XXIV Old Buildings > London, England > Set Profile

XXIV Old Buildings Offices

Chambers of Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
XXIV Old Buildings
24 OLD BUILDINGS, LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3UP
England
Visit website 020 7691 2424 0870 460 2178

XXIV Old Buildings > The Legal 500 Rankings

London Bar > Private client: trusts and probate Tier 1

XXIV Old Buildings is a ‘well-known and reputable set with exceptional offering for contentious trust and estates work’. Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is a ‘robust and client-friendly advocate’ – she appeared in the Bermudian Wong v Grand View case before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council regarding the powers of trustees, stemming from disagreements within the family of the founders of Formosa Plastics Corporation; before the same forum David Brownbill KC represented the claimants in Perry v Lopag, who seek to challenge the transfer of a Caymanian company into a Liechtenstein trust on the basis that the settlor made a mistake regarding the rights of the beneficiaries under Liechtenstein law, which changed in a way unfavourable to them. Edward Cumming KC represents the children of Monty Python star Terry Jones in a trust and probate dispute with his second wife. Turning to the set’s juniors, Owen Curry successfully represented a man who applied under the Relief From Forfeiture Act 1982 after admitting being convicted of the manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility of his wife. Adam Cloherty KC was appointed silk in 2023.

Rising stars

Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 1
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Elspeth is a very decisive strategist and best advocates on her feet. She is a go-to barrister.'
Ranked: Tier 1
David Brownbill KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘David is a fantastic technical lawyer with an ability to reduce complex analysis to readily understandable work product. He is thoroughly committed to his clients and understands all the context and nuance of trust work.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Edward is an absolute superstar. He has a phenomenal work rate, huge intellect, an elephantine memory, and utterly charming with it.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Francis is hugely experienced, yet down to earth and a team player. He is a brilliant advocate.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3

2023 Silks

Adam Cloherty KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Adam is very bright, hardworking and commercial. He is excellent in court and is at his best in complicated disputes.’

Leading Juniors

Andrew Holden –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Andrew is the full package and brings real value to all the matters he works on. His written work is first-rate. He is technically strong, client-focused and commercial.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Daniel Warents –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Daniel is an outstanding advocate. He has the ear of the court and combines an encyclopaedic knowledge of the papers and law with a sharp, persuasive and witty approach.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 2
Helen Galley –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Helen is pragmatic, calm and engaging with the clients and her down to earth and easy to deal with at a time when they are usually quite stressed. She is incisive and looks for the quickest and best route to the solution of the problem.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Heather Murphy –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Heather has a practical approach and an ability to explain highly complex matters in a user-friendly way. She focuses on solutions rather than the obstacles in the way.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Bajul Shah –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Bajul has a powerful advocacy style.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Timothy Sherwin –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Timothy is hardworking, responsive and provides strategic advice. He is incredibly intelligent.’
Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘The clerks at XXIV Old Buildings are super, efficient and personable. James Ladbrook always goes out of his way to help.’

‘James Ladbrook goes above and beyond and is a thoroughly nice guy.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings is a top set with fantastic silks and juniors.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings is the supreme set for trust, commercial work and anything offshore, with excellent counsel at all levels.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings is an excellent set, sound ability throughout a deep bench, and consistently easy to deal with.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Aviation Tier 2

‘A go-to set for aviation disputes,’ XXIV Old Buildings‘ barristers act for airlines and lessors on the spectrum of aviation issues, including leasing matters, fatal and hull damage incidents in addition to insolvency proceedings and cargo claims. Steven Thompson KC has a broad practice that encompasses maintenance disputes, sale and purchase and leasing disputes, while Edward Cumming KC specialises in aircraft maintenance cases, with further experience in aviation regulation. Bajul Shah acted for the Qatar Airlines in its dispute with Airbus concerning peeling paint of A350 aircraft, with the airline grounding several of the type and alleging that this constituted a safety issue, a claim which Airbus denied. He also handles insolvency matters and ownership disputes. Erin Hitchens was also instructed by Qatar Airlines in their dispute with Airbus and often appears in the Commercial Court regarding summary judgements and interim applications, with Tom Stewart Coats handling a growing commercial caseload in addition to acting for airlines facing EC261 claims.

Rising stars

Tom Stewart Coats - XXIV Old Buildings ‘A highly effective advocate, with an exceptional depth of experience and expertise in the aviation sector.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Steven Thompson KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven has superb judgement and there is no one better at the Bar for aviation work. He is also great to work with and is willing to stick his neck out to predict outcomes.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Edward Cumming KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Highly intelligent, commercially-minded and able to cut through the noise.’
Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Juniors

Bajul Shah – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Bajul is the stand-out junior for aviation.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Heather Murphy - XXIV Old Buildings 'Heather is adept at getting to the nub of the issues, and is very pragmatic. An excellent advocate and is very able to guide clients through the noise to the central points at issue.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Erin Hitchens –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Erin is one of the most experienced aviation juniors around with a hugely effective understated but tough style of advocacy.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Very good service from all clerks and Paul Horsfield – always responsive and alive to client concerns.’

‘A first class clerking team – Paul Horsfield, James Ladbrook and Perry Brown are all reliable and friendly, able to find solutions and work with instructing solicitors to serve the clients.’

‘Very good clerks, responsive and understanding of the pressures that solicitors are under. Paul Horsfield, Perry Brown and Tommie Drury all stand out.’

‘Paul Horsfield has done a really great job since taking over. He is a pleasure to deal with.’

‘The clerks I have dealt with at XXIV Old Buildings are professional and offer a first-rate service. They are responsive and extremely helpful to any request. In particular, I have dealt with James Ladbrook and Lyndon Tiller – both of whom are easy to work with, very efficient and more than happy to help.’

‘We have a long-standing relationship with XXIV Old Buildings and work well with a number of silks and juniors.’

‘Good aviation set.’

‘A go-to set for aviation disputes, with a wide range of excellent barristers at all levels.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Commercial litigation Tier 2

‘A leading commercial and Chancery set with a strong offshore presence‘, XXIV Old Buildings consistently acts in high-stakes commercial disputes occurring throughout the world; and in addition to the set’s enviable international arbitration, insolvency and civil fraud credentials, clients additionally benefit from members’ complementary specialisms in partnership, trusts, professional negligence and aviation law.  Highlights include Elspeth Talbot Rice KC acting for the ninth, tenth and eleventh defendants in a proprietary claim to the assets of Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky’s insolvent estate. In The Public Institution for Social Security v Al Rajaan, Francis Tregear KC represents a Swiss investment bank in relation to a claim for over $800m that alleges bribery and money laundering against a former investment manager and several international banks and intermediaries. In March 2023, Adam Cloherty KC, who recently acted for the claimant in Akers and others v Samba, a large-value case against a Saudi bank that raised fundamental issues on whether a common law trust can be created over civil law assets, took silk.

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 3
Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven has superb judgement and there is no one better at the Bar for aviation work. He is also great to work with, and is willing to stick his neck out to predict outcomes.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 4
Alan Steinfeld KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Alan is truly exceptional. His advice and guidance are the amongst the very best, and his thought processes are impossible to replicate, but the end result is always reliably successful.’
Ranked: Tier 5
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Precise advice and an ability to cut through to the main issue.’
Ranked: Tier 5
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Incredible intellect, boundless enthusiasm, and a tenacious fighter for his client.’
Ranked: Tier 5

2023 Silks

Adam Cloherty KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Adam is commercial, exceedingly good to work with, collaborative, and very thorough. Overall, just great.’

2024 Silks

Oliver Assersohn KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Oliver is incredibly intelligent and has a particularly effective written style. He is a real team player and can be depended on in high-stakes litigation.’

Leading Juniors

Stuart Adair –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Good grasp of the commercial realities of a case and good empathy with clients. Stuart has a persuasive manner in court and is ready to deal with the unexpected as it arises.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Alexander Pelling –XXIV Old Buildings 'A joy to work with - always on point, super responsive, a great advocate, and great with clients. Just can't fault him.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3
Elizabeth Weaver –XXIV Old Buildings ‘An absolutely top, go-to counsel - very bright, persuasive and detailed, Has a broad range of skills, which she adapts ably to all manner of cases. Clients respect and like her a lot.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Hugh Miall –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hugh is a first-rate advocate, both on paper and on his feet.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 4
Nicole Langlois –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Technically very good and has a good strategic mind too, so Nicole is a valuable member of the team in terms of strategic issues.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Ranked: Tier 5
Daniel Warents – XXIV Old Buildings 'Daniel is an exceptional barrister. He has excellent attention to detail and the quality of his written work is very high. He is able to explain things clearly to lay clients and is very personable. However, it is the quality of his advocacy that is particularly impressive.'
Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘Good spread of practice areas and excellent clerks.‘

‘XXIV Old Buildings is a favourite chambers – always responsive, helpful, and dedicated to getting the best advice to clients.‘

‘Paul Horsfield, ably supported by James Ladbrook and Perry Brown, are a strong and responsive team. They are very visible at key Chancery events, and their experience and guidance are always very welcome and very reliable.‘

‘The clerks are excellent, with James Ladbrook a particular standout performer.‘

‘The clerks are excellent and extremely responsive.‘

‘The clerks’ room is approachable and commercial – very strong.‘

‘XXIV Old Buildings is a hidden gem – whilst best known for traditional Chancery and offshore work, they have a real depth of talent, from silks to the most junior barrister for all nature of disputes – a go-to set.‘

‘XXIV Old Buildings is a leading commercial and Chancery set with a strong offshore presence.‘

Work highlights

London Bar > Fraud: civil Tier 2

‘A go-to chambers for civil fraud work involving complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes‘, XXIV Old Buildings also has a consistent flow of domestic fraud work, and is widely esteemed for its expertise in trusts and insolvency-related civil fraud matters. Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is currently acting in a claim that funds were stripped out of a company to render it judgment-proof; and in an important decision on the principles to apply in determining a forum challenge involving foreign law expert evidence, Stephen Moverley Smith KC represented various defendants in a claim to recover $50m of alleged bribes that were paid to an agro-chemical company’s chief executive. At the senior junior end of chambers, Stuart Adair is defending an individual who is alleged by the claimants to have induced them to invest in start-up technology company, Seed Media, by making multiple fraudulent misrepresentations.

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 2
Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stephen is exceptional - he's the go-to person for BVI disputes, being one of the first lawyers to practice in the area. He is also a very good team player and strategist, and wins a lot of support from judges for his measured and persuasive style.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 3
Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven is an exceptional advocate who argues the most difficult cases very persuasively, pitching his submissions at exactly the right level for the judge and delivering excellent results every time. He has proved himself in highly complex cases at both first instance and appellate level.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Clear, client-oriented and a mastermind – one of the best KCs around.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘A very clever and a calm and clear thinker. He is at the top of his game but also very client friendly.’
Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Stuart Adair –XXIV Old Buildings ‘He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the field and combines this with a polished but remorseless approach to litigation.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Hugh Miall –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Capable of grasping fine detail, while not losing sight of the bigger strategic landscape.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Paul Horsfield is always helpful and easy to come to an agreement with on fees.’

‘Paul Horsfield is excellent – very professional and approachable.’

‘Paul Horsfield, Perry Brown and Tommie Drury all know what clients need and provide an excellent service. James Ladbrook is also singled out.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings is an excellent chambers.’

‘XXIV is an exceptional chambers. They always manage to provide high-quality advice.’

‘A number of good barristers there who are doing very good work. Excellent availability of counsel and perfect cooperation with instructing solicitors.’

‘XXIV is a go-to chambers for civil fraud work involving complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes.’

‘Clever, astute and easy to work with. The chambers and its clerks always have a good range and availability of counsel.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Company Tier 2

XXIV Old Buildings is ‘the supreme set for trust and commercial work and anything offshore, with an excellent roster of counsel at all levels’. The set has built a solid reputation for company law work, which typically arises from its highly regarded practices in Chancery and offshore matters. Head of chambers Elspeth Talbot Rice KC remains a standout silk for domestic and cross-border company matters. Stephen Moverley Smith KC’s highlights include long-running case Re Genmar Resources Ltd, concerning winding up and unfair prejudice claims in relation to an oil trading business, with allegations of asset misappropriation. Stuart Adair remains a standout junior in this field, his recent work including unfair prejudice proceedings for the claimant in Excess Reserves Limited v Patel and others.

Leading Silks

Alan Steinfeld KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Marvellously bright, Alan commands respect in and out of court.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Francis Tregear KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Francis provides precise advice and has an ability to cut through to the main issue.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Stephen Moverley Smith KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stephen is a smooth operator whose written and oral advocacy is top-notch, and his calm demeanour is great when interacting with a judge.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘A superb advocate who is eloquent, concise, robust, client-friendly and commands the courtroom.’
Ranked: Tier 2
Edward Cumming KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Ed is a total superstar and he no weak areas, so his advocacy is brilliant as is his service ethos.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Michael Black KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Michael is very experienced and procedurally rigorous, but fair.’
Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Juniors

Stuart Adair – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stuart has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the field and combines this will a polished but remorseless approach to litigation.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Hugh Miall – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hugh is an exceptional advocate, technically excellent, friendly, responsive, pragmatic and willing to go above and beyond.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Elizabeth Weaver – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Very bright, persuasive and detailed, Elizabeth has a broad range of skills which she adapts ably to all manner of cases.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Daniel Warents – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Unbelievably quick, clever, and tactically brilliant, Daniel is a very able and talented barrister who shows great judgement, sound research and good humour.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Timothy Sherwin – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Timothy is clever, thorough and tenacious.’
Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘The chambers and their clerks always have a good range and availability of Counsel.’

‘Paul Horsfield is doing a great job since taking over. He is very responsive and commercial.’

‘The XXIV clerks are practical and commercial, with a keen eye on the market.’

‘The clerks are all very responsive – particularly Paul Horsfield.’

‘Always helpful, easy to come to an agreement on fees.’

‘XXIV remain the supreme set for trust and commercial work and anything offshore. With an excellent roster of counsel at all levels, you know you will get good quality work and that junior/newbie barristers will be well-supported.’

‘Great set, packed with great performers.’

‘XXIV Chambers continues to offer a great range of experience and specialisms across the Commercial and Commercial Chancery disputes. I always enjoy working with its barristers, who are down to earth but with superb depth in their respective areas, which often includes ones that are otherwise hard to find the right expertise in.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 3

XXIV Old Buildings has a substantial banking and financial practice developed over three core areas, including hedge fund and structured investment vehicle work, international insolvencies involving banks and financial institutions, and claims against financial institutions relating to financial mismanagement. Stephen Moverley Smith KC has a practice spanning international litigation, especially those involving the BVI and Bermuda - he represented the defendant in Ivanishvilli v CS Life, a claim arising from a rogue trader fraud at a Swiss bank, with proceedings brought against its Bermudian subsidiary alleging a failure to discover the fraud – the claimant being former Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Francis Tregear KC is noted for his ‘very good advocacy‘, and Sarah Bayliss  has extensive experience of acting in mis-selling and negligence claims against financial institutions.

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 3
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Very good advocacy. Unruffled and easy to deal with.’
Ranked: Tier 4
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Ed is a go-to counsel for high value, complex cases.  He is like a dynamo, and his positive energy carries the whole team.  He is aggressive when needed, but also subtle.  An absolute star of the Bar.’
Ranked: Tier 4

2024 Silks

Oliver Assersohn KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Oliver is an outstanding team player and brings commerciality as well as excellent analytical skills to the team.'

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 3
Ranked: Tier 4

Testimonials

‘Paul Horsfield is doing a great job since taking over. He is very responsive and commercial.’

‘A very strong set which has a number of very strong individuals.’

‘Good set.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Insolvency Tier 3

XXIV Old Buildings deals with domestic and international insolvency and restructuring cases, with members such as Elspeth Talbot Rice KC instructed on high profile liquidations and insolvencies such as the case of Gorbunova v Berezovsky where she acted for the trustees in the bankruptcy of Boris Berezovsky’s insolvent estate agent against which estate a proprietary, and other, claims are being made by the former partner of the Russian businessman, who died in suspicious circumstances in Berkshire in 2013. Stephen Moverley Smith KC and Francis Tregear KC are noted for their cross-border practice, often being instructed by clients in the Cayman Islands.

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 1
Ranked: Tier 3
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Her clients are great fans.’
Ranked: Tier 3
Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Stephen is a smooth operator. His written and oral advocacy is top-notch. His calm demeanour is great when meeting with the client and interacting with a judge. With Stephen, you know you are in safe hands.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Ed is an exceptional strategist.'
Ranked: Tier 4
Ranked: Tier 5

Leading Juniors

Stuart Adair –XXIV Old Buildings ‘He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the field and combines this will with a polished but remorseless approach to litigation.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Hugh Miall –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hugh gives clear and confident advice. He is a team player and very personable, which gains the confidence of the clients.'  
Ranked: Tier 4
Daniel Warents –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Daniel is extremely bright and user-friendly.  He is a very fine advocate and is able to stand his ground as against opposition's silks.'
Ranked: Tier 4
Ranked: Tier 5

Testimonials

‘The clerks are excellent, particularly James Ladbrook.’

‘Paul Horsfield, James Ladbrook and Perry Brown are a great team, regularly attending major chancery conferences.  They are very responsive and their advice on who to instruct has been consistently reliable.’

‘Excellent clerks.  I particularly know Paul Horsfield and James Ladbrook.  They are friendly, knowledgeable and commercial.  They also go out of their way to develop relationships with their barristers’ instructing solicitors, which really helps.’

‘XXIV have superb strength in depth for insolvency work with a number of notable practitioners and a wide selection of juniors. That makes it easy to find someone to deal with short-notice work.’

‘I am a big fan of XXIV Old Buildings.  Chambers as a whole has enormous strength and experiences.  Chambers has always been able to service the needs of my clients exceptionally well and I am very grateful to them.’

‘XXIV Old Buildings is an excellent set. I have particularly worked with them in the contentious trusts area and always received excellent assistance.  They are excellent at all levels.’

‘The set consists of a sufficient number of barristers who specialize in various areas of law, thus ensuring that clients can find suitable counsel for their specific needs.  A reputable set with a commitment to excellence.’

‘Consistently good service from all clerks with whom we communicate.’

Work highlights

London Bar > Partnership Tier 3

Crossing over with the set's reputation for Chancery work, XXIV Old Buildings is known for its ‘great strength’ in the partnership area, handling a full spectrum of partnership law in farming, legal and finance both domestically and abroad. Elspeth Talbot Rice KC and Alan Steinfeld KC are two silks active in partnership work, while turning to the set's juniors Helen Galley and Hugh Miall  are noted for their practice covering traditional partnerships, LLPs and joint ventures.

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 1
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Elspeth is very powerful on paper and on her feet. She effortlessly wins the trust of clients and tribunals.’
Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Ranked: Tier 2
Hugh Miall – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Hugh is a first-rate advocate on paper and on his feet.  He wins interim applications against very experienced partnership counsel. He likes to get his hands dirty with the detail.’
Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Top notch clerking – commercial and committed.’

‘Partnership is a great strength of the set.’

Work highlights

Dispute resolution > Mediators Tier 4

Lyndsey de Mestre KC - XXIV Old Buildings  Lyndsey de Mestre KC at XXIV Old Buildings is 'an excellent mediator.  Not only is she extremely bright and knowledgeable, she also has huge empathy and is brilliant with clients'. De Mestre is a go-to mediator for both senior insolvency practitioners and specialist liquidation funders. She has also been appointed mediator in highly contentious probate matters.  

Work highlights

London Bar > Art and cultural property

London Bar > International arbitration: arbitrators

Leading counsel as arbitrators

Michael Black KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘As an arbitrator, he is exceptionally fair, measured and thoughtful, whilst remaining utterly charming towards the parties. He is a consummate professional who is at the top of his game as an arbitrator, with decades of experience in complex commercial disputes all around the world.'
Ranked: Tier 2

London Bar > International arbitration: counsel

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Juniors

Tom Stewart Coats – XXIV Old Buildings ‘As reliable as he is talented, Tom is emerging as a powerful advocate and has a glittering future ahead.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Arshad Ghaffar –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Arshad has an excellent grasp of arbitration and has always satisfied his clients' queries as to strategy and process of various arbitration disputes. He is impeccable in his conduct and professionalism, and you can rely on him entirely in matters of international arbitrations. No-nonsense, with a matter-of-fact attitude, he delivers what and when he says he will do.’
Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Charities

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 3
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Edward is a brilliant strategist and an exceptional advocate.'  
Ranked: Tier 3

London Bar > Professional negligence

London Bar > Financial services regulation

2024 Silks

Oliver Assersohn KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Oliver is an outstanding team player and brings commerciality as well as excellent analytical skills to the team. He is a go-to counsel for financial services regulatory matters.’

London Bar > Property litigation

The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore Tier 1

‘Pre-eminent Chancery set’ XXIV Old Buildings offers clients a ‘deep bench with consistently high quality’ and demonstrable expertise in offshore jurisdictions including Gibraltar, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and the Crown Dependencies. Corporate and commercial matters, trust related work and financial based cases are among the core pillars of the set’s offshore offering. Steven Thompson KC was retained for an appeal heard in December 2022 in  Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse (Bermuda) Ltd. The case involves a claim by the ex-prime minister of Georgia against a subsidiary of the Swiss bank arising out of the allegedly fraudulent actions of a rogue employee; the bank was ordered to pay over US$600m in damages by the Bermudian court. Head of chambers and in-demand silk Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is very well-known for her broad commercial Chancery practice, appearing in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, among others. Elsewhere within chambers, offshore commercial cases are a core specialism of Stephen Moverley Smith KC with his practice emphasising restructuring, fraud, corruption and insolvency.

Rising stars

James Fennemore – XXIV Old Buildings ‘James has a great attention to detail and impresses with his detailed knowledge of a case. His advice is always clear and to the point.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading Silks

Ranked: Tier 1
Ranked: Tier 1
Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'A real flair for advocacy. Energetic, engaged and enthusiastic.'
Ranked: Tier 1
Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Francis is a user-friendly silk. He is well-versed in the law and able to relate to clients and instructing lawyers very easily. He is adept at explaining complex legal points in layman's terms. His advocacy is well-prepared, calm and persuasive.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 2
Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Steven is exceptionally bright and a brilliant advocate who can always be relied on to get great results, even with a difficult case. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the law ad so it particularly suited for appellate work, but he is equally good at interlocutory skirmishes.'
Ranked: Tier 3
Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Edward has strong skills as a strategist and makes sound decisions quickly. He marshals his arguments well, thinks and speaks clearly and is very effective as an advocate.’
Ranked: Tier 3

2023 Silks

Leading Juniors

Sarah Bayliss –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Sarah is a user-friendly and measured junior, with an assured grasp of both the law and the practicalities of a case. She inspires real confidence in her clients and instructing solicitors.’
Ranked: Tier 1
Ranked: Tier 1
Ranked: Tier 2
Nicole Langlois –XXIV Old Buildings 'Intellectually strong but strategically aware and astute too.Very strong advocacy.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Daniel Warents –XXIV Old Buildings 'Daniel is unbelievably quick, very clever and tactically excellent.'
Ranked: Tier 2
Bajul Shah –XXIV Old Buildings 'Calm, collected and methodical. Judges love his approach, as he tells it as it is.'
Ranked: Tier 3

Testimonials

‘Universally helpful and commercial, Paul Horsfield and his team are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Paul Horsfield is very approachable and also extremely commercial. He really understands the need to maintain good client relations and helps us to do that.’

‘Excellent – James Ladbrook particularly stands out as a first class clerk.’

‘The pre-eminent Chancery set.’

‘One of the pre-eminent sets undertaking offshore work, with a deep bench demonstrating consistent talent and service levels.’

‘Market leaders and chambers of choice for Chancery matters.’

‘XXIV is excellent in offshore and general commercial chancery work.’

‘XXIV are one of the pre-eminent offshore sets, with a deep bench of consistent high quality.’

Work highlights

Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial Tier 2

With particularly strong connections to Dubai, XXIV Old Buildings has an established reputation in the Middle East for its members acting in litigation and arbitration within the commercial, construction, and banking and finance areas. In Nest Investments Holding Lebanon v Deloitte and Touche, Steven Thompson KC acted on an application to the DIFC Court of Appeal regarding a preliminary trial related to recoverability of loss and the status of foreign law in the DIFC. Arshad Ghaffar acted on behalf of a defendant in IDBI v Barghouthi & Others, a DIFC claim filed by an Indian development finance institution against a Kuwaiti telecoms provider. Edward Knight’s practice continues to focus on international commercial contract disputes, as well as significant activity in ICC, DIAC and other institutional arbitrations.

Leading silks

Steven Thompson KC – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Steven is one of the leading authorities on DIFC litigation at the English Bar. Incredibly hard-working, a brilliant advocate and highly intelligent.’
Ranked: Tier 1

Leading juniors

Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 2
Ranked: Tier 2
Tom Stewart Coats  – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Tom is one of a very small number of junior barristers practising in the DIFC Courts who has real and extensive DIFC Court advocacy experience. He has an uncanny feel for how judges will look at particular issues and is very well respected, making him one of the go-tos.’
Ranked: Tier 2

Testimonials

‘Very good. Perry Brown is easy to deal with and very friendly. A modern-day clerk with brilliant commercial skills.’

‘We often work with Lyndon Tiller who is excellent – very responsive and helpful.’

‘Paul Horsfield and Perry Brown are personable, hard working and really proactive especially with urgent instructions.’

‘The clerks are a delight to deal with. Paul Horsfield has an excellent understanding of the DIFC market.’

‘It is a great set, particularly for Middle East and Dubai arbitration and DIFC litigation.’

‘Very active in the DIFC market.’

Work highlights

Middle East: The English Bar > Construction

XXIV Old Buildings > Set Profile

Based in London with an annexe in Geneva, the members of XXIV Old Buildings provide advocacy and specialist legal advice in a wide range of commercial litigation and chancery matters concerning domestic and international disputes for individuals, companies, corporations, charities, regulators and institutions.

Members frequently act as counsel in litigations and arbitrations for commercial matters and are particularly strong in disputes concerning banking and finance, company, insolvency, civil fraud and asset tracing/recovery. There is a strong aviation disputes practice within the set relating to complex product liability, leasing, negligence and insurance claims. Our expertise in commercial contracts extends to complementary practice areas such as cultural heritage/art law and property disputes.

Within the traditional chancery sphere our specialist members provide expertise in trusts, probate and court of protection as well as commercial chancery business disputes, drawing on our established strengths in these areas.

The depth and breadth of the whole set at XXIV Old Buildings means we are uniquely placed in our ability to provide teams of counsel for advisory and advocacy services within both the chancery and commercial courts for complex, cross-border, and multifaceted disputes.

Members not only act as advocates before arbitral and judicial tribunals throughout the world, but are also regularly appointed as arbitrators, adjudicators and mediators.

Cross-border contentious and advisory work represents a defining aspect of XXIV Old Buildings’ practice and the set has an unrivalled reputation for offshore matters. Barristers are full members of, or have been called, ad hoc, to, various offshore and foreign jurisdictions such as; the Bars of Jersey, the BVI, Bermuda, St Vincent, the Cayman Islands, Dubai (DIFC), and other leading international financial centres such as the ADGM Abu Dhabi, and the courts in DIFC and AIFC in a judicial capacity. XXIV Old Buildings’ international presence is enhanced and supported by its highly effective office in Geneva.

Many members of XXIV Old Buildings have appeared in some of the most important cases in the UK and abroad in recent years, including in the Court of Appeal, Privy Council and Supreme Court.

We pride ourselves on our capacity for working hard with solicitors and lawyers to find effective and efficient strategic solutions to create the best possible outcomes for our clients. Clients value the practice management team’s adaptability, commercial awareness and user-friendly approach.

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Practice Management Clerks clerks@xxiv.co.uk +44 (0) 20 7691 2424
Practice Management Paul Horsfield, Head of Clerking paul.horsfield@xxiv.co.uk +44 (0)20 7419 6201
Practice Management Perry Brown, Deputy Head of Clerking perry.brown@xxiv.co.uk +44 (0)20 7419 6206
Practice Management James Ladbrook, Senior Practice Manager james.ladbrook@xxiv.co.uk +44 (0)20 7419 6204
Members of Chambers TALBOT RICE KC, Elspeth (1990)
Members of Chambers STEINFELD KC, Alan (1968)
Members of Chambers BLACK KC, Michael (1978)
Members of Chambers MOVERLEY SMITH KC, Stephen (1985)
Members of Chambers TREGEAR KC, Francis (1980)
Members of Chambers BROWNBILL KC, David (1989)
Members of Chambers THOMPSON KC, Steven (1996)
Members of Chambers DE MESTRE KC, Lyndsey (1999)
Members of Chambers CUMMING KC, Edward (2006)
Members of Chambers CLOHERTY KC, Adam (2005)
Members of Chambers KING, Michael (1971)
Members of Chambers WEAVER, Elizabeth (1982)
Members of Chambers GALLEY, Helen (1987)
Members of Chambers VIRGO KC (Hon), Professor Graham (1989)
Members of Chambers MEAKIN, Ian (1991)
Members of Chambers GHAFFAR, Arshad (1991)
Members of Chambers STAFF, Marcus (1994)
Members of Chambers ADAIR, Stuart (1995)
Members of Chambers PELLING, Alexander (1995)
Members of Chambers SHAH, Bajul (1996)
Members of Chambers HUGHES, Jessica (1997)
Members of Chambers LANGLOIS, Nicole (2008)
Members of Chambers KNIGHT, Edward (1999)
Members of Chambers BAYLISS, Sarah (2002)
Members of Chambers ASSERSOHN, Oliver (2003)
Member of Chambers REED, Steven (2005)
Members of Chambers HITCHENS, Erin (2006)
Members of Chambers HOLDEN, Andrew (2007)
Members of Chambers CURRY, Owen (2009)
Members of Chambers WARENTS, Daniel (2009)
Members of Chambers MIALL, Hugh (2009)
Members of Chambers MURPHY, Heather (2009)
Members of Chambers KING, Kira (2011)
Members of Chambers SHERWIN, Timothy (2014)
Members of Chambers STEWART COATS, Tom (2014)
Members of Chambers WAISTELL, Ben (2015)
Members of Chambers FENNEMORE, James (2017)
Member of Chambers HARTSTON, Catherine (2018)
Member of Chambers PEPLOW, Alex (2019)
Member of Chambers LAVELLE, Jessica (2019)
Member of Chambers STRACHAN, Charles (2019)
Member of Chambers CHAMBERS, Bethanie (2019)
Member of Chambers SAMUELS, Harry (2020)
Member of Chambers CARVER, Rachel (2021)
Member of Chambers KANE, James (2021)
Member of Chambers DAVIS, Niamh (2022)
Members of Chambers * Academic Member
Members of Chambers CONAGLEN, Professor Matthew*

Barrister Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Stuart Adair photo Mr Stuart Adair Stuart has an extremely successful commercial chancery practice which focuses on commercial… View Profile
Oliver Assersohn KC photo Mr Oliver Assersohn KC Oliver is a “truly excellent barrister” and “skilled advocate” who relishes trial… View Profile
Sarah Bayliss photo Ms Sarah Bayliss Sarah has a well-established commercial and modern chancery practice and takes a… View Profile
Michael Black photo Mr Michael Black Michael Black KC is an advocate and arbitrator in international commercial disputes.… View Profile
David Brownbill photo Mr David Brownbill David Brownbill KC specialises in international trust, company and financial services disputes… View Profile
Adam Cloherty photo Mr Adam Cloherty Adam has a broad commercial chancery practice acting in and advising on… View Profile
Edward Cumming photo Mr Edward Cumming Edward is a barrister specialising in most areas of chancery and commercial… View Profile
Owen Curry photo Mr Owen Curry Owen specialises in commercial and traditional chancery litigation. He has regularly appeared in… View Profile
Niamh Davis photo Miss Niamh Davis Niamh has experience across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including commercial… View Profile
Lyndsey De Mestre photo Ms Lyndsey De Mestre Lyndsey has been practising at the business and property Bar for over… View Profile
James Fennemore photo Mr James Fennemore James has a broad commercial and chancery practice, encompassing commercial disputes, civil… View Profile
Helen Galley photo Mr Helen Galley Helen has built up a reputation as a well-respected commercial Chancery practitioner… View Profile
Arshad Ghaffar photo Mr Arshad Ghaffar Arshad Ghaffar is a highly regarded and trusted commercial dispute resolution lawyer.… View Profile
Erin Hitchens photo Ms Erin Hitchens Erin has a broad commercial chancery practice and welcomes instructions in all… View Profile
Andrew Holden photo Mr Andrew Holden Andrew is a chancery and commercial specialist, whose highly-regarded practice encompasses trusts,… View Profile
Jessica Hughes photo Ms Jessica Hughes Jessica has a broad commercial chancery practice encompassing domestic and international litigation,… View Profile
James Kane photo Mr James Kane James graduated with a first-class degree in Japanese from Oxford, where he… View Profile
Michael King photo Mr Michael King Michael is an accredited mediator and he regularly sits as the appointed… View Profile
Kira King photo Ms Kira King Kira has a commercial chancery practice with an emphasis on civil fraud,… View Profile
Edward Knight photo Mr Edward Knight Edward’s practice centres on commercial, company and insolvency disputes, both in litigation… View Profile
Tim Koch photo Mr Tim Koch Tim has experience across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including in… View Profile
Nicole Langlois photo Ms Nicole Langlois Nicole has a flourishing international practice and is regularly instructed in cases… View Profile
Ian Meakin photo Mr Ian Meakin Ian L. Meakin has extensive experience in dispute resolution, international business law,… View Profile
Hugh Miall photo Mr Hugh Miall Hugh specialises in commercial chancery matters, with a particular emphasis on complex… View Profile
Stephen Moverley Smith photo Mr Stephen Moverley Smith Stephen specialises in litigation and arbitration in the fields of commercial, company,… View Profile
Heather Murphy photo Ms Heather Murphy Heather is an experienced advocate with a rich and varied commercial chancery… View Profile
Alexander Pelling photo Mr Alexander Pelling Alexander Pelling has very substantial experience in commercial and business disputes of… View Profile
Bajul Shah photo Mr Bajul Shah Bajul has a broad commercial Chancery practice with an emphasis on aviation,… View Profile
Timothy Sherwin photo Timothy Sherwin Timothy is a chancery barrister with a practice in private client and… View Profile
Marcus Staff photo Mr Marcus Staff Marcus works on a broad range of commercial and chancery matters. Prior… View Profile
Alan Steinfeld photo Mr Alan Steinfeld “Star of the Bar” Alan Steinfeld KC is recognised in the legal… View Profile
Tom Stewart Coats photo Mr Tom Stewart Coats Tom’s experience includes general commercial disputes (both litigation and arbitration), banking and… View Profile
Elspeth Talbot Rice photo Ms Elspeth Talbot Rice Elspeth Talbot Rice KC has a broad commercial Chancery practice and an… View Profile
Steven Thompson photo Mr Steven Thompson Steven has a commercial chancery practice with a particular emphasis on civil… View Profile
Francis Tregear photo Mr Francis Tregear Francis Tregear KC is valued for his comprehensive and detailed understanding of… View Profile
Graham Virgo photo Prof Graham Virgo Graham read Law as an undergraduate at Downing College, Cambridge and the… View Profile
Ben Waistell photo Mr Ben Waistell Ben joined Chambers in 2017 and has quickly developed a busy commercial… View Profile
Daniel Warents photo Mr Daniel Warents Daniel specialises in most areas of chancery and commercial work both in… View Profile
Elizabeth Weaver photo Ms Elizabeth Weaver Elizabeth Weaver has a broad commercial Chancery practice, focusing mainly on contentious… View Profile

Staff Figures

Practice Management & Chambers Administration : 13