‘One of the most prestigious sets for insolvency work‘. barristers at 4 Stone Buildings often draw on broad company and commercial law expertise in a variety of insolvencies and cases with complex elements involving that area. Jonathan Crow KC is the standout silk in this discipline, with ample experience at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, as well as a considerable practice offshore. In proceedings regarding property investor Glenn Maud, John Brisby KC, with Richard Hill KC and leading Alastair Tomson, has been representing an opposing creditor in what, if the creditors are successful, are believed to be the second most valuable personal bankruptcy proceedings ever to be heard in the UK. The recent high-profile proceedings following the collapse of Bell Pottinger have also involved members of the set: Tiran Nersessian representing the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Christopher Harrison acting for the firm’s former CEO, on opposite sides of a director disqualification action resulting from the insolvency.
Insolvency in
London Bar4 Stone Buildings
Testimonials
Set
‘The juniors are very clever and hungry to work hard. The silks are absolutely first class.’
‘Great chambers. One of the most prestigious sets for insolvency work.’
‘Always prepared to be accommodating and good as part of a big solicitor/counsel team.’
‘One of the strongest sets in Lincoln’s Inn.’
‘4 Stone Buildings takes a very commercial approach to the service they provide.’
Clerking
‘Ryan Tunkel is excellent – very responsive, and offers assistance whenever required.’
‘The clerks can’t do enough to help. David Goddard is a legend.’
‘Very friendly – know who you are, lead by the irrepressible David Goddard.’
‘Excellent clerking – Ben Jason and Ryan Tunkel are excellent – amongst the best.’
‘David Goddard, Ben Lashmar and Ryan Tunkel are a class act.’
Erskine Chambers
Company law heavyweight Erskine Chambers has particular strength in areas where insolvency meets banking and finance or civil fraud. The liquidation of Carillion led to some of chambers’ most notable work in this area, Andrew Thompson KC acting for its five non-executive directors and James Potts KC representing its former finance director in directors’ disqualification proceedings. CVAs have been a notable trend and leading insolvency silk Peter Arden KC has led Ben Shaw on a number of these, including acting for a group of landlords challenging the New Look CVA, the leading case on CVAs in the retail industry.
Testimonials
Set
‘Erskine is one of the top sets of barristers for company, restructuring and insolvency.’
‘Go to chambers for disputes with a corporate/company law angle.’
Clerking
‘Efficient, friendly and helpful.’
‘Alex Calder and Seamus Nixon are very responsive and very good at assisting with getting matters listed and liaising with the Court.’
‘Generally excellent across the board.’
‘Excellent service, very responsive clerks.’
Work highlights
Maitland Chambers
‘A powerhouse for insolvency, with real strength across the board‘, Maitland Chambers acts in disputes that arise in a vast range of industries, from small-scale insolvencies of individuals and local businesses, to complex, global insolvencies and associated asset recovery. Catherine Addy KC appeared for Carillion, acting by the official receiver as its liquidator, in FCA v Carillion PLC (in liquidation), an appeal coming out of the demise of the construction and facilities management company. A number of members are involved in the landmark Greensill administration, and a further highlight has Matthew Collings KC acting for the joint administrators in the £237m insolvency of London Capital & Finance.
Testimonials
Set
‘Excellent strength in depth as regards insolvency and restructuring.’
‘Counsel at Maitland Chambers are efficient and approachable. They are hard working, user-friendly, and generous with their time.’
‘Maitland is a powerhouse for insolvency, with real strength across the board.’
‘Maitland Chambers is our favourite insolvency and chancery set. All the silks and juniors seem to be good and the clerking team is also commercial and helpful.’
‘Due to the breadth of the set’s general commercial chancery practice, all their barristers supplement their insolvency expertise with a broader perspective and skillset, which is really valuable.’
Clerking
‘John Wiggs is a consummate professional and one of the most user-friendly clerks I have ever dealt with.’
‘John Wiggs does an excellent job of helping to maintain the connection between our firm and the barristers in this set.’
‘The clerks at Maitland Chambers are efficient, and respond to any questions promptly.’
‘Robert Penson is approachable, proficient, and competent.’
‘Friendly and helpful.’
Serle Court
With ‘real strength in insolvency, company and partnership work‘ Serle Court barristers are a frequent presence in some of the market’s key cases. In State Bank of India v Mallya, the UK’s largest individual insolvency proceedings, Philip Marshall KC has led James Mather representing Vijay Mallya, the chairman of United Breweries Group whose extradition for alleged financial crimes is requested by the Indian government, in defending bankruptcy proceedings. Among the cases arising from energy company insolvencies in 2021, Lance Ashworth KC acted for the liquidators of Economy Energy Ltd in disputes arising from the appointment by Ofgem of a Supplier of Last Resort to take over the supply of electricity and gas to customers of the supplier.
Testimonials
Set
‘Excellent strength-in-depth.’
‘Serle Court have real strength in insolvency, company and partnership work.’
‘From Elizabeth Jones (a superb choice as the new head of chambers) to the newest pupil, Serle Court are a delight to work with.’
‘Serle Court are commercial litigation superstars.’
Clerking
‘Despite spending almost fifty years as a clerk at Serle Court and predecessor sets, Steve Whitaker remains absolutely at the top of his game as Head Clerk.’
‘Steve Whitaker and Nick Hockney the senior clerks are always friendly and reliable.’
‘Daniel Wheeler is excellent – calm under pressure, personable and a delight to deal with.’
‘Emma Quin is fantastic and one to watch: she is astute, commercial and communicative.’
‘Charlie Payne is developing into a fantastic clerk, he is extremely responsive and thorough and a pleasure to deal with.’
Work highlights
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Strong chancery and insolvency chambers‘ XXIV Old Buildings has a particularly notable presence offshore where Stephen Moverley Smith KC is among the most active lead counsels in standout insolvencies. Head of chambers Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is instructed in the high profile insolvent estate of Boris Berezovsky, as well as recently acting in proceedings arising from the liquidation of Stanford International Bank in Antigua.
Testimonials
Set
‘Strong chancery and insolvency chambers, brilliant minds, real strength across the board.’
‘Top quality set with ability across the board, good strength in depth and a user friendly approach.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings is a highly-regarded set for members’ calibre of work and work ethic.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings are a very good set and one of the go-tos for this type of work.’
‘Good reputation for offshore work.’
Clerking
‘Excellent. Highly responsive and personable.’
‘Professional and easy to deal with- Perry Brown is an excellent practice manager who always seems in complete control.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings clerks are first class. They are always available to assist.’
‘James Ladbrook and Perry Brown offer a very good service.’
‘Always a good and prompt service from the clerks.’
3 Verulam Buildings
‘A great choice for work on the cross-over of insolvency and financial services‘, 3 Verulam Buildings is an experienced set for various matters with a party in insolvency. In TMO Renewables Ltd v Yeo & others, commercial disputes specialist Andrew Sutcliffe KC acted for the liquidators of the company in a £25m claim against its former directors, who include Major-era government minister Tim Yeo, for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty. Offshore insolvencies continued to be a key part of Matthew Hardwick KC, acting in the BVI and other jurisdictions. On the junior side, Philip Hinks has continued to act as sole counsel in a number of matters, including a high value breach of fiduciary duty claim brought by liquidators against the directors of The Video Duplicating Company, one the UK’s biggest manufacturers of CDs and DVDs.
Testimonials
Set
‘Very strong set for all financial matters.’
‘The insolvency expertise at 3VB is incredibly impressive.’
‘3VB is a great choice for work on the cross-over of insolvency and financial services.’
‘There are many first class practitioners at 3VB.’
‘First rate.’
Clerking
‘Stuart Pullum is particularly efficient.’
‘The clerks are all excellent.’
‘Efficient and professional.’
‘The clerks were very helpful in arranging the advice and conference with the clients.’
‘I have dealt with Andrew Monks who is always extremely helpful and responsive.’
Enterprise Chambers
Complex insurance sector insolvencies have been a recent feature of Enterprise Chambers, a set seen as ‘a very good choice for insolvency instructions‘. One such case, Kireeva v Bedzhamov; Vneshprombank LLC v Bedzhamov and others has seen Stephen Davies KC acting for the bankruptcy trustee of the defendant, the Court of Appeal decision expected to have far-reaching consequences in cross-border cases. Niall McCulloch appearing unled in Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd v Bresco Electrical Services Ltd ((in Liquidation)), the seminal case on the use of adjudication for the administration of construction insolvencies, was another highlight.
Testimonials
Set
‘Good bench strength in insolvency.’
‘A good set for insolvency matters with a raft of juniors ready to take on advocacy on smaller matters going up to seniors who can appear on more substantial cases.’
‘The set is excellent with a few standout individuals.’
‘Enterprise Chambers is one of the best sets for insolvency counsel in London.’
‘Enterprise has always been a very good choice for insolvency instructions, with a large number of excellent juniors in particular.’
Clerking
‘Excellent! Responsive, reliable and commercial. Michael Ireland is unflappable and easy to deal with.’
‘The clerks provide an excellent service; always reliable, responsive and commercial. Michael Ireland is the top man; always has matters under control and very easy to deal with.’
‘The clerks are personable and helpful. Luke Clark and Michael Ireland are particularly responsive and flexible.’
‘Michael Ireland leads a very good team.’
‘The clerks are universally good. Fast and responsive.’
Gatehouse Chambers
This has been an area of growth for Gatehouse Chambers over recent years and the set now has ‘a breadth of talent in insolvency‘ that it employs in a variety of claims. Jonathan Titmuss has a substantial international practice and a niche in a plethora of cases coming out of failed hotel room schemes. Wendy Parker acted in a number of multi-million pound trials over the last year, and Sarah Clarke continued to hold her own in key insolvency cases against silks.
Testimonials
Set
‘The depth of this chambers’ counsel is impressive, providing a wide array of choices and experience.’
‘A good range of specialities, particularly helpful in matters that cross areas.’
‘They have a breadth of talent in insolvency and are equally able in related areas such as commercial litigation and property.’
‘Very good strength in depth for insolvency.’
‘Gatehouse has an established offering of commercial and insolvency counsel.’
Clerking
‘Very efficient, easy to contact and flexible. Adam Blades in particular stands out.’
‘The clerks are particularly helpful both from a pragmatic and commercial perspective, effortlessly pairing client with the right counsel for the task and, importantly, budget.’
‘The clerks are very good – diligent, helpful and above all, great fun to deal with. Adam Blades and Amy McClean are particularly good.’
‘All the clerks are brilliant. There is not one that has not been able to assist or who has been anything less than helpful.’
‘The service that Gatehouse offers is very good, and they take a modern approach to communication and responsiveness. Natasha Devlin-Clingham and Claire Gallagher are particularly impressive.’
Radcliffe Chambers
Radcliffe Chambers ‘deals with a wide range of insolvency matters‘ and members are increasingly instructed in corporate insolvency matters and in cases with international elements. 2022 silk Matthew Weaver KC appeared in Carraway Guildford (Nominee A) Ltd & others v Regis UK Limited, advising the joint supervisors of a high-profile retail CVA of Regis Salons, which was challenged by 19 of its landlords. Christopher Boardman KC , who took silk in 2020, has been advising the administrators of Transform Medical Group in a case arising from the group litigation concerning unfit for purpose PIP breast implants.
Testimonials
Set
‘They have a range of barristers both at the KC and junior level.’
‘Very good set. Strong insolvency expertise.’
‘It is a very strong insolvency set with a range of barristers, which is great for ensuring that the work is done at the right level.’
‘Radcliffe is a fantastic chambers for highly regarded experts.’
‘A diverse range of advocates suitable to deal with a wide range of insolvency matters.’
Clerking
‘Clerks are responsive and very helpful.’
‘The clerks are always very honest and responsive, they make sure you get the right barrister for the case / claim not just the one that is available. ‘
‘The clerks are efficient and provide us with a good and timely service.’
‘Lee Wright is fantastic – commercial and responsive.’
‘Lee Wright and Bradley Edwards are great and always go above and beyond to assist.’
Wilberforce Chambers
Wilberforce Chambers fields teams of counsel that cover multi-disciplinary cases and have ‘become a force in the insolvency world‘. In 2021 chambers was further strengthened in this field with the additions of both Sri Carmichael and Jessica Brooke, and they join a set that includes Clare Stanley KC, and experienced insolvency silk in both onshore and offshore courts. Her recent caseload has included Al Jaber and others v Mitchell and others, where she acted for the successful appellants in a $1bn fraud/insolvency claim by liquidators.
Testimonials
Set
‘Strong set for civil fraud, trusts/off shore, insolvency and shareholder disputes.’
‘Wilberforce is a go-to set for insolvency. They have strength in depth both at the top silk end and abundance of junior talent (senior and junior).’
‘Wilberforce are a great set, with a number of talented silks and juniors in a number of different fields.’
‘Wilberforce have become a force in the insolvency world.’
‘Rachael Earle and Dan Lewis have a strong profile in insolvency, particularly in the London market, and are well regarded.’
Clerking
‘Accommodating and very responsive.’
‘Andrew Barnes does a great job and always quick to respond, chase counsel and turn things around on time and in scope for you.’
‘Strong set with good clerking.’
‘Very helpful and responsive. Jessica Edson has been extremely proactive.’
‘The clerks were helpful and responded when they said they would.’
South Square
‘The foremost insolvency and restructuring chambers‘, South Square continues to impress with a host of silks and juniors involved in the most significant and thorny issues in the market. Multiple barristers from chambers have been involved in the high-profile collapse of supply chain finance funder Greensill Capital: Glen Davis KC leading Matthew Abraham acting for Credit Suisse Asset Management, and on the opposite side for the administrators, David Allison KC leads Ryan Perkins. Chambers has also been involved in key cases regarding CVAs, one of the most notable being Caffé Nero’s successful defence of its CVA, where they were represented by Tom Smith KC leading Henry Phillips, Adam Al-Attar appearing on the opposite side for the EG Group. Energy company administrations were a major feature of the 2021 workload too, and again members of chambers were a regular fixture in the most significant. In the case of Bulb Energy Limited, which at the time of its collapse was the UK’s seventh biggest electricity supplier, Mark Arnold KC acted for the proposed administrators, leading Richard Fisher KC and Henry Phillips.
Testimonials
Set
‘South Square are the foremost insolvency and restructuring chambers.’
‘They are the leading set in insolvency for a reason. Everywhere you look they have talent.’
‘The most prestigious set in this field.’
‘South Square remains the pre-eminent set in restructuring and insolvency work.’
‘The go-to set for restructuring and insolvency matters. They have a very deep bench of leading advocates from silks to junior level.’
Clerking
‘Jim Costa – outstanding service, super friendly and super helpful. Very accommodating of all requests. Really easy to build a rapport with.’
‘The practice managers and clerks are a credit to the set – they form part of the overall excellent service I have come to expect of South Square.’
‘Chris Filby and Mike Killick are both excellent.’
‘Dylan Playfoot is fantastic!’
‘Dylan Playfoot in particular is a pleasure to deal (and negotiate) with.’
4 Stone Buildings
Testimonials
Set
‘The juniors are very clever and hungry to work hard. The silks are absolutely first class.’
‘Great chambers. One of the most prestigious sets for insolvency work.’
‘Always prepared to be accommodating and good as part of a big solicitor/counsel team.’
‘One of the strongest sets in Lincoln’s Inn.’
‘4 Stone Buildings takes a very commercial approach to the service they provide.’
Clerking
‘Ryan Tunkel is excellent – very responsive, and offers assistance whenever required.’
‘The clerks can’t do enough to help. David Goddard is a legend.’
‘Very friendly – know who you are, lead by the irrepressible David Goddard.’
‘Excellent clerking – Ben Jason and Ryan Tunkel are excellent – amongst the best.’
‘David Goddard, Ben Lashmar and Ryan Tunkel are a class act.’
Erskine Chambers
Company law heavyweight Erskine Chambers has particular strength in areas where insolvency meets banking and finance or civil fraud. The liquidation of Carillion led to some of chambers’ most notable work in this area, Andrew Thompson KC acting for its five non-executive directors and James Potts KC representing its former finance director in directors’ disqualification proceedings. CVAs have been a notable trend and leading insolvency silk Peter Arden KC has led Ben Shaw on a number of these, including acting for a group of landlords challenging the New Look CVA, the leading case on CVAs in the retail industry.
Testimonials
Set
‘Erskine is one of the top sets of barristers for company, restructuring and insolvency.’
‘Go to chambers for disputes with a corporate/company law angle.’
Clerking
‘Efficient, friendly and helpful.’
‘Alex Calder and Seamus Nixon are very responsive and very good at assisting with getting matters listed and liaising with the Court.’
‘Generally excellent across the board.’
‘Excellent service, very responsive clerks.’
Work highlights
Maitland Chambers
‘A powerhouse for insolvency, with real strength across the board‘, Maitland Chambers acts in disputes that arise in a vast range of industries, from small-scale insolvencies of individuals and local businesses, to complex, global insolvencies and associated asset recovery. Catherine Addy KC appeared for Carillion, acting by the official receiver as its liquidator, in FCA v Carillion PLC (in liquidation), an appeal coming out of the demise of the construction and facilities management company. A number of members are involved in the landmark Greensill administration, and a further highlight has Matthew Collings KC acting for the joint administrators in the £237m insolvency of London Capital & Finance.
Testimonials
Set
‘Excellent strength in depth as regards insolvency and restructuring.’
‘Counsel at Maitland Chambers are efficient and approachable. They are hard working, user-friendly, and generous with their time.’
‘Maitland is a powerhouse for insolvency, with real strength across the board.’
‘Maitland Chambers is our favourite insolvency and chancery set. All the silks and juniors seem to be good and the clerking team is also commercial and helpful.’
‘Due to the breadth of the set’s general commercial chancery practice, all their barristers supplement their insolvency expertise with a broader perspective and skillset, which is really valuable.’
Clerking
‘John Wiggs is a consummate professional and one of the most user-friendly clerks I have ever dealt with.’
‘John Wiggs does an excellent job of helping to maintain the connection between our firm and the barristers in this set.’
‘The clerks at Maitland Chambers are efficient, and respond to any questions promptly.’
‘Robert Penson is approachable, proficient, and competent.’
‘Friendly and helpful.’
Serle Court
With ‘real strength in insolvency, company and partnership work‘ Serle Court barristers are a frequent presence in some of the market’s key cases. In State Bank of India v Mallya, the UK’s largest individual insolvency proceedings, Philip Marshall KC has led James Mather representing Vijay Mallya, the chairman of United Breweries Group whose extradition for alleged financial crimes is requested by the Indian government, in defending bankruptcy proceedings. Among the cases arising from energy company insolvencies in 2021, Lance Ashworth KC acted for the liquidators of Economy Energy Ltd in disputes arising from the appointment by Ofgem of a Supplier of Last Resort to take over the supply of electricity and gas to customers of the supplier.
Testimonials
Set
‘Excellent strength-in-depth.’
‘Serle Court have real strength in insolvency, company and partnership work.’
‘From Elizabeth Jones (a superb choice as the new head of chambers) to the newest pupil, Serle Court are a delight to work with.’
‘Serle Court are commercial litigation superstars.’
Clerking
‘Despite spending almost fifty years as a clerk at Serle Court and predecessor sets, Steve Whitaker remains absolutely at the top of his game as Head Clerk.’
‘Steve Whitaker and Nick Hockney the senior clerks are always friendly and reliable.’
‘Daniel Wheeler is excellent – calm under pressure, personable and a delight to deal with.’
‘Emma Quin is fantastic and one to watch: she is astute, commercial and communicative.’
‘Charlie Payne is developing into a fantastic clerk, he is extremely responsive and thorough and a pleasure to deal with.’
Work highlights
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Strong chancery and insolvency chambers‘ XXIV Old Buildings has a particularly notable presence offshore where Stephen Moverley Smith KC is among the most active lead counsels in standout insolvencies. Head of chambers Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is instructed in the high profile insolvent estate of Boris Berezovsky, as well as recently acting in proceedings arising from the liquidation of Stanford International Bank in Antigua.
Testimonials
Set
‘Strong chancery and insolvency chambers, brilliant minds, real strength across the board.’
‘Top quality set with ability across the board, good strength in depth and a user friendly approach.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings is a highly-regarded set for members’ calibre of work and work ethic.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings are a very good set and one of the go-tos for this type of work.’
‘Good reputation for offshore work.’
Clerking
‘Excellent. Highly responsive and personable.’
‘Professional and easy to deal with- Perry Brown is an excellent practice manager who always seems in complete control.’
‘XXIV Old Buildings clerks are first class. They are always available to assist.’
‘James Ladbrook and Perry Brown offer a very good service.’
‘Always a good and prompt service from the clerks.’
3 Verulam Buildings
‘A great choice for work on the cross-over of insolvency and financial services‘, 3 Verulam Buildings is an experienced set for various matters with a party in insolvency. In TMO Renewables Ltd v Yeo & others, commercial disputes specialist Andrew Sutcliffe KC acted for the liquidators of the company in a £25m claim against its former directors, who include Major-era government minister Tim Yeo, for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duty. Offshore insolvencies continued to be a key part of Matthew Hardwick KC, acting in the BVI and other jurisdictions. On the junior side, Philip Hinks has continued to act as sole counsel in a number of matters, including a high value breach of fiduciary duty claim brought by liquidators against the directors of The Video Duplicating Company, one the UK’s biggest manufacturers of CDs and DVDs.
Testimonials
Set
‘Very strong set for all financial matters.’
‘The insolvency expertise at 3VB is incredibly impressive.’
‘3VB is a great choice for work on the cross-over of insolvency and financial services.’
‘There are many first class practitioners at 3VB.’
‘First rate.’
Clerking
‘Stuart Pullum is particularly efficient.’
‘The clerks are all excellent.’
‘Efficient and professional.’
‘The clerks were very helpful in arranging the advice and conference with the clients.’
‘I have dealt with Andrew Monks who is always extremely helpful and responsive.’
Enterprise Chambers
Complex insurance sector insolvencies have been a recent feature of Enterprise Chambers, a set seen as ‘a very good choice for insolvency instructions‘. One such case, Kireeva v Bedzhamov; Vneshprombank LLC v Bedzhamov and others has seen Stephen Davies KC acting for the bankruptcy trustee of the defendant, the Court of Appeal decision expected to have far-reaching consequences in cross-border cases. Niall McCulloch appearing unled in Michael J Lonsdale (Electrical) Ltd v Bresco Electrical Services Ltd ((in Liquidation)), the seminal case on the use of adjudication for the administration of construction insolvencies, was another highlight.
Testimonials
Set
‘Good bench strength in insolvency.’
‘A good set for insolvency matters with a raft of juniors ready to take on advocacy on smaller matters going up to seniors who can appear on more substantial cases.’
‘The set is excellent with a few standout individuals.’
‘Enterprise Chambers is one of the best sets for insolvency counsel in London.’
‘Enterprise has always been a very good choice for insolvency instructions, with a large number of excellent juniors in particular.’
Clerking
‘Excellent! Responsive, reliable and commercial. Michael Ireland is unflappable and easy to deal with.’
‘The clerks provide an excellent service; always reliable, responsive and commercial. Michael Ireland is the top man; always has matters under control and very easy to deal with.’
‘The clerks are personable and helpful. Luke Clark and Michael Ireland are particularly responsive and flexible.’
‘Michael Ireland leads a very good team.’
‘The clerks are universally good. Fast and responsive.’
Gatehouse Chambers
This has been an area of growth for Gatehouse Chambers over recent years and the set now has ‘a breadth of talent in insolvency‘ that it employs in a variety of claims. Jonathan Titmuss has a substantial international practice and a niche in a plethora of cases coming out of failed hotel room schemes. Wendy Parker acted in a number of multi-million pound trials over the last year, and Sarah Clarke continued to hold her own in key insolvency cases against silks.
Testimonials
Set
‘The depth of this chambers’ counsel is impressive, providing a wide array of choices and experience.’
‘A good range of specialities, particularly helpful in matters that cross areas.’
‘They have a breadth of talent in insolvency and are equally able in related areas such as commercial litigation and property.’
‘Very good strength in depth for insolvency.’
‘Gatehouse has an established offering of commercial and insolvency counsel.’
Clerking
‘Very efficient, easy to contact and flexible. Adam Blades in particular stands out.’
‘The clerks are particularly helpful both from a pragmatic and commercial perspective, effortlessly pairing client with the right counsel for the task and, importantly, budget.’
‘The clerks are very good – diligent, helpful and above all, great fun to deal with. Adam Blades and Amy McClean are particularly good.’
‘All the clerks are brilliant. There is not one that has not been able to assist or who has been anything less than helpful.’
‘The service that Gatehouse offers is very good, and they take a modern approach to communication and responsiveness. Natasha Devlin-Clingham and Claire Gallagher are particularly impressive.’
Radcliffe Chambers
Radcliffe Chambers ‘deals with a wide range of insolvency matters‘ and members are increasingly instructed in corporate insolvency matters and in cases with international elements. 2022 silk Matthew Weaver KC appeared in Carraway Guildford (Nominee A) Ltd & others v Regis UK Limited, advising the joint supervisors of a high-profile retail CVA of Regis Salons, which was challenged by 19 of its landlords. Christopher Boardman KC , who took silk in 2020, has been advising the administrators of Transform Medical Group in a case arising from the group litigation concerning unfit for purpose PIP breast implants.
Testimonials
Set
‘They have a range of barristers both at the KC and junior level.’
‘Very good set. Strong insolvency expertise.’
‘It is a very strong insolvency set with a range of barristers, which is great for ensuring that the work is done at the right level.’
‘Radcliffe is a fantastic chambers for highly regarded experts.’
‘A diverse range of advocates suitable to deal with a wide range of insolvency matters.’
Clerking
‘Clerks are responsive and very helpful.’
‘The clerks are always very honest and responsive, they make sure you get the right barrister for the case / claim not just the one that is available. ‘
‘The clerks are efficient and provide us with a good and timely service.’
‘Lee Wright is fantastic – commercial and responsive.’
‘Lee Wright and Bradley Edwards are great and always go above and beyond to assist.’
Wilberforce Chambers
Wilberforce Chambers fields teams of counsel that cover multi-disciplinary cases and have ‘become a force in the insolvency world‘. In 2021 chambers was further strengthened in this field with the additions of both Sri Carmichael and Jessica Brooke, and they join a set that includes Clare Stanley KC, and experienced insolvency silk in both onshore and offshore courts. Her recent caseload has included Al Jaber and others v Mitchell and others, where she acted for the successful appellants in a $1bn fraud/insolvency claim by liquidators.
Testimonials
Set
‘Strong set for civil fraud, trusts/off shore, insolvency and shareholder disputes.’
‘Wilberforce is a go-to set for insolvency. They have strength in depth both at the top silk end and abundance of junior talent (senior and junior).’
‘Wilberforce are a great set, with a number of talented silks and juniors in a number of different fields.’
‘Wilberforce have become a force in the insolvency world.’
‘Rachael Earle and Dan Lewis have a strong profile in insolvency, particularly in the London market, and are well regarded.’
Clerking
‘Accommodating and very responsive.’
‘Andrew Barnes does a great job and always quick to respond, chase counsel and turn things around on time and in scope for you.’
‘Strong set with good clerking.’
‘Very helpful and responsive. Jessica Edson has been extremely proactive.’
‘The clerks were helpful and responded when they said they would.’
South Square
‘The foremost insolvency and restructuring chambers‘, South Square continues to impress with a host of silks and juniors involved in the most significant and thorny issues in the market. Multiple barristers from chambers have been involved in the high-profile collapse of supply chain finance funder Greensill Capital: Glen Davis KC leading Matthew Abraham acting for Credit Suisse Asset Management, and on the opposite side for the administrators, David Allison KC leads Ryan Perkins. Chambers has also been involved in key cases regarding CVAs, one of the most notable being Caffé Nero’s successful defence of its CVA, where they were represented by Tom Smith KC leading Henry Phillips, Adam Al-Attar appearing on the opposite side for the EG Group. Energy company administrations were a major feature of the 2021 workload too, and again members of chambers were a regular fixture in the most significant. In the case of Bulb Energy Limited, which at the time of its collapse was the UK’s seventh biggest electricity supplier, Mark Arnold KC acted for the proposed administrators, leading Richard Fisher KC and Henry Phillips.
Testimonials
Set
‘South Square are the foremost insolvency and restructuring chambers.’
‘They are the leading set in insolvency for a reason. Everywhere you look they have talent.’
‘The most prestigious set in this field.’
‘South Square remains the pre-eminent set in restructuring and insolvency work.’
‘The go-to set for restructuring and insolvency matters. They have a very deep bench of leading advocates from silks to junior level.’
Clerking
‘Jim Costa – outstanding service, super friendly and super helpful. Very accommodating of all requests. Really easy to build a rapport with.’
‘The practice managers and clerks are a credit to the set – they form part of the overall excellent service I have come to expect of South Square.’
‘Chris Filby and Mike Killick are both excellent.’
‘Dylan Playfoot is fantastic!’
‘Dylan Playfoot in particular is a pleasure to deal (and negotiate) with.’