Fraud: civil in London Bar

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Fraud: Civil

3 Verulam Buildings

Brick Court Chambers

Essex Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers

Leading Silks

Robert Anderson QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘He is extremely experienced in this area and hugely knowledgeable and experienced in obtaining injunctive relief in aid of asset tracing cases. He is also a superb advocate and ferocious cross-examiner.’

Alan Gourgey QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘One of the best silks around - he is exceptional in both his written and oral presentation of cases, his legal analysis is excellent and he is tactically astute.’

Mark Howard QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Absolutely top rank advocate, trusted and respected by Judges and amazing ability to articulate complex issues in a clear and persuasive manner.’

Elizabeth Jones QC - Serle Court ‘A truly brilliant silk.’

Neil Kitchener QC - One Essex Court ‘A very punchy, switched on counsel who fights his client's position with great skill and passion.’

Tim Lord QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Great leader, who manages the team very effectively and keeps morale up - gives effective commercial advice and is a very powerful advocate.’

Ali Malek QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘The most highly regarded civil fraud silk. I go to him for the most complex high value matters where his strategic (and calm) thinking set him aside from the rest. His understanding of what issues will sway a court or tribunal is second to none.’

Philip Marshall QC - Serle Court ‘A brilliant tactician and a formidable advocate who leaves no stone unturned to win a case.’

Paul McGrath QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘Undoubtedly one of the leading lights of the civil fraud bar, and has particular expertise and experience in relation to interim injunctive relief - his knowledge in this area is encyclopaedic.’

Ewan McQuater QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Raw intelligence and a confident and assertive leadership style – he's not afraid to make tough calls and back them. He combines these with impeccable manners and a calm and reassuring bedside manner.’

Anthony Peto QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘Very pragmatic and creative in relation to the nature of the relief/remedies being sought, particularly in relation to interim injunction orders.’

Laurence Rabinowitz QC - One Essex Court ‘He is astonishingly clever yet remains responsive and a pleasure to deal with - clients adore him.’

Stephen Rubin QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Remains at the top of fraud's go-to senior barristers.’

Stephen Smith QC - Erskine Chambers ‘Strategically there is no better top flight QC.’

Joe Smouha QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘A real heavyweight in trusts and fraud matters who likes to organise every aspect of a winning strategy, he has a real cutting edge to his cross-examination and delivery of submissions.’

Bankim Thanki QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘He’s now in the band of the real elite at the commercial bar, with a particular focus on fraud work - he’s tremendously clever; he’s monumentally hard-working; he’s always superbly well-prepared.’

Jonathan Adkin QC - Serle Court ‘A passionate and highly intelligent advocate - the clients love his approach in conference and in court.’

Stephen Auld QC - One Essex Court ‘A tenacious advocate. Excellent on complex civil fraud cases.’

Adrian Beltrami QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Very strong analytical powers, first-rate knowledge of the relevant law and grasp of the commercial context.’

Alan Boyle QC - Serle Court ‘An absolute delight to work with - his levels of accessibility, kindness and general helpfulness are more associated with a very junior barrister looking to build their network and are a testament to him.’

John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘An outstanding civil fraud practitioner.’

Jeffrey Chapman QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Combines expert knowledge of the law with down to earth, practical advice - his cross-examination and advocacy skills during the trial were extremely impressive.’

Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘Always well prepared and hard working, an excellent strategist, and authoritative when need be with clients.’

Justin Fenwick QC - 4 New Square ‘Has an incredible depth of knowledge, and knows how to react to every conceivable situation - he's seen it all before and is never flustered.’

Jonathan Fisher QC - Red Lion Chambers ‘He has an extremely deep knowledge of the law around money laundering and all kinds of financial wrongdoing that straddle criminal and civil fraud law.’

Andrew Hunter QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘A very effective advocate, insightful, clever and respected by the bench, he stands out even among the leading civil fraud silks.’

Philip Jones QC - Serle Court ‘The kind of silk that can turn a case around and is never without a solution for the most difficult of problems.’

Robert Levy QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘A natural choice for offshore fraud work - he is phenomenally hard-working, incredibly aggressive, and absolutely committed to his clients.’

Richard Lissack QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘He is able to switch effortlessly between civil fraud, regulatory and white collar crime and is in my view the go-to silk in these areas.’

Paul Lowenstein QC - Twenty Essex ‘He is brilliant under pressure, bright, innovative, hard working, responsive, and brilliant as a leader.’

Duncan Matthews QC - Twenty Essex ‘Absolutely brilliant.’

Ian Mill QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘He is able to quickly digest a large amount of information and work with both lawyers and clients to develop and successfully implement trial strategies.’

Richard Morgan QC - Maitland Chambers ‘One of the top Chancery and fraud silks in the country.’

Hugh Norbury QC - Serle Court ‘An outstandingly capable silk - immensely engaging and always a pleasure to work with.’

Andrew Onslow QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Very commercial, exceptionally good to work with as a member of a big team, accessible and pragmatic. Just the sort of person you want in order to help you through tangled fraud situations.’

Tim Penny QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Deep knowledge of the law, persuasive advocate, excellent in conference, a tremendous team player and a go-to QC for complex civil fraud.’

David Quest QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Clever advocate, excellent on skeletons and correspondence, and easy to get on with.’

Elspeth Talbot Rice QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘A great, robust advocate and definitely one to have on your side.’

Stuart Ritchie QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘A superb lawyer and advocate, his advocacy really is in the top tier - he is also very knowledgeable regarding fiduciary duties which often feature in corporate and fraud disputes.’

Stephen Moverley Smith QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Extremely responsive and able to articulate complex arguments in a persuasive and attractive manner. His gentle approach in submissions seems to have the ears of the judges.’

Tom Smith QC - South Square ‘Technically brilliant, extremely hard working and a genuine star.’

Alan Steinfeld QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Absolutely excellent and I would recommend him unhesitatingly for chancery and trusts work.’

Andrew Sutcliffe QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘An outstanding advocate and adviser, he combines vast experience of litigating complex civil fraud matters, with an excellent courtroom manner.’

Sonia Tolaney QC - One Essex Court ‘A very well respected QC who provides excellent advice and shows good judgement.’

Daniel Toledano QC - One Essex Court ‘Excellent judgement, great manner with the client, and a team player.’

John Wardell QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘A real fighter - bold in his advice and opinions.’

Tom Weisselberg QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘Has a great strategic mind and is unflappable, two key qualities in a barrister leading a civil fraud team.’

David Allen QC - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘Commercial, easy to deal with and doesn't pull punches.’

Andrew Ayres QC - Maitland Chambers

Graham Chapman QC - 4 New Square ‘Our leading counsel of choice on large value, complex fraud claims; works well as part of a team and has strong advocacy skills.’

Alain Choo Choy QC - One Essex Court ‘He has brilliant people skills, even when under tremendous pressure.’

Jonathan Cohen QC - Littleton Chambers ‘An excellent advocate with real tactical nous, he is also a very good lawyer - he produces quality written work and clients are rightly impressed by him.’

Simon Davenport QC - 3 Hare Court ‘Dynamic and energetic.’

Huw Davies QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘Very approachable and as comfortable dealing with the most junior associate as the partner, it is a pleasure to pick up the phone to talk to him.’

Robin Dicker QC - South Square ‘A heavy-hitting silk.’

Charles Dougherty QC - 2 Temple Gardens ‘His written advocacy is brilliant and he can pick the right arguments and deliver them in a compelling and persuasive manner. He is a real expert on freezing injunctions and has a fantastic appreciation of both the law and practice of these.’

Paul Downes QC - Quadrant Chambers ‘He was a pleasure to work with as he was really au fait with the voluminous documents and affidavits despite being instructed at relatively short notice. He was decisive in terms of strategy to be adopted and his impressive eloquence and effective style of advocacy gave a lot of comfort to the clients.’

Philip Edey QC - Twenty Essex ‘Impressive - I have a massive amount of time for him.’

Vernon Flynn QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘He rolls up his sleeves and fights side to side with his clients and instructing lawyers. He is very user friendly and successfully advances aggressive, but justifiably so, arguments against fraudsters.’

Steven Gee QC - Monckton Chambers ‘The pre-eminent leading counsel on injunctions, he has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the case law. Despite his seniority, he is very hands-on and hard-working.’

Richard Gillis QC - One Essex Court ‘Meticulous in his preparation; technically very strong with a keen eye for a winning argument; a real team player and thoroughly nice person.’

Lord Grabiner QC - One Essex Court ‘A real star - he is a game changing barrister who has the ability to make difficult points look very easy and winnable.’

David Head QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘David is first rate. He is exactly the person you want by your side on a heavy fraud case. He is ferociously clever whilst remaining commercial and pragmatic.’

Robert Howe QC - Blackstone Chambers ‘The best leader in this area by far, he destroys opponents in court with ease - you always want Robert on your side rather than against you.’

Timothy Howe QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘A versatile advocate who is always prepared to fight his client's corner to the utmost of his ability.’

Daniel Lightman QC - Serle Court ‘Fantastically bright and has very good strategic sense. Daniel is a pleasure to work with and has a wonderful demeanour with clients.’

Thomas Lowe QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Standout star of the offshore bar - extremely bright and a pleasure to work with.’

Hodge Malek QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Meticulous and with a good common sense, and high ethical standards.’

Roger Masefield QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Modestly the smartest guy in the room, Roger is the full package: he is all over the detail, a robust and effective advocate, and a pleasure to deal with.’

David Mumford QC - Maitland Chambers ‘Very clever and hard working - covers all bases and ensures all cases are extremely well-prepared before trial.’

Mark Phillips QC - South Square ‘He’s right down in the detail but also has the experienced head and perspective to put it all together at the end.’

Nathan Pillow QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘One of the best courtroom advocates and cross-examiners I have seen, also exceedingly good to deal with and always focused on the bigger strategic picture without losing sight of the detail.’

Anthony de Garr Robinson QC - One Essex Court ‘When you go into court, you know that he will have thought through every angle and will be as prepared as one can possibly be - phenomenally clever, but down to earth and a great a team player.’

Simon Salzedo QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘He is extremely clever, diligent, clear and responsive, and brilliant at unpicking knotty problems and coming up with imaginative solutions.’

Charles Samek QC - Littleton Chambers ‘A very accomplished client lawyer and he has a tremendous bedside manner, even when imparting hard truths.’

Steven Thompson QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven is a confident and assertive advocate who presents well in consultation with clients. Good grasp of details and persuasive presentation to the court: especially orally.’

Francis Tregear QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Very focused on the strategy, has a clear and reasonable way to explain the choices, and is always available.’

Stephen Atherton QC - Twenty Essex ‘An impressive silk, spanning a number of areas of practice, and a persuasive advocate who jumps in and gets to grips with the issues.’

Graham Brodie QC - 33 Chancery Lane ‘Graham has an exceptional intellect and is a master at strategy. He finds creative solutions to extremely complicated problems. His provision of a well-thought out plan of attack in any case - and sticking to it - gives reassurance and structure to the running of a case.’

Aidan Casey QC - 3 Hare Court ‘A thoughtful and considered leader who is not afraid to get into the trenches – an excellent team player who does not shy away from challenges.’

Lawrence Cohen QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘A real asset in complex, high-value litigation.’

Dominic Dowley QC - Serle Court ‘Happy to either provide high level legal guidance or roll his sleeves up to do more routine work, whatever helps the team.’

Patrick Goodall QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘A first-class silk - incisive, highly responsive, user-friendly, and with a refined sense of how the court is likely to approach an issue, he instils tremendous confidence and is great with clients.’

Thomas Grant QC - Maitland Chambers ‘Simply brilliant - he understood the client immediately and gave clear and practical advice from the outset.’

Jeffrey Gruder QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘His advocacy is clear and authoritative.’

Philip Hackett QC - The 36 Group ‘Steeped in top experience in the most difficult and high-profile fraud cases - hugely intelligent, a strong, versatile and fearless advocate.’

Dakis Hagen QC - Serle Court ‘Delightful and hugely capable young silk - brilliant with clients and very hard working.’

Richard Hill QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘Our biggest clients love him and we wish he was more available - but that is the price of being good.’

John Jarvis QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Extremely user friendly, commercial and a really good team player.’

Nigel Jones QC - Hardwicke ‘Every once in a while you come across a barrister who does and has it all - insightful and detailed legal knowledge, amazing on his feet, fabulous client bedside manner, able to predict with accuracy what the future holds and he is also commercial.’

Daniel Jowell QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Good at distilling complex arguments into the essential points; a good team player and charming to deal with.’

Clare Montgomery QC - Matrix Chambers ‘Clare is the go-to QC for any corporation or individual facing a bribery or corruption investigation. She is frighteningly intelligent and is able to assimilate vast quantities of documents to quickly get to the crux of the matter. As an instructing solicitor, there is no one else you want in court representing your client.’

Craig Orr QC - One Essex Court ‘His exceptionally quick mind brings an unrivalled courtroom presence to bear and he has an outstanding ability to focus both clients and the court on the essentials of a complex case.’

Thomas Plewman QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Extremely conscientious and hardworking: A barrister of detail and determination, always striving to do the best for his clients.’

Philip Shepherd QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘He has seen it all and has a well-judged eye as to when to run a point aggressively, and when to adopt a softer strategy.’

Clare Stanley QC - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Superb - she reads everything, understands all the nuances and gives clear pragmatic advice on the law (of which she has an exceptional grasp) and commercial considerations.’

Paul Stanley QC - Essex Court Chambers ‘A force to be reckoned with in civil fraud - robust but backed by extreme intellectual fire power.’

Felicity Toube QC - South Square ‘One of our favourite silks.’

Richard Waller QC - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘Delegates effectively but always remains on top of the detail, he is a pleasure to work with.’

2019 Silks

Nicholas Craig QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Clear, concise advice, unflappable and reassuring, with an ability to quickly develop a mastery of the detail of a case.’

Nicholas Medcroft QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Has an excellent grasp of proceeds of crime issues arising in the context of civil proceedings, and his advice is thorough, measured and practical.’

Andrew de Mestre QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘Has creativity and flair, and with difficult cases he is often able to see a way through that has eluded others.’

Fionn Pilbrow QC - Brick Court Chambers ‘Absolutely first rate; he has a meticulous eye for detail, is super-smart and creative and is an articulate and extremely persuasive advocate.’

Daniel Saoul QC - 4 New Square ‘Dan is accessible and commercially astute. He is good at seeing things in the broader context whilst still focusing on the key issues. He is excellent in all respects - everything you want in a silk dealing with complex and high-value fraud matters.’

Peter de Verneuil Smith QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘An exceptional young silk who will see immense success in the next few years and a pleasure to work with.’

2020 Silks

Siward Atkins QC - Maitland Chambers ‘He is a consummate team player, and is flexible in his approach, very prepared to engage in debate and consider other points of view.’

Richard Fisher QC - South Square ‘Incredibly bright and has a fantastic ability to quickly assimilate complex facts and legal issues and distill them down into clear and strategic advice.’

Jamie Goldsmith QC - One Essex Court ‘A highly rated new silk who has no discernible weaknesses.’

Justin Higgo QC - Serle Court ‘He's brilliant - really clever, sees the way through complex matters as if they're simple.’

Blair Leahy QC - Twenty Essex ‘Blair is extremely easy to work with and was able to get up to speed extremely quickly on a very complex matter when we urgently required assistance. Her input (even when instructed on such a matter at short notice) was exceptionally perceptive and helpful.’

Edward Levey QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Very impressive on his feet. Very detailed, and good at delivering all the facts before the Court in a concise, robust and detailed fashion.’

Shantanu Majumdar QC - Radcliffe Chambers ‘A strategic thinker, hard-working and collaborative - a superb trial lawyer and cross-examiner.’

Tamara Oppenheimer QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Tamara is a star - she is accessible, responsive and easy to deal with. She cuts through things quickly, identifying the key issues and addresses them head on. She is practical and commercial. She thinks laterally and finds answers where others wouldn't.’

Conall Patton QC - One Essex Court ‘As an advocate, his cross-examination is devastating and of a quality way beyond his call.’

Rajesh Pillai QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘An extremely gifted and wise counsel, and someone whom I am grateful to have on our team in extremely complex matters.’

Philip Riches QC - Twenty Essex ‘He is an excellent advocate and skilful cross-examiner.’

Leading Juniors

Tim Akkouh - Essex Court Chambers ‘Tim drafts beautifully, is an excellent team player and really grasps what the client's priorities are.’

David Davies - Essex Court Chambers ‘Very sensible, easy to deal with and a safe pair of hands - a great addition to any team.’

Anna Dilnot - Essex Court Chambers ‘My first choice of counsel when I need a senior junior or junior silk on a civil fraud case - she combines excellent knowledge with outstanding tactical nous.’

Nicholas Harrison - Serle Court ‘Creative, with an immense ability to resolve the most challenging of legal issues as if second nature.’

Simon Hattan - Serle Court ‘Marvelous - thorough, intelligent, fights a client's case and can be relied upon completely.’

Michael Lazarus - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘A top silk in disguise - forensic, commercial, analytical, persuasive and excellent to deal with. First class.’

David Peters - Essex Court Chambers ‘My first port of call for large, complex fraud cases, he is more than an excellent legal mind - he has phenomenal judgement and knows what a judge will make of things.’

Robert Weekes - Blackstone Chambers ‘An absolute pleasure to work with no matter how difficult the hearing or challenging the client.’

James Willan - Essex Court Chambers ‘Simply one of the best juniors around, truly outstanding - he is a top QC in the making; drafts beautifully, is very commercial and is incredibly hard-working.’

Stuart Adair - XXIV Old Buildings ‘A strong, methodical advocate and able to handle very big disputes - he is at a silk's level.’

Ruth den Besten - Essex Court Chambers ‘A phenomenal junior for the most hard fought fraud cases - very bright, and knows fraud inside out. A strong advocate, not intimidated by QCs on the other side of the room.’

Richard Blakeley - Brick Court Chambers ‘Strong ability to process information, especially foreign law concepts, and turn around quality work product - good with clients and robust advocacy.’

Marc Delehanty - Littleton Chambers ‘Extremely bright, hardworking and knows his stuff. Marc is strong on the law and produces good quality work, both on paper and on his feet.’

David Drake - Serle Court ‘One of the smartest lawyers one could possibly meet – never intimidated by any legal issue and an immense talent.’

Anton Dudnikov - Essex Court Chambers ‘Turns around his work with effortless ease and with alarming attention to detail as well as seeing the bigger picture - his fluent Russian is an added bonus.’

Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘Calm, measured and not scared of hard work to get to grips with the detail - highly reliable.’

Edward Harrison - Brick Court Chambers ‘A relaxed and urbane advocate who is keen to get to the heart of the legal issues arising in any fraud case.’

Nigel Hood - New Square Chambers ‘Incisive, tenacious, responsive and measured advice - excellent client skills with the right mix of gravitas.’

Louise Hutton - Essex Court Chambers ‘There is no junior in the civil fraud area with more experience of large cases. Has a great instinct for what will and won’t matter when the chips are down.’

Benjamin John - Maitland Chambers ‘Very clever and diligent - approachable and works well with different members of the team and of differing seniorities and experience.’

Ciaran Keller - Essex Court Chambers ‘Extremely efficient and an outstanding junior, one of the very best at the commercial bar.’

Thomas Munby - Maitland Chambers ‘A pleasure to deal with and a key member of the team.’

Christopher Newman - Twenty Essex ‘Chris exudes confidence and assertively picks apart an opponent's cases seemingly with ease.’

Laura Newton - Brick Court Chambers ‘Highly intelligent and analytical, always completely on top of the detail, has a collaborative working style, a very sharp mind and is a pleasure to work with.’

Matthew Parker - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘A bold and convincing advocate who demands the attention of the court, charming with solicitors and clients alike, and a real pleasure to work with.’

Iain Pester - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Very knowledgeable, great attention to detail, excellent judgement as to what will and will not play well with a court.’

Alexander Polley - One Essex Court ‘Remarkable appetite for work, attention to detail, and confidence,and all wrapped up in a super-bright personality, a pleasure to work with.’

Stephen Robins - South Square ‘In a class of his own for cross-examination and is good to deal with.’

James Sheehan - Essex Court Chambers ‘His written work is excellent; he is very thorough; he leaves no stone unturned.’

Henry Forbes Smith - One Essex Court ‘He is a very knowledgeable and thoughtful lawyer, and expresses his views with clarity and confidence - although he is also open-minded and happy to debate and discuss.’

Ian Smith - 33 Chancery Lane ‘The go-to counsel for the crossover between the criminal and civil world, and he really understand the demands on clients from a practical perspective. He pushes and pushes until he has everything he needs and the cases are always the better for it.’

Simon Adamyk - New Square Chambers ‘Great eye for detail, user friendly, and fiendishly clever.’

Simon Atrill - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Worked brilliantly well with the solicitor team - his ability to master a complicated fact pattern and adapt to quickly changing circumstances and new evidence was particularly impressive.’

Richard Eschwege - Brick Court Chambers ‘He is charming, very easy to work with and absolutely tenacious in support of a client's case.’

Tom Ford - Essex Court Chambers ‘One of the finest juniors I have ever worked with - diligent, hard-working, highly-intelligent and talented strategist, his package of skills are, to my mind, unrivalled in this area.’

Dan McCourt Fritz - Serle Court ‘He has a fierce intellect and is a brilliant advocate, and is also superb with clients and, which really marks him out.’

Andrew Fulton - Twenty Essex ‘He is extremely bright, an excellent advocate and always fights the clients’ case with enthusiasm and vigour.’

Peter Head - Blackstone Chambers ‘A solicitor’s dream - the best example of the modern barrister; extremely bright, user friendly and phenomenal work ethic.’

Fred Hobson - Brick Court Chambers ‘One of the names you’d always think about on a big case, very tough which we like him for and he’s easy to deal with.’

Laura John - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Incredibly bright, quick on the uptake, and personable.’

Edward Knight - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Edward gives decisive advice which engenders confidence.’

Adam Kramer - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘An extremely clever lawyer and tactician who is huge fun to work with. Great subtlety of analysis, and good at knowing when to go in strong and when to hold back.’

Anna Littler - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Meticulous preparation and attention to detail, combined with charm and a real willingness to work as part of the team.’

Hugh Miall - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Excellent junior. Focussed and hard working. Good written style.’

Matthew Morrison - Serle Court ‘A very hard working junior, provides excellent support, and is a good team player.’

Deepak Nambisan - Fountain Court Chambers

Leona Powell - Blackstone Chambers ‘Quite simply fantastic – I have never come across a better senior junior in the civil fraud arena.’

Watson Pringle - Maitland Chambers ‘A most accomplished advocate who combines brains with astute judgement - a really safe pair of hands.’

Michael Ryan - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘Very bright, ambitious and focussed, his drafting is excellent and he will have a very successful career at the Bar.’

Shane Sibbel - Blackstone Chambers ‘An amazing junior, with a fantastic capacity to roll sleeves up and jump into a new complicated case.’

Victoria Windle - Blackstone Chambers ‘Very bright and tremendously hard working, she has great instincts, and she can draw on a wealth of great experience in fraud cases.’

Paul Adams - Serle Court ‘He is astonishingly bright: he sees and understands issues and the interaction between them instantly; his knowledge of the law and his ability to recall authority relevant to any given situation is, in my experience, without equal.’

Robert Amey - South Square ‘First rate for high-value fraud, both technically strong and commercial - always provides practical advice quickly and sticks to the material points without getting sidetracked.’

Adam Baradon - Blackstone Chambers ‘An extremely good advocate who ensures he is prepared for anything the judge could throw at him - incredibly thorough with good strategic sense.’

Tony Beswetherick - Twenty Essex ‘He is a great tactician, anticipates every argument and is fully prepared to counter it.’

Alexander Brown - One Essex Court ‘He is an excellent team player and has a great eye for detail, his oral advocacy is superb and he can pick open an argument with ease.’

Rory Brown - 9 Stone Buildings ‘Responsive, very knowledgeable and always gives pragmatic advice. Has an exceptionally sharp understanding of both the practical and legal aspects of running a fraud case - a true pleasure to work with.’

Daniel Burgess - Blackstone Chambers ‘Extremely bright and very accessible, Daniel offers creative solutions to complex problems. He is very impressive.’

Edward Craven - Matrix Chambers ‘He is a polymath who brings his wide insights into criminal work. He is an intellectual giant who is also incredibly hard working and user friendly. Very good with the detail, rolls up his sleeves freely, and very knowledgeable on civil fraud and insolvency.’

William Edwards - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Bright and hardworking; he is a great team player.’

Joseph England - Quadrant Chambers ‘A up-and-coming star in civil fraud litigation. He has an intuitive feel for how the court will see cases. His grasp of the law and how to put legally complicated points is also excellent. He is a dangerous adversary, constantly looking for weaknesses in his opponent's position and clients love him.’

Bobby Friedman - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Fantastic at moving quickly to produce robust and complicated documents for court and then turns up to convince a judge of the need and urgency of the action being taken.’

Nicholas Goodfellow - Littleton Chambers ‘A scrupulous and thorough advocate and a shining light at the junior bar, can't recommend him highly enough.’

Alexander Halban - Littleton Chambers ‘Bright, produces excellent documents, and has a firm but pleasant courtroom manner, he also has a USP: he speaks fluent Russian, meaning that he is a natural choice for the wave of CIS litigation making its way through the Commercial Court at present.’

Philip Hinks - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Analytical and has shown good judgement in very factually and legally complex cases.’

Edward Ho - Brick Court Chambers ‘He has a true knack for complex fraud cases. Still a genius and absolutely go-to at that level, he’s an absolute trojan.’

Michael Holmes - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘Huge attention to detail, he guts a set of papers, leaving no stone unturned - he has the rare ability to take difficult and complex cases and identify and simplify the issues.’

Keir Howie - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘A delight to work with, hard working, practical and mature beyond his years.’

Mark Hubbard - New Square Chambers ‘His advice is clear and pragmatic and he is great fun to work with; an encyclopaedic brain and savvy approach make him an outstanding advocate.’

Christopher Langley - Fountain Court Chambers ‘A brilliant lawyer with a modern, commercial and enthusiastic approach to cases and an engaging style of advocacy.’

Nico Leslie - Fountain Court Chambers ‘An excellent junior barrister, he is very diligent and always up to date with the latest legal developments. Incredibly bright, very personable and supremely hard working. He was a pleasure to work alongside.’

Christopher Lloyd - Erskine Chambers ‘He is quite simply a terrific barrister, and I never fail to be impressed with the quality of service that he delivers. He combines exceptional intelligence, meticulous preparation and a very effective courtroom presence with a real willingness to muck in and work as part of a team.’

James McWilliams - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Fantastically bright, an impressive, assured advocate, and very commercial in his approach - he is the full package and a future superstar.’

Adil Mohamedbhai - Serle Court ‘Has a formidable intellect and work ethic to match, he is fantastic to work with and has excellent judgement.’

Richard Mott - One Essex Court ‘A confident junior who is undaunted by handling complex and lengthy hearings in fraud matters against silks.’

Faisal Osman - 33 Chancery Lane ‘A great all-rounder. Has carved out a fairly unique practice as counsel and project manager for enforcement projects, which is a fantastic driver of value.’

Laurence Page - Hardwicke ‘His grasp of the facts and the evidence is encyclopaedic.’

Alexander Pelling - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Clients trust him because he understands their problems and thinks creatively about how to solve them.’

Tom Poole - 3 Hare Court ‘Friendly and good clear written advice. Also an effective advocate.’

Edward Sawyer - Wilberforce Chambers ‘Highly organised, a great lawyer and very good with clients.’

Bajul Shah - XXIV Old Buildings ‘He is supremely calm, both on his feet and in conference with clients - nothing perturbs him, and there are very few barristers who respond better when up against the ropes.’

Richard Walford - Serle Court ‘Richard rolls up his sleeves and really gets involved in a case.’

Rising Stars

Ian Bergson - Fountain Court Chambers ‘Ian has an exceptional work ethic and attention to detail, it is not an exaggeration to say that he does the work of two other barristers in half the time.’

Stuart Cribb - Essex Court Chambers ‘Bright and on top of all the factual detail as well as intricate legal points. Thorough and faultless written work with a nice style. A confident and calm advocate who is very well prepared and who gets the judge on side.’

Joshua Folkard - 4 New Square ‘Josh is extemely thorough in his analysis, gives comprehensive advice. He is very sharp. Very hard working. Everything you would want in a commercial junior. Throughout the preparation process, Josh was very responsive, commercially pragmatic and a pleasure to work with.’

Sam Goodman - Twenty Essex ‘A junior to watch for sure and already punching above his weight.’

Oliver Jones - Serle Court ‘A rising star in this area - he is very strong on the law; his grasp of complex equitable and asset tracing issues is very impressive. He takes a collaborative approach that makes him a delight to work with. His advice is considered, mature and tactically aware.’

Tim Matthewson - Wilberforce Chambers ‘He is knowledgeable, technically brilliant and a very creative thinker - he looks at problems from different angles and has extracted us from some tricky positions.’

Andrew Pearson - 7 King's Bench Walk ‘An outstanding specialist insurance and commercial advocate. He is a fearless advocate, creative tactician and strategist. His drafting is particularly good. A star of the future.’

Timothy Sherwin - XXIV Old Buildings ‘Exceptionally bright, years ahead of his call in his knowledge and capability, extremely approachable and conscientious.’

Ben Woolgar - Brick Court Chambers ‘Carries the most extraordinary case load and is constantly available, providing high-quality advice under pressure and when the stakes are high.’

Tier 1 sets

3 Verulam Buildings

'A safe choice for complex fraud work', 3 Verulam Buildings is 'an exceptional set of chambers' with 'many very accomplished barristers who boast impressive fraud credentials'. Members are often called upon in cases with heavy offshore elements, such as Ritchie Capital Management LLC & Ors v (1) Lancelot Investors Fund Ltd (in Official Liquidation) (2) General Electric Company, in which Ewan McQuater QC and James McWiliams represented General Electric in connection with a $3.6bn Ponzi scheme operated by Tom Petters. McWilliams is among several members, including Andrew Onslow QC and Ali Malek QC representing multiple defendants in the mammoth SKAT litigation, brought by Denmark's tax administration authority. In recent news, Rajesh Pillai was elevated to silk in March 2020.

Brick Court Chambers

Brick Court Chambers 'has many of the best advocates at the commercial bar' and clients rate its 'clever, hard-working, unstuffy juniors with excellent judgement who can turn their hands to a broad range of commercial and public law matters'. Civil fraud remains a key area for many of its members who have an excellent track record on major cross-border disputes. Recently, Neil Calver QC (elevated to the High Court in October 2020) and Laura Newton appeared on opposing sides of Avonwick Holdings Ltd v Azitio Holdings Ltd and Ors. Tim Lord QC and Fred Hobson are also acting for three of the defendants in the epic SKAT v Solo Capital Partners and 160 Others. Ben Woolgar is a rising star in chambers.

Essex Court Chambers

Essex Court Chambers has established itself 'as a go-to set, not only for Commercial Court work and international arbitration but for offshore international fraud cases, too'. The 'excellent set is teeming with talent at all levels' and 'seems to have monopolised the top senior juniors in commercial fraud', making it 'the leading fraud set, by a significant margin – they have all the good juniors and most of the good silks'. Notable cases include National Bank Trust v Yurov in which Nathan Pillow QC, David Davies and Anton Dudnikov represent the claimant, with James Willan sole counsel for one of the bank's directors. A 'dedicated and valuable team player', Stuart Cribb is a rising star in chambers.

Fountain Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers is 'a top chambers and does a great deal of fraud work'. The set is commended for its 'very real strength in depth at all levels' and in recent years it has 'actively built out by lateral hires in the market', particularly in the intersection of civil and criminal fraud. The HP v Autonomy dispute saw Richard Lissack QC representing Autonomy's former chief financial officer, while, on the opposing side, Patrick Goodall QC was among those representing the claimants. Another landmark case was SFO v Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, where Bankim Thanki QC and new silk Tamara Oppenheimer QC successfully represented ENRC in the Court of Appeal. Edward Levey QC was another member of chambers to talk silk in early 2020; considered a 'creative thinker', Ian Bergson is a rising star in chambers.

One Essex Court

One Essex Court is 'excellent, with a good selection of very able QCs and juniors covering fraud, injunctions and general commercial work'. The set stands out for its'first-class silks and excellent juniors at all ends of the experience spectrum'. Lead cases include Omers Administration Corporation v Tesco in which Laurence Rabinowitz QC and Conall Patton QC are advising Tesco while Neil Kitchener QC and Richard Mott are representing Omers. Sonia Tolaney QC has also been representing defendants three to eight in PJSC Commercial Bank PrivatBank v Kolomoisky, Bogolyubov and others, which went to the Court of Appeal. In a boost to chambers, March 2020 saw Jamie Goldsmith QC and Conall Patton QC elevated to silk.

Serle Court

'The quality is excellent' at Serle Court which is 'a go-to set for fraud claims generally'. Clients rate the strength in depth, where 'from the top to the bottom they're high-quality barristers and I've not come across one I wouldn't instruct'. Members have strong expertise in fraud cases with an offshore element, and also in the Middle East. Claims such as Glenn v Watson has involved several members, including Elizabeth Jones QC, new silk Justin Higgo QC, Paul Adams, and rising star Oliver Jones. Daniel Lightman QC is also leading Adil Mohamedbhai in Griffith v Gourgey.

Tier 2 sets

Blackstone Chambers

Blackstone Chambers is 'a standout set in the civil fraud space, with some real heavy hitters and real strength at silk, senior-junior and junior levels'. Clients appreciate its 'very substantial bench strength in this area of law which is very useful' in particular at the junior end where it has 'some fantastic young barristers'. Among the set's impressive caseload, a major highlight was Sabbagh v Khoury in which Anthony Peto QC and Peter Head represented the claimant, while Andrew Hunter QC led for the defendant. Robert Anderson QC and Daniel Burgess successfully obtained interim relief for the claimant in Wildbrain v Robson & anr.

Maitland Chambers

Maitland Chambers is 'one of the strongest commercial/Chancery sets, with substantial strength in depth'. For civil fraud work, the 'silks are leaders in their field and the juniors are also brilliant'. David Mumford QC has made a strong name for himself in this area and is part of a team, including Thomas Munby, that is representing the State of Qatar in State of Qatar v Banque Havilland. Other key cases include Convoy Collateral v Broad Idea, in which Richard Morgan QC is representing the BVI respondent, while Thomas Grant QC and Munby are representing the claimants in Adlesee ve Dentons LLP. In recent news, Siward Atkins took silk in March 2020.

Twenty Essex

Twenty Essex is an 'excellent' set with a strong background in civil fraud, particularly when it comes to disputes in associated areas such as commodities trading and insolvency. Clients appreciate 'the good availability of highly experienced counsel' and note that they are 'glad to accept their suggestions of junior counsel'. Recently, Stephen Atherton QC has been leading Tony Beswetherick in Standard Chartered Bank v African Minerals. Elsewhere, in Vneshprombank LLC v Bedzhamov & Ors, Paul Lowenstein QC and rising star Sam Goodman acted for the Deposit Insurance Agency of Russia, and new silk Blair Leahy QC was on the opposing team; Philip Riches was another member of the set to be elevated to silk in March 2020.

Wilberforce Chambers

Wilberforce Chambers has 'some brilliant people with a range of skills' and 'has really built out its civil fraud offering over the past few years and is becoming a serious contender in that space'. Its members are especially strong in related offshore, trusts, and professional negligence matters, and are praised for being 'very responsive'. High profile cases include Receivers of Sebastian Holdings v Sarek, Vik & others in which Tim Penny QC led rising star Tim Matthewson on behalf of the claimants. John Wardell QC also achieved a major victory in the Supreme Court for the appellant, Takhar, in Takhar v Gracefield Developments Limited and others.

XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings is 'one of the go-to chambers' with 'brilliant strength in depth' and ' a large number of barristers from silk down to the lowest junior who are outstanding on this field'. The chambers is especially noted for its 'strong links to offshore centres and Dubai'. Noteworthy cases include RAK Investments v Bestfort Development Ltd, a $42m fraud claim from Georgia in which Stephen Moverley Smith QC and Alexander Pelling are both involved. Robert Levy QC and Hugh Miall also acted for over 100 claimants in the long-running asset tracing dispute, Ward & Ors v Savill & Ors. The 'highly effective and dependable' Timothy Sherwin is a rising star in chambers.

Tier 3 sets

4 Stone Buildings

4 Stone Buildings is 'a leading set' with 'good strength in depth' and barristers 'who make themselves available'. Civil fraud is a significant area of practice, and members have been instructed by public bodies, such as the National Crime Agency, as well as private sector clients. The set's strong insolvency background inevitably feeds into some of its more high profile instructions. Broader commercial claims have included Pinchuk v Kolomoisky & Bogolyubov and Autonomy Corporation v Dr Michael Lynch, in which Richard Hill QC and Jonathan Crow QC acted together. Other highlights have included Stanford International Bank v HSBC in which Andrew de Mestre QC is representing the liquidator.

7 King's Bench Walk

7 King's Bench Walk 'has real depth in civil fraud' and the 'barristers are very commercially minded and great team players'. Clients note that the 'juniors, in particular, stand out' on fraud matters, with several making a strong name for themselves in the market. Insurance-related fraud disputes often feature on the agenda, a notable example being the Brillante Virtuoso case, Suez Fortune and Piraeus Bank v Talbot Underwriting and Others, in which Richard Waller QC and Keir Howie are both involved. At the junior end, Michael Ryan and Michael Holmes are on opposing sides of a significant banking fraud dispute. A 'fearless advocate, creative tactician and strategist', Andrew Pearson is a rising star in chambers.

South Square

South Square is 'our go-to for fraud and insolvency counsel' and is also noted for its excellent reputation in related areas such as banking and offshore work. The set fields a selection of highly-rated silks and juniors who are often called in to advise on complex cases with a strong financial element. Well-known names include Tom Smith QC, who is leading Richard Fisher QC and the up-and-coming junior Robert Amey, on Primeo v HSBC, which is due for a final appeal in 2020. Several members have also been involved in the Saad fraud litigation, including Mark Phillips QC and Felicity Toube QC.

The Legal 500 > United Kingdom - The Bar > London Bar > Fraud: civil

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