William Day > Chambers of Ewan McQuater KC and David Quest KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

3 Verulam Buildings is noted as being ‘a good solid set for commercial matters,‘ with members such as Adam Kramer KC and William Day having been involved in Covid-19 lockdown-related cases such as Stonegate Pub Company v MS Amlin.  Tom Weitzman KC and Peter Ratcliffe acted for the restaurant chain in PizzaExpress v Liberty Mutual Insurance, another case concerning if the policy (which used the “Aon Trio” wording) applied to central government action and if the limits in that case were national or per restaurant. Kate Holderness has acted and advised in related to a wide range of insurance disputes, including between brokers and insurers, while Sophia Dzwig is another key junior on the set.

‘A very good, go-to set, with true bench strength at all levels‘, 3 Verulam Buildings routinely acts in large-value, multi-jurisdictional, complex cases, both at all levels of the English court system and globally. In the leading 2023 COVID-19 business interruption test case London International Exhibition Centre v RSA and others, Adam Kramer KC and rising star William Day acted for the lead claimants. In Argentum Exploration Ltd v The Republic of South Africa, Liisa Lahti was part of the legal team that successfully represented treasure hunters, who resisted South Africa’s state immunity claims in relation to 2,391 bars of silver salvaged from the wreck of the SS Tilawa, which was sunk during World War II. Elsewhere in chambers, Christopher Harris KC and James McWilliams, in Labrador Marine Corporation v Petroserv Marine Inc, are acting for Petroserv in major Commercial Court proceedings concerning Labrador’s entitlement to substantial sums under a promissory note.

3 Verulam Buildings has ‘a strong civil fraud practice, particularly for cases involving banking fraud‘. The set was recently particularly active in litigation surrounding several very high-value frauds involving the Covid-related furlough scheme and business loans. In other areas, David Head KC is defending Dimitrios Tsouvelekakis against a substantial claim, which alleges that he acted fraudulently in relation to advice on discretionary investment trusts. In a multi-jurisdictional dispute over Russia’s largest fishing business, Hodge Malek KC defended Vitaly Orlov, CEO and co-founder of the Norebo Group, against complex fraud and conspiracy claims brought by Alexander Tugushev. Elsewhere in chambers, Ewan McQuater KC is leading a substantial counsel team that includes David Quest KC and rising star William Day, in defending the interests of Dubai Islamic Bank and Noor Bank, further to the 2020 collapse of the NMC Healthcare group, which is said to have been the subject of a massive fraud by its management. Juniors building notable fraud practices include Sophia Dzwig, Ryan Ferro and Ravi Jackson.