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Insolvency

1
South Square
2
4 Stone Buildings
Erskine Chambers
Maitland Chambers
Serle Court
XXIV Old Buildings
3
3 Verulam Buildings
Enterprise Chambers
Gatehouse Chambers
Radcliffe Chambers
Wilberforce Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Peter Arden QC - Erskine Chambers ‘ Peter is extremely knowledgeable and very thorough - one of the leaders in the field. ’
Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Jonathan is a star player - one of the best QCs at the Bar today. ’
Peter Shaw QC - 9 Stone Buildings ‘ His quiet, considered demeanour belies an encyclopaedic knowledge of insolvency law, and he picks up niche points that others would not. ’
Alan Steinfeld QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Fabulous. Respected by peers and admired by clients. ’
2
David Allison QC - South Square ‘ Simply one of the strongest QCs advising in this area in the market today. ’
David Chivers QC - Erskine Chambers ‘ David is an excellent advocate who is able to use his superior intellect to distil voluminous facts and complex legal points into simple and cogent arguments. ’
Lexa Hilliard QC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Always happy to roll up her sleeves and work with instructing solicitors and able to give excellent legal guidance.’
Philip Jones QC - Serle Court ‘ Brilliant to work with: clever, authoritative, great client-handling skills and very personable. ’
Ewan McQuater QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ A towering presence and a silk of real heft and gravitas. ’
Mark Phillips QC - South Square ‘ A good team player, exactly who you want acting for you when the rest of the courtroom is opposing you. ’
Marcia Shekerdemian QC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Technically excellent, commercially minded and pragmatic, she also gives great tactical advice.’
Francis Tregear QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Cool under pressure and his advice and strategy for matters is sound. ’
3
Catherine Addy QC - Maitland Chambers ‘ Undoubtedly someone to have on your side in any complex insolvency case. ’
Lance Ashworth QC - Serle Court ‘ Extremely bright, tenacious, commercial, really good with clients and great fun to work with. ’
Daniel Bayfield QC - South Square
Adrian Beltrami QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ Able to see the core issues and has a huge wealth of legal knowledge. ’
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ An outstanding cross-examiner and will fight hard to get the positive results for clients. ’
Simon Davenport QC - 3 Hare Court ‘ A brilliant leader and silk who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get stuck into the details. ’
Robin Hollington QC - New Square Chambers
Robert Levy QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ A superb and compelling advocate with a finely tuned ability to read a judge and the situation. ’
Philip Marshall QC - Serle Court ‘ Very measured in his approach and under that calm exterior is an amazing intellect. ’
Catherine Newman QC - Maitland Chambers ‘ A very good cross-examiner with steely nerve in court. ’
Elspeth Talbot Rice QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Elspeth is a formidable and powerful advocate, with real gravitas in court. ’
Stephen Moverley Smith QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ A real legal heavyweight, he brings a wealth of experience to issues and is able to provide practical solutions to knotty legal problems. ’
Tom Smith QC - South Square ‘ Absolutely first choice in this area. Great advocate, very user-friendly, makes himself available, has the trust of the court. ’
Felicity Toube QC - South Square
4
Raquel Agnello QC - Erskine Chambers
David Alexander QC - South Square ‘ Great team player, very approachable, accessible and responsive. ’
Mark Arnold QC - South Square ‘ Mark is exceptionally thorough and extremely clear in his advocacy - definitely someone you want on your side. ’
Stephen Atherton QC –Twenty Essex ‘A heavyweight silk, who is at the top of his game, commanding the respect of the court and opponents alike.’
Matthew Collings QC - Maitland Chambers ‘ One of the most tenacious and imaginative operators. ’
Andreas Gledhill QC – Blackstone Chambers ‘A go-to QC in this area, he often comes up with the silver bullet solution in complex and complicated situations.’
Jeremy Goldring QC - South Square ‘ Jeremy is an insolvency expert and a bright, tenacious, articulate and committed barrister. ’
Matthew Hardwick QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ An absolutely outstanding insolvency litigator with a deep understanding of relevant legal principles and policies. ’
Barry Isaacs QC - South Square ‘ Barry has a meticulous attention to detail and is a persuasive, slow build advocate who tenaciously fights his client's corner and is willing to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in to the material. ’
Hugh Jory QC - 4 New Square ‘ Hugh is everything that you could want in a barrister: intelligent; accessible; good with clients; great on his feet; and very commercial. ’
Daniel Lightman QC - Serle Court ‘ A brilliant company and insolvency lawyer with a complete mastery of the technical aspects of insolvency law as well as a great eye for detail. ’
Martin Pascoe QC - South Square ‘ A highly committed and user friendly silk and very calm under pressure. ’
Steven Thompson QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Has an excellent knowledge of insolvency law and a mastermind in this area. ’
5
James Bailey QC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘A creative thinker who gets to the heart of the issue quickly. He is my go-to counsel for contentious insolvency work.’
George Bompas QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ George is excellent in his advice and very creative. ’
Edward Cumming QC - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Very bright and quick and clients like him. ’
Stephen Davies QC – Enterprise Chambers ‘If you have a very difficult case against a formidable opponent you will hope that he is available.’
Glen Davis QC - South Square ‘ Glen's strengths are his availability, tenacity, attention to detail, and ability to explain difficult concepts. ’
Michael Gibbon QC - Maitland Chambers ‘ Intellectually sharp, calm, hardworking, commercial, a delight to work with, invariably adds a new worthwhile dimension to any topic instructed on. ’
Bridget Lucas QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘ Bridget has a first class brain and her analysis is superb. ’
Lyndsey de Mestre QC - XXIV Old Buildings
Martin Moore QC - Erskine Chambers ‘ Exudes confidence and is excellent at putting a client at ease. ’
Terence Mowschenson QC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘A remarkable, experienced and knowledgeable lawyer.’
James Potts QC - Erskine Chambers ‘ First-class brain coupled with empathy for clients in distress. ’
Clare Stanley QC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Clare has a real ability to cut through the detail and identify the heart of the issues before proposing simply distilled and clear counter-arguments and solutions.’
Andrew Thompson QC - Erskine Chambers ‘ An outstanding barrister, both before the court and behind closed doors. ’
Ben Valentin QC - Fountain Court Chambers ‘ Very user friendly, intelligent, a team player and a great trial advocate. ’
Ian Wilson QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ Quite simply a superb advocate, watching him in court is a real privilege. ’

2020 Silks

Christopher Boardman QC - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Simply excellent, he really gets his arms around a matter and takes it forward with real passion and vigour. ’
Timothy Collingwood QC - Serle Court ‘ Very smart, very hard-working and easy to work with. ’
Richard Fisher QC - South Square ‘ A go-to silk for complex insolvency matters with broad restructuring experience. ’
Blair Leahy QC – Twenty Essex ‘An up and coming junior silk, with an incredible work ethic and ability to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in.’
James Pickering QC – Enterprise Chambers ‘Extremely knowledgeable but also able to convey his complex ideas to clients in simple terms, and his general conduct with clients is second to none.’
Rajesh Pillai QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ Has an excellent blend of technical excellence and commercial nous. ’
Jeremy Richmond QC - Quadrant Chambers ‘ A great combo of hard-hitter and deep thinker, he leaves no stones unturned when it comes to legal analysis. ’
Sharif Shivji QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Encyclopedic knowledge of the subject and real commercial acumen. ’

2021 Silks

Hermann Boeddinghaus QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Very pragmatic and excellent at identifying the correct approach to take with the judge. ’
Joseph Curl QC - 9 Stone Buildings ‘ He's a phenomenon – and bound for high judicial office it he wants it. ’
Adam Kramer QC - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ An excellent and highly intelligent lawyer. ’

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick QC – Twenty Essex
Stephen Robins QC - South Square

Leading Juniors

1
Stuart Adair - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Has a very sharp mind and a thorough knowledge of the law and the facts of his cases. ’
Adam Al-Attar - South Square ‘ He has a phenomenal intellect, an ability to convey complex issues simply, has a very strong commercial sense of what the client is trying achieve and an ability to construct tactics around it. ’
Linden Ife – Enterprise Chambers ‘A hugely impressive and authoritative barrister, her manner commands respect, for her obvious intelligence and for the thoroughness of her consideration.’
Henry Phillips - South Square ‘ A very strong advocate who gives clear and direct advice. ’
Lloyd Tamlyn - South Square ‘ An excellent advocate who is really good at dissecting difficult problems into bite-size issues, and finding the right solution. ’
David Eaton Turner - New Square Chambers ‘ A really wise head and assured voice for clients. ’
2
Alex Barden - Fountain Court Chambers
Adam Deacock - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ A forceful and firm advocate who is a pleasure to work with. ’
Adam Goodison - South Square ‘ Extremely knowledgeable, having acted on a long list of the largest restructuring and insolvency cases, and is always a pleasure to work with. ’
Kavan Gunaratna – Enterprise Chambers ‘An excellent advocate, solicitors always know that nothing will be missed and every stone will be overturned when Kavan is preparing a case for hearing.’
Tina Kyriakides - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Tina has a wealth of knowledge on insolvency issues and is very responsive. ’
James Mather - Serle Court ‘ Highly intelligent, but practical with it, and capable of providing detailed but also, for he lay client, readily understandable advice. ’
Tiran Nersessian - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ An extremely practical barrister who provides advice which is proportionate to the case. ’
Ben Shaw - Erskine Chambers ‘ A clear advocate who speaks with authority and develops a good rapport with the judge. ’
Hilary Stonefrost - South Square
William Willson - South Square ‘ A star junior barrister with a prodigious ability to produce high-quality legal submissions and evidence in short order. ’
3
John Briggs - South Square ‘ He is calm, clear and concise in his advice, and has an impressively detailed knowledge of his area of law. ’
Sarah Clarke - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Intelligent and quick to identify the main points of concern and to advise on the appropriate way to address the issues, which were by no means straightforward. ’
Reuben Comiskey - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Thinks on his feet outstandingly well and deals easily with curveballs thrown by both judges and opponents. ’
Hugo Groves – Enterprise Chambers
Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ An excellent strategic advisor and advocate, solicitors unhesitatingly recommend him for insolvency work. ’
Ruth Jordan - Serle Court ‘ Responsive, decisive and commercial in her approach to her advice. ’
Olivier Kalfon - Maitland Chambers ‘ Olivier is thorough and has an exceptional understanding of insolvency law and practice. ’
Jonathan Lopian - New Square Chambers ‘ Has a very close eye for detail, is very thorough in his preparation, and is also a fearless advocate in court. ’
Dawn McCambley - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ An incredibly intelligent and tenacious advocate, she fights hard for the client but is always conscious of the commercial realities of the case. ’
Niall McCulloch – Enterprise Chambers ‘Hardworking, approachable and has sound judgment.’
Rebecca Page - Maitland Chambers ‘ She has a fantastic ability to simultaneously grasp all the detail whilst being able to step back, see the bigger picture and advise on strategy more broadly. ’
Matthew Parfitt - Erskine Chambers ‘ He provides calm and thoughtful input, recommended for his accessibility and quality of advice. ’
Georgina Peters - South Square ‘ Highly knowledgeable about the law and practice of corporate insolvency and restructuring, and a robust advocate. ’
Tom Shepherd - 4 New Square ‘ Thorough, energetic and unrelenting in pursuit of the best outcome possible. ’
4
Nicola Allsop - Quadrant Chambers ‘ Excellent at dealing with tricky situations in court and reads the court well. ’
Alexander Cook - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Very bright, very practical, very clear. ’
Charlotte Cooke - South Square ‘ Charlotte knows her insolvency law inside out and is a great team player, very happy to do the heavy lifting on a case. ’
James Couser - Three Stone ‘ Accessible and works well as part of a team approach often on complex insolvency matters. ’
Rosanna Foskett - Maitland Chambers ‘ She provides practical and high quality advice and is clearly trusted by leading counsel in complex matters. ’
Ben Griffiths - Erskine Chambers ‘ A very able and hard working senior junior with an ability to roll up his sleeves and get stuck in. ’
Katherine Hallett - Three Stone ‘ An excellent advocate and very good at explaining complex concepts clearly for clients. ’
Peter Head – Blackstone Chambers ‘Everything you could wish for in a barrister – Peter is exceptionally clever and hardworking, definitely on speed-dial for new instructions.’
Philip Hinks - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ Pragmatic and sensible, he sees the issues quickly and is prepared to go out on a limb to get the best result for clients. ’
Clara Johnson – South Square  ‘She skilfully navigates the labyrinth of insolvency regulations to identify clear paths.’
Simon Johnson – Enterprise Chambers ‘Simon is an incredible advocate; to the point, concise and convincing.’
Edward Knight - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Incisive with forensic attention to detail and great with clients. ’
Morwenna Macro - Five Paper ‘ It is a masterclass to watch her on her feet as she takes a judge with clarity through the tangled issues in the Insolvency Act. ’
Jennifer Meech – Enterprise Chambers ‘Jennifer is a very clever barrister and is superb on her feet.’
Martin Ouwehand - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Martin provides clear, practically-minded advice and is very easy to work with. ’
Elaine Palser - Outer Temple Chambers ‘ Elaine has a near unique expertise in both insolvency law/procedure and professional negligence claims, making her a go-to choice for this kind of work. ’
Wendy Parker –Gatehouse Chambers ‘Wendy fights hard and brings a wealth of experience. She is well-respected by judges and her colleagues in the profession. She is not afraid to take on difficult points. ’
Angharad Start - 3 Verulam Buildings
Justina Stewart - Outer Temple Chambers ‘ Impressive. She is thoughtful and considered, her advice is measured and she comes with bright ideas. ’
Jonathan Titmuss - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Jon has an envious ability to effortlessly absorb, retain, and analyse vast amounts of information. He's Mr Insolvency. ’
Alaric Watson - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Alaric is thorough and commercial in his approach. When you instruct him he comes on board as a member of your team, which reassures clients. He is robust and effective. ’
Geoffrey Zelin – Enterprise Chambers ‘A technically strong, unflappable, measured advocate.’
5
Robert Amey - South Square ‘ Very bright, very thorough, very hard-working and very responsive. ’
James Barker – Enterprise Chambers
Rory Brown - 9 Stone Buildings ‘ Rory has great technical knowledge of the insolvency legislation - definitely one to watch. ’
Christopher Buckley - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Very intelligent and quickly grasps the key issues at hand. ’
Tim Calland - Maitland Chambers ‘ Calm, caring and happy to deal with any difficult situation even when tight for time. ’
Maxim Cardew - Maitland Chambers ‘ Maxim has demonstrated the ability to pick up complex instructions and analyse very significant volumes of evidence in a short space of time. ’
Sri Carmichael - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Very aware and able to adapt submissions to suit the situation. Responsive and great to have on your team and well-liked by clients. ’
James Davies – Enterprise Chambers ‘James has excellent technical acumen, great attention to detail and will always find a solution to a problem.’
Catherine Doran - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ Catherine is brilliant technically and is good with clients. ’
Nigel Dougherty - Erskine Chambers
Rachael Earle – Wilberforce Chambers ‘An unbelievably sharp junior barrister who instils confidence.’
Thomas Elias - Serle Court ‘ Calm and unflappable, noticeably so when under intense pressure. ’
Joseph England - Quadrant Chambers ‘ He listens carefully and explains clearly and authoritatively. He is also an excellent advocate. ’
Bobby Friedman – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Very skilled at getting to the heart of a case quickly and coming up with a clear and coherent strategy.’
Paul Greenwood - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Paul is very knowlegeable in terms of the law and also able to explain it well to lay clients. ’
Amit Gupta – Enterprise Chambers ‘Highly knowledgeable, well prepared and approaches matters practically.’
Patrick Harty   - One Essex Court ‘Technically superb, commercially astute and tactically switched on.’
Faith Julian - 9 Stone Buildings ‘ An incredibly astute and confident barrister, able to quickly assimilate the detail of very complex issues and provide cogent and often innovative advice. ’
Daniel Lewis – Wilberforce Chambers
Donald Lilly - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Technically excellent with lots of commercial acumen thrown in. ’
Conn MacEvilly - New Square Chambers
Giselle McGowan - 9 Stone Buildings ‘ Knows her field and has a rigorous and thorough approach to the legal and factual aspects of her cases. ’
James McWilliams - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ The complete package: incredibly sharp on matters of black letter law, and experienced beyond his years on matters of strategy. ’
Hugh Miall - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ Hugh is an extremely good advocate with excellent in depth knowledge of his area. ’
Rowena Page - Maitland Chambers ‘ She combines her excellent technical knowledge and unflappable manner with superb tactical and advocacy skills. ’
Phillip Patterson - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ Phillip punches well above his weight and brings strong and sage advice beyond his call. He is very well prepared and methodical in approach. ’
Oliver Phillips - Maitland Chambers ‘ An impressive and responsive advocate with great intellect. ’
Jessica Powers - New Square Chambers ‘ Very bright, very thorough and a superb advocate. ’
Tim Prudhoe - 3 Hare Court
Helen Pugh - Outer Temple Chambers ‘ Has an enviable ability to grasp large amounts of information quickly and draft claims logically, thoroughly and with precision. ’
Charles Raffin - Gatehouse Chambers ‘ A good advocate, who is particularly good at putting the client at ease and conveying the merits of the case to the judge accurately and succinctly. ’
Thomas Robinson – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Always calm, reassuring, insightful, bright and very well prepared.’
Kate Rogers - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ A fantastic advocate well-versed in insolvency and quick on her feet in the court room. ’
Matthew Smith - Maitland Chambers ‘ Excellent technical knowledge, commercial experience and very user-friendly. ’
Hannah Thornley - South Square ‘ Extraordinarily committed and hard-working, she is very keen and asks the client questions to ensure that she understands the case fully. ’
Daniel Warents - XXIV Old Buildings ‘ His ability is already superior to many barristers of higher seniority and solicitors would have absolutely no problem to instruct him as sole advocate against a silk on the opposite side. ’
Jack Watson – Wilberforce Chambers ‘His technical knowledge of insolvency law is first rate and his written work is extremely thorough.’
Matthew Weaver - Radcliffe Chambers ‘ He is a very impressive counsel and adopts a very commercial approach which clients really appreciate. ’
Joseph Wigley - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Joseph has excellent judgment and knows which points to fight and which points to drop. ’
Bridget Williamson – Enterprise Chambers

Rising Stars

William Day - 3 Verulam Buildings ‘ A star junior barrister with a brilliant ability to see the critical points in the case and then to work out how best to address them. ’
Katie Longstaff –Radcliffe Chambers ‘Katie is pragmatic, responsive, technical and commercial – she is a first choice.’
Edoardo Lupi - South Square ‘ A very good junior - he produces excellent written drafts, and has a very keen eye for detail. ’

Insolvency in London Bar

South Square

South Square impresses with a considerable line-up of dedicated silks and juniors in this area, being widely regarded as ‘second-to-none in the field of restructuring and insolvency.‘ Members continue to be involved in major cross-border and offshore insolvency cases, including representation on both sides of ING Bank v Banco Santander (Felicity Toube QC and Marcus Haywood for ING Bank and Robin Dicker QC and Clara Johnson for Santander) – the litigation concerns claims that a syndicate of eight lenders, including ING, had against Marme Inversiones 2007 under a €1.5bn loan agreement and related swap agreements. Early insolvency work arising from the pandemic, as well as the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, also featured frequently, with Tom Smith QC and Richard Fisher QC acting for Debenhams in its Court of Appeal proceedings which confirmed that the administrators had adopted the contracts of employees furloughed on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Michael Crystal QC has retired.

Testimonials

Set

‘They are the leading insolvency set with a lot of brilliant barristers who literally write the book.‘

‘Excellent for insolvency work.‘

‘South Square remain the leaders in the field for insolvency barristers.‘

‘Undeniably the leading set of barristers for restructuring and insolvency.‘

‘Unrivalled breadth of talent in the insolvency and restructuring arena.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks are good at fitting the right barrister to the right job.‘

‘The clerks are great, with particular mentions for Jim Costa and Dylan Playfoot.‘

‘Chris Filby is excellent. He is helpful, responsive and generally efficient in all he does.‘

‘Very good at getting urgent help.‘

‘Will Mackinlay, Mike Killick and Dylan Playfoot run a tight ship.‘

4 Stone Buildings

4 Stone Buildings counts insolvency and restructuring matters among its core strengths and members include a number of the practice area's leading silks a juniors at various stages in their careers. Jonathan Crow QC is increasingly brought in at the appellate stage of major insolvency-related cases, including Fakhry v Pagden, which involved the liquidation of a venture capital trust. George Bompas QC had a standout year, successfully defending several of the former directors of Kids Company (including former BBC creative director Alan Yentob) in disqualification proceedings, culminating in an 11-week trial at the Insolvency and Companies List of the Business and Property Courts. Recent silk Sharif Shivji QC is rapidly building a renowned practice in this area, and at the junior level, Tiran Nersessian and Christopher Harrison continue to impress.

Testimonials

Set

‘4 Stone Buildings are my go-to set for insolvency and chancery work.‘

‘High quality throughout.‘

‘The set is very strong in contentious insolvency work, with technically astute barristers from senior silk through to mid-call juniors.‘

‘Great barristers, the next generation is also very strong.‘

‘Strong on insolvency/chancery/company matters.‘

Clerking

‘Ryan Tunkel is very accommodating and he has helped me out on a number of occasions to get the right outcome for my clients.‘

‘Ryan Tunkel stands out as on top of his barristers’ workload.‘

‘David Goddard is outstanding, it is a pleasure to work with him.‘

‘David Goddard is quite simply a legend at the Bar.‘

‘Very good, particularly Ellie Hecht and Ben Lashmar.‘

Erskine Chambers

'One of the top sets of barristers for company, restructuring and insolvency',  Erskine Chambers members seek to handle an entire company lifecycle, from set-up to reorganisation, restructuring, merger or insolvency. Litigation resulting from large-scale insolvency has been a consistent feature of many members' practices, with Peter Arden QC and senior junior Ben Shaw acting in the last knockings of issues from the Lehman Brothers collapse. Both have also advised on high-profile CVA disputes, and Raquel Agnello QC is developing a strong practice in that area too. David Chivers QC successfully opposed a public interest winding-up petition against MB Vacant Property Solutions, a company described by the Court of Appeal as a business rates avoidance scheme.

Testimonials

Set

‘Erskine have a number of excellent insolvency barristers ranging from junior to senior, all of which have an excellent command of the area.‘

‘Pre-eminent set with unrivalled strength in depth in all fields of corporate law and expertise in insolvency law.‘

‘Erskine is one of the top sets of barristers for company, restructuring and insolvency.‘

Clerking

‘Alex Calder is great to work with, he is personable and quick in responding to queries which makes moving urgent insolvency matters all the more efficient.‘

‘Mark Swallow is a responsive and well informed senior clerk who invests in solicitor / chambers relationships.‘

‘Excellent service, very responsive clerks.‘

Maitland Chambers

Maitland Chambers has continued to establish itself as a leading set for insolvencies and related matters, housing a mix of experienced juniors, highly-regarded silks and up-and-coming young barristers. Catherine Addy QC is representing Carillion, acting by the official receiver, in a high-profile case against the Financial Conduct Authority. Matthew Collings QC is acting for joint administrators Smith & Williamson in the notorious £237m London Capital & Finance insolvency. It was also another significant year for the chambers' juniors, with Oliver Phillips acting in the Motion Picture Capital Ltd v Clarance bankruptcy proceedings, and Rosanna Foskett advising in ongoing Lehmann Brothers fallout cases, as well as being sole counsel to various entities in the CPBE Group in a dispute against a a doctor over the private equity house’s investment in a UK fertility clinic.

Testimonials

Set

‘Maitland has become my default set for both straightforward and highly complex advice and applications.‘

‘We do an increasing amount of work with Maitland and find them to be of consistent quality and highly responsive.‘

‘Excellent strength in depth.‘

‘I always know that when I work with Maitland the technical quality of the advice will be of market leading standard.‘

‘Maitland is a premier set and I thoroughly enjoy working with their counsel and clerks.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks give us a first class service, special mention for the wonderful Danny Wilkinson.‘

‘The clerks are helpful, responsive, and very friendly.‘

‘I have always been impressed by Danny Wilkinson in particular.‘

‘Robert Penson is excellent. He is user-friendly and responsive.‘

‘Never been anything other than first class.‘

Serle Court

Serle Court houses a robust group of barristers for insolvency and restructuring work, particularly in offshore jurisdictions. Philip Jones QC continues to be involved in the Ocean Sino case Chu v Lau, appearing in a Privy Council appeal in July 2020 and continuing to act in a further dispute regarding the conduct of liquidation. Daniel Lightman QC represents one of four former directors of BHS that are respondents to £200m High Court claims brought by liquidators. Ruth Jordan, James Mather and Thomas Elias are among the names to note in a bench of 'continuously high-quality juniors'.

Testimonials

Set

‘Serle Court has many talented individuals, and if the person we wanted is not available, it is highly likely we will instruct someone else from the set.‘

‘We are often surprised by the continuously high quality of their juniors.‘

‘Serle Court has a great pedigree and excellent commercial barristers.‘

‘Serle Court is a great set, one of the best in Lincoln’s Inn.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks are always responsive and helpful.‘

‘The service from the clerks has always been good.‘

‘Steve Whitaker is a pleasure to deal with and always does what he promises.‘

‘The clerks room is the most efficient of the big commercial sets.‘

‘They seem slick.‘

XXIV Old Buildings

Members of XXIV Old Buildings handle the full breadth of insolvency instructions, both domestically and internationally. Chambers' most experienced insolvency silk Alan Steinfeld QC is instructed on complex and often highly confidential cases, recently acting for Carlyle related entities in Carlyle Capital Corporation Limited (in liquidation) and others v Conway & others, a $2bn claim in the Guernsey courts, moving to the Privy Council. Stephen Moverley Smith QC continues to act in varied international matters, including bankruptcy proceedings against a member of the Saudi royal family, while in Gorbunova v Berezovsky, Elspeth Talbot Rice QC acts for the trustees of Boris Berezovsky’s insolvent estate. At the junior level Stuart Adair and Edward Knight had notably busy years in this area.

Testimonials

Set

‘Their insolvency expertise is growing and they represent excellent depth and breadth in that area.‘

‘A set with no weaknesses.‘

‘As a whole, XXIV Old Buildings has always struck me as a set with a lot of depth and quality.‘

‘Extremely able barristers in complex, highly technical litigation.‘

Clerking

‘Paul Horsfeld is incredibly responsive and polite and has his finger on the pulse of the market.‘

‘They are ably led by Paul Horsfield.‘

‘Friendly, efficient and organised.‘

‘A first rate clerking team who are straightforward and easy to deal with.‘

‘Amenable and proactive.‘

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings has its strengths and reputation in financial services but now marries that with the expertise of a number of commercial insolvency barristers. A recent standout case has seen Ewan McQuater QC lead counsel to Vodafone, defending a claim from the administrators of Phones 4U that it, along with other mobile network operators, caused the company's collapse into insolvency. Both Adrian Beltrami QC and 2021 silk Adam Kramer QC are instructed in matters resulting from the Lehman Brothers insolvency, while Philip Hinks was part of a team acting for the former party in Vneshprombank LLC v Bedzhamov, obtaining an ex parte worldwide freezing order for $1.34bn against a Russian oligarch. A further name to note is rising star William Day, who is involved in a number of fraud-infused cases.

Testimonials

Set

‘They are a very strong set in financial services but have also established a very strong offering in a broader range of disciplines.‘

‘A quality set, through and through.‘

‘Always responsive, communicative and helpful.‘

‘3VB is a go-to set for complex finance disputes.‘

Clerking

‘The joint senior practice managers, Steve Penson and Stuart Pullum, complement each other perfectly.‘

‘Richard Ansell stands out both for his loyalty to chambers and for his commitment to client service.‘

‘Ben Hart has been a very impressive clerk who would always be very efficient and keep you updated.‘

‘Stuart Pullum, head clerk, is very commercial and sensible.‘

‘Great service from Stuart Pullum and his team.‘

Enterprise Chambers

A number of the more high-profile insolvency cases of recent years have seen significant involvement from Enterprise Chambers‘ members, in particular, complex insurance insolvencies have been a forté. James Pickering QC had a very strong first year as silk, acting for the joint liquidators of Mintpal, a defunct cryptocurrency exchange, in what is thought to be the first provisional liquidation based on a debt in digital currency. The set boasts a strong pool of juniors, including Linden Ife, who has a niche expertise in recovering unlawful dividends paid pre-insolvency; and Kavan Gunaratna, an expert in cases with a commercial, property, or banking slant.

Testimonials

Set

‘Excellent, and a go-to for commercial & insolvency work.‘

‘Enterprise Chambers offer a fantastic service.‘

‘Good strength in depth and very good insolvency set.‘

‘A strong set for insolvency.‘

‘I have always found Enterprise to be a helpful and user-friendly set.‘

Clerking

‘Very impressed with their clerking abilities, particularly Raj Lamba.‘

‘Raj Lamba always provides an efficient and friendly service on all instructions.‘

‘The clerks are responsive and helpful. I would particularly commend Michael Ireland and Luke Clark.‘

‘Frazer Gale-Sinclair, Michael Ireland and Raj Lamba are always keen to assist and revert quickly.‘

‘A commercially savvy clerks team who are always keen to build relationships.‘

Gatehouse Chambers

Gatehouse Chambers, the new name for the set previously known as Hardwicke Chambers,  has ’a great team across all levels‘ and its members’ work in insolvency is particularly notable for its international elements, including offshore jurisdictions. Wendy Parker‘s caseload reflects this, striking out a winding up petition for Bird Technologies being a recent highlight for her diverse practice. Cases at the crossroads of employment and insolvency litigation are a particular strength, with Alaric Watson advising the latter party in Woollven v Archant Community Media Ltd, a case concerning a company voluntary agreement. In COVID-related instructions, Phillip Patterson acted for Elite Legacy Education UK in an application for an injunction restraining advertisement of a winding-up petition, on the grounds that the debt was disputed and on the basis that the pandemic was hampering the ability of the business to raise revenue.

Testimonials

Set

‘We instruct a number of barristers at Gatehouse and all are technically excellent, very personable and impress with the speed and diligence of their work.‘

‘They have a broad range of talents available to tackle contentious insolvency issues, from complex litigation to simply arranging a junior to attend a routine hearing.‘

‘My firm’s go-to chambers on all commercial and insolvency matters.‘

‘I am impressed by the strength in depth they have across a variety of areas, but in particular on insolvency matters.‘

‘Gatehouse are a very good set, with a number of excellent practitioners across a variety of practice areas.‘

Clerking

‘The clerks are approachable and friendly and have excellent knowledge of Chambers’ skill set.‘

‘The clerks are of the highest standard. All of the little things are done and you never have to chase.‘

‘The clerks at Gatehouse are are responsive and will accommodate where urgent advice is required.‘

‘Adam Blades is always very friendly and helpful.‘

‘The clerks are easy to get on with and readily available.‘

Radcliffe Chambers

Radcliffe Chambers has a strong presence in insolvency related work, with 2020 silk Christopher Boardman QC and a host of juniors of varying experience featuring in some of the markets significant cases in 2020. Catherine Doran and Christopher Buckley both represented five former trustees of Kids Company against the official receiver. Christopher Boardman QC's recent caseload has included two complex disputes in the medical sector, and deputy insolvency and companies court judge Tina Kyriakides acted as sole counsel in a number of High Court cases.

Testimonials

Set

‘They have built a strong set for restructuring and insolvency matters.‘

‘Technically very good and excellent training sessions delivered throughout the pandemic.‘

‘They offer a lot of first rate Counsel in the area of banking and insolvency.‘

‘Radcliffe Chambers have a strong set of insolvency barristers and are my go to chambers when I need to instruct counsel.‘

‘A very impressive set now, particularly strong in restructuring and insolvency with good quality counsel at all levels.‘

Clerking

‘Lee Wright is very helpful. He is always responsive and very good to deal with.‘

‘The clerks are excellent, special praise to Lee Wright who is incredibly responsive and goes above and beyond to help.‘

‘Lee Wright and Bradley Edwards are always incredibly helpful and proactive.‘

‘The insolvency clerks are extremely helpful and responsive. If your chosen barrister is not available – which doesn’t happen often – the clerks offer up alternatives.‘

‘Bradley Edwards is helpful and efficient.‘

Wilberforce Chambers

Wilberforce Chambers‘ insolvency group is specialised in both personal and corporate insolvency advice and related litigation. Recent highlights for members include Lexa Hilliard QC‘s involvement in the lucrative, multi-party trial arising from the collapse of Lehman Brothers; and Marcia Shekerdemian QC representing a consortium of Indian banks, seeking former Force India Formula One team owner Vijay Mallya’s bankruptcy for a £1bn. 2019 silk James Bailey QC had a busy year working on both onshore and offshore matters, and Rachael Earle stood out among the very active crop of juniors at chambers.

Testimonials

Set

‘Growing reputation for insolvency mandates and the property expertise of the set makes them particularly good in restructurings where there are significant landlord liabilities involved.‘

‘They are a first class set.‘

‘The strength in depth of barristers is good.‘

Clerking

‘Clerks do fine job – responsive.‘

‘Harvey Scott is easy to liaise with and responsive.‘

‘Overall service and clerking is good. Fraser Geddes is always super helpful as are Stewart Cameron, Nancy Lee and Antonia Matthew.‘

‘Fraser Geddes is one of the best clerks around. He knows his barristers and is always willing to go the extra mile to find the right counsel for a new instruction.‘

‘Very impressive – streets ahead of other clerking teams. They have the mentality of a law firm delivering consistent quality across the board. Mark Rushton runs a tight ship.‘