Set Profile > Serle Court > London, England
Serle Court Offices
Serle Court
6 NEW SQUARE, LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3QS
England
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Serle Court > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Company and partnership Tier 1
Serle Court is widely regarded as a preeminent chambers for offshore company law litigation. Timothy Collingwood acted for the respondent shareholders in Caldicott v Hector, a BVI case alleging unfairly prejudicial conduct. David Blayney QC has a more domestic focus and is currently engaged in shareholder litigation in the Companies Court. In regards to partnership law, John Machell QC represents professional and financial services LLPs across the breadth of disputes, while Jennifer Haywood advises a number of tech start-ups structured as partnerships.
Company - Leading Silks
Partnership - Leading silks
Company - Leading Juniors
Partnership - Leading juniors
Testimonials
Set
Serle Court is very strong in the areas of both company and partnership law.
Undoubtedly the leading set for LLP matters – both advisory and contentious issues.
Incredible strength in depth.
Well-regarded set with an excellent team of expert barristers.
The juniors are staggeringly good, many with brains so big that I wonder how there were any brains left for the rest of us.
Clerking
The clerks at Serle Court are outstanding – especially Steven Whitaker, Nicholas Hockney and Daniel Wheeler.
Excellent, very efficient clerking.
Very responsive. Steven Whitaker and Paul Ballard have been particularly helpful to me over the years.
Very effective. Senior fees clerk Leigh Byas is on top of her game.
I have always found the clerks extremely responsive, patient and helpful.
London Bar > Fraud: civil Tier 1
Serle Court is 'superbly skillful at all levels and a great team from clerks to QCs'. The set has long been a leading force in civil fraud, combined with its strong expertise in offshore and trusts related disputes. Several members, including chambers head Elizabeth Jones QC , Justin Higgo QC and Paul Adams, represented the claimants in Glenn v Watson & Ors, a multi-jurisdictional fraud dispute concerning the deceitful execution of a joint venture agreement, in which the first defendant was committed for contempt in 2020. Philip Marshall QC is also leading Simon Hattan for one of the defendants, Kamran Amouzegar, in The Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan, an $800 million case concerning an alleged embezzlement of Kuwait's state pension fund, in which the team successfully challenged the jurisdiction of the English Court with an appeal due to be heard in 2022.
Rising stars
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Serle are clearly a significant force in a range of Commercial and Chancery work. They have undoubted strength in depth as their juniors are well known and highly regarded.’
‘Serle Court are an absolutely first rate set. The quality of the barristers I have worked with there has been uniformly high and their breadth of expertise within the area is impressive. I would highly recommend them to anyone.’
‘Strength in depth in all commercial areas.’
‘Serle Court is one of the best sets around. Always in my list when I’m seeking to instruct a barrister.’
‘The set has been a top set for many years.’
Clerking
‘The clerks are fantastic! Emma Quin is always friendly and helpful. The clerks at Serle Court really do go the extra mile to assist and always try to understand the needs of a project.’
‘The clerks are very organised and easy and straightforward to deal with. They make every effort to guarantee availability of counsel and are sensible in discussions over quotations.’
‘Steve Whitaker is very good.’
‘Nick Hockney is always charming and will go the extra mile for me.’
‘The clerks I dealt with (including Steve Whitaker and Charlie Payne) were fantastic. They were knowledgeable about court process and efficient.’
London Bar > Offshore Tier 1
Serle Court is seen by a number of clients as 'a go-to set in this area' and its members are frequently instructed on heavyweight trusts matters, both contentious and advisory. Chambers' coverage spans the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, the BVI and Channel Islands, with a recent highlight of Jonathan Adkin QC's global practice seeing him represent the latter party in Winston Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd & Others, a $15bn trusts dispute at the Bermuda Supreme Court. Several members of chambers are also involved in that matter, including Richard Wilson QC, Jonathan Harris QC and Adil Mohamedbhai, while John Machell QC appeared before the Bermuda Court of Appeal in January 2021 in a different $8bn trusts case. Senior junior Kathryn Purkis, a former managing partner of Collas Crill in Jersey, continues to operate a standout practice in the Channel Islands, her 2021 work covering trusts, fraud and property matters.
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Serle Court has an excellent profile in offshore work.‘
‘Serle Court offers an unrivalled selection of barristers (breadth and depth) to assist with every aspect of offshore disputes.‘
‘A very strong set of chambers for offshore trust work.‘
‘Serle Court is a go-to chambers for specialist trust advice in relation to Cayman Islands trust matters.‘
‘My go-to set in this area, with an exceptionally strong bench of juniors and silks.‘
Clerking
‘Very good. I know I can rely on them when recommending a barrister that I haven’t worked with before.‘
‘The clerks are efficient.‘
‘An excellent clerking team.‘
‘Very responsive. Steve Whitaker and Paul Ballard have been particularly helpful to me over the years.‘
‘We generally deal with Steve Whitaker and Paul Ballard, both of whom are extremely responsive and helpful.‘
London Bar > Private client: trusts and probate Tier 1
Serle Court is ‘simply very, very good with a diverse range of excellent practitioners.’ Trust law and offshore contentious trust law has been described as ‘its forte.’ In Peckson Ltd; Ng v Chen Philip Jones QC acted for Ng Man Sun in a high-value case which centred on the issue of whether a resulting trust arose out of a gratuitous transfer of shares from the owner of the shares to his de facto wife – the case eventually settled in the run-up to planned second hearing by the Privy Council. John Machell QC recently appeared before the Bermuda Court of Appeal in an important three day appeal concerning the Court’s supervisory jurisdiction over trusts and the application of the rules of natural justice - the matter is ongoing.
Rising stars
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Serle Court remains one of the top chambers in this area with good availability.’
‘Serle Court is an excellent set, particularly good for contentious trust and offshore work. A varied spectrum of skilled practitioners.’
‘Serle Court as a whole has an excellent profile in offshore work.’
‘The leading chambers for the big offshore trusts disputes.’
‘Still my go to set for commercial chancery work. It has a great bench of barristers at all levels.’
‘The set as a whole has a high profile in private client and trust work and has able individuals at all levels.’
Clerking
‘The clerks have always been responsive and friendly.’
‘Top notch. A pleasure to work with.’
‘The clerks are good, in particular Steven Whitaker and Nick Hockney are always very helpful.’
‘I have always found the clerking services responsive and provide a professional and helpful approach to all queries.’
‘Excellent service – I have always found Serle Court’s clerks to be accessible, commercial and easy to work with.’
‘All very able and efficient in my experience. Paul Ballard has been particularly good.’
Dispute resolution > Mediators Tier 1
Beverly-Ann Rogers – Serle Court Full-time and highly sought-after mediator Beverly-Ann Rogers of Serle Court is 'really excellent in her grasp of detail and quick assessment of a case - she works out the essential and weeds out the irrelevant'. Her main areas of practice reflect her expertise as a chancery barrister, notably trust and estates, property, partnership, company and professional negligence, but her work further extends to general commercial and employment disputes. Recent cases include breach of trust claims involving offshore trusts and the eligibility of persons (as beneficiaries) in a high-value trust.
Elizabeth Jones QC – Serle Court Mediating since 1999, Serle Court's Elizabeth Jones QC has a track record of mediation which includes a broad range of cases, frequently involving multiple participants, as well as parties from different cultures.
London Bar > Charities Tier 2
Viewed by clients as ‘a significant and leading player in charity law‘, Serle Court‘s team garners praise for its ‘genuine in-depth experience and understanding of charity law‘. William Henderson (‘a leading mind‘) represented the Attorney General in the seminal case of AG v Zedra Fiduciary Services (UK) Limited, and Jonathan Fowles has been kept busy handling instructions from charities and charity trustees, and is regularly sought after by the Charity Commission for his expertise in this area.Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Clerking
‘Excellent, very accessible and helpful.’
‘Sensible and both business and user friendly.’
London Bar > Commercial litigation Tier 2
Serle Court is an 'excellent' set, and 'market leaders in large scale litigation involving trusts - the barristers are efficient and reliable and will always make time for work even when they are extremely busy'. The set's strengths in Chancery and offshore matters also extends to broader commercial disputes, where its silks and juniors can regularly be found on the largest claims to hit the London courts. Prominent mandates include The Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan, a fraud claim involving Kuwait's pension fund, in which Philip Marshall QC and Simon Hattan are representing one defendant, and Jonathan Adkin QC another. Elizabeth Jones QC, Justin Higgo QC, Paul Adams and five other juniors within the set represented the New Zealand businessman Sir Owen Glenn in a bitter joint venture dispute running in parallel with Jersey proceedings, Kea v Watson, which saw the defendant committed to prison for contempt of court for four months in 2020.
Rising stars
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Serle Court’s commercial litigation capabilities complement their other core offerings (fraud and trusts predominantly) to make this a go-to set for many cases, particularly where there is overlap between these core offerings.’
‘The chambers as a whole has a wealth of experience in commercial litigation.’
‘Serle Court remain the go-to set for contentious trusts and probate work particularly where there are commercial elements to it. They are all brilliant and possess such strength and depth as a set. The junior barristers at Serle Court are absolutely first rate.’
‘Superbly skillful at all levels and a great team from clerks to QCs.’
‘Serle Court are a tremendously modern and sophisticated set. They are better known for their trusts and private client work, but their commercial litigation practice is also formidable. They are a very big player in the offshore world and one of the true premier sets. All are excellent advocates, with excellent legal skills. They have a tremendous set of juniors, many of whom are obviously stars of the future. They are also all very easy to work with. Stuffiness is very much left at the door and there are no prima donnas.’
Clerking
‘The clerks are fantastic. They really do make every effort to assist and understand the needs of a project. Emma Quin is always friendly and super helpful.’
‘The service received and the assistance of the clerks’ room is excellent. The head clerks in particular are very open to discussions on rates and CFAs.’
‘Nick Hockney will bend over backward for me, always charming and always at the end of a phone.’
‘The Serle Court clerks room is friendly, accommodating and a pleasure to work with.’
‘Paul Ballard is of particular note. Extremely flexible and always willing to assist on fees to navigate difficult commercial clients.’
London Bar > Insolvency Tier 2
Serle Court houses a robust group of barristers for insolvency and restructuring work, particularly in offshore jurisdictions. Philip Jones QC continues to be involved in the Ocean Sino case Chu v Lau, appearing in a Privy Council appeal in July 2020 and continuing to act in a further dispute regarding the conduct of liquidation. Daniel Lightman QC represents one of four former directors of BHS that are respondents to £200m High Court claims brought by liquidators. Ruth Jordan, James Mather and Thomas Elias are among the names to note in a bench of 'continuously high-quality juniors'.
Leading Silks
2020 Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Serle Court has many talented individuals, and if the person we wanted is not available, it is highly likely we will instruct someone else from the set.‘
‘We are often surprised by the continuously high quality of their juniors.‘
‘Serle Court has a great pedigree and excellent commercial barristers.‘
‘Serle Court is a great set, one of the best in Lincoln’s Inn.‘
Clerking
‘The clerks are always responsive and helpful.‘
‘The service from the clerks has always been good.‘
‘Steve Whitaker is a pleasure to deal with and always does what he promises.‘
‘The clerks room is the most efficient of the big commercial sets.‘
‘They seem slick.‘
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 3
Serle Court has 'good depth of counsel across a wide range of banking and finance areas'. Philip Marshall QC continues to be a formidable force for banking related fraud claims and led top tier junior Simon Hattan in The Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan, an $800m dispute concerning banking and investments by Kuwait's state pension fund. David Blayney QC is also highly recommended for his impressive technical expertise. The set is especially strong on offshore related banking disputes and has also built up a strong reputation for Middle Eastern banking and finance claims before the DIFC, with Rupert Reed QC especially experienced on this front.
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘A market leading set for high end commercial disputes.’
‘Very good set who understand how we work and the intricacies of working on DIFC Court cases.’
‘Good depth of counsel across a wide ranging of banking and finance areas. ‘
Clerking
‘Service and clerking are second to none.’
‘Daniel Wheeler is very responsive.’
‘Responsive and accurate in counsel bookings and fee quotes.
London Bar > Property litigation Tier 4
Members of Serle Court offer tailored expertise across key property litigation matters such as problems of easements, covenants, options, land registration and trusts. Rupert Reed QC has a diverse practice with particular emphasis on commercial, financial, and joint venture disputes, and led the representation of Al Jawhara bint Ibrahim Al Ibrahim , a widow of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, in resisting claims to her property, Kenstead Hall in Highgate, by Asturion, a Liechtenstein entity. Andrew Francis is known for his specialism in rights of light, party walls and restrictive covenants, and led on McKay v Sackville, an important case on rights of light and the effect of lease terms on the ability to claim rights of light on major development in Reading city centre. Andrew Bruce is a part-time judge of the First-Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber, and acted for the objector in an application to modify a restrictive covenant under s.84(1)(aa) of the Law of Property Act 1925.
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
Set
‘Good set- worked with a number of barristers from there, reliable and some great technicians.‘
‘Serle Court is one of my go to sets. It has offered brilliant training over the years and the barristers are exceptionally good.‘
‘Excellent set of chambers, real strength in depth, a very broad range of skills and the best clerks in the business.‘
‘Excellent expertise in all types of property litigation.‘
Clerking
‘Generally very friendly, professional and commercial to deal with. Steve Whittaker leads by example, always helpful.‘
‘The clerks are very helpful. On occasions where we have sought to instruct a barrister, who was not available, they have endeavoured to try and find a solution.‘
‘The clerks are second to none. If I need urgent assistance, they are my number ibe!‘
London Bar > Intellectual property
Rising stars
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
London Bar > Public international law
Leading Silks
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
Leading Silks
London Bar > Professional negligence
Leading Silks
London Bar > Tax: corporate and VAT/indirect tax
London Bar > Family (including divorce and financial remedy)
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
London Bar > Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property)
Art and cultural property - Leading Juniors
London Bar > Competition
London Bar > Financial services regulation
Leading Juniors
Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial
Serle Court's Arabic-speaking Rupert Reed QC is held in high esteem in the DIFC. He regularly works alongside James Weale of the same set.
Leading silks
Leading juniors
Serle Court > Set Profile
Identified as The Legal 500 UK 2017 Awards ‘Private client: trusts and probate Set of the Year’ and with two members of chambers recently listed in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame, Serle Court is acknowledged as ‘a go-to set for commercial Chancery work’ with deep expertise in areas such as civil fraud, company and partnership, insolvency, and trusts and probate. It is one of the top commercial Chancery sets’ with strength in depth and barristers suitable for whatever the need’, and its members are applauded for their ‘sheer approachability and the willingness to really engage with the cases and work as a team with instructing solicitors from the very beginning of the case to conclusion’ – The Legal 500.
The set: Widely recognised as one of the top sets at the English Bar, Serle Court is recommended in nineteen practice areas by The Legal 500: banking and finance; charities; commercial litigation; company and partnership; competition; family law; financial services regulation; fraud: civil; insolvency; intellectual property; international arbitration; offshore: private client trusts and probate; professional disciplinary and regulatory law; professional negligence; property litigation; public international law; sport; tax: corporate and VAT and is also recommended as a top-tier set in dispute resolution: mediators. Serle Court is one of the largest commercial Chancery sets, with 68 members, including 27 silks, and as such is well-placed to offer the right barrister (or team) for each case – something upon which Serle Court prides itself and just one facet of its commitment to exceptional service.
Types of work undertaken: Serle Court covers the whole range of what might be termed ‘business’ law, from offshore litigation concerning the world’s largest companies to domestic advice on probate matters.
Across a broad range of practice areas, Serle Court provides an equally wide range of services. The needs of clients have long been more extensive than merely drafting, advising and litigating – needless to say, Serle Court offers all those services, but Serle Court has also established itself as one of the leading ADR sets, with an impressively large number of highly regarded mediators and arbitrators, as well as many members with extensive experience of appearing in such ADR forums.
Serle Court can provide barristers at all levels to provide clear, practical advice and imaginative solutions to all types of disputes. Serle Court is experienced at putting together streamlined and powerful teams, seen as the go-to choice for big-ticket cases, often cross-border and multi-faceted; these cases have included: Glenn v Watson; Municipality of Mariana and Ors v BHP Group plc and anor; Yukos Finance BV & Others v Stephen Lynch & Ors; High Commissioner for Pakistan In the United Kingdom v Prince Muffakham Jah & Ors [2019] EWHC 2551 (Ch); Renova Industries Ltd v Emmerson International Corporation; Investec Trust (Guernsey) Ltd v Glenalla Properties Ltd; Khan v Gany Holdings; Cowan v Foreman; Estera Trust v Singh; Shlosberg v Avonwick; Ilott v Mitson; Bestfort Developments LLP v Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority; the Hyderabad Fund case; the RBS rights issue litigation; the Fiona litigation and the Lehman Brothers administration. Serle Court has also established itself as one of the leading ADR sets, with many highly regarded mediators and arbitrators as well as many members with extensive experience of appearing in ‘alternative’ dispute resolution forums.
The members are also very often instructed on opposite sides of the same case – in some cases in recent years, all barristers on all sides have been from Serle Court. Serle Court understands the overwhelming need for confidentiality in such cases and has put in place effective systems to ensure the separation of clerking and document handling, so that clients may be confident that their interests are protected.
Serle Court also undertakes a significant amount of advisory work, across the whole range of practice areas. Members appreciate both the practical and business realities of legal problems and aim to provide clear and imaginative solutions, and helpful advice – even if it is not always positive! Serle Court will always aim to provide barristers able to respond effectively to demands for urgent advice if the case requires it.
Serle Court generates a significant proportion of its work overseas: ‘Serle Court is “the go-to set” for offshore trust litigation’. Serle Court’s ‘members are experienced in handling matters ranging from contemplated disputes over trusts to Privy Council appeals on points on key company issues.’ The set has particularly close relationships with professional clients in the Channel Islands and the Caribbean, but members also advise and appear in proceedings in the European courts, as well as in (among others) Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Middle East, Panama, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Switzerland and the US.
Many members of Serle Court are very experienced in working closely with lawyers from different jurisdictions, and, when appropriate, will happily travel abroad to see clients. They can adopt a hands-on approach to foreign litigation, either on the ground or from London, as the case requires.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head of chambers | Elizabeth Jones QC | ||
| Chief Executive | John Petrie MBE | ||
| Head Clerk | Steven Whitaker | ||
| Senior Clerk | Nicholas Hockney | ||
| Senior Clerk | Daniel Wheeler | ||
| Business Development Manager | Charlotte Davidson | ||
| Members of Chambers | JONES QC, Elizabeth (1984) | ||
| Members of Chambers | TALBOT QC, Patrick (1969) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SINGH QC, Kuldip (1975) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CHAISTY QC, Paul (1982) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DOWLEY QC, Dominic (1983) | ||
| Members of Chambers | QUIGLEY QC, Conor (1985) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MARSHALL QC, Philip (1987) | ||
| Members of Chambers | JONES QC, Philip (1985) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ASHWORTH QC, Lance (1987) | ||
| Members of Chambers | QURESHI QC, Khawar (1990) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CASEMENT QC, David (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | STONER QC, Christopher (1991) | ||
| Members of Chambers | EDENBOROUGH QC, Michael (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MACHELL QC, John (1993) | ||
| Members of Chambers | NORBURY QC, Hugh (1995) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BLAYNEY QC, David (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ADKIN QC, Jonathan (1997) | ||
| Members of Chambers | REED QC, Rupert (1996) | ||
| Members of Chambers | O'SULLIVAN QC, Zoe (1993) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MORAN QC, Andrew (1989) | ||
| Members of Chambers | LIGHTMAN QC, Daniel (1995) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WILSON QC, Richard (1996) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HARRIS QC (Hon), Prof Jonathan (2006) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HAGEN QC, Dakis (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MCDONNELL QC, Constance (2000) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BURLING, Julian (1976) | ||
| Members of Chambers | FRANCIS, Andrew (1977) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HENDERSON, William (1978) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BEHRENS, James (1979) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HARRISON, Nicholas (1988) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PURKIS, Kathryn (1991) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BRUCE, Andrew (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DRAKE, David (1994) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HIGGO QC, Justin (2019) | ||
| Members of Chambers | COLLINGWOOD QC, Timothy (2019)) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RICHARDSON, Giles (1997) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BRAITHWAITE, Thomas (1998) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HATTAN, Simon (1999) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BRIGHTWELL, James (2000) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HAYWOOD, Jennifer (2001) | ||
| Members of Chambers | JORDAN, Ruth (2001) | ||
| Members of Chambers | FOWLES, Jonathan (2004) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MORRISON, Matthew (2004) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MATHER, James (2006) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MCOURT FRITZ, Dan (2007) | ||
| Members of Chambers | TILLEY, Gareth (2007) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WEALE, James (2007) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ADAMS, Paul (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | ELIAS, Thomas (2008) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HOLCOMBE, Sophie (2009) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MOHAMEDBHAI, Adil (2010) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MCDONAGH, Jonathan (2011) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HARGREAVES, Emma (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BRYAN, Zahler (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PROFERES, Amy (2012) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RAB, Suzanne (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DE FROMENT, Adrian (2013) | ||
| Members of Chambers | OLIVER, Jones (2014) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WICKENDEN, Stephanie (2014) | ||
| Members of Chambers | DINENIS, Eleni (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BEYNON, Charlotte (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HOGAN, Gregor (2016) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WRAITH, Mark (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | THOMPSON, Stephanie (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RANDALL, Jamie (2017) | ||
| Members of Chambers | HOPKINS, Russell (2018) |
Barrister Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Paul Adams | Chancery and commercial, with a particular focus on company, joint venture and… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Adkin | Barrister specialising in chancery and commercial disputes, including civil fraud, trusts, insolvency,… | View Profile |
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Lance Ashworth | Commercial litigation, insolvency, company/chancery, professional negligence. Recent cases include: Loveridge v. Loveridge… | View Profile |
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Prof William Ballantyne | Specialist areas of practice concern Arab laws, comparative commercial law, arbitration. Important… | View Profile |
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Charlotte Beynon | Charlotte joined Serle Court in October 2016 following successful completion of her… | View Profile |
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David Blayney | General commercial and chancery litigation, particularly: commercial, banking, insolvency, companies, trusts, charities,… | View Profile |
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Alan Boyle | Alan is one of the most senior and distinguished silks at the… | View Profile |
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Tom Braithwaite | Barrister specialising in commercial and chancery litigation, with particular expertise in the… | View Profile |
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James Brightwell | Specialises in contentious and non-contentious trusts and estates and commercial chancery litigation.… | View Profile |
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Andrew Bruce | Andrew is a leading senior junior in real estate litigation and has… | View Profile |
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Zahler Bryan | Zahler has a broad commercial chancery practice, with particular emphasis on company… | View Profile |
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Julian Burling | General commercial lawyer with particular specialism in all aspects of insurance and… | View Profile |
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Paul Chaisty | Barrister and a leading practitioner in Chancery and commercial litigation, including individual… | View Profile |
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Timothy Collingwood | Tim practises across the broad range of the commercial-chancery spectrum, but with… | View Profile |
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Eleni Dinenis | General commercial and chancery practice | View Profile |
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Dominic Dowley | Barrister dealing with civil fraud; commercial litigation; contentious trust disputes; insurance litigation… | View Profile |
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David Drake | General commercial litigation (SPI North Ltd v Swiss Post International (UK) Ltd… | View Profile |
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Michael Edenborough | All aspects of intellectual property law and practice, and technical commercial disputes,… | View Profile |
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Thomas Elias | Commercial chancery barrister regularly instructed in a wide range of business disputes,… | View Profile |
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Jonathan Fowles | Charities, domestic and international trusts, and probate; property litigation. | View Profile |
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Andrew Francis | Barrister with a practice which specialises in real property advice and litigation.… | View Profile |
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Dakis Hagen | Chancery litigation with an emphasis on contentious trusts (international and domestic), civil… | View Profile |
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Emma Hargreaves | Emma Hargreaves specialises in general commercial chancery litigation, particularly trusts disputes (international… | View Profile |
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Prof Jonathan Harris | Barrister practising in all areas of commercial and chancery law; private international… | View Profile |
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Nicholas Harrison | Barrister specialising in commercial fraud, international trust and general commercial Chancery litigation.… | View Profile |
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Simon Hattan | Commercial chancery litigation, including in particular commercial fraud and breach of fiduciary… | View Profile |
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Jennifer Haywood | Serle Court: commercial/chancery, in particular partnership, company, contentious trusts and probate and… | View Profile |
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William Henderson | Barrister specialising in domestic and international trust, probate and administration of estate… | View Profile |
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Justin Higgo | Specialist in commercial and chancery litigation and advice with extensive offshore experience… | View Profile |
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Frank Hinks | Barrister with specialist domestic and international trusts practice (advisory, drafting, litigation and… | View Profile |
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Mr Gregor Hogan | Gregor joined Chambers in October 2017 and is developing a busy practice… | View Profile |
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Sophie Holcombe | Sophie Holcombe has a commercial chancery practice, with a particular focus on… | View Profile |
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Philip Jones | Barrister specialising in Chancery and commercial litigation, companies and insolvency, financial services,… | View Profile |
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Elizabeth Jones | Barrister with broad Chancery and commercial practice; mediator. | View Profile |
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Oliver Jones | Ollie Jones is a barrister at Serle Court. He has a busy… | View Profile |
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Ruth Jordan | Barrister specialising in Chancery and commercial litigation, in particular company and insolvency… | View Profile |
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Daniel Lightman | As part of a broad Chancery-Commercial practice, Daniel Lightman QC often engages… | View Profile |
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John Machell | Barrister specialising in general Chancery and commercial litigation including partnership, LLPs, companies,… | View Profile |
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Philip Marshall | Barrister specialising in: commercial fraud (Emmerson v Renova; Orb v Ruhan; Constantin… | View Profile |
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James Mather | Barrister specialising in chancery and commercial litigation, partnership, companies and insolvency, financial… | View Profile |
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Dan McCourt Fritz | Chancery, commercial and property. | View Profile |
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Jonathan McDonagh | All areas of chancery and commercial practice, in particular civil fraud, contentious… | View Profile |
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Constance McDonnell | Barrister specialising in Chancery litigation, in particular contentious trusts and probate, Inheritance… | View Profile |
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Adil Mohamedbhai | Barrister specialising in all areas of chancery and commercial practice, in particular… | View Profile |
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Andrew Moran | Barrister dealing with chancery/commercial litigation, commercial fraud, freezing and search and seize… | View Profile |
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Matthew Morrison | Commercial chancery litigation, with a particular emphasis on civil fraud, company and… | View Profile |
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Hugh Norbury | Hugh has a broad commercial and chancery practice, with a particular emphasis… | View Profile |
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Zoe O'Sullivan | Zoe O’Sullivan QC is a robust and experienced advocate who thrives on… | View Profile |
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Amy Proferes | Barrister with broad chancery and commercial practice; particular interest in traditional chancery… | View Profile |
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Kathryn Purkis | Kathryn is a leading senior junior in offshore litigation and has variously… | View Profile |
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Conor Quigley | Barrister specialising in European Union law and competition law, with particular expertise in… | View Profile |
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Khawar Qureshi | Barrister practising in commercial litigation, international arbitration, public international law, administrative and… | View Profile |
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Professor Suzanne Rab | Suzanne Rab specialises in EU law and competition law matters combining cartel… | View Profile |
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Mr Jamie Randall | Jamie joined Chambers in October 2018. He is developing a practice across… | View Profile |
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Rupert Reed | Queen’s Counsel specialising in commercial and financial disputes, with a strong focus… | View Profile |
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Giles Richardson | View Profile | |
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Beverly-Ann Rogers | Barrister specialising in mediation across a wide range of chancery and commercial… | View Profile |
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Kuldip Singh | Commercial litigation; chancery commercial litigation; commercial fraud; financial services; banking; arbitration; professional… | View Profile |
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Christopher Stoner | Specialist in property, Chancery and commercial litigation (especially landlord and tenant, mortgages,… | View Profile |
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Patrick Talbot | Barrister specialising in commercial and Chancery litigation and advice (including acting for… | View Profile |
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Ms Stephanie Thompson | Stephanie joined chambers in October 2018 following the successful completion of her… | View Profile |
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Gareth Tilley | All areas of commercial and chancery litigation including: civil fraud, asset tracing… | View Profile |
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Richard Walford | Barrister specialising in commercial disputes (including commercial arbitrations (ICC, LCIA etc), share… | View Profile |
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James Weale | Chancery and commercial litigation, arbitration, trusts (offshore and onshore), probate, civil fraud,… | View Profile |
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Ms Stephanie Wickenden | Stephanie was called to the Bar in 2014. Stephanie specialises in Intellectual… | View Profile |
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Richard Wilson | General chancery, with a strong emphasis on litigation (both onshore and offshore)… | View Profile |
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Mr Mark Wraith | Mark joined Chambers in October 2018 following the successful completion of his… | View Profile |
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Dr Adrian de Froment | Barrister specialising in all areas of chancery and commercial practice, in particular… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Members of Staff : 24Languages
Arabic French German Spanish PortugeseMemberships
COMBARDiversity/Community
Serle Court recognises the importance of providing a positive and supportive working environment for our barristers and staff and has done so for several years. As a growing chambers, we acknowledge the importance of maintaining a collegiate working environment and the need to ensure that all our policies and practices enable us to do this.
Serle Court has an established Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing Committee and a Chambers Health & Wellbeing Policy with the work of that committee overseen by the Management Committee thereby ensuring it has the widest application to all aspects of Chambers. We also have a member on the Chancery Bar E&D Committee.
Serle Court’s Equality and Diversity policy aims include:
- to secure equality of opportunity in every area of its activities.
- to treat its members, pupils, employees, clients, and the public with respect.
- to observe and endorse the relevant provisions of the Code of Conduct and the Equality and Diversity Code, particularly when discharging any duties in the management of Chambers.
- to strive to ensure that Chambers does not directly or indirectly discriminate against any current or prospective member, pupil, employee or client on any improper ground, such as age; disability; gender reassignment; marital or civil partnership status; pregnancy or maternity; race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin; religion or belief; sex and sexual orientation.
We are formulating a series of health and wellbeing related initiatives as part of chambers’ wellbeing strategy, as we believe that a healthy and well-motivated chambers will enhance our productiveness and effectiveness. We aim to encourage and facilitate working practices and services that support the health and wellbeing of barristers, pupils, and staff.
Work/life balance is a central pillar of the Serle Court ethos. Barristers take breaks, sabbaticals and manage their workloads. Annual practice review meetings (PRM) provide an opportunity for members to discuss with clerks, the Chief Executive, and the Business Development Manager how they see their next year and how much work they would like to do. Experience of flexible working from the pandemic means barristers and employees are able to adopt a working pattern that best suits their needs and Serle Court responds positively to accommodate the best work/life balance for the individual barrister.
Serle Court is delighted to have received a Wellbeing Certificate of Recognition from The Bar Council by demonstrating chambers’ dedication and commitment to the wellbeing of its barristers and staff through our policies, and wellbeing programmes. Please find more information on our CSR page here.
Client Testimonials
CLIENT: Shona Coffer
COMPANY/FIRM: Mishcon de Reya LLP
TESTIMONIAL: With an extremely strong junior offering, some very special silks and superb clerking Serle Court is an obvious choice for all corporate litigation disputes. In over 10 years of working with Serle Court I have never had any issue on fees or the quality of work.
CLIENT: Mr Keith Oliver
COMPANY/FIRM: Peters and Peters Solicitors LLP
TESTIMONIAL: We have enjoyed an extraordinarily close relationship with Serle Court since 1989 when we were fortunate to be recommend by the late great Sir Gavin Lightman to a junior in Chambers, Michael (now Lord) Briggs, and the rest is history. As our own litigation practice expanded we marched almost step by step with Serle Court as Chambers itself grew adding a number of Commercial heavyweights to its existing thriving Chancery based practice. The move from 13 Old Square to 6 New Square cemented the strength and depth and all around excellence that each member of Chambers reflects – incredibly able, wonderfully accessible and even in the most challenging of cases it is like working on a day to day basis with your closest friends. In a legal world where so much has changed in the last few years it remains a tribute to the philosophy and brand of those who have chosen to develop their careers at Serle Court, and all those who have subsequently joined that fundamentally Serle Court represents a Chambers that is a first among equals. We look forward to continuing our wonderful relationships for many years to come.
- Company and partnership
- Fraud: civil
- Offshore
- Private client: trusts and probate
- Dispute resolution > Mediators
Top Tier Set Rankings
- Charities
- Commercial litigation
- Insolvency
Set Rankings
- Intellectual property
- Public international law
- International arbitration: counsel
- Professional negligence
- Tax: corporate and VAT/indirect tax
- Family (including divorce and financial remedy)
- Media and entertainment (including art and cultural property)
- Competition
- Financial services regulation
- Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial