Barry Isaacs KC KC > South Square > London, England > Barrister Profile
South Square Offices
3-4 SOUTH SQUARE, GRAY'S INN
LONDON
WC1R 5HP
England
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Barry Isaacs KC KC
Position
Barry specialises in insolvency and restructuring, banking and finance, commercial litigation and arbitration, and company law. He is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries and has particular expertise in cases of financial complexity. He often appears as an advocate or expert in overseas jurisdictions.
Barry has appeared in numerous substantial and high-profile cases in the Supreme Court/House of Lords (eg Lehman Brothers (Waterfall), Nortel (Expenses), Rubin/New Cap Reinsurance, Sigma Finance, Mainstream Properties, Three Rivers v Bank of England), in the Court of Appeal (eg Prudential/Rothesay (Pt VII transfer), Rosesilver v Paton, Woolworths, Davenham Trust, FKI v Stribog, Golden Key, Whistlejacket Capital, OT Computers), and at first instance, including several major trials and arbitrations.
Other recent cases of note include Provident Financial, Greensill Capital, Premier Oil, Castle Trust, VB Football Assets v Blackpool Football Club, HSBC (ring-fencing scheme), Noble Group, Carillion, International Bank of Azerbaijan, Ve Interactive, Orion Insurance, Stemcor, APCOA Parking, MF Global, Punch Taverns, Travelodge, BTA Bank v Ablyazov, and AWAL Bank.
Recent cases in overseas jurisdictions include (in the Cayman Islands) ikang, Qunar, Abraaj, Nord Anglia, Medimpact, Platinum Partners, China Branding, Weavering, Eurasia Drilling, Homeinns Hotel Group, Pacific Harbor Asia Fund, CHC Group, Primeo Fund, FFC Fund, China Fishery, Sterling Macro Fund, Caledonian Bank; (in Bermuda) Georges Bay, Lehman Re, Saab Financial, Millennium Asset Management, KIC; (in the British Virgin Islands) Kaupthing, Monarch Pointe Fund, Thema Fund; (in the Bahamas) British American Insurance; (in Hong Kong) Noble Group, Mongolian Mining; (in the DIFC) Abraaj; and (as an expert in proceedings in New York) Lehman Brothers, Hellas Telecommunications , Mill Financial v Hicks, and Deutsche Bank v Serengeti.
Career
Called 1994, QC 2011. Called ad hoc to the Bars of the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association, Commercial Bar Association, Insolvency Lawyers’ Association, Recovery and Insolvency Specialists Association, Associate of the Society of Actuaries.
Education
Oriel College, Oxford University (1987 BA); Harvard University (1989 MA).
Leisure
Tennis enthusiast.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Barry Isaacs KC – South Square ‘Extremely bright and thorough. Easy to get along with.’
Barristers at South Square are often instructed by magic circle law firms in high-stakes banking and financial litigation, as well as advisory work and disputes involving mis-selling, derivatives and structured finance. Tom Smith KC has appeared on a number of High Court and Court of Appeal decisions, and represented Avanti Communications/FTI in Avanti Communications where Smith acted on an application for directions relating to security given for bank lending to a satellite communications company. Barry Isaacs KC has appeared on high-profile banking and finance cases both domestically and in offshore jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, while Felicity Toube KC regularly appears in cases within the Cayman Islands, BVI, Bermuda and the ADGM. Georgina Peters is well regarded and considered the ‘complete package and a go-to for a wide variety of finance related situations.’ Adam Al-Attar KC was made a silk earlier this year.
London Bar > Insolvency
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Barry Isaacs KC – South Square ‘Barry is methodical in his preparation and analysis of all facets of the case, identifying potential issues before they arise and mitigating effectively with excellent commercial awareness to ensure the best outcome for the client.’
London Bar > Company
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 2Barry Isaacs KC – South Square ‘Barry shows excellent analytical skills, devastating attention to detail, and an outstanding work ethic.’
The English Bar Offshore > Commercial disputes
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1Barry Isaacs KC – South Square ‘Barry is second-to-none at dealing with technical financial issues, particularly in respect of complex business valuations. His cross-examination is superbly incisive, and his written and oral advocacy is always perfectly measured and to the point.’
For the members of South Square, offshore mandates surrounding the financial services, insolvency and company law, and fraud-related disputes are key pillars of practice. The set boasts a strong bench of reputable silks, including David Allison KC, who is representing Aston Martin in a case surrounding a just and equitable winding up petition in the Jersey courts. Barry Isaacs KC has substantial knowledge of insolvency and banking and finance work, while Tom Smith KC is a specialist in offshore and funds work in the Cayman Islands; he acted for the claimants in Primeo Fund v HSBC, a $2bn claim regarding allegations of fraud and negligence against a former administrator and custodian. Felicity Toube KC has expertise in international proceedings and is especially experienced in major corporate restructurings. David Alexander KC is skilled in civil fraud cases, Glen Davis KC has notable expertise in litigation proceedings arising out of Gibraltar, and Richard Fisher KC frequently handles insolvency and commercial matters in the BVI, Cayman Islands, and Channel Islands. Jeremy Goldring KC is another key silk at the set handling banking and finance and company law matters. Making silk in the 2024 round, Adam Al-Attar KC is a key name to note in the insolvency and restructuring space. Amongst the set’s juniors, Clara Johnson has a particular strength in disputes with cross-border elements, especially those involving injunctive relief. She represented the joint liquidators in a case surrounding the collapse of a global construction company that had debts of $2bn (Joannou and Paraskevaides (Overseas) Limited (In Liquidation) v Dakis Joannou and others).