Commercial disputes

Leading Silks
2024 Silks
2025 Silks

Leading Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

Jonathan Adkin KC

Serle Court

‘Jonathan is a go-to silk for offshore merger appraisal disputes. He is one of the most experienced silks in this area, having acted in numerous large trials where the amounts in dispute are in the billions of dollars. Solicitor and lay clients highly rate Jonathan for his good manner, unflappable nature, and sensible advice. He is also a favourite with the judges which is very important.’

David Allison KC

South Square

‘David is the kind of advocate you want leading your case when everything’s on the line. He combines razor-sharp legal insight with a calm, strategic presence in court that commands attention and respect. What really sets him apart is his ability to simplify the complex, offer commercially sound advice, and deliver advocacy that’s both persuasive and polished across any forum, whether in London or offshore.’

Richard Boulton KC

One Essex Court

‘Richard is a brilliant cross-examiner of valuation and damages experts. As a testifying expert himself, he has a rare ability to deal with complex issues on his feet.’

David Chivers KC

Erskine Chambers

‘David is a very authoritative figure.'

Jonathan Crow KC

4 Stone Buildings

Justin Fenwick KC

4 New Square Chambers

‘Justin is a real gravitas in the court room, he has deep experience and inspires confidence in clients.'

Dakis Hagen KC

Serle Court

‘Dakis instils great confidence in clients. He is a pleasure to work with. He is a very responsive, commercial, and a collaborative barrister.’

Matthew Hardwick KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Matthew is a thorough, clever, and compelling advocate known for sensible and commercial approach. One of the hardest working counsel at the Bar, greatly respectful of the solicitor team, responsive, and very quick to get across the issues.’

Mark Howard KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Mark is a towering cross-examiner, possibly the leading light of his generation. He also has impeccable judgement, notably in making decisions as to which arguments should be put forward at trial -and which should not.’

Barry Isaacs KC

South Square

‘Barry is an excellent advocate. His cross-examination skills of expert valuation witnesses are second to none. Barry is meticulous when it comes to preparing for hearings, offers sound strategic advice at all stages of a matter, and is a pleasure to work with.’

Elizabeth Jones KC

Serle Court

‘Elizabeth is a strong leader who is effective at extracting the best from teams working in multiple jurisdictions. She is both formidable as an advocate and an absolute pleasure to work with.’

‘Thomas is undoubtedly the pre-eminent advocate in the Cayman Islands. He is always the first choice for any significant matter here. He has the advantage of practicing exclusively in Cayman and so is more familiar with Cayman-specific issues and authorities, and better-known to the bench than other silks who visit from the UK. In court he speaks with authority and is listened to by the Judges with respect.’

Hodge Malek KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Hodge is truly excellent and vastly experienced. He picks matters up exceptionally quickly and can analyse complex issues with great speed. He is wise and knowledgeable with true common sense . His advocacy is first rate.'

Philip Marshall KC

Serle Court

Stephen Moverley Smith KC

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Stephen is very good at dealing with difficult cases and finding arguments to overcome those challenges.’

Mark Phillips KC

South Square

‘Mark is a great advocate – very persuasive and can read a court well. A genuine thought leader in the sector.’

David Quest KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘David is a clever, compelling advocate known for his sensible and commercial approach. Greatly respectful of the legal team, responsive, and very quick to get across the issues. Results focused and offers pragmatic solutions for clients.’

Hefin Rees KC

3 Verulam Buildings

‘Hefin is a real heavyweight KC for big-ticket commercial litigation. He is a standout litigator and an extremely strong advocate who commands the respect of all in the courtroom. Hefin is brilliant on the law, incredibly creative, and highly commercial.’

Tom Smith KC

South Square

‘Clearly one of the leading minds in the insolvency space. Tom is brilliant, thoughtful, and a terrific advocate.’

Clare Stanley KC

Wilberforce Chambers

‘Clare is a fabulous courtroom advocate and it is a joy to watch her perform. She is relentless and fights her client’s corner like a tiger.'

John Wardell KC

Wilberforce Chambers

He quickly gets to the heart of the dispute and skillfully distils the arguments to their essential core.’

David Alexander KC

South Square

‘David is unbelievably responsive, with a real eye to the end game. Fearless. He wins the trust of the court with an easygoing style, no pomposity in sight.’

Stephen Atherton KC

Twenty Essex

‘Stephen has a very detailed, oriented approach to the evidence and is able to turn very difficult to win cases into winnable ones. His ability to read the room is unquestionable.’

David Brownbill KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Graham Chapman KC

4 New Square Chambers

‘Graham is responsive, accurate, and commercial when it comes to advice; he is thorough, well prepared, and clear with his written advocacy; he is outstanding on his feet with an ability to clearly articulate difficult issues and focus on what matters to a tribunal – this has been evident whether in the Grand Court or the Privy Council, he can adapt and consider his audience.’

Simon Davenport KC

4 Pump Court

'Simon has a fantastic courtroom presence and is absolutely lethal in cross-examination. He gets on top of new issues rapidly and delivers submissions with great confidence even outside his core areas of expertise. Great strategist.'

Edward Davies KC

Erskine Chambers

‘Edward is excellent in all respects. He deals with a large amount of material quickly. Both his communication and his advocacy is superb. He has an assured yet friendly manner, which clients appreciate.’

Anneliese Day KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Anneliese has expertise in handling difficult points, and reviewing complicated submissions to distil the key arguments.'

Jasbir Dhillon KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Jasbir is the most fearless advocate solicitors have had the privilege to sit behind in court. He brings new meaning to getting on the front foot.’

Vernon Flynn KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Vernon is a first class advocate who has the ear of the judge. In complex cases, he gets right to the heart of the issue which gives the judge confidence in what he has to say and the direction of his argument.’

Jonathan Harris KC

Serle Court

‘Jonathan has advised on complex multijurisdictional issues in the field of trusts and probate, as well as commercial/corporate matters.'

John Machell KC

Serle Court

‘John quickly wins over clients with his ability to explain complex issues in clear terms, combined with his very practical and matter-of-fact approach to trust litigation. In court he is a formidable yet thoroughly professional advocate. His no-nonsense approach is extremely refreshing too.’

Ewan McQuater KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Daniel Saoul KC

4 New Square Chambers

Mohinderpal Sethi KC

Littleton Chambers

Bankim Thanki KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Extremely hard working, personable, and unbelievably clever. She has the respect of all of the profession and the judiciary. She is the best insolvency barrister in the market.’

Francis Tregear KC

XXIV Old Buildings

Ben Valentin KC

Fountain Court Chambers

‘Ben is a very assured and persuasive advocate. He is meticulously prepared and methodical in his approach. He has the confidence of the judges.’

Jern-Fei Ng KC

Duxton Hill Chambers

Adrian Beltrami KC

3 Verulam Buildings

Christopher Boardman KC

Radcliffe Chambers

George Bompas KC

4 Stone Buildings

'George is sharp, analytical, to the point, and calm.'

‘Alain is not only an exceptional advocate. He is also very “intellectually honest” which is a great attribute for engaging the Judge.’

‘Richard is an excellent communicator both with clients and in court. He reads the room very well and provides clear explanations of complex legal analysis. He is very accessible and prompt in his responses. He clearly commands respect from his peers and from the judges he appears before.’

Ben Hubble KC

4 New Square Chambers

‘Ben is a first-class choice for professional negligence matters. He is an exceptional advocate, and highly adept at winning the trust of the Judge with his calm and measured manner. Part of Ben's strength in that regard derives from the fact that he himself is always properly prepared - he never simply wings it by delegating too much to juniors. He is all over the detail and it shows. Ben is responsive, collaborative, always thinking ahead, and incredibly pleasant to deal with. ’

Blair Leahy KC

Twenty Essex

'Blair is a class act. She is phenomenally intelligent and is able to get to the root of complex legal issues very quickly. Blair has a wealth of knowledge of cross-border insolvency and her commercial instincts are second to none. Blair’s advocacy is a master-class, and is simply outstanding. She is sharp, technically brilliant, well-judged, and exudes confidence.'

Graeme McPherson KC

4 New Square Chambers

‘Graeme is a force of nature as an advocate. He is outstanding on his feet, he has the respect and ear of the judge, and he is fearless in advocating for his clients interests. He is all over the detail of any case and knows his brief backwards. He is my go-to silk for civil fraud matters as solicitors know he will always do a perfect job.’

Stephen Midwinter KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Stephen is an outstanding silk and provides excellent, focused, and practical advice. Unflappable in court, his advocacy is incisive and highly effective. Responsiveness is a key strength – he is readily available and turns work round very swiftly.’

Richard Millett KC

Essex Court Chambers

Terence Mowschenson KC

Wilberforce Chambers

‘Terry is a go-to barrister for serious chancery matters in BVI. His vast experience means that judges really listen to him. He is responsive, hard-working, and pleasant to worth with.’

David Mumford KC

Maitland Chambers

‘David has a very persuasive advocacy style. He never appears to become agitated and has an extraordinary amount of success in the BVI courts.’

Thomas Roe KC

3 Hare Court

Stephen Rubin KC

Fountain Court Chambers

Simon Salzedo KC

Brick Court Chambers

Aside from his personable nature, Simon is extremely quick on his feet and very adept at analysing legal principles and breaking down complex points into simple language. His advocacy is effective as his delivery is effortless.'

Steven Thompson KC

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Steven is quite simply one of the best advocates at the bar. He is incredibly hard working and always absolutely on top of his brief. He often comes up with winning points that no-one else has considered. He can make a bad case look good, and often runs circles around his opponents in court.'

‘Andrew is a wonderful advocate, calm, straight to the point, and incredibly persuasive. He is everything one looks for in leading counsel: creative, technical, intelligent, and works brilliantly with the team.’

Daniel Bayfield KC

South Square

‘Daniel is a real pleasure to work with, a brilliant strategist, exceptionally responsive, and unfailingly friendly. His advocacy is perfectly focused and his written submissions invariably concise and persuasive. He is a wonderful team player and leads by example with a unrelenting work ethic.’

Tony Beswetherick KC

Twenty Essex

Hermann Boeddinghaus KC

4 Stone Buildings

'Hermann is an excellent advocate who is particularly skilled at maintaining credibility with the Judge, irrespective of the merits of his client’s case.'

John Brisby KC

4 Stone Buildings

‘Matthew is an intellectual powerhouse, he is extremely intelligent, and he has a modest disarming manner which is a great asset. His advocacy style is calm, measured, and he has a degree of courtesy rarely seen nowadays but which is devastatingly effective with both judges and witnesses.’

Timothy Collingwood KC

Serle Court

‘Timothy stands out for his attention to detail, advocacy, and approachability.'

Alexander Cook KC

4 Stone Buildings

'Alex is a genuine star of the bar. He is user friendly, willing to roll his sleeves up , and has fierce intellect. He has brilliant skills on his feet as an advocate.'

‘Thomas is excellent in everything he does. His advocacy is strong, commanding the attention of the Court and his opponents. He prepares thoroughly and is all over the details of every case that he takes on.'

Charles Hollander KC

Brick Court Chambers

‘Charles is great on any team and a true expert on disclosure and related topics.’

Timothy Howe KC

Fountain Court Chambers

'Tim is an exceptional advocate. He is especially skilled and grappling with complex questions of contractual construction and unpacking the key issues into crisp and compelling arguments. Tim is also extremely client friendly and performs very well as part of a wider team.'

Paul Lowenstein KC

Twenty Essex

‘Paul is very sharp, a great team player, and easy to work with. He has deep subject matter expertise and experience. Absolutely top notch.'

Bridget Lucas KC

Fountain Court Chambers

James Morgan KC

Radcliffe Chambers

James is able to assimilate large volumes of evidence in a short period of time and easily distil the critical issues. His drafting is first class and he is an excellent advocate.’