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Fraud: Civil

1
3 Verulam Buildings
Blackstone Chambers
Brick Court Chambers
Essex Court Chambers
Fountain Court Chambers
One Essex Court
Serle Court
2
Maitland Chambers
Twenty Essex
Wilberforce Chambers
XXIV Old Buildings
3
4 Stone Buildings
7 King's Bench Walk
South Square

Leading Silks

1
Jonathan Adkin KC –Serle Court ‘A true star and one of the very top go to Silks for fraud related litigation. Tremendously able as an advocate with a compelling corporate-ness and an absolute delight to work with.'
Robert Anderson KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Robert is a pre-eminent trial lawyer; the best cross-examiner in town.’
Jeffrey Chapman KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Jeff is unflappable and seems to always find a route through the thorniest issues. He is always across the detail and a master tactician. He is an exceptional advocate and clinical in cross-examination.'
Alan Gourgey KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Alan is a terrific all round lawyer and one of the best at the bar for fraud cases.’
Mark Howard KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Undoubtedly in the top handful of advocates currently operating at the bar. Tenacious cross-examiner with a clear strategic focus.'
Elizabeth Jones KC –Serle Court ‘Success in big-ticket complex litigation depends on having a barrister who is able to master detail, who has good strategic nose, inspires confidence, builds a team and follows through. Liz is all of these. A powerful advocate and down to earth. She is quite simply outstanding – the best at English Bar at the moment.’
Neil Kitchener KC –One Essex Court ‘A fantastic strategist. One of the go-to silks in civil fraud matters.’
Tim Lord KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Tim is a vastly experienced senior silk with an excellent track-record in hard-fought fraud cases. An excellent choice for such cases.’
Ali Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Clients love Ali's direct and down to earth commercial approach which is based on years of experience. There is no better all rounder in the London market for high value work than Ali Malek.’
Philip Marshall KC –Serle Court ‘A robust advocate with excellent cross examination skills which is very effective in presenting the case and attacking the opponent and exposing their weaknesses.’
Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Paul is the leader in the field in strategy and knowledge of the area. He is well respected by the court who listen carefully to what he has to say because they know he knows what he is talking about.'
Ewan McQuater KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘An intellectual powerhouse who absorbs complex papers and evidence quickly.’
Richard Morgan KC –Maitland Chambers ‘Richard is one of the best advocates. He knows the law inside out and is a particular expert in cases involving injunctions and jurisdictional issue. His oral submissions are a masterclass in how to get the client’s case across. He is a go to silk for defendant work in civil fraud cases.’
Andrew Onslow KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Very experienced on both claimant and defendant sides. Very strong courtroom presence – judges listen to him. Andrew cuts through extraneous issues to address the points that matter. ’
Anthony Peto KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Tony is not only a very experienced and highly thought-of barrister who understands the subject matter extremely quickly and gives sound and experienced advice and solutions.’
Laurence Rabinowitz KC –One Essex Court ‘Laurie has an exceptionally forensic mind and always finds solutions to the trickiest of problems. His advocacy is mesmerising and he has the ear of the court. There is no better silk for complex fraud work in the London market.’
Stephen Rubin KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘As leading counsel in complex, civil fraud claims Stephen is first-rate. He has a huge range of experience acting on some of the largest cases in several jurisdictions and is a joy to work with. He is especially good in cases with cross-jurisdictional elements and at identifying solutions to difficult procedural issues.'
Joe Smouha KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Excellent in the civil fraud area.’
Bankim Thanki KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘One of, if not, the most respected barristers at the London Bar: no barrister commands the respect of judges, arbitrators and opponents more than him. His attention to detail and ability to run winning cases in complex fraud claims are second to none. He is also a pleasure to work with.’
John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘He is formidable and at the top of his game.'
2
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.'
Adrian Beltrami KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Incisive and brilliant – at the very top of the profession. His beautifully crafted submissions show the court a clear way through.’
John Brisby KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Immense ability and a hugely persuasive advocate with a wide range of international litigation skills.’
Alain Choo Choy KC –One Essex Court ‘Alain has a phenomenal legal intellect and is able to get on top of complex legal and factual matters with ease. He is ferociously hard working and an absolute pleasure to deal with. He is able to keep his cool even in the most high pressured situations.'
Jonathan Crow KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘An incredibly effective advocate, willing to get totally immersed in the detail, and on top of that he's collegiate and a delight to work with.’
Simon Davenport KC - 4 Pump Court ‘Excellent on his feet and persuasive. Good with clients.’
Charles Dougherty KC –2 Temple Gardens ‘Creative in his arguments which are always put with skill and charm.’
Philip Edey KC –Twenty Essex ‘Philip is quite simply a superb advocate. His manner is calm and measured while at the same time dynamic and intensely analytical. Outside court he is an excellent tactician who is not afraid of the detail, and has a very good client manner. He is one of the leading lights of the commercial Bar.'
Justin Fenwick KC –4 New Square ‘Justin has an excellent feel for what the judge will want to have addressed. He is an excellent strategist.’
Jonathan Fisher KC –Red Lion Chambers ‘His reputation is second to none. As he practices in a number of jurisdictions he has an exceptional profile in massive cross border cases. He is, to say the least, very bright and a super effective counsel.’
Vernon Flynn KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘One of the few who can effectively marshall a large barrister team and gets results in an international commercial litigation context.'
Thomas Grant KC –Maitland Chambers ‘Tom is a genuine star of the Bar, leaving him much in demand. He is thoroughly charming with judges and clients alike and has a formidable grasp of the detail of even the most complicated cases.'
David Head KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘David is very strong on the civil fraud side, and has really good financial disputes expertise too, which is helpful as these cases often have difficult finance or insolvency elements. He is really user friendly and knows how to get a judge on side, and also very good on overall strategic thinking.'
Andrew Hunter KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Exceptional advocate. Absolutely first rate cross-examiner. The best of the best.’
Philip Jones KC –Serle Court ‘Philip is personable and direct; his client manner is excellent. He is able to distil complex law into a form easily digested. Incredibly articulate in presenting oral argument and cross examination.'
Robert Levy KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Robert can be relied on to fight hard and get into the nuts and bolts of a case. Hugely commercially literate whilst really understanding what it takes to win a case, he can be relied upon completely, and brings a great deal more skill to cross-examination than many of his contemporaries.'
Richard Lissack KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘A tenacious advocate who is superb with clients, and utterly charming.’
Paul Lowenstein KC –Twenty Essex ‘A first rate advocate. Clear, concise, and well liked by the bench. Knows his papers well.'
Hodge Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Hodge has natural gravitas; judges' ears prick up when he starts addressing them.’
Duncan Matthews KC –Twenty Essex ‘Extremely bright and his advocacy is very persuasive.’
Ian Mill KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘A real courtroom fighter, with great judgement and experience in fraud related matters .’
David Mumford KC –Maitland Chambers ‘David is very well versed in the overlapping worlds of fraud and contentious trusts. He has a very measured style and cuts to the case. He quickly spots winning points in complex cases. A leader in his field.'
Hugh Norbury KC –Serle Court ‘A go to choice for civil fraud cases. Great judgement. Delightful to work with. Polished and very effective advocate. Never shies away from the difficult calls.'
Tim Penny KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Tim has developed into an excellent leader and advocate. He is also highly experienced in injunctive relief, and has been either the junior or the lead advocate in numerous cutting edge cases over the years.'
Nathan Pillow KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Nathan is a fantastic example of what a modern-day silk should be. Extremely bright, sound judgement, strong gravitas, available, user-friendly. He is forging a fantastic reputation as a leading silk, working on some of the biggest cases, which is very much deserved.’
David Quest KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Brilliant advocate and strategist. Calm and measured - predicts well. Clear persuasive documents and a joy to work with.'
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Her trial prep is meticulous. Her advocacy is some of the best I have seen: very well prepared, succinct and forceful.'
Stuart Ritchie KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘A dedicated leader of complex litigation, with sound judgement and mastery of the details.'
Charles Samek KC –Littleton Chambers ‘Charles is super clever and he combines his intellect with a street brawlers animus. The perfect fist in a silk glove.'
Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stephen is one of the most creative counsel in complex disputes and should never be under estimated.'
Tom Smith KC –South Square ‘A wonderful asset for any team in respect of company and winding up issues.'
Andrew Sutcliffe KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘A supremely gifted advocate and adviser, Andrew combines vast experience of litigating complex civil fraud matters with an incisive intellect. He has an charming court room manner, always holding the court’s attention and, as a deputy high court judge, he knows how to pitch a case perfectly.’
Sonia Tolaney KC –One Essex Court ‘Sonia is a the consummate all-rounder. She wears her intellectual strength lightly so clients feel they can really talk to her about what they are trying to achieve without getting lost in the complex legal issues. She is super brainy but combines this with determination, creativity and humanity. She gets the best out of her more junior colleagues and is always there to supplement any gaps.’
Daniel Toledano KC –One Essex Court ‘He is clever and thoughtful. He is a good advocate, able to convey submissions very clearly.’
Tom Weisselberg KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘A fantastic strategist and superb advocate. He is unflappable no matter how messy the case gets, and extremely light on his feet in court, with great judgement of how things will play with the judge and how best to put the client’s case. Charming, beloved by client and solicitors, he is a clever, heavyweight barrister and a go-to for any tricky or high value fraud claim.’
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Stephen Atherton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Clearly an expert on insolvency. But 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 lay clients can easily understand.’
Stephen Auld KC –One Essex Court ‘Stephen’s knowledge of the Commercial Court and they way in which a judge is likely to respond is second to none. He offers astute, technical advice in a client-friendly way while collaborating with the entire legal team to get a job done.’
Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew listens and supports his clients with remarkable client care skills. His preparation and cross-examination is second to none. He instills complete confidence in clients and solicitors alike.’
Camilla Bingham KC –One Essex Court ‘Superb advocate who is very robust in her approach. Camilla reads the court well, is not afraid of taking on difficult arguments and is wickedly smart in her written work.’
Simon Birt KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Simon has heavyweight analytical skills. He displays a razor-sharp ability to analyse facts into logical advice and legal argument. A great asset in complex and multifaceted litigation.'
Graham Brodie KC –33 Chancery Lane ‘Graham is at the very pinnacle of the profession in this area at the moment. As well as doing top drawer business crime cases, he is unique in that he specialises in civil work conducted in the shadow of possible criminal proceedings.’
Aidan Casey KC –3 Hare Court ‘Aidan is bright, hard working and always well-prepared. He is also great to work with, really understanding what both his solicitor and lay clients need, a consummate team player.'
Graham Chapman KC –4 New Square ‘Very practical and user friendly/get real approach. Great team player. Excellent judgement.'
Jonathan Cohen KC –Littleton Chambers ‘Jonny is the best in the business. His written work is simply brilliant. In front of clients he oozes authority and injects perspective and a blunt assessment of the case, telling clents (and lawyers) what they need to know. In court he is astonishingly good.'
Huw Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Huw has impeccable judgment and excellent court skills – quick on his feet and exceptional cross examination skills.’
Paul Downes KC –Quadrant Chambers ‘He is a remarkable advocate and his preparation for trial outstanding. He leaves no stone unturned meaning he is able to tie opponents on the stand in knots. At the same time, his down to earth no nonsense approach to seriously complicated disputes makes him extremely popular with clients alike.’
Steven Gee KC –Monckton Chambers ‘When it comes to commercial injunctions, Steven literally wrote the book. He is the go to silk for any matter involving an injunction hearing. Benefits from an enormous intellect but combines this with a ready willingness to muck in and get involved in the nuts and bolts of even the most difficult case, always ready with a clever and winning point.'
Richard Gillis KC –One Essex Court ‘Richard's meticulous preparation is second to none. If there's a good point he will find it and run it effectively. He is also a true gentleman.'
Patrick Goodall KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Patrick is a real go-to silk. He is just brilliant. Technically excellent, incredibly responsive and in the detail, and with superb judgement, inspiring total confidence. Strategic and pragmatic. A complete pleasure to work with and a great team player.’
George Hayman KC –Maitland Chambers ‘He's been doing this work since before it was fashionable - knows fraud inside out, from injunctions to substantive claims. A delight to work with, exceptionally user friendly.'
Richard Hill KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘An excellent silk. The consummate modern advocate.’
Robert Howe KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘A strategic thinker, Robert carefully guides complex cases through choppy waters. A silky-smooth advocate, he has complete mastery of the detail and makes even the driest and most complex issues accessible and interesting.'
Timothy Howe KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Extremely diligent and highly persuasive. A pleasure to work with.’
Daniel Jowell KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Phenomenally bright and user friendly.'
Daniel Lightman KC –Serle Court ‘He really thinks outside the box. He finds solutions when no one else can. Also a really tenacious advocate.'
Thomas Lowe KC –Wilberforce Chambers
Roger Masefield KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Gets on top of the detail, very good on his feet, persuasive advocate who makes sure judges understand even the most complex cases.’
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.'
Craig Orr KC –One Essex Court ‘Brilliant mind, ferocious attention to detail and getting across the facts of the case, a thorough and effective advocate.’
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.'
Hefin Rees KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘An extremely effective advocate. He has a great eye for detail and is a very forceful and effective cross examiner. His preparation for detailed forensic cross examination using schedules is impressive and highly effective in fraud cases.’
Anthony de Garr Robinson KC –One Essex Court ‘A brilliant silk.'
Simon Salzedo KC –Brick Court 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.'
Alan Steinfeld KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Incredibly bright, determined in court, commands respect and charismatic.'
Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven is real heavyweight in this area with a razor sharp eye for detail and a no nonsense approach. He has a great advocacy style and his written work is excellent.'
Felicity Toube KC –South Square ‘Extremely smart, approachable and commercial – one of the go-to leaders.’
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Very user friendly and easy to work with. Excellent practitioner.'
4
David Alexander KC – South Square ‘David is a wonderful barrister and what you want in a senior silk at the top of his game. He leads the team with authority and ease. He is a pleasure to deal with at all times.’
Lance Ashworth KC –Serle Court ‘An excellent barrister.'
James Collins KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘His style is effortless and authoritative, with an absolute mastery of the detail of every case. He is also an expert on quantum and complex financial transactions, which alone sets him apart.’
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘The combination of a Trojan work ethic, a brilliant mind and skilled advocacy makes him lethal to opposition in court.'
Andrew de Mestre KC - 4 Stone Buildings 'Andrew is a pleasure to work with - responsive and commercial with a good grasp of complex issues in the case and the needs of the client.'
Peter De Verneuil Smith KC - 3 Verulam Buildings 'Peter is super bright. He is easy to work with, even in the most demanding situations. He delivers, even under extreme pressure.' 
Orlando Fraser KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Very commercial, easy to deal with, thinks out of the box.'
Jonathan Gaisman KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘An extraordinary advocate who pays considerable attention to detail in an exceptionally difficult cases.’
Lord Grabiner KC – One Essex Court
Andrew Green KC - Blackstone Chambers 'A beast in court. An opponent to be feared, with a punchy and aggressive court style. Particularly at home with cross-examination and an ability to put unruly judges back in their boxes. A nose for fraud and the weak points in an opponent's case.'
Dakis Hagen KC –Serle Court ‘Dakis is the consummate advocate. He is excellent with clients and really puts them at ease.'
Richard Handyside KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Clear thinking, persuasive, often able to prevail on disputed points through intellectual clarity.’
Justin Higgo KC –Serle Court ‘A truly outstanding advocate and a wonderful addition to the front bench. Justin is driven, hugely able and effective at addressing head on almost any contentious challenging issue that is thrown at him. Great team player and a pleasure to know and work with.’
John Jarvis KC –3 Verulam Buildings
Nigel Jones KC –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Nigel is a truly exceptional advocate. A rare breed. He quickly identifies the winning point and often dismantles an opponent with embarrassing ease.'
Harry Matovu KC - Brick Court Chambers 'A great team-player, always willing to discuss and accommodate ideas, fantastic oral and written advocacy.'
Fenner Moeran KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Superb advocate who can combine the charm to keep the judge on side but with the huge experience and gravitas to win the day. Commands the room.'
Clare Montgomery KC –Matrix Chambers ‘Clare has the full range of skills as she is an expert on the law, able to inspire confidence with clients and is tactically astute.’
Rosalind Phelps KC - Fountain Court Chambers 'Extremely bright and enjoyable to work with. She has the ability to take incredibly complex matters and break them down into simple, digestible key points for both the Court and the client.'
Thomas Plewman KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Clarity and speed of advice. He thinks laterally. Critically he is very good to work with in a team.'
Daniel Saoul KC - 4 New Square 'Dan is a savvy, commercially minded silk willing to think around problems that leave others stumped. His written work is a joy, transforming even the most turgid application into a compelling page-turner.'
Clare Stanley KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Clare has an exceptional grasp of the facts, is tactically excellent and fantastic with clients - putting them at ease and instilling confidence through her hard-hitting advocacy.'
Paul Stanley KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Paul has the highest integrity so when he makes a submission the court understands that and will always listen very carefully.'
Ben Valentin KC - Fountain Court Chambers 'Superb legal and strategic intellect. Perhaps one of the best advocates at the English Bar at this moment. Great team player. Always makes himself available and puts teamwork first.'
Richard Waller KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Richard is able to assimilate documents and get to the heart of a case with amazing speed. Richard instantly gains a client’s confidence with his easy manner.’

2021 Silks

David Davies KC –Essex Court Chambers
Andrew Fulton KC –Twenty Essex ‘Andrew is an absolute class act. He is devastatingly effective both in terms of his strategy and command of the court when on his feet.’
Michael Holmes KC –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘A strong and warm advocate with an attractive style, and very strong experience in insurance and more recently in fraud.'
Louise Hutton KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Louise is an incredibly bright barrister, who understands and knows how to navigate the court system and procedure effectively. Louise is persuasive on her feet and gets the judge on her side of the arguments in a robust but subtle way.’
Laura John KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Laura is outstanding. Very bright, a clear thinker, extremely articulate, user friendly and fantastic with clients. She is superb and her advocacy is excellent - clear and to the point.'
Adam Kramer KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Adam is a super clever barrister who spots points others miss. He is a great strategic thinker and knows how to fight the case in the big and the small picture.'
Matthew Parker KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘An excellent junior silk. Very thorough and smart. And one of the best advocates solicitors have seen.’
Tom Poole KC –3 Hare Court ‘Tom has a remarkable ability to distil complex issues down to the salient points, and drive them home through cross examination, written and oral submissions.'
James Willan KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Very strong lawyer (one of the brightest) and strategist. Very pleasant to work with.'

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.’
Tony Beswetherick KC –Twenty Essex ‘A star in civil fraud.’
Matthew Bradley KC –4 New Square ‘An excellent addition to the front bench. An excellent team player with tremendous ability.’
Anna Dilnot KC – Essex Court Chambers ‘Excellent lawyer who has effortlessly moved from Junior to Silk – strong in all departments – law, on paper, in conference and in court. A formidable opponent.’
James MacDonald KC –One Essex Court ‘James' advocacy is direct, effective and well-pitched. He is mature beyond his years and a real team player.'
Alexander Milner KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Very clever, drafts beautifully. A pleasure to work with. Excellent cross-examination skills.'
Thomas Munby KC –Maitland Chambers ‘A charming advocate with a lovely voice and beguiling style. Also a charming and very fair opponent, with good understanding of the law.'
Alexander Polley KC –One Essex Court ‘Alex is incredibly responsive and almost immediately grasps key issues. He has always added value when feeding into conversations and work products, and endears great confidence.'
Stephen Robins KC –South Square 
Robert Weekes KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Rob has a tremendous combination of technical knowledge and keen insight into what is in his client's best interests.'
Victoria Windle KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Super bright, very responsive and a pleasure to deal with. Her advocacy stands out from the crowd for her no nonsense approach. Undoubtedly will be a star KC.’

2023 Silks

Simon Atrill KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Very pleasant and easy to work with, highly intelligent and very measured advocacy. He reads the judge well and knows which points are going to work.’
Adam Baradon KC –Blackstone Chambers ‘Strong analysis - quickly identifies key points, good grasp of the evidence. Writes clearly and persuasively.'
Ruth den Besten KC –Essex Court Chambers ‘Ruth is extremely smart and hard-working with a very impressive knowledge of the law across a wide range of areas. She is also a pleasure to work with.'
Alexander Cook KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Alex is very measured and calm, even when working under pressure and tight timeframes. He provides clear advice on both technical legal points, as well as overall strategy. His advocacy is excellent all round, in particular his cross-examination is incisive and effective.'
Richard Eschwege KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Top level commercial junior. Hugely intelligent; unparalleled drafting skills; able to assimilate vast quantities of complex material and produce outstanding skeleton arguments.'
Dan McCourt Fritz KC –Serle Court ‘Dan is extremely bright and has an extremely promising future ahead. His advocacy is persuasive and skilfull beyond his years.'
Craig Morrison KC - Brick Court Chambers 'A legendary work ethic combined with a real joy and passion for the law - the perfect combination.'
Henry Forbes Smith KC –One Essex Court ‘A very very clever lawyer, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. Is instructed on some of the biggest cases at the Bar.'

Leading Juniors

1
Richard Blakeley –Brick Court Chambers ‘Mega bright with tremendous written skills and a huge asset to any high charged litigation team.'
Tom Ford –Essex Court Chambers ‘Tom is a force of nature. He can take on much bigger and better funded teams, and beat them into submission almost single-handedly. An extraordinary work ethic and a great legal mind. And a very nice chap as well – it is a real pleasure working with him.’
Nicholas Harrison –Serle Court ‘Outstandingly capable with an immensely wide skillset and a pleasure to know.'
Simon Hattan –Serle Court ‘Thorough, determined and very easy to work with. A real go to for all things civil fraud.'
Benjamin John –Maitland Chambers ‘Technically outstanding and entirely dedicated to the cause.'
Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers ‘He is one of the top juniors working at the Bar and is first choice for any meaty fraud dispute. He is destined for greatness. He is also a pleasure to deal with.’
Michael Lazarus –3 Verulam Buildings ‘A top tier junior.'
David Peters –Essex Court Chambers ‘He is the star at the Bar for this kind of work. An extremely good advocate, and any solicitor would be happy to have him on their client’s side on any case – he holds his own against silks with decades more experience. On top of that, he knows the area of law inside out, has impeccable judgement – and is a delight to work with to boot.’
Leona Powell –Blackstone Chambers ‘Leona is an exceptional barrister – her advocacy work is terrific, her drafting is first class, she works brilliantly with solicitor teams, and is a barrister of choice for any civil fraud dispute.’
James Sheehan –Essex Court Chambers ‘Terrific on the law and on the facts and shows excellent judgment, as well as being a good advocate. He has made himself a first choice senior junior for fraud cases.'
2
Stuart Adair –XXIV Old Buildings ‘He is very knowledgeable in this area and methodical and balanced in the presentation of his case which quickly gains the confidence of the Court.'
Simon Adamyk –New Square Chambers ‘He is always very thoroughly prepared and has a very strong sense of the way arguments should be pitched to appeal to the judge. He can make absolute mincemeat of silks in freezing injunction applications.’
Marc Delehanty –Littleton Chambers ‘Extremely capable, bright and commercially minded. Great to work with.'
David Drake –Serle Court ‘Outstanding ability and one of the smartest people around. David is able to identify arguments and points of principle that mere mortals find impossible to do. A true pleasure to know and work with.'
Anton Dudnikov –Essex Court Chambers ‘Anton is extremely clever and organised. He is very well prepared, persuasive and confident on his feet in court, reading judges well and demonstrating very good judgement on which points are key and will play well. He is fantastic to have on your side as he pretty much thinks of everything.’
Christopher Harrison –4 Stone Buildings ‘First class paperwork and advocacy. Extremely able and a real team player who will often come up with novel and persuasive points of argument. Meticulous attention to detail and preparation. Extremely calm under pressure.'
Edward Harrison –Brick Court Chambers ‘Ed's drafting is excellent. He deals with complex points with impressive clarity and is always concise. His advocacy style is similar. He is measured, clear and precise.'
Peter Head –Blackstone Chambers ‘Excellent commerciality in understanding the clients' objectives and pragmatism in conduct of the matter.'
Philip Hinks –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Calm practical and thorough advice delivered quickly. Phil is good on his feet and always on top of his brief.'
Nigel Hood –New Square Chambers ‘Excellent, incisive, great client skills and a strategic thinker.’
Keir Howie –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Very responsive and user-friendly; impressive capacity to retain details of complex case; very helpful knowledge of procedural points such as  privilege and disclosure.'
Anna Littler –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Anna is simply fantastic. Thorough, clear, client and solicitor-friendly, hard-working and a pleasure to work with. Nothing is too much trouble. You can tell she really cares and will leave no stone un-turned.'
Hugh Miall –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hugh can deliver clear and digestible advice in respect of extremely complex and challenging matters. He is user-friendly, commercial and adept at finding creative solutions in the face of seemingly insurmountable problems.'
Matthew Morrison –Serle Court ‘A first class legal brain and a tremendous team player.'
Christopher Newman – Twenty Essex ‘Smart, tenacious and passionate about achieving the best possible outcomes for his clients.’
Laura Newton –Brick Court Chambers ‘One of the rising stars at the junior Bar, with exceptional talent. She has a huge capacity for absorbing detail on the most complex fraud matters.’
Watson Pringle –Maitland Chambers ‘Watson is great to work with: hard working, engaging and user-friendly. Cuts through issues well to deliver clear, calm and authoritative advice.'
Michael Ryan –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Michael is a thorough and clever barrister, good on the law, and a strong advocate who outshines his opponents, including leading counsel.’
Shane Sibbel –Blackstone Chambers ‘Shane has excellent knowledge of the landscape for fraud-based claims. He combines a thorough and detailed approach with clear guidance on strategy. He is very client friendly and commercial, and always responsive and on hand to assist. Very hardworking. All in all, an outstanding junior.'
Ian Smith –33 Chancery Lane ‘He is laser like with his approach and gets right to the heart of the issue. He provides clear, concise and focused advice.’
3
Paul Adams –Serle Court ‘He is extraordinarily bright, yet never anything other than easy and straightforward to deal with. His advocacy is lucid and persuasive, but never overly aggressive - this tends to go down very well with judges.'
Harry Adamson –Blackstone Chambers ‘Always brilliant.’
Stuart Benzie –2 Temple Gardens ‘Silk quality for junior money.'
Alexander Brown –One Essex Court ‘Alex is just a great guy to work with. He has it all, adding a great legal brain to a superb client friendly way of dealing and presenting information. Top marks.'
Rory Brown –9 Stone Buildings ‘Rory is a natural advocate, measured, meticulous and ruthless. A brilliant cross examiner and super strong on the academic side of fraud. Particularly good at the fraud/insolvency cross over. He is often used on the tough cases because he can get results.'
William Buck –Monckton Chambers ‘William is robust and takes no nonsense. He's great at running a challenging case with challenging clients and getting the best out of it. He's bright with sound strategic judgement.'
Daniel Burgess –Blackstone Chambers ‘Daniel is a formidable junior, extraordinarily bright, yet unassuming - he is a secret weapon. He presents the most complex and technical issues clearly and simply.'
William Edwards –3 Verulam Buildings ‘He is a devastating cross-examiner and effortlessly and quickly gets the Court on side with the arguments he is making. He makes it look easy.'
Joseph England –Quadrant Chambers ‘A very safe pair of hands with excellent attention to detail and first rate client care skills - a hidden gem with a very bright future.'
Bobby Friedman –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Bobby is an exceptional barrister with great written and advocacy skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both legal professionals and lay clients. He has the great skill of being able to translate complicated factual and legal matters into clear explanations and persuasive arguments.'
Nicholas Goodfellow –Littleton Chambers ‘Nicholas is diligent and calm. Fine attention to detail and has been able to cut through the huge volume of documents and information to distill into a brilliant pleading. His client care skills are excellent.’
Alexander Halban –Littleton Chambers ‘Alexander is extremely thorough and is always on top of the detail. Alexander combines careful attention to detail with skilful analysis of the commercial reality of the matter to provide the most appropriate advice in all the circumstances.'
Edward Ho –Brick Court Chambers ‘He is diligent and bright and a great team player. Warmly recommended in this field.’
Fred Hobson –Brick Court Chambers ‘Fred is always available to provide measured insight and counsel; he is never ruffled.'
Timothy Killen –2 Temple Gardens ‘Tim is delightfully calm and measured. The enemy could be at the gate and over a cup of tea Tim will devise a strategy to neutralise the situation.'
Edward Knight –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Pragmatic and highly capable. An excellent advocate.'
Nico Leslie –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Nico has a brilliant mind with excellent advocacy skills. He can run rings around advocates far more senior than him. Clients love him not only because he is incredibly clever but because of his empathy and ability to understand their individual predicaments.’
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.’
James McWilliams –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Incredibly clever, very hard working, excellent knowledge of fraud claims.'
Adil Mohamedbhai –Serle Court ‘Adil is brilliant. His attention to detail is superb and he is calm and strategic even under great pressure.'
Richard Mott –One Essex Court ‘Very cerebral and good drafting. Clearly knows his areas and has been involved in some complex and heavy cases.'
Tom Mountford –Blackstone Chambers ‘Brilliant client skills. Great asset to any serious legal team. Strategically astute. Fabulous intellect.'
Faisal Osman –33 Chancery Lane ‘Faisal is always on top of the detail of large cases and able to keep hold of case threads throughout. His drafting is always on point and his advocacy is first rate. Clients appreciate the effort that Faisal puts into cases and the care that he takes.'
Alexander Pelling –XXIV Old Buildings
Samuel Ritchie –Fountain Court Chambers ‘Fantastic brain and a superb advocate, all encased in the most user friendly barrister at the Bar.’
Bajul Shah –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Good and detailed analysis; careful drafting; controlled, thorough and careful presentation to judges. Easy to work with.'
Nicholas Sloboda – One Essex Court ‘Nick is one of the best senior juniors at the commercial Bar. He combines serious legal talent and penetrating analysis and razor-sharp written advocacy. He is instructed on many of the biggest cases – in fraud and other areas – and is clearly enormously in demand.’ 
Jack Watson –Wilberforce Chambers ‘His written submissions are comprehensive and he leaves no stone unturned. Top marks.'
Caley Wright –Maitland Chambers ‘Caley assimilates, analyses and retains the detail of matters very quickly. He is pragmatic, commercial and responsive. Excellent on his feet with a deceptively cool and measured approach.’
4
Robert Amey –South Square ‘Technically excellent. He brings that and his years of experience to every assignment such that you always get the best advice in a practical context.'
Yash Bheeroo –3 Verulam Buildings ‘He is phenomenally intelligent, combined with a flair for compelling argument and clear thinking. He is user friendly and very accommodating for client needs, also very commercial in his approach.'
Joanne Box   –Brick Court Chambers 'Great client skills. Hard worker with real intellect and strategically astute. Good team player and an asset to any serious legal team.'
Stewart Chirnside  – Quadrant Chambers ‘Stewart is now a go-to barrister for complex fraud work. He is unflappable and his drafting skills are first class. He has the ability to assimilate a large volume of material quickly and efficiently and his skeleton arguments are always well structured and often far superior to his opposing KC.’
Edward Craven –Matrix Chambers ‘An excellent senior junior who is strategic, knowledgeable and an absolute pleasure to work with.’
Stuart Cribb –Essex Court Chambers ‘Exceptionally bright, proactive, gives clear advice and gets into the trenches with you. An excellent and highly persuasive advocate.'
Joshua Folkard - Twenty Essex 'Very responsive and insightful; excellent research and analysis skills.'
James Goodwin  - Wilberforce Chambers 'A very strong junior particularly in complex fraud cases. Has a masterful grasp of the detail and documents.'
George Hilton - 2 Temple Gardens 'George is a very clear and meticulously prepared advocate who is particularly skilled and experienced in breaking down complex corporate and trust structures designed to conceal or distract from commercial fraud.'
Mark Hubbard –New Square Chambers ‘Mark is an expert in all things trusts. He advises in a straightforward and concise way no matter how complex the issues. Easy to deal with.'
Sophia Hurst – Essex Court Chambers ‘Incredibly calm, a super clear and succinct drafter, a real team player and available at short notice throughout Covid. Incredibly dependable.’
Oliver Jones –Serle Court ‘Ollie is a star - he is able to absorb complex concepts and fact patterns extremely quickly and produce written work of the highest order, often with an extremely tight turnaround time. As an advocate he is calm, thorough and highly persuasive. Definitely one to watch.'
Liisa Lahti – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Liisa is extremely hard working, intelligent, bright and thorough with a very close eye for detail. She remains calm and very committed under the most extreme pressures of complex high-value litigation and never loses sight of the client’s objectives, commercial realities, nor the court’s perspective.’
Christopher Langley – Fountain Court Chambers ‘An extremely strong counsel.‘
James Mather –Serle Court ‘Very collaborative and always across the detail - a delight to work with.'
Tim Matthewson –Wilberforce Chambers ‘Bright and diligent. Prodigious work ethic. Brilliant paperwork. A future (if not current) star.'
Andrew McLeod  - One Essex Court 'Andrew is thorough and analytical. At this level, you take technical excellence as a given, but he is particularly adept at navigating the court system to best advantage, and is strategically extremely sound.'
Gabriella McNicholas - Maitland Chambers 'Very hard working and thorough junior with great client skills. Operated very effectively as a sole junior. Good strategic thinker and easy to work with and responsive.' 
Laurence Page  – 4 Pump Court ‘Knowledgeable, self-motivated, with excellent client relationship skills; a very good all-round senior junior in commercial and fraud matters.’
Andrew Pearson –7 King’s Bench Walk ‘Remarkable raw intellect, encyclopedic knowledge of the law, stunningly responsive and very user friendly - the complete junior.'
James Potts –3 Verulam Buildings ‘James is intelligent, extremely diligent and knows the file extremely well. Very sharp and astute in so far as dealing with the intricate details of a complex fraud litigation dispute in terms of following the money trail. A star for the future.'
Kendrah Potts –4 New Square ‘Kendrah is highly intelligent and grasps complex technical issues very quickly which makes both her client handling skills and paperwork exceptional.' 
Leonora Sagan  - Fountain Court Chambers 'Leonora is able to assemble and assimilate facts with speed and relative ease. Her advocacy style is calm and authoritative. She is excellent under pressure and more than a match for those more senior than her, including silks.'
Edward Sawyer –Wilberforce Chambers ‘A superb eye for detail and extremely pleasant to deal with. He is an excellent lawyer - technically very strong.'
Timothy Sherwin - XXIV Old Buildings 'For someone relatively junior he provides very strong and robust advice (written and oral) and is prepared to provide an honest view without unnecessary embellishment. His advocacy is first rate.'
Joseph Sullivan –Quadrant Chambers ‘Joe is a star: exceptionally bright, always gives straightforward advice and remains calm even with the most difficult of clients and opponents.’
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.’
Felix Wardle –Essex Court Chambers ‘Felix is a superb team player - adds value at ever level due to his enormous intellect and warm manner.'
James Weale  - Serle Court 'James is fast, responsive and intelligent. He always gives good practical advice. He is able to think outside the box and come up with inventive solutions for complex procedural and legal issues.'
William Willson –South Square ‘He is very client-friendly, responsive, thoughtful, proactive and reassuring. He knows his law and has a very good commercial approach.'

Rising Stars

Frederick Alliott  - 7 King's Bench Walk 'Fred is an excellent junior, who provides great support for a team. He is good on his factual and legal analysis.'
Ian Bergson –Fountain Court Chambers ‘An incredible work ethic and attention to detail, a staggering memory and an absolute pleasure to deal with - a real team player.'
Charlotte Beynon  - Serle Court 'Charlotte is an outstanding junior. She is incredibly intelligent and has a knack for identifying what really matters. Charlotte is engaging and personable. Solicitors and clients love working with her. She has a bright future ahead.'
Sam Goodman –Twenty Essex ‘Sam is a future star. He is excellent in his legal and factual analysis and in his judgement calls. Solicitors would never hesitate to instruct as a junior in a substantial fraud case.’
Owen Lloyd  - Essex Court Chambers 'Owen has the work ethic of a trojan horse, coupled with an extreme determination to win for his client. He will work around the clock to achieve that. He is very bright and astute. Has a great future ahead of him.'
Kristina Lukacova  - Monckton Chambers 'Kristina produces superb written work be it in pleadings or advice which show an eye for detail and tactical nous. Lay clients like her clear and unequivocal advice which instils confidence.'  
Guy Olliff-Cooper  - 4 Stone Buildings 'Guy is an undoubted star of the future. He is exceptionally bright and very thorough, and his arguments are clear and highly persuasive.'
Gayatri Sarathy - Blackstone Chambers 'Gayatri is superb: technically very solid, hard working, unflappable, approachable and a great team player, all of which makes her an excellent all-rounder and a true pleasure to work with.' 
Sophie Shaw - Brick Court Chambers 'Easy going as part of a team but expresses her views with real conviction - a great person to have on your side in a big case.'  
Andrew Trotter – Blackstone Chambers 'Incredibly hard working, always available, produces excellent written work very quickly, thorough.'

Fraud: civil in London Bar

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings has an ‘excellent choice of specialist barristers at different levels mostly focusing on complex commercial work and white-collar complex fraud cases and crime‘. The set’s members regularly feature on the market’s largest fraud claims, including thirteen who were involved SKAT v Solo Capital Partners, in which the Danish tax authority is alleging fraud against multiple defendants for withholding tax under double taxation treaties. David Quest KC and Philip Hinks acted for the defendants in State Bank of Qatar v Banque Havilland and Bolelyy, a multi-billion-dollar fraud claim that ultimately settled before trial, concerning an alleged conspiracy to sabotage the Qatari economy. In Ritchie Capital Management LLC v General Electric Company, Adrian Beltrami KC, Ewan McQuater KC and James McWilliams  successfully acted for General Electric in a complex multi-jurisdiction dispute arising out the US$3.6bn Petters Group Worldwide ponzi scheme, whose American eponymous founder Tom Petters is serving a five-decade federal prison sentence for fraud offences.

Testimonials

Set

 ‘3VB has a number of impressive Counsel and can field real specialists for a wide variety of cases.  They also have an extensive training programme which helpfully reaches the regions, rather than just being London focused.’

 ‘Excellent; strong range of leaders and juniors; their junior juniors are particularly strong and excellent value for money.’

 ‘Very impressive set which is continuing to attract new talent. A go to.’

 ‘Excellent choice of specialist barristers at different levels depending on the brief required mostly focusing on complex commercial work and white-collar complex fraud cases and crime. Easily a top commercial set in London.’  

 ‘All counsel I have instructed at 3VB have been very effective and knowledgeable about the law and operation of financial markets.’

 Clerking

 ‘Senior clerk, Steve Penson, runs a tight ship and always goes above and beyond.’

Work highlights

    4 Stone Buildings

    4 Stone Buildings is ‘a strong set for company, fraud and commercial work‘ whose barristers are ‘without exception, friendly, easy to work with, and supremely confident and gifted lawyers‘. The set is also strong on insolvency and restructuring related fraud claims. Recent cases include Secretary of State for Health v Servier Laboratories, in which Jonathan Crow KC  represented the Secretary of State for Health in a multi-million pound claim against a pharmaceutical company for overcharging the NHS for drugs subject to patent allegedly procured through fraud, which went to the Supreme Court. Richard Hill KC is leading the team defending the Michelin-starred chef, Axel Manes, in MAD Atelier International BV v Manes, involving a transfer of share under value, allegedly by duping a joint venture partner, in a company owning the "Atelier de Joel Robuchon" restaurants. Several impressive juniors are also making a name for themselves, including Alexander Cook KCand Guy Olliff-Cooper.

    Testimonials

    Set

     ‘Very well-regarded set in the area.’

     ‘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.’

     ‘4 Stone Buildings is a strong set for company, fraud and commercial work.  I often instruct them on unfair prejudice matters, fraud matters and cases involving regulated financial services businesses.’

     ‘They are one of the leading sets for commercial litigation, not a factory set – a traditional small set of chambers. They have decided to stay quite small. For that reason it is very personal.’

     Clerking

     ‘Excellent service provided.’

     ‘Ryan Tunkel is particularly good.’

    Work highlights

      Blackstone Chambers

      Blackstone Chambers has an extremely good pedigree for civil fraud matters, with barristers ‘of the highest quality at all levels‘. Members regularly work alongside and against one another in some of the UK’s largest fraud cases, including several with a significant cross-border component. This was the case in Rowe v Ingenious Media Holdings Plc & Others, an ongoing civil dispute launched by investors in the Ingenious film finance schemes in which Robert Anderson KC, Andrew Hunter KC and Tom Mountford, were among those representing various claimant parties, and Andrew Green KC  and Harry Adamson  represented HSBC, a defendant. Tom Weisselberg KC is acting for one of the defendants (Evgeny Dankevich) in a US$572m claim brought against him by his former employer in PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints, with Victoria Windle KC acting as sole counsel for another defendant, Mikhail Shishkhanov.

      Testimonials

      Set

       ‘Blackstone chambers is the leading set in commercial and fraud litigation with some of the finest barristers in the UK and highly efficient clerks. Their first rate webinars are also extremely informative and appreciated.’

       ‘Blackstone are one of the top chambers in London, and one of the go-to sets for the most complex chancery and commercial litigation. You know what you are getting from all of their barristers.’

       ‘One of the best. Fiercely intelligent barristers with expertise across both civil and regulatory matters in the financial services sector.’

       ‘The top of the market. Having Blackstone on your side sends a strong message to opposing parties.’

       ‘Blackstone is an excellent set, particularly in the commercial/civil fraud sphere. Its barristers are all of the highest quality at all levels.’

       Clerking

       ‘Very good. Adam Fuschillo in particular is a key contact and bends over backwards to help instructing solicitors.’

      Work highlights

        Brick Court Chambers

        Brick Court Chambers is ‘top-of-the-list for commercial civil fraud work‘, commended for being ‘very businesslike in its approach to matter management, and extremely user-friendly‘. The set has plenty of bench strength to provide the largest teams for the largest cases, such as Privatbank v Kolomoisky and others, in which Mark Howard KC, supported by six further silks and juniors, led the defence for Igor Kolomoisky, one of the former owners of a nationalised Ukrainian bank who is fighting claims that he misappropriated US$2.4bn by arranging fraudulent loans. Another major case is Rowe v Ingenious Media entities and Others, a litigation arising from the highly publicised film finance investment schemes, in which Tim Lord KC is leading for Ingenious Media, supported by Simon Birt KC, Craig Morrison KC and Sophie Shaw.

        Testimonials

        Set

         ‘Brick Court is top-of-the-list for commercial civil fraud work.’

         ‘Excellent commercial set; very businesslike in its approach to matter management, and extremely user-friendly. The training is almost always of a high calibre, and it has a broad range of counsel for commercial disputes.’

         ‘Very much a premium set offering a premium service.  They probably have the greatest concentration of top-level silks within the commercial bar.’

         ‘Very strong for fraud claims.’

         ‘Brick Court is the model chambers. My go to set.’

         Clerking

         ‘A strong clerking team, very responsive and user-friendly. Paul Dennison is a name to note.’

        Work highlights

          Essex Court Chambers

          Essex Court Chambers is ‘the market leading civil fraud set by the proverbial country mile’ with ‘true strength and depth in chambers from silks to baby juniors, and a great training programme to show off their knowledge and skills‘. The set’s broad offering ensures a wide range of expertise in a range of areas, including cryptocurrencies. Paul McGrath KC remains a dominant force and successfully led James Sheehan, Tom Ford and Owen Lloyd on behalf of the lead defendants in PJSC Bank “Finance and Credit” Deposit Guarantee Fund of Ukraine v Zhevago and others, a US$500m fraud claim against PJSC Bank’s former owner with significant jurisdictional implications. Joe Smouha KC also led Louise Hutton KC and Felix Wardle on behalf of the claimant in Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse Life, a claim by Georgia’s former prime minister over losses incurred to the assets held in two life insurance policy wrappers as a result of the fraud of his Credit Suisse relationship manager.

          Testimonials

          Set

           ‘The market leading civil fraud set by the proverbial country mile – absolute strength in depth.’

           ‘Essex Court is one of the leading sets in commercial fraud litigation for a reason. They have true strength and depth in chambers from silks to baby juniors, and a great training programme to show off their knowledge and skills.’

           ‘They are in a league of their own for this kind of work – all the best people for this area are at this set, and they’re routinely our first port of call.’

           ‘Essex Court are, in my view, the number one chambers for civil fraud work.  They are rightly considered to be the market leaders in this area.’

           ‘Exceptional set with lots of exceptional people – some of them being astonishingly good.  Real market leaders.’

           Clerking

           ‘With such a wealth of talent, the clerks know how to pair barristers to the right cases and are ably led by Joe Ferrigno.’

          Work highlights

            Fountain Court Chambers

            Fountain Court Chambers is ‘really strong across all levels and with a market-leading civil and criminal fraud team‘. The set is noted for its overlapping strengths in key areas such as banking and financial services. Notable mandates include Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Others, a massive fraud claim brought by the Kuwaiti pension fund against its former Director General, Fahad Al-Rajaan, and over 40 defendants, in which Stuart Ritchie KC  is co-leading a team, including Nico Leslie , for the claimants, and Richard Lissack KC is leading several members, including Leonora Sagan , for Man Group, one of the defendants. Rosalind Phelps KC is also representing the defendant in Federal Republic of Nigeria v JP Morgan Chase, a US$870m fraud claim brought by the Nigerian government concerning bank payments used for an allegedly corrupt oil deal dating back to the regime of Sani Abacha.

            Testimonials

            Set

             ‘Fountain Court have a pre-eminent position in the banking market, and that naturally feeds into becoming involved in fraud work as banks are increasingly becoming involved – directly or indirectly – in fraud litigation.’

             ‘Fountain Court counsel are consistently excellent – very smart barristers who are also great to work with.’

             ‘Really strong, across all levels and with a market-leading civil/criminal fraud team.’

             ‘Fountain Court are excellent across the board, but particularly on com lit and fraud.’

             ‘Fountain Court Chambers is in my view one of the leading sets in the civil fraud area. I have worked with a number of excellent barristers in this area at different levels of seniority.’

             Clerking

             ‘Alex Taylor is the best clerk in London by a country mile. There is nothing he does not know. He never oversells and always offers frank views on which barristers are suitable and available.’

            Work highlights

              One Essex Court

              One Essex Court is ‘a top-tier set for civil fraud matters with considerable strength in depth’, and its ‘impressive’ bench of juniors ‘bodes well for the set going forward’. The set offers market-leading expertise across the full range of civil fraud disputes, including major cross-border claims. Recent high profile instructions include HMRC v GE & others, in which Laurence Rabinowitz KC is leading Nicholas Sloboda for General Electric’s defence against a US$1bn fraud claim brought by HMRC relating to a 2005 tax settlement. Six members, including Camilla Bingham KC for the claimant and Sonia Tolaney KC for the defendant, were involved in Pipia v Bank of Georgia Group, a claim brought by the Georgian oligarch, Roman Pipia, concerning the allegedly wrongful sale of an ammonia plant in Georgia. The claim was ultimately struck out on day one of trial in April, 2021.

              Testimonials

              Set

               ‘One Essex Court is a top tier set for civil fraud matters with considerable strength in depth. Their barristers are leaders in their fields, with exceptional intellects and impressive advocacy skills.’

               ‘One of the top commercial sets and one of the  destinations for complex commercial and fraud work.’

               ‘Great bench depth at all levels – especially junior silk but also very impressive at all levels of juniors which bodes well for the set going forward.’

               Clerking

               ‘The clerks are excellent – helpful, responsive and friendly. The provide sound guidance when required. Jackie Ginty, David Amdor and Adam Wheeler are particularly good.’

               ‘Rob Smith is fantastic – practical, helpful and a real pleasure to deal with.’

               ‘We are very happy with the clerks. Standing out are Rob Smith, and Jade Cassell.’ 

              Work highlights

                Serle Court

                ‘Second to none for civil fraud‘, Serle Court is noted for its ‘superb silks and even better juniors‘. The set’s top-notch reputation for offshore and Chancery matters feeds into its market-leading commercial fraud practice. Members have been involved in several of the largest cases to hit the courts, including Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan & Ors, a US$800m fraud claim involving bribery allegations linked to the banking and investments of the state pension fund of Kuwait, with Hugh Norbury KC co-leading for the claimant and Jonathan Adkin KC, Philip Marshall KC, Simon Hattan and Charlotte Beynon among those acting for defendants. Senior juniors are often top choices for silks outside of chambers, as demonstrated by James Weale‘s role on the claimant team in the long-running oligarch dispute Chernukhin v Deripaska, including a two-day Court of Appeal hearing in 2021.

                Testimonials

                Set

                ‘Serle Court is still second to none for civil fraud.  They have great experience and insight.’

                 ‘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.’

                 ‘Go to set for civil fraud. Great depth of experience. They don’t overtrade.’

                 ‘Serle Court remains the leader in its field – superb silks but even better juniors.’

                 ‘From Elizabeth Jones (a superb choice as the new head of chambers) to the newest pupil, Serle Court are a delight to work with.  Virtually everyone I have instructed at the set has been at the top of their game, as well as being easy to work with. Whenever a first choice is not available, there is always an equally good substitution (and often we work again with people we are introduced to this way).’

                 Clerking

                 ‘Head clerk Steve Whitaker is excellent.  He is responsive, organised, able to identify the right barrister and provide alternative options if they are not available, and also puts together good teams of barristers when more than one is needed.’

                Work highlights

                  Maitland Chambers

                  Maitland Chambers has ‘great talent at all levels, including at the more junior end‘ , and maintains excellent credentials for high value fraud claims. The set’s renowned Chancery expertise ensures a strong grounding in insolvency and offshore-related fraud issues. Recently Thomas Grant KC and Caley Wright  have been representing the defendants in a £180m claim brought by the administrators of London Capital & Finance against several of the company’s senior executives who received funds prior to its insolvency. David Mumford KC is also leading Thomas Munby KC on behalf of Qatar in State of Qatar v Banque Havilland, following claims for conspiracy arising out of an international scheme, involving among others the Emirati government, to cause a run on the value of its sovereign debt and a collapse in its currency.

                  Testimonials

                  Set

                   ‘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 remains an excellent commercial and Chancery set.  There is great talent at all levels, including at the more junior end.  Seemingly, it is a set going from strength to strength.’

                   ‘We have a strong working relationship with Maitland who listen to our needs and field top barristers at all levels. They are organised, insightful and reliable.’

                   ‘Ahead of the game and will always  make your opponent sweat.’

                   ‘Leaders in their field.’

                   Clerking

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

                  Work highlights

                    Twenty Essex

                    Twenty Essex is going from ‘strength to strength with many quality advocates at all levels particularly in fraud and insolvency‘. The set’s offering also overlaps into key areas such as banking and commodities. Multiple members were represented defendants in PJSC National Bank Trust; PJSC Otkritie Bank Financial Corporation v Mints, a fraudulent conspiracy claim in relation to the restructuring of loans, with Philip Edey KC and Sarah Tresman representing Boris Mints and Duncan Matthews KC representing Igor, one of his three co-defendant sons. In The Libyan Investment Authority v Credit Suisse International; Man Asset Management (Ireland) Limited; Frontier Investment Management Partners Ltd & others, Paul Lowenstein KC and Sam Goodman  successfully defended Frontier Investment Management Partners in the last of several high-profile investment disputes brought by the Libyan sovereign wealth fund.

                    Testimonials

                    Set

                     ‘Twenty Essex are a strong set for civil fraud and we use other barristers in this field from that set. They have very good strength in depth.’

                     ‘Twenty Essex has excellent barristers at all levels of seniority.’

                     ‘Twenty Essex chambers goes from strength to strength with many quality advocates at all levels particularly in fraud and insolvency.  They are always present at the relevant conferences which they often sponsor and are active in the network. Some of the advocates like Sam Goodman are leading the way in the crypto space.’

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

                     ‘Twenty Essex continue to rise in their reputation.  They have really grown rapidly, and I have not had a bad experience. The junior end is particularly high quality; and I now always see who is available when a new matter comes in.’

                     Clerking

                     ‘Responsive, helpful, kind and accurate.’

                    Work highlights

                      Wilberforce Chambers

                      Wilberforce Chambers is a ‘go-to set for complex, high value claims involving in-depth technical issues‘, and is especially strong for offshore claims. The set’s members are involved in some of the longest running cases to hit the market, including AHAB v Saad Investments Company Limited, what at first instance was referred to by a Caymanian judge as ‘one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history‘ and was the longest appeal heard by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, in which John Wardell KC‘s claimant team faced Thomas Lowe KC and Jack Watson on the defendant side. Newer cases include three disputes linked to the collapse of NMC Health, the Middle East’s largest private healthcare company, in which Tim Penny KC is representing former director Saeed Al Qebaisi and former vice-chairman Khalifa Al Muhairi, who are accused of fraud and unlawful means of conspiracy leading to NMC’s demise.

                      Testimonials

                      Set

                       ‘Wilberforce Chambers is a first rate set with a growing number of excellent barristers.’

                       ‘Wilberforce is an excellent chambers. We have used a number of silks and juniors from the set and regularly attend training sessions hosted by the Chambers.’

                       ‘Wilberforce has a number of excellent silks and senior juniors for both traditional chancery work and for instructions with a commercial content.  The members of chambers are without exception approachable and willing to get into the trenches in the cases on which they are instructed.’

                       ‘A go-to set for complex, high value claims involving in-depth technical issues.’

                       ‘Wilberforce Chambers are a premier Commercial Chancery set.’

                       Clerking

                       ‘The clerks are always very efficient, polite and helpful.’

                      XXIV Old Buildings

                      XXIV Old Buildings has ‘considerable depth in civil fraud work‘ and ‘ heavy hitting leading counsels and very bright and knowledgeable juniors‘. A real strength is its Chancery expertise, ‘particularly onshore and offshore trust and probate work’. Edward Cumming KC  and Timothy Sherwin are representing the former trustee in St John’s Trust Company (PVT) Limited v Watlington, a major dispute involving fraud, freezing injunctions and trust and corporate issues linked to allegations by the US Department of Justice that the multi-billion dollar trust was used to assist in the largest US tax evasion case against an individual taxpayer, the Texas billionaire Robert Brockman. Stuart Adair  is representing a former director and shareholder of Emerald Meats (London) Limited over claims of misappropriated assets emerging from the company’s liquidation, in which Alan Steinfeld KC is acting as opposing counsel.

                      Testimonials

                      Set

                       ‘XXIV Buildings are great at what they do, with a deep bench.’

                       ‘XXIV has considerable depth in civil fraud work. I have encountered members of XXIV throughout my career and consider them to be a leading set for this work.’

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

                       ‘XXIV are a go to set for Chancery work particularly onshore and offshore trust and probate work. A number of heavy hitting leading counsels and very bright and knowledgeable juniors.’

                       ‘Great set of Chambers with a real breadth of experience.’

                       Clerking

                       ‘Excellent. Highly responsive and personable.’

                      Work highlights

                        7 King's Bench Walk

                        7 King’s Bench Walk is ‘making its name in the fraud market’  particularly ‘where it crosses over with  commodities financing, or multi-jurisdictional disputes‘. Clients are well supplied with experienced barristers at the senior and junior levels. In recent matters, David Allen KC is leading Keir Howie  on behalf of the primary defendant in Maroil Trading and Sea Pioneer Shipping Corporation v Cally Shipholdings and others, a high-profile claim listed for trial in 2022 involving the breach of a confidentiality agreement and allegations that a senior executive of litigation funder Burford Capital traded confidential documents related to the case in return for a sex tape linked to an entirely separate legal battle. Several members were involved in VTB Bank v Antipinsky and Others, a case concerning the financial collapse of the company owning the Antipinsky refinery in Russia, in which Michael Holmes KC represented a defendant, Machoinport, with Jonathan Gaisman KC and Michael Ryan among those representing VTB.

                        Testimonials

                        Set

                         ‘Highly regarded set and making its name in the fraud market.’

                         ‘This is an area in which 7KBW has increased specialism over the last 8 years since Clive Freedman KC (now Mr Justice Freedman) joined chambers and led many juniors in his practice which focused on some of the key civil fraud court cases in that time. But many other members of chambers have always practised in this area, particularly where it crosses over with, for example, commodities financing, or multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

                         ‘They have some strong juniors coming through in civil fraud.’

                         Clerking

                         ‘Greg Leyden leads a very strong clerking team.’

                         ‘The clerks are great. Gary Rose is excellent.’

                         ‘Greg Leyden is excellent – goes the extra mile to develop work as well as ensuring a first-class service.’

                        Work highlights

                          South Square

                          South Square is ‘the go-to set with many good lawyers and advocates‘, particularly when it comes to insolvency-related fraud disputes. The administration, in the Abu Dhabi Global Market courts, of the NMC Group, the Middle East’s largest healthcare company, and related fraud claims against its founder, BR Shetty, have involved several members on behalf of the administrators, including Tom Smith KC and Felicity Toube KC. Smith also led Robert Amey on behalf of Primeo Fund, a Madoff feeder fund, in Primeo Fund v HSBC, a US$2bn claim against its former administrator and custodian, HSBC. Senior juniors such as William Willson often act alone, as in Vneshprombank v Bedzhamov where he represented the defendant’s bankruptcy manager, as part of a fraud claim against Georgy Bedzhamov, the brother of Vneshprombank’s founder, Larisa Markus.

                          Testimonials

                          Set

                           ‘They are the go-to set with many good lawyers and advocates.’

                           Clerking

                           ‘All very helpful – Chris Filby and Marco Malatesta are particularly helpful.’

                          Work highlights