Chambers

John Machell KC –Serle Court 'John is excellent. He quickly gives measured commercial advice that is accurate and which clients can rely on. Clients trust him. He is good on his feet. What more do you want?'

Stephen Midwinter KC - Brick Court Chambers 'Stephen's cross-examination is devastating. He effortlessly extracts winning points from witnesses without leaving them anywhere to hide. His low key manner hides a ruthlessly efficient fraud silk who is an equal to many of the great names at the bar.'

Conall Patton KC –One Essex Court ‘Conall is quite simply brilliant - brilliant written work, brilliant advocacy, and brilliant strategic advice. He is hands-on and is always responsive, contactable, and willing to discuss matters of concern to solicitors and clients. An absolute star at the bar.'

Lionel Persey KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘An excellent silk.’

Mark Phillips KC –South Square 'Mark is an excellent trial lawyer and always relishes the challenge - exactly who you want acting for you when the rest of the courtroom is opposing you.

Daniel Saoul KC - 4 New Square 'Quality advocate and also excellent on drafting and in dealing with clients.'

Akhil Shah KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘He is incredibly calm at all times and his softly spoken manner really helps to cut through and restore order whenever matters are particularly chaotic.'

John Taylor KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘John has an extraordinary command of the law. He is highly intellectual and incisive, but has an easy bedside manner and actively listens to the suggestions and concerns of solicitors and clients alike.’

Ben Valentin KC - Fountain Court Chambers 'Ben is top of the list of any new instruction. It is a pleasure to watch Ben in action in Court - his advocacy skills are unrivaled. He is not afraid of getting stuck into the detail and the drafting. A clear leader, with the ability to drive strategic outcomes, and an absolute delight to work with.'

Geraint Webb KC –Henderson Chambers ‘Geraint is extremely bright, very quick to absorb tricky technical matters, strategic, commercial and persuasive.'

2022 Silks

Tim Akkouh KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Any instructing solicitor's dream: creative, incredibly user-friendly, with unparalleled command of the law on freezing orders.'

Matthew Bradley KC –4 New Square ‘Matthew has rightly been invited to take silk as his advocacy skills and strength on his feet are extremely impressive. Matthew can wade through complex issues and provide straight forward advice directly to clients.'

Jeremy Brier KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Jeremy is excellent at all levels. He is approachable, thoughtful, incisive, clear, concise and very bright.'

Edward Brown KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Ed’s particular strength is an ability to quickly get under the skin of a complex case, identify the issues and plan accordingly.’

Anna Dilnot KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Anna has great judgment, and is excellent both on paper and on her feet. Opponents underestimate Anna at their peril.'

Josephine Higgs KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Jo is a fantastic barrister and thoroughly deserved to take silk. She is always on top of absolutely everything and never misses a beat.

Sebastian Isaac KC –One Essex Court ‘Very charming and clever junior silk; happy to roll up his sleeves and get stuck into difficult cases; excellent judgement - he can always sharpen a point. Coming into his own as a leader.'

James MacDonald KC –One Essex Court ‘He is intelligent and thoughful with a calm presence in court.'

Alexander Milner KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Alex is extremely knowledgeable and is able to provide practical and considered advice supported by a wealth of supporting case law. He is very user-friendly and is go-to counsel for many disputes.’

Thomas Munby KC –Maitland Chambers ‘A new silk. Will be a star. Solicitors would happily give him senior silk work. Phenomenally clever, and utterly charming.’

Alexander Polley KC –One Essex Court ‘Supremely quick at dealing and responding to all issues in a masterful fashion. Alex is irreplaceable.'

Stephen Robins KC –South Square 'Excellent and we use him regularly.'

Andrew Scott KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Andrew has a very deep knowledge of the issues and produces impeccable submissions. Excellent judgement and creativity – can always come up with an excellent point that everyone else has missed.’

Robert Weekes KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Great forensic mind and approach. Ferocious but smart cross-examiner. Has a very independent mind, which allows him to tackle problems that might put others off. Very strong advocate - oral and written.'

Victoria Windle KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Super bright, very responsive and a pleasure to deal with. Her advocacy stood out from the crowd for her no nonsense approach. One of the best barristers I have worked with and undoubtedly will be a star KC.'

Emily Wood KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Emily is one of the stars of the Bar. She has every quality in spades. Formidably clever, a polished advocate, a huge appetite for hard work and always willing to give a pragmatic steer on strategy. In addition to that, she has a great sense of humour.’

Alexander Wright KC – 4 Pump Court ‘ Can prevail in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.'

Leading Juniors

Rupert Allen –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Widely regarded as one of the outstanding commercial juniors of his generation. Has been involved in innumerable high-profile matters.’

Ruth den Besten –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very cool, calm and incisive advocacy. Always on top of her brief.'

Simon Hattan –Serle Court ‘Simon is extremely strong at getting on top of large amounts of complex material, and identifying how they will be seen by a neutral decision-maker. He is particularly well-suited to work requiring close forensic analysis of evidence. As an advocate, he is able to present that material in a manner that is readily accessible for the tribunal.'

Benjamin John –Maitland Chambers ‘Technically outstanding and entirely dedicated to the cause.'

Michael Lazarus –3 Verulam Buildings ‘A top tier junior.'

Craig Morrison –Brick Court Chambers ‘Craig is a genuine superstar: monstrously clever and extremely hard-working while remaining very pleasant to deal with. He easily wins the trust of instructing solicitors and clients and is a go-to barrister for any complex commercial dispute. Always in demand.'

Leona Powell –Blackstone Chambers ‘Her judgement on the basis of analysis is genuinely probably better than everyone and she’s smarter than a lot of silks.’

James Sheehan –Essex Court Chambers ‘James has all the gravitas, experience, and sound judgement of a silk, but is immersed in the detail throughout the case and always available. His abilities consistently astound: send him a long document and he’ll have read it, digested it, and reverted with incisive comments before you have got to page 10.’

Nicholas Sloboda –One Essex Court ‘Nick is lovely to deal with and a real team leader. He wraps a ferocious intelligence in a genial and down to earth manner which is very well liked by clients.’

Stuart Adair –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stuart is an exceptional barrister. He is a fantastic advocate - always incredibly well prepared with a manner which resonates well with Judges. He is an incredible cross examiner, combining a calm forensic approach with a hard-nosed aggression. His written work is fantastic, he is responsive and he is altogether a joy to work with.'

Simon Adamyk –New Square Chambers ‘His advocacy is extremely good. He is always very thoroughly prepared and has a very strong sense of the way arguments should be pitched to appeal to the judge.'

Simon Atrill –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Simon is technically excellent and creative. He will think of arguments or avenues of inquiry that other people will miss. His legal drafting is very strong.'

Natasha Bennett –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Natasha is incredibly intelligent - she seems to think of the answer before you have thought of the question. Her drafting is also detailed, accurate and powerful.'

Richard Blakeley –Brick Court Chambers ‘He dismantles the other side’s case before the judge in a merciless fashion leading to conclusive wins. His intellectual ability is first-rate and he has gravitas well beyond his years.’

Fraser Campbell –Blackstone Chambers ‘Fraser is a brilliant young barrister. Incredibly quick and responsive. Excellent team worker. Clever draftsman. Shrewd and will fight your case. The best find at the Bar of recent years.’

Adam Cloherty –XXIV Old Buildings ‘An outstanding junior with a wealth of experience.'

Josephine Davies –Twenty Essex ‘A brilliant barrister with tremendous forensic ability and personality. Excellent to work with.'

David Drake –Serle Court ‘Frighteningly clever. Nothing is ever too difficult. A joy to work with. Very good and effective advocate.'

Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers ‘Anton is extremely capable and easy to work with. He grasps issues quickly and has the ability to explain them in lucid fashion.'

James Duffy –Fountain Court Chambers ‘James has an exceptionally sharp, forensic mind combined with an ability to express himself crisply on paper and in speech.'

Richard Eschwege –Brick Court Chambers ‘Richard should be on everyone's list as a senior junior of choice for commercial matters. He is able to digest vast amounts of material at short notice, produces excellent and comprehensive written arguments, and is the go-to person for the facts on any case in which he is involved.'

Richard Hanke –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Richard is a very highly regarded senior junior, and deservedly so. He is responsive, decisive and incredibly collaborative. He has an absolute mastery of detail and pleadings, including in complex, dense cases.'

Christopher Harrison –4 Stone Buildings ‘No-nonsense and clear advice. He doesn\'t take bad points and is forensic in his preparation and analysis.'

Susannah Jones –Twenty Essex ‘Superb on legal analysis and drafting skills, accompanied by sound judgment and hard work - excellent junior.'

Olivier Kalfon –Maitland Chambers ‘Massive attention to detail. User friendly - he picks up the phone and chats things through frequently. Tactical nous. Able and exacting advocate.'

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers ‘Ciaran is a superstar. He cuts to the heart of the case and provides clear, precise advise. He is a fantastic strategist and has a great feel for how a Court will react to an argument. His written work is exceptional. He is always available and is super responsive.'

David Lascelles –Littleton Chambers ‘Extremely thorough, bright and commercial minded. A go to junior for corporate and commercial disputes. Someone you really want on your team for heavyweight and complex disputes. Works incredibly well with legal teams and lay clients.’

George McPherson –3 Verulam Buildings ‘George gives excellent advice on knotty contractual issues, including matters involving repudiatory breach, oral contracts and unclear contractual terms. He is very good at getting to the heart of the issue and setting this out both in pleadings and in advices to clients in appropriate and tailored language.'

Matthew Morrison –Serle Court ‘Very responsive, with a voracious appetite for detail. A client friendly, superb cross-examiner with meticulous preparation.’

Laura Newton –Brick Court Chambers ‘A superb young barrister. One of the best of her generation. Destined for greatness. A brilliant drafter and a confident persuasive advocate, whom judges respect. Even by the exceptionally high standards of Brick Court, Laura stands out. Simply superb.’

Rebecca Page –Maitland Chambers ‘Rebecca is a very reassuring and calm presence. She delivered concise and clear advice to agitated clients who were then felt empowered to take the right decision for them in difficult circumstances.'

David Peters –Essex Court Chambers ‘His advice and legal submissions combine cleverness, creativity and commerciality wrapped up in compelling concision. His oral advocacy style is measured and very effective with judges.'

Sandy Phipps –One Essex Court ‘Sandy is a simply brilliant senior junior. His work on major pieces of litigation is outstanding. He is also incredibly calm and a pleasure to work with. Just great.’

Clare Reffin – One Essex Court ‘Clare is an exceptional barrister. She is always responsive. Her analysis is thorough and extremely clever.'

Nehali Shah –One Essex Court ‘Nehali is immensely diligent, incisive and commercial and is also extremely user-friendly. She grips the knottiest facts and legal points quickly and easily and gets straight to the nub of an issue. Her responsiveness is truly exceptional, borne of her incredibly hard-working approach. She is completely committed to her cases and inspires great confidence in clients. Consistently top drawer.'

David Eaton Turner –New Square Chambers ‘David is a good choice: always a pleasure to work with, very experienced and highly responsive.'

Can Yeginsu – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Can has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and leaves no stone unturned. You know when you send him a brief that he will deliver first rate work.’

Paul Adams –Serle Court ‘Exceptionally clever and provides advice and written documents with extraordinary speed. He is an excellent strategist and a first rate advocate – completely on top of all the detail; calm, measured and persuasive. A KC in waiting.’

Alex Barden –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Razor-sharp mind and a tenacious fighter. You definitely want him on your side.'

Stuart Benzie –2 Temple Gardens ‘An intellectual heavyweight, but not one who sits in an ivory tower, making him go-to counsel.’

Emily Betts –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Emily has a great manner in court and can hold her own against the most aggressive of opponents. She is super bright, always helpful and hugely effective.’

Alexander Cook –4 Stone Buildings ‘Alex is a dream to work with, combining excellent legal and technical skills with a good dose of common sense. He is good at helping clients find a path through thorny issues, and does not flinch in the face of tricky or unexpected circumstances.'

Michael D’Arcy –One Essex Court ‘Michael is a real team player, coupling strong analytical ability with an ability to argue complex points in a straightforward and persuasive way.'

Harriet Fear Davies –Devereux ‘Brilliant team player. Fabulous client skills and real eye for detail. Strategically and legally astute.'

Marc Delehanty –Littleton Chambers ‘Extremely capable, bright and commercially minded. Great to work with.'

Tom Ford –Essex Court Chambers ‘Tom has an impressive grasp of detail and the law, but is able to distill that into clear advice and strategic suggestions. He is responsive, very hard-working and overall a pleasure to deal with. His advocacy is well-prepared and persuasive.'

Edward Harrison –Brick Court Chambers ‘Ed is bright, clever and stays calm under pressure.'

Philip Hinks –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Philip is incredibly thorough in his advice and is able to quickly address any issues at hand. He is a fair but firm advocate who has expertly represented our clients so far. Philip is very approachable with any matter and responds quickly when required.'

Edward Ho –Brick Court Chambers ‘Exceptionally clever, and really knows how to pitch an argument so as to appeal to a particular judge. Exceptional written advocacy.’

Fred Hobson –Brick Court Chambers ‘Fred is an exceptionally strong technical barrister, with superb drafting skills and advocacy. He's also a pleasure to work with and is liked very much by the clients.'

Nigel Hood –New Square Chambers ‘He has immense ability and intellect which he wears very lightly. It makes for an extremely compelling package of ability and competence along with him being a great pleasure to work with. I am sure he will, imminently, take silk, he deserves it.'

Timothy Killen –2 Temple Gardens ‘Tim does a first-rate job. He gets on top of the details quickly, prepares an impressive skeleton and does a fantastic job in the advocacy.’

Geoffrey Kuehne –Brick Court Chambers ‘Geoff has a first-rate legal mind and his drafting is very good. His background working in a City law firm means he understands the solicitor-counsel relationship, which comes across in his pragmatic and user-friendly approach.’

Tina Kyriakides –Radcliffe Chambers ‘Extremely thorough in preparation - gets into all the detail - but but can still see the bigger picture. A very accomplished advocate in court.'

Lisa Lacob –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Lisa is exceptionally easy to work with, approachable and full of good ideas. She can easily explain and unpack both complicated factual issues and technical legal and financial matters in a straightforward and understandable way for a lay client. She’s a great person to have your legal team.’

Anna Littler –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Anna is determined, hard-working and totally committed to her cases. She has built a contentious trusts specialism alongside her commercial litigation practice which makes her a formidable operator and one of the best juniors on the market.'

Niall McCulloch – Enterprise Chambers ‘He goes out of his way to be available at all times of day. He provides sound and pragmatic advice and is a pleasure to work with.'

Belinda McRae –Twenty Essex ‘Solicitors can’t think of anyone they would rather instruct on a commercial claim. Her skeleton arguments are the clearest and most logical. Her advocacy is persuasive and persistent – she out-performs advocates with generations more experience.’

Hugh Miall –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Excellent technical ability, and timely practical advice. Hugh is very responsive, and excellent as part of a team.’

William Moffett –Radcliffe Chambers ‘He is a fantastic advocate and one who is never flustered and always seems to be in control of any court room situation however difficult it might appear to me.'

Adil Mohamedbhai –Serle Court ‘Adil is an excellent barrister who combines technical and strategic skills. He can pick holes in a case that no one else usually does. He is always on top of the facts, provides excellent commercial advice and his written advocacy is excellent.'

Shail Patel –4 New Square ‘Shail is a great barrister and very user friendly. He gets stuck in as part of the team and gives very clear and excellent advice.'

Alexander Pelling –XXIV Old Buildings

Watson Pringle –Maitland Chambers ‘Watson is a fantastic senior junior. He works extremely hard and is across all the detail of the cases on which I work with him, while also being very good at client and team management.'

Bajul Shah –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hardworking and thorough. His written work is excellent.'

Michael Watkins –One Essex Court

James Weale –Serle Court ‘James has excellent technical knowledge while always remaining commercial in his approach. He is an exceptional tactician and is unflappable.'

Elizabeth Weaver –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Advises across a broad range of Chancery and commercial matters. No nonsense, but very good with clients. Court room manner is steely and determined.'

Adam Al-Attar –South Square ‘He is a highly effective advocate, with a calm, measured confidence. He is able to think very quickly on his feet and present even the most complicated of arguments with clarity and precision.'

Nicola Allsop –Quadrant Chambers ‘Brilliant technically and commercially, excellent with clients and a pleasure to work with.'

Oliver Assersohn –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Amiable and smart he produces superb written work and is a considered and impressive advocate. Wonderful to have in your team.'

Michael Bolding –Brick Court Chambers ‘He’s an outstanding junior. He has a brilliant mind, and is always completely on top of both the facts and the law. He has an assurance and presence beyond his years.'

Sri Carmichael - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Sri is a pleasure to work with, she always finds the time to help and works extremely hard to meet deadlines. She is very bright and commercial in her approach.'

Paul Casey –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Paul is super bright. He absorbs the detail rapidly. He is always willing to roll his sleeves up and work as part of the team. His written material is always logical, persuasive and compelling.'

Lucy Colter –4 New Square ‘Lucy is an incredibly diligent barrister who knows the bundle backwards and has a natural intuition for what will and what will not work in a court room.'

Daniel Edmonds –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Brilliant junior counsel. First rate technical skills and a brilliant brain coupled with an ability to quickly get to the heart of a problem and come up with realistic solutions.’

William Edwards - 3 Verulam Buildings 'He has a sharp eye for detail and an ability to anticipate the course of a matter. He is very bright and technically strong. William is also hands-on and adopts a pragmatic approach to tasks. Finally, his drafting is excellent and comes across a confident in his opinions. '

Thomas Elias –Serle Court ‘As a senior junior, Thomas is almost without peer as an advocate. He is thoroughly unflappable, and is talented at turning around a sceptical tribunal.'

Tom Gentleman –4 Stone Buildings ‘An excellent junior.'

Paul Greenwood –4 Stone Buildings ‘Excellent analytical skills, tactical awareness and drafting qualities.'

Alexander Halban –Littleton Chambers ‘Alexander has extreme attention to detail and is extremely helpful. He is always willing to take an extra step to offer assistance and guidance, not only to the clients but to solicitors as well.'

Patrick Harty – One Essex Court ‘Patrick is extremely clear minded and gives excellent advice. He is commercial and practical in his approach, and is great with clients as he always seeks to understand their motivations and goals. He is highly effective on his feet – his advocacy is impressive and very persuasive.’

Peter Head –Blackstone Chambers ‘Peter is an incredibly agile thinker and regularly performs beyond his year of call. His legal analysis and drafting is persuasive and impeccable. He is also excellent with clients and acutely aware of their fragility and need to guide them through the process of complex litigation.'

Stuart Hornett –Selborne Chambers ‘A pleasure to work with. A strong advocate and collaborative – a KC level service and input.’

Keir Howie –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Brilliant at drafting - the best. Excellent client manner and really developing his advocacy style. The senior junior for insurance work.'

Anne Jeavons –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Anne is a very hard-working and able barrister. Her written work is always clear, concise and accurate. A first-rate junior.'

Emma Jones –One Essex Court ‘Emma is superb - she does not sit on the fence and has clear views and advice.'

Tamara Kagan –One Essex Court ‘Tamara is incredibly intelligent and incisive. She is reliable, friendly and really sharp. She works well with all levels of solicitors (from trainees to partners), and with clients.'

Edward Knight –XXIV Old Buildings ‘A pleasure to work with. He has a very calm manner even when under pressure and puts client's worries at ease.'

Nicole Langlois –XXIV Old Buildings ‘An excellent courtroom advocate.'

Gary Lidington –Radcliffe Chambers ‘An excellent advocate and very persuasive. He is able to distill complex matters to make very clear submissions. Gary is very personable and is well respected by the bench and Bar.’

Anna Lintner –39 Essex Chambers ‘She is very hard working. She is an excellent drafter requiring detailed hard information to be understood and dealt with urgently. A fine advocate: she has the ear of the court already.'

David Lowe –Blackstone Chambers ‘He has an excellent manner with clients. He is also an articulate and robust advocate. He is a true delight to work with.’

Alexander MacDonald –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Alex is a phenomenally talented and hard working barrister. He always gets to the heart of his cases and his understanding of the detail, as well as the law, is quite outstanding. His written work is extremely strong and he is good on his feet as well.'

Marcus Mander –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Excellent document and drafting skills, accessible to solicitors and highly knowledgeable.’

Emily McKechnie –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Emily has a quick mind, fully grasping issues from complex sets of facts and documents. She is unflappable and has a very affable way about her when dealing with clients.'

James McWilliams –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Very strong all-round advocate. Is able to cut through complex issues to the core of the dispute. Excellent legal analysis, prepared to take robust positions and defend them strongly. Allies legal analytical ability with practical / commercial advice. Strong and persuasive oral advocate.'

Simon Mills –Five Paper ‘Very commercial, bright, calm, instils confidence, great advocate and thorough and analytical written advice.’

Tom Mountford –Blackstone Chambers ‘On his feet, Tom achieves what very few can – he is both incredibly likeable and serious. The combined effect is that judges (and lay clients) cannot help but trust him, and are pre-disposed to accepting every word he says.’

Sam Neaman –Littleton Chambers ‘Sam is an excellent senior junior and regularly comes up against silks and leading juniors in the field. A powerful advocate and excellent on paper. He is a very collaborative and inventive thinker who always goes the extra mile.'

Dov Ohrenstein –Radcliffe Chambers ‘Dov has a wealth of experience, knows the law inside out and shows excellent judgment in advising clients. He can be relied upon to present his client's case in an attractive and effective way, thus achieving the best outcome for them.'

Laurence Page – 4 Pump Court ‘Very responsive, highly intelligent and great fun to work with. A legal polymath who seems to have an expert grip on many different areas of law.’

Luke Pearce –Twenty Essex ‘Luke is extremely bright and easy to deal with and has an excellent way with clients.'

Kendrah Potts –4 New Square ‘Kendrah is wonderfully practical and proactive in her approach to cases, considering angles which others would disregard or not identify in the first place. Her knowledge of the law and ability to deploy the absolutely key kernel of authority in a plain and effective way with judges is her greatest strength.'

Charles Raffin –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Charles is extremely eloquent both in advocacy and written advice/drafting.'

Gerard Rothschild –Brick Court Chambers ‘He is very very intelligent and accessible. He turns work around very quickly and provides great written work. He is very succinct; very to the point.'

Alan Roxburgh –Brick Court Chambers ‘Alan is very thorough and analytical, and shows real attention to detail. His legal analysis is very well considered and he is very nice to work with.'

Adam Rushworth –One Essex Court ‘Adam is very clever indeed. He has an instinctive knowledge of what a silk wants help with and serves it up beautifully. He has very good judgment and common sense. I would work with him again in a heartbeat.’

Michael Ryan –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘A star in the making – in conference with silks present, they will all listen to his views which are well considered and researched. He is an excellent advocate – he can outperform silks on the other side.’

Edward Sawyer –Wilberforce Chambers ‘An excellent, hard-working and very capable senior junior.'

Max Schaefer –Brick Court Chambers ‘Max is an absolutely top-notch barrister. He is technically superb, consistently producing the highest quality work, and is blessed with phenomenal productivity. Superbly bright and strategic.’

Laurie Scher –Maitland Chambers ‘Extremely hardworking, intelligent and sharp, Laurie is an innovative yet pragmatic thinker, which enables navigation of the most complex of issues without losing sight of commercial perspective.'

Shane Sibbel –Blackstone Chambers ‘Shane is certainly one of the smartest juniors at the London bar. His drafting is superb and the clients like working with him.'

Derek Spitz –One Essex Court ‘Derek is a wonderful team player. He has a calm and ordered advocacy style, and really comes into his strength on cross-examination.'

Justina Stewart –Outer Temple Chambers

‘Justina has a laser like focus on the important issues in any case and is able to whittle away the inevitable fluff, which is often important to the client but clouds the main issues, in a way that is pragmatic and tactful leaving the client feeling they are in safe hands.'

Joseph Sullivan –Quadrant Chambers ‘Joe is first class. He is very clever, very astute and very client friendly. He is a also very strong on his feet. The complete all rounder.’

Charlotte Tan –Brick Court Chambers ‘Charlotte is excellent at getting on top of the detail in a very short space of time and is great with clients in breaking down complex legal concepts so that clients understand.'

Rachel Tandy –Henderson Chambers ‘Exceptionally bright, always available, precise attention to detail.'

Andrew Thomas –Brick Court Chambers

Niranjan Venkatesan –One Essex Court ‘Niranjan is in a class of his own. He is exceedingly bright, has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law, is passionate about what he does, charming to work with and a positive and supportive team member.'

Karishma Vora –39 Essex Chambers ‘Karishma is extremely hard working and committed to her clients. She is responsive, friendly and a pleasure to deal with. She pursues her client's interests with dogged determination and does a lot of oral advocacy. She is known for her work on India related disputes.'

James Walmsley –Wilberforce Chambers ‘James is a wonderful barrister. He is someone of the highest intellect but also so user friendly. He is my go to guy for professional negligence cases but quite obviously can handle more general commercial litigation alongside the very best.'

Harry Adamson - Blackstone Chambers 'Always brilliant.'

Adam Baradon - Blackstone Chambers 'Very knowledgeable and clever. Knows the law extremely well and can comprehend highly complex issues very quickly. Tremendous attention to detail. '

Clara Benn –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Clara provides very clear, accurate, precise, and commercial advice that allows us to practically and pragmatically advance our cases to a reasonable solution.'

William Buck - Monckton Chambers 'William is commercial and pragmatic. He has a very measured and effective style of advocacy (including cross-examination). He builds rapport with and tailors his submissions to the tribunal well. He gives clear and direct advice which clients understand and appreciate.'

Daniel Burgess – Blackstone Chambers ‘Daniel is just so incredibly easy to work with. He is calm, highly effective and very strategic.’

Timothy Chelmick –4 New Square ‘Very good on this feet, authoritative advocacy. Good on paper too.'

Stewart Chirnside - Quadrant Chambers 'Stewart is calm, measured and has incredible attention to detail.'

Richard Clegg –Selborne Chambers ‘Richard distills the most complex cases with ease and exceptional attention to detail. He is bright, conscientious and not afraid to get his hands dirty in document heavy and messy litigation. He has a natural affinity with numbers and is an impressive advocate.'

Edward Cohen –Enterprise Chambers

Adam Deacock – Radcliffe Chambers ‘He is meticulous and confident. He is assertive and thorough on his feet – you can rely on him to be prepared and leave no stone unturned.’

Gregory Denton-Cox –4 Stone Buildings ‘Excellent at assimilating complex facts and distilling them to draw out the main arguments and issues in a case. He is excellent with lay clients in explaining issues and legal principles.'

Rosanna Foskett –Maitland Chambers ‘Rosanna is very impressive: hard-working, thorough and bright. She has demonstrated an incredible grasp of the detail as well as a keen strategic focus.'

Bobby Friedman - Wilberforce Chambers 'Bobby is a first rate junior - always get straight to the root of the issue, tactically incisive in a very thoughtful way, brilliantly industrious and with a real skill for handling demanding clients.'

Jonathan Gavaghan –Ten Old Square ‘Extremely friendly and good with clients. Very charming advocate and technically excellent.'

Hannah Glover - 3 Verulam Buildings 'Hannah is a stand out all-round barrister; a confident and clear advocate with first class legal drafting. She is a pleasure to work with and is exceptionally quick to respond.'

Nicholas Goodfellow – Littleton Chambers ‘Nick is thorough, has clear drafting and a good sense of the strategic and tactical elements of the case. His mix of commercial and employment expertise is invaluable.’

Matthieu Gregoire - 4 New Square 'His attention to detail and teamwork is exceptional.'

Ben Griffiths - Erskine Chambers 'A first class junior since. He provides first class analysis and drafting. His calm and measured advocacy was highly effective.'

Emma Hargreaves - Serle Court 'Emma is truly outstanding in all areas. She is a brilliant advocate, incredibly bright, commercially astute, and very pragmatic.'

Malcolm Jarvis –Twenty Essex ‘Highly competent and experienced when it comes to commercial litigation matters. He possesses in-depth knowledge in respect of difficult legal issues as well as the maritime industry which he operates in.'

Catherine Jung - Essex Court Chambers 'Catherine has an excellent grasp of the law, and writes very well. She is also extremely personable, and is consequently always a pleasure to work with.'

Kyle Lawson – Brick Court Chambers ‘Kyle is way beyond his years – he is head and shoulders above his peers at the Bar. He absorbs facts swiftly, and grasps the key legal principles with ease. His written work is fantastic – his pleadings are hard hitting and concisely undermine an opponent.’

Nico Leslie - Fountain Court Chambers 'Nico is technically strong, responsive and an incredibly hard worker. He always puts the client first.'

Donald Lilly – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Donald is a supremely confident, assured and persuasive advocate who is held in high regard by his peers and the court. His strategic guidance is always on point, his written and oral advice is accurate and compelling, and he always gives commercial and pragmatic advice.’

Christopher Lloyd - Essex Court Chambers 'Chris is extremely clever and yet patient and approachable. Always happy to explain a complex issue and will always suggest a pragmatic approach. He is willing to go the extra mile to ensure a good result.'

Paul Marshall –Cornerstone Barristers

Sarah McCann –Gatehouse Chambers ‘An exceptional barrister, who knows the law extremely well.'

Duncan McCombe - Maitland Chambers 'Duncan is a brilliant rising junior, who brings boundless energy and enthusiasm to every case. He is someone you would want on your team in any difficult situation.'

Jennifer Meech –Enterprise Chambers ‘Jennifer has excellent attention to detail, is clearly very bright, and handles difficult situations in a calm and supportive way.'

Simon Oakes –Quadrant Chambers ‘Simon is extremely hard working, an excellent support to his leader but also able to stand on his own two feet and argue very succinctly in court. He is always well-liked by clients, and is very user-friendly.'

Rachel Oakeshott –One Essex Court ‘She is a delight to work with; very bright, responsive, and she quickly gets to grips with both the detail and the strategic big picture points. She is very personable and engages well with the broader team.'

Benjamin Parker –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Ben has an incredibly incisive and logical way of thinking about problems. He has written work is elegant and concise. His advocacy is very calm, assured and persuasive. Opponents respect him and judges like him. He is an absolute pleasure to work with, whatever the case and how difficult it is.'

Angharad Parry –Twenty Essex ‘Angharad is thorough, insightful and extremely approachable. She comes at cases strategically. She understands what the client wants and works as a team with her instructing solicitor to achieve this.'

Georgina Peters - South Square 'Georgina is super sharp and one of the most hard working barristers. She always have a full grasp of the details on the case and has a very good strategic instinct.'

Richard Power –Fountain Court Chambers

Helen Pugh –Outer Temple Chambers

‘She is unflappable and has the advocacy touch and tactical judgement of a barrister with much more experience.’

Alexander Riddiford – Essex Court Chambers ‘Alex has done a huge amount of advocacy and is extremely good on his feet.’

Jack Rivett - Erskine Chambers 'Very intelligent but also a real team player. Good fun to work with and gets on well with the junior team. Willing to get into the detail and very good judgment.'

Jason Robinson - 7 King's Bench Walk 'Jason is persuasive, smooth and effective on his feet; he skilfully picks apart his opponent's case and makes winning look easy. Jason is a pleasure to work with; he is smart, responsive and produces high quality written work.'

Amy Rogers –11KBW ‘Clever, hard working, meticulous attention to detail, excellent at building a team and calm under pressure.'

Leonora Sagan - Fountain Court Chambers 'Razor sharp intellect. Strong command of facts. Capable of producing impressive results under pressure.'

Emily Saunderson – Quadrant Chambers ‘Emily is always on the ball and provides robust and clear advice. She has a growing reputation in the market and her star is on the rise.’

Maximilian Schlote - One Essex Court 'Max is a much in-demand senior junior, with a startling ability to turn his hand to developing areas of law while also remaining strong on mainstream commercial matters.'

Adam Sher - Fountain Court Chambers 'Fantastic: Super smart, sensible, and easy to work with.'

Ming-Yee Shiu –Littleton Chambers ‘She has the ability to explain complex legal issues in a straightforward and pragmatic way which makes her advice accessible for both lawyers and lay clients.'

Carlo Taczalski –Crown Office Chambers ‘An excellent advocate, with a real presence in court.Particularly strong legal research and meticulously detailed written submissions.'

Matthew Thorne – 4 Pump Court ‘Matthew gets to grips with the issues quickly and is incisive. Clients like his friendly manner and pragmatic approach. His willingness to go the extra mile and his attention to detail make him a delight to work with. Always a go-to junior.’

Sarah Tresman – Twenty Essex ‘An impressive and confident communicator, well able to present complex analysis and strategies in digestible form, and holding her own alongside highly experienced silks. Her written analysis is also concise and to the point.’

Jack Watson - Wilberforce Chambers 'He is on top of every detail, utterly unflappable and deadly on cross examination. His written submissions are comprehensive and he leaves no stone unturned. Top marks.'

William Willson - South Square 'William is a star junior barrister and very responsive - great to work with.'

Geoffrey Zelin –Enterprise Chambers

Rising Stars

Frederick Alliott – 7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Very enthusiastic – good communicator. Hard-working. Good on paper. Very pleasant to deal with. He has a thorough grasp of the issues solicitors present to him.’

Ian Bergson –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Ian has outstanding judgment and is a natural lawyer. He gets to grips with the significance of novel points of law in the most complex multi-jurisdictional litigations which makes him a must-have junior.'

William Day –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Will is indisputably a future star of the Bar. He is unsurprisingly, given his academic pursuits, ferociously clever and the hardest working junior I have ever instructed.’

Sam Goodman –Twenty Essex ‘Sam is a terrific lawyer and will be one of the leading lights at the commercial bar in years to come.'

Emma Horner – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Emma is terrific to work with. She has a keen eye for detail and works exceptionally hard to know every nook and cranny of a case.’

Kristina Lukacova - Monckton Chambers 'Kristina is a very hard-working and very diligent junior. She is incredibly responsive, calm and is on top of all of the details and nuances. It is a genuine pleasure to work with her and she has a very bright future ahead.'

James Ruddell – One Essex Court ‘Some firms’ default choice for any commercial dispute – uncommonly bright, hard-working and a real team player – his instructing solicitors would bet the house on James rising the ranks at break-neck speed.’

Gayatri Sarathy – Blackstone Chambers ‘Gayatri is a diligent, accessible and user-friendly junior. Her knowledge and strategic insight exceeds her years and she’s definitely one to watch.’

Sophie Shaw –Brick Court Chambers ‘She is a tremendous asset to the counsel team, completely on top of her cases and gives sound and practice advice.’

Benedict Tompkins - Essex Court Chambers 'Benedict is technically excellent - he will also grasp the key point quickly and will hone in on any weaknesses in an opponent's argument.'

Commercial litigation in London Bar

Tier 1 sets

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings ‘continues to be a blue ribbon set with many proven and talented silks and juniors of various ranges of experience‘. The set’s recent investments, particularly at the junior end, have not gone unnoticed, having ‘materially improved the offering across the range of expertise needed for major international litigation‘. Major recent mandates include Ewan McQuater KC leading Adam Kramer KC and Hannah Glover on behalf of Vodafone in Phones4U Ltd (in administration) v EE, Vodafone UK and others, in which Phones 4U’s administrators claim that Vodafone conspired with other mobile network operators to stop supplying Phones 4U, sinking the business. Multiple members, including Ali Malek KC, Matthew Hardwick KC, Andrew Onslow KC, David Head KC and George McPherson are representing the defendants in the epic SKAT (The Danish Customs & Tax Administration) v Solo Capital Partners LLP, concerning “cum-ex” trading of Danish shares by a Dubai-based hedge fund which the Danish authorities allege to be a tax fraud.

Testimonials

Set

‘3VB is a great set for banking disputes – it has a great stable of top silks and strong juniors.‘

‘Fantastic set with a breadth of experience – my go to set.’

‘3VB has increasingly become a chambers with unparalleled depth in its bench. Recent investments in the team have materially improved the offering across the range of expertise needed for major international litigation. A particular mention must go to the exceptionally strong juniors in chambers, who demonstrate and support the strong value and merit embodied in the KCs.’

‘3VB are a very impressive set in banking and civil fraud cases. Good consistency across the board. Very approachable and commercial. They have a standout clerking team who are extremely commercial in their approach.’

‘3VB continues to be a blue ribbon set with many proven and talented silks and juniors of various ranges of experience.’

Clerking

‘The clerking at 3VB is excellent. Richard Ansell is our main contact.’

‘James Ingham is a class above, a fantastic clerk.’

‘The clerks room provides strong and consistent support to the wider team and are a pleasure to deal with. Stuart Pullum, in particular, impresses greatly with his perceptive planning and thoughtful assistance.’

‘They are very commercial and are happy to be flexible on rates and to negotiate different fees arrangements, including CFAs.’

‘Stuart Pullum and Stephen Penson are always polite, responsive and helpful.’

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers is an ‘outstanding set of chambers with a deep pool of talent‘ and a favoured choice for ‘prestigious clients or complex commercial litigation and arbitrations‘. Nine members, including Andrew Green KC and Harry Adamson for HSBC, were involved in the Ingenious Litigation, Rowe & Ors v Ingenious Media Holdings Ltd, involving claims by over 500 investors seeking damages after HMRC rejected £620m worth of expected tax relief linked to controversial film finance schemes. Several members are defending the respondents in the high-profile Ocado Group claims concerning the alleged misuse of Ocado’s confidential information to set up a competitor, with Anthony Peto KC and Daniel Burgess representing one of Ocado’s co-founders, Jonathan Faiman, and Robert Weekes KC representing Faiman’s lawyer and ex-Jones Day partner Raymond McKeeve – the case involved allegations of destruction of documents and contempt of court on the part of McKeeve, among other complicating factors.

Testimonials

Set

‘Blackstone is my preferred set in London for what, in my view, is an unrivalled mix of technical specialism, commercial approach to advising, and a realistic, balanced approach on fees.’

‘Amazing strength in depth across all areas.’

‘First class Chambers – for me the go to Chambers for prestigious clients or complex commercial litigation and arbitrations.’

‘Pre-eminent in the areas of commercial litigation and high court employment work. Full of top drawer individuals. I have never been disappointed trying someone new at Blackstone. They have rolled out some great online training sessions this last year.’

‘This is an outstanding set of chambers with a deep pool of talent.’

Clerking

‘Tremendous. All of them whether form Gary Oliver and Derek Sutton down to the youngest/newest clerks. The clerks are friendly helpful courteous; I trust their judgments and recommendation and after 50 years of being a lawyer that speaks volumes.

‘Derek Sutton is excellent in terms of managing our relationship with Chambers.

‘Gary Oliver and his team are formidable. Danny Compton is always a pleasure to work with.’

‘Really good and understanding. I particularly rate Danny Compton, who is both sensible and business-like, and a jolly nice person.’

‘Very good. Dean Tolman is very helpful.’

Brick Court Chambers

Brick Court Chambers ‘continues to field an extremely impressive bench, from senior silks down to junior juniors’ and is widely considered ‘one of the strongest commercial civil sets‘. The set’s members have a diverse range of expertise and are ‘excellent‘ for international disputes. The ongoing litigation, Privatbank v Kolomoisky and others, has involved several senior and junior members, including Mark Howard KC, Michael Bools KC, Alec Haydon KC and Geoffrey Kuehne , all defending the bank’s former owner, Igor Kolomoisky, against allegations that he misappropriated US$2.4bn by arranging fraudulent loans. Tim Lord KC is also leading Simon Birt KC, Craig Morrison , and Sophie Shaw on behalf of the respondent, Ingenious Media, in the high-profile test case launched by investors over the tax treatment of its film finance investment schemes.

Testimonials

Set

‘Premier set for commercial disputes.’

‘Brick Court continues to field an extremely impressive bench, from senior silks down to junior juniors. They are capable of assembling large teams for the most complex cases and have a good roster of senior juniors and junior silks who can take on smaller matters by themselves.’

‘Brick Court are stand-out – they have real strength in depth, absolute quality and they are very visible.’

‘Brick Court are one of the strongest commercial civil sets. They are a very powerful set, massive, always able to service work.’

‘Excellent set for international work. Really good working relationships from silks to juniors.’

Clerking

‘Paul Dennison is now the best clerk in the London market, and helps us and our clients wherever barristers happen to be and whenever we need them.’

‘Similarly stand-out – the clerks team are very active, and make the time outside of London where a lot of sets do not. Highly personalised approach marks them out from others.’

‘Fantastic clerks – Paul Dennison, Tony Burgess, and Phil Wilkes are all outstanding. Jo Francis is especially fantastic at holding her own against clerks from other sets.’

‘James Knapp and Paul Dennison provide invaluable support and are an important link between lawyers and the Court listing office.’

‘The clerks are helpful and responsive without fail.’

Essex Court Chambers

Essex Court Chambers is ‘packed with excellent barristers‘ and has ‘a deserved reputation as a Magic Circle chambers for heavyweight litigation‘. The set’s senior and junior members offer an incredibly broad range of expertise, including overlapping strengths in civil fraud and commercial arbitration. Recent noteworthy cases include Dynasty Company for Oil and Gas Trading Ltd v The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq; and Dr Ashti Hawrami, a US$1.5bn Commercial Court claim relating to change of control of two oil and gas blocks in Northern Iraq in which Hawrami was successfully represented by Graham Dunning KC, Anton Dudnikov and Catherine Jung. Several members, including Dunning, Anna Dilnot KC, Ruth den Besten, Ciaran Keller and Benedict Tompkins, are representing different groups of defendants in, Suppipat & Ors v Nop Narongdeg & Ors, a US$2bn claim concerning an alleged fraud by Thai businessman Nop Narongdej and several other individuals and entities over the ownership of Thailand’s largest renewable energy company.

Testimonials

Set

‘One of the market leading commercial litigation sets – packed with excellent barristers.’

‘Essex court is one of the leading sets in commercial litigation for a reason. They have true strength and depth.’

‘I am consistently impressed by Essex Court. Everyone I have worked with there is very intelligent and hard working. They are without question a go-to set when you have a difficult issue.’

‘Essex Court is excellent and the top of the tree for commercial litigation work.’

‘Essex Court is an outstanding set with a deserved reputation as a Magic Circle chambers for heavyweight litigation. They are my go-to choice for complex civil fraud claims. All the tenants are outstanding.’

Clerking

‘Ably led by Joe Ferrigno, they know what they deliver and how to pair barristers with the work on which they are instructed.’

‘Kevin Grubb is very good. Commercial, flexible and fun to deal with.’

‘The clerks room is first rate. Oliver Duane is always a pleasure to deal with; he is commercially savvy and extremely personable.’

‘The best in town, without a doubt. Nothing is too much trouble, always efficient.’

‘The clerks are always sensible and responsive. In particular, Jack Wood is simply fantastic. He is super helpful as well as being commercially pragmatic. He makes the life of the instructing solicitor a breeze. He is the best clerk that I have dealt with (at any chambers) and he continues to shine.’

Work highlights

Fountain Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers is ‘a stellar set of chambers that can offer both very capable juniors and well-respected and highly talented silks‘. The set’s impressive credentials stretch across several core areas, from high-end banking and finance disputes, through to civil and criminal fraud. A major instruction has been NMC Health Ltd & Ors v BR Shetty & Ors, in which Bankim Thanki KC is leading Nico Leslie, among others, for the joint administrators of the Middle Eastern healthcare company, NMC Health, involving claims against the founder and certain prominent former shareholders for fraud and embezzlement. In VTB Capital plc v Republic of Mozambique & Others, David Railton KC is leading Timothy Howe KC , Adam Sher and Ian Bergson for the claimant, in a dispute involving monetary claims against Mozambiquan borrowers, guaranteed by the Mozambique state.

Testimonials

Set

‘Fountain Court is a stellar set of chambers that can offer both very capable juniors and well-respected and highly talented silks, many of which have assisted us in our cases in the past few years.’

‘Fountain Court are undoubtedly one of the top sets in the business. Their junior barristers are top notch and the silks are refreshingly down to earth, and practical in their approach to cases.’

‘They are my go-to set. Clerking is top notch. Super responsive. Service is impeccable. They have never failed to accommodate any request. Counsel are always available. What sets this set apart from the rest is the consistency of quality of counsel. They are all (bar none) super clever, very approachable, very client friendly and advice is never wrong.’

‘Fountain Court remains one of the very top commercial sets in London.’

‘Fountain Court Chambers is a tremendous set on every level. The entire team appears invested in their client’s success and it is a joy to work with them.’

Clerking

‘The Fountain Court clerks are a pleasure to deal with. Alfie Harper is my go-to and never disappoints. Prompt, consistent and considered service, with a real appreciation for the challenges we face as solicitors and client requirements.’

‘Sam Ismail is very approachable, friendly and very responsive. Very commercial and happy to work within a client’s budget.’

‘Clerks are excellent. In particular, Alfie Harper, Chloe Gibbs, Sam Ismail.’

‘The clerks are all highly efficient and responsive.’

‘The clerks room service levels are exceptional – they go the extra mile no matter how small the request. Alex Taylor as Senior Clerk is singled out for his gentle but highly effective leadership; he is clearly deeply respected by his team and counsel.’

One Essex Court

One Essex Court is ‘an exceptional set of chambers with a fabulous pool of talent‘ who are considered ‘the absolute cream of the crop of commercial/fraud litigators‘. Few can match the set’s deep bench of top name silks and juniors, which was deepened further by the return of Lord Wolfson KC from his stint as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice. Anna Boase KC also led Emma Jones for the defendant in The Carphone Warehouse Ltd v Telefonica UK Ltd, a breach of contract claim linked to special offer tariffs for SIM-only deals. In another key case, Allianz Global Investors GmbH & others v G4S, Laurence Rabinowitz KC and Simon Colton KC defended the security services company in shareholder claims for in excess of £100 million arising out of alleged untrue and misleading statements in, and material omissions from, G4S’s published information; namely its attempts to bill the Ministry of Justice for electronically tagging criminals who had either never been tagged or were dead.

Testimonials

Set

‘One Essex are the absolute cream of the crop of commercial/fraud litigators.’

‘OEC is an exceptional set of chambers with a fabulous pool of talent. Someone is always made available because they all work incredibly hard, not because they ever have too little to do.’

‘Elite. Exceptional. The best of the best.’

Clerking

‘Jackie Ginty is a force. She is an excellent manager of both the clerks and the barristers. She is very responsive and will do her best to assist with any issue.’

‘Darren Burrows is a very smooth operator.’

‘The clerking service at OEC is and always has been by far the best of chambers I’ve ever used. They never promise what cannot be delivered, unlike many of their counterparts. Stand-out clerks include Adam Wheeler, David Amdor and Rob Smith.’

‘David Amdor is a very good clerk.’

‘High quality team. I have recently worked with Ben O’Hanlon and Jack Miller who are responsive and efficient.’

Tier 2 sets

7 King's Bench Walk

7 King’s Bench Walk is ‘a very strong all round commercial set with a barrister to suit all requirements‘. Traditionally known for strengths in insurance and shipping it is also ‘great at any commercial disputes‘ backed by ‘lots of strength in depth from juniors‘. The set is a popular choice for major cross-border international litigations, and in PetroSaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Ltd v Clyde & Co , David Allen KC and Jason Robinson represented PetroSaudi in its bid access US$325m in the law firm’s escrow account, which had been frozen due to alleged collections with the 1MDB fraud, to satisfy an arbitral award. Another highlight was the set’s role on the FCA test case litigation, FCA v Arch and others, concerning business interruption claims concerning COVID-19 lockdowns, with several members including Gavin Kealey KC and Jonathan Gaisman KC respectively leading for two selected insurers, Amlin and Hiscox.

Testimonials

Set

‘7 KBW is a very strong all round commercial set with a barrister to suit all requirements.’

‘Great set with lots of strength in depth from juniors.’

‘A quality chambers. All of the many tenants I have dealt with there over the years are exceptionally intelligent and good practitioners. There is thus real strength in depth and a place to go to for topline advice and advocacy.’

‘The chambers are great to work with, the best for any insurance related work but great at any commercial disputes.’

‘7KBW remains my go-to for any matters relating to insurance or shipping, but increasingly also for general commercial matters.’

Clerking

‘The senior clerk and deputy head clerks are all excellent. They are always available and responsive.’

‘Absolutely excellent led by Greg Leyden.’

‘Excellent clerking team – they are responsive, always helpful and a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Grey Leyden and Eddie Johns are recommended.’

‘The clerks are always very friendly and cooperative. In particular, Gary Rose is extremely helpful and practical. Also Hannah Hart is very helpful.’

Maitland Chambers

Maitland Chambers is ‘an excellent set of chambers with huge bench strength‘. Complimentary expertise in related areas such as offshore, insolvency and fraud make it a destination set for high profile commercial disputes. David Mumford KC and Thomas Munby KC are on the team representing the Qatari government in Qatar v Banque Havilland SA, a claim concerning an alleged conspiracy by the bank and the government of the United Arab Emirates, which severed diplomatic relations with Qatar between 2017 and 2021, to cause a run on the value of the riyal and Qatari sovereign debt. Munby KC, alongside Duncan McCombe, was also led by Andrew Twigger KC on behalf of the claimant in Bugsby Property v LGIM Commercial Lending, involving a damages claim against a Legal & General group company for an alleged breach of an exclusivity agreement, which concluded with a four-week trial.

Testimonials

Set

‘Maitland has particular strength in running the line between pure insolvency and commercial asset recovery. They have the tactical awareness required in guiding commercial litigation to the best outcome, backed up by deep founded knowledge in black letter insolvency law.’

‘Maitland are an excellent set of chambers with huge bench strength. I have worked with may of the barristers there over the years and have always been impressed. Never wanting and never disappointed.’

‘Maitland’s service levels are outstanding and the responsiveness and engagement from the team is superb. Highly technical barristers who are easy to deal with and work well in teams.’

‘Maitland is clearly one of the leading commercial and chancery sets, with plenty of strength in depth, and a great clerk’s room.’

‘Fantastic set full of clever barristers.’

Clerking

‘Maitland has an excellent clerks’ room which is responsive, straightforward and welcoming.’

‘Excellent. Rob Penson is a great clerk. On the ball and proactive.’

‘Luke Irons and Ryan Elliott are wonderful to work with.’

‘John Wiggs is a real leader and a knowledgeable and helpful port of call.’

‘Clerks are always on hand to assist and always respond to emails promptly (Jason Windle).’

Serle Court

Serle Court is ‘a class act‘ with ‘a number of fantastic silks and excellent junior coming up‘. The set has a top-notch reputation for high-end Chancery, offshore, and fraud claims, which translates well into broader commercial disputes. Several members, including Jonathan Adkin KC and Adil Mohamedbhai for the trustee defendants and James Weale for an intervenor, are involved in Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company & Ors, a case before the Bermuda Supreme Court in which the claimant seeks to recover billions of dollars of assets purportedly held in the purpose trusts on behalf of his late father’s estate. Philip Marshall KC and Simon Hattan are acting for one of the defendants, Kamran Amouzegar, in The Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan, a US$800m-plus fraud claim involving bribery allegations linked to banking and investments of Kuwait’s state pension fund.

Testimonials

Set

‘Serle Court is a class act.’

‘Serle Court has incredible strength in depth at all levels. I consider the Serle Court name to be a quality stamp. You invariably receive user friendly, incisive and commercial advice and advocacy from this set.’

‘Serle Court is going from strength to strength. They have a number of fantastic silks and excellent junior coming up.’

‘Serle Court are an absolutely first rate set. The quality of the barristers I have worked with there has been uniformly high and their breadth of expertise within the area is impressive. I would highly recommend them to anyone.’

‘Very strong offering in commercial dispute resolution at all levels.’

Clerking

‘Emma Quin is a pleasure to deal with. She is always extremely helpful and friendly, often going the extra mile to make sure that we are well looked after.’

‘Steve Whitaker adds huge value and is always a pleasure to deal with.’

‘Daniel Wheeler is particularly excellent – calm under pressure and always a pleasure to deal with. Emma Quin and Charlie Payne are developing into fantastic clerks – astute, personable and thorough.’

‘Steve Whittaker and Nick Hoskins are user friendly – manage expectations – ensure that rates are pitched correctly.‘

‘The clerking team is a joy to work with. Very sensible, commercial and ready to find a solution.’

Twenty Essex

Twenty Essex is a ‘ go-to set for substantial commercial disputes, particularly with an international angle‘. Clients appreciate its ‘good strength in depth and a dazzling array of legal talent,‘ who bring experience of handling the largest cases. Notable instructions include Abdulhameed Dhia Jafar v The GHF Group Limited and GHF General Partner Limited, a case arising from the collapse of the Abraaj emerging markets private equity house, in which Stephen Atherton KC is leading Sarah Tresman for GHF, which sits within the Abraaj fund structure. Another major case involving several members is PJSC National Bank Trust; PJSC Otkritie Bank Financial Corporation v Boris Mints; Dmitry Mints; Alexander Mints; Igor Mints, a fraudulent conspiracy claim in relation to the restructuring of loans, with Philip Edey KC and Tresman representing Boris Mints and Duncan Matthews KC representing his son, Igor Mints.

Testimonials

Set

‘Twenty Essex is full of excellent barristers at all levels – my go-to set.’

‘Twenty Essex is my go-to set for substantial commercial disputes, particularly with an international angle. They provide excellent silks and juniors for most types of commercial dispute. Their barristers are very accessible and approachable.’

‘Twenty Essex are brilliant and growing strongly with excellent barristers of a high calibre.’

‘Rightly regarded as one of the leading commercial sets with a good strength in depth and a dazzling array of legal talent.’

‘Twenty Essex is a fantastic set, one of our go-to sets given the quality of counsel and their personable nature.’

Clerking

‘Really good – helpful, responsive, and realistic and commercial when it comes to fees.’

‘The clerks provide an excellent support service at all levels.’

‘Clerks are responsive and diligent. Matthew Dowdall is responsive, considered and a pleasure to deal with. Chris Theobald is commercial, approachable and a solution provider.’

‘Arron Zitver is a key man for this chambers and they are fortunate to have him.’

‘Chris Theobald is excellent – very accommodating and responsive, the perfect communicator between instructing solicitors and counsel.’

Wilberforce Chambers

‘Part of the Offshore blue blood,’ Wilberforce Chambers is considered ‘a top commercial set with excellent silks‘ and ‘exceptional’ juniors. The set’s members have successfully blended the commercial and chancery elements of their practices to become a favoured destination for the largest disputes. Recently these have included Craig Wright, Tulip Trading Ltd and ors v Persons Unknown, Various Bitcoin Developers in which John Wardell KC, Bobby Friedman and Sri Carmichael are acting for Craig Wright, a man who has claimed to be Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto, in a claim against various developers after losing access to £2-3bn worth of Bitcoin after his computer was hacked in 2020. In Vneshprombank v Bedzhamov, Alan Gourgey KC is leading three junior members, including Jack Watson, for the claimant in a £1bn plus claim against Georgy Bedzhamov, concerning the bank’s collapse and related allegations of fraud and conspiracy.

Testimonials

Set

‘Wilberforce is always one of the leading sets for commercial and chancery work.’

‘Wilberforce – part of the offshore blue blood. Responsive clerking, good value fee policies.’

‘Excellent set that always delivers. Great diversity in their offering.’

‘Wilberforce are a top commercial set with excellent silks.’

‘Wilberforce Chambers are a first rate set with a growing number of excellent barristers. It has grown from strength to strength.’

‘The quality of their barristers is exceptional, especially the juniors.’

Clerking

‘Grace Mahoney is very responsive and helpful.’

‘Excellent. Fraser Geddes is everything you could want from a clerk.’

‘Andrew Barnes is one of the top clerks around at any level or chambers. Always a strong focus on client experience in the clerks’ room generally.’

‘Excellent service – Nancy Lee is a pleasure to work with.’

‘They have one of the best clerks’ rooms around. My favourite clerks are Fraser Geddes, Andrew Barnes and Stewart Cameron. All excellent at their jobs and very nice.’

Work highlights

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is a ‘top-quality set with ability across the board, good strength in depth and a user-friendly approach‘. It is considered ‘a go-to for trust and fraud litigation‘ and is an undoubted leader for the full range of Offshore matters. Recent matters include Capital WW v Paysafe & Ors in which Robert Levy KC led Bajul Shahfor the claimant in its applications for Norwich Pharmacal relief concerning unpaid dividends from a gambling business. Several senior juniors regularly act unled in significant cases, including Adam Cloherty and Hugh Miall; the latter represented the claimant, a property consultancy company, in Burbage Realty Ltd v RJ 15 Ltd & Ors, a dispute over fees for the introduction, negotiation and development of a warehousing and logistics site next to the M1.

Testimonials

Set

‘Top quality set with ability across the board, good strength in depth and a user-friendly approach.’

‘Great annual training conference is a fixture in the calendar. Some pretty good fun social events too.’

‘XXIV have been one of my go-to sets for many years. The quality of many of the barristers, at an extremely competitive price point, makes them a great fit for a lot of work that I undertake.‘

‘Very good set – a go to for trust and fraud litigation.’

‘XXIV is an excellent chambers for Chancery work, always at the forefront of developing law.’

Clerking

‘Professional and easy to deal with – Perry Brown is an excellent practice manager who always seems in complete control.’

‘Clerks are very friendly and respond fast. Tommie Drury has been a pleasure to work with.

‘Paul Horsfield is great to work with and is always looking at ways to improve the service that his team delivers.’

‘The clerks are excellent – particularly James Ladbrooke. Very easy to deal with and commercial on fees.’

‘The clerking team at XXIV Old Buildings are second to none. They are always attentive, helpful and reasonable. I have dealt most frequently with James Ladbrook, Tommie Drury, Lyndon Tiller and Matt Evans all of whom have been brilliant.

Tier 3 sets

4 New Square

4 New Square is ‘a top-class outfit with top to bottom strength‘. Core areas such as professional negligence also feed into the increasingly impressive commercial practice of its members. Recent high profile cases include Vneshprombank (VPB) v Bedzhamov & Ors in which Justin Fenwick KC is leading Mark Cullen, on behalf of Georgy Bedzhamov, who alleges he is the victim of a corporate raid in fraud proceedings brought by a now-insolvent Russian bank, against a backdrop of intervention of his own Russian trustee in bankruptcy. Daniel Saoul KC is also leading the team, including Matthieu Gregoire, on behalf of the claimants in 600 Claimants v Spence, Kewley, Crump & Others, in which hundreds of individuals and companies were allegedly mis-sold holiday and student properties through the defendant’s ‘Emerging Properties’ brand.

Testimonials

Set

‘4 New Square are obviously top notch for negligence, but I am increasingly impressed by their wider commercial practice.’

‘4 New Square are renowned for civil litigation and strength in juniors.‘

‘4 New Square is highly respected and has a great reputation in the areas of fraud and commercial ligation. You are assured of quality if you instruct 4 New Square. The barrister that we deal with will always make themselves available but if for any reason they are not they will always suggest suitable substitute.’

‘4 New Square have strength and depth at every level.’

‘A top-class outfit with top to bottom strength.’

Clerking

‘They are all very good, receptive to my needs and client and business oriented.’

‘Great clerks, particularly Dennis Peck.’

‘Dennis Peck and Jack Crowhurst are excellent clerks. They are responsive, accommodating and will got the extra mile to deliver great service. They are part of the reason that we stick with 4 New Square.’

‘Lizzy Stewart is highly experienced and pragmatic – like the counsel team at 4 New Square she remains entirely calm under pressure and is a pleasure to work with.’

‘Jack Boggans has been excellent. He is always very responsive and easy to deal with when it comes to agreeing fees.’

4 Stone Buildings

4 Stone Buildings is an ‘outstanding Chancery set‘ which is ‘highly reputable for offshore commercial matters’. Clients note that the ‘juniors, in particular, are of a consistently high calibre‘. Richard Hill KC is leading a large team, including fellow member Andrew de Mestre KC, for the claimants in Travelport and Ors v WEX Inc, concerning two joined claims arising out of WEX’s proposed acquisition of eNett and Optal. Another major mandate has been Faulkner v Vollin Investments Limited, in relation to a dispute between 70 shareholders in a projector technology company and its funder, in which Donald Lilly and, at an earlier stage, Orlando Fraser KC, represented the respondents.

Testimonials

Set

‘4 Stone Buildings is a strong commercial set. We regularly instruct counsel from 4 Stone on a range of commercial disputes, including shareholder disputes and fraud. The juniors, in particular, are of a consistently high calibre.’

‘The set as a whole is highly reputable for offshore commercial matters and they have excellent depth of offering.‘

‘Great chambers. We use a number of the KCs there regularly.’

‘4 Stone Buildings are an outstanding Chancery set. Most (if not all) of our fee earners regularly instruct their Counsel at all levels, from the most junior members up to Silks. Without exception, their barristers are friendly, easy to work with, and supremely confident and gifted lawyers. They can be flexible and innovative with regard to fee structures and rates, and their clerks always ensure that someone is available, even on very short notice. They always recommend the right person for the job.’

‘Really strong set with an abundance of talent.’

Clerking

‘All of the clerking team provide a first-rate service. Senior Clerk David Goddard is sophistication personified. David is very supportive, reassuring and avuncular with junior members of chambers, and he leads a brilliant clerking team with Ben Lashmar (First Junior Clerk) and Ryan Tunkel (Second Junior Clerk) who have an enviably commercial approach with our lawyers. They are always available, very responsive and can offer solutions when difficult circumstances arise. And they are thoroughly decent and fun people to work with. They often make the sometimes tough litigation process easier to manage with their unflappable approach, positive attitude and unstinting sense of humour.’

‘The clerks can’t do enough to help. David Goddard is a legend.’

‘Always commercial and helpful. Ryan Tunkel is a standout.’

‘By far the most helpful set I have ever worked with. There is no limit to the effort the clerks put in to pulling something out of the bag, they listen to your concerns and deal with the same promptly and professionally and they go above and beyond to make you feel like a very valued client. This is the only set I would instruct in chancery work.’

‘Service is excellent. The clerks are friendly and prompt.’

Erskine Chambers

Erskine Chambers remains the ‘go-to chambers for disputes with a corporate or company law angle‘ with barristers who ‘are out of the very top draw of talent at the Chancery Bar‘. Many are also used for broader commercial disputes, and stand out for claims with an offshore angle. High-profile cases include an injunction restraining the exercise of call options relating to the founder’s shares in the cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp, in which Andrew Thompson KC led Jack Rivett on behalf of the claimant. Edward Davies KC and Ben Griffiths both represented the claimant in IsZo v Nam Tai, in a bid to reverse the US$170m placement of shares in the NYSE-listed company registered in the BVI.

Testimonials

Set

‘Go-to chambers for disputes with a corporate/company law angle.’

‘Excellent company chambers.’

‘Still the go-to set in relation to company law matters and insolvency. A particular feature of the set is the impressive strength and depth of it barristers. Without exception all members of chambers are out of the very top draw of talent at the Chancery bar.’

‘A strong set, not just in English company law, but also BVI company law and international commercial litigation.’

‘The go-to set for company law issues.’

Clerking

‘Extremely well clerked. The return of Phil Reeves as the senior clerk ensures the set will continue to remain a tight and well run ship.’

‘Michael Shillingford is my go-to, and always come up with a solution for me.’

‘Very good clerking.’

Quadrant Chambers

Quadrant Chambers is ‘quality commercial set’ that ‘has moved well beyond its shipping roots‘. The ‘forward-thinking, commercially astute, and user friendly‘ chambers has ‘embraced technology leaving others far behind‘ and has ‘a number of good options at all levels for commercial litigation‘. Notable cases include DAZN v IMG in which Paul Downes KC is leading Nicola Allsop for the defendants in a dispute regarding the rights to broadcast Italian Serie A football in Brazil, and whether their disruption due to COVID-19 amounted to a force majeure event. Simon Rainey KC also led Joseph Sullivan for the defendant in Conocophillips Company v Chrysaor E&P, which concerned the construction of a contract used for the US$2.6bn purchase of the claimant’s UK oil and gas exploration and production businesses.

Testimonials

Set

‘Quadrant has moved well beyond its shipping roots to become a quality commercial set.’

‘Forward-thinking, commercially astute, and user friendly. They have embraced technology leaving others far behind. The quad cast series is accessible, personable, and entertaining. A first-class set.’

‘Quadrant has really improved their commercial litigation offering in recent years. They now have good strength in depth and a number of good options at all levels for commercial litigation.’

‘A strong set and now renowned for commercial litigation as much as maritime work.’

‘We regularly use a variety of barristers at Quadrant – they are a strong set. We use Quadrant for the vast majority of our IT and commercial litigation matters.’

Clerking

‘I have had excellent experiences with the clerking team at Quadrant Chambers. I could not praise Daniel Westerman enough. He always has a warm greeting and does everything in his power to help assist me with my query and either find options for barristers or assist with any issues that might arise during the court of the litigation – whether with availability, the Court or liaising with the other side. It is reassuring to know there is someone I can turn to for assistance in these circumstances who I know will get back to me quickly and keep me updated on progress. A star.‘

‘Simon Slattery is excellent.’

‘The clerks room is second to none and they make huge efforts to assist with identifying the right barrister for the particular matter/client. Service is at the top of their agenda. Clerks and barristers alike are there to make solicitors’ and clients’ lives easier.’

‘The clerks are extremely efficient, have a helpful attitude and are always more than happy to assist. The clerks always seem to be up to date on matters and are an excellent first port of call when contacting chambers. Billy Beckett in particular has been very helpful on our matters.’

South Square

South Square has a ‘stellar reputation especially for insolvency-related litigation‘, but its ‘its areas of expertise have broadened very considerably over the last 10 or more years to cover most areas of high value commercial litigation‘. Notable disputes include Credit Suisse v Softbank, relating to claims made by Credit Suisse arising out of the collapse of Greensill, the supply chain finance business, in which Tom Smith KC is leading Adam Al-Attar for Softbank, the technology investment firm led by Masayoshi Son. Several members are involved in a challenge to the restructuring of the Virgin Active gym group, with Georgina Peters representing the landlords, with Smith and David Allison KC acting as opposing counsel.

Testimonials

Set

‘South Square is a very strong set. Historically, it was very much focused on Insolvency and restructuring but its areas of expertise have broadened very considerably over the last 10 or more years to cover most areas of high value commercial litigation, certainly (but not only) in the financial services sector.’

‘South Square is a leading chambers in several areas. The quality of the barristers there is first-rate.’

‘Stellar reputation, especially for insolvency-related litigation.’

‘South Square continue to be the go-to set for insolvency matters.’

‘Excellent.’

Clerking

‘Aside from the ability of many of its tenants, the single most important factor in South Square being my go to chambers is the strength of the clerking there. I have over the years, developed a very strong relationship with the team and always find them responsive and understanding of the pressures placed on solicitors by the lay client (for example in relation to fees). They are all very good, but Jim Costa and Dylan Playfoot require special commendation, closely followed by Marco Malatesta and Mike Killick.’

‘Highly professional and helpful.’

‘Clerks respond promptly to correspondence and go the extra mile to assist.’

‘Excellent. Jim Costa is so friendly and responsive. Very reliable. Nothing is too much trouble.’

‘The clerks were very responsive and easy to deal with.’

Work highlights

Tier 4 sets

4 Pump Court

4 Pump Court is ‘an excellent set to work with across a range of areas’ and ‘punches well above its weight in terms of quality and breadth of experience‘. Nigel Tozzi KC remains a leading figure in the market and represented Kestrel Coal in Quartz Assets LLC (and others) v KestrelCoal Midco Pty, a US$172m dispute concerning the acquisition financing of ming assets from Rio Tinto. Nicholas Vineall KC is also leading the Maduro team in in Central Bank of Venezuela: Maduro Board v Guaido Board, concerning who controls gold bullion at the Bank of England belonging to the Central Bank of Venezuela. At the junior end, Matthew Thorne regularly acts as sole counsel on prominent claims. The set was also boosted by the arrival of the up-and-coming Laurence Page from Gatehouse Chambers.

Testimonials

Set

‘4 Pump Court, whilst smaller than its major competitors, punches well above its weight in terms of quality and breadth of experience. They have a stable of advocates who can turn their minds to any major, complex dispute.’

‘Pump Court are an impressive set with barristers of the highest calibre.’

‘4 Pump Court – very good set. Strength in depth.’

‘An excellent set to work with across a range of areas.’

‘Good commercial set.’

Clerking

‘The clerks, most recently Richard Sumarno, are helpful and user friendly.’

‘Clerks are very good and proactive.’

‘Stewart Gibbs very good to deal with. Will help try to win business for everybody. Billy Griffiths – very responsive. Good to deal with.’

‘The clerks are a pleasure to deal with. Bill Griffiths and Sam Penny deserve a mention.’

‘The clerking team at 4 Pump Court continue to provide a slick, commercially focussed service. ‘

‘Clerks were extremely helpful. Stuart Gibbs and Sam Penny in particular.’

Littleton Chambers

Littleton Chambers is ‘an excellent set with high-quality counsel‘. Traditionally strong in employment and commercial disputes involving individuals, the set is an increasingly favoured choice for international commercial litigation and civil fraud. Members regularly work together on high value cross-border matters, and in Abdulrahman Al-Subaihi and Jamal Al-Muzein v Mishal Al-Sanea, Rupert D’Cruz KC and Alexander Halban are acting for the claimant in a dispute over the US$20m payment of legal fees, involving allegations of undue influence and breach of fiduciary and corporate capacity under Saudi law. Senior juniors such as Marc Delehanty and Nicholas Goodfellow respectively have significant roles for the defendants in major multi-party trials Privatbank v Kolomoisky, Bogolyubov, Teamtrend Ltd & others, and Jinxin Inc. v Media Partners and Silva, LLC and others.

Testimonials

Set

‘Littleton Chambers is an excellent set with high quality counsel, I instruct quite a few of them, they are also very responsive and willing to go over and above to find appropriate counsel or to assist with anything.’

‘My go-to set for general commercial litigation, especially for cases with an employment related element.’

‘A strong commercial litigation set.’

‘Littleton Chambers are the rising stars of chambers covering employment, commercial disputes including civil fraud and sport.’

‘Littleton are very strong in commercial litigation work and this has improved over the past few years.’

Clerking

‘The clerks room is brilliant, I’ve always had excellent service. Scott Hersey in particular always goes the extra mile to provide responsive, quick and helpful service. ‘

‘Jason Drakeford and Dan Woodbridge are very experienced and good at dealing with clients.’

‘Very responsive. You can expect a response within an hour almost all the time. Their fees are very affordable and always accepted by the clients.’

‘First rate service – Jason Drakeford, Dan Woodbridge and Scott Hersey all provide top class support.’

‘The clerks are very responsive and Scott Hersey in particular is a pleasure to deal with.’

Coverage By Practice AreaLondon Bar