Set Profile > Chambers of George Bompas QC > London, England

Chambers of George Bompas QC Offices

Chambers of George Bompas QC
4 Stone Buildings
LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3XT
England
Visit website 020 7242 5524 020 7831 7907

Chambers of George Bompas QC > The Legal 500 Rankings

Financial services regulation Tier 2

4 Stone Buildings houses members with experience representing a broad range of parties affected by the UK's financial services regulatory framework. The set's barristers also have strong expertise advising on regulatory issues in other key jurisdictions, including Dubai, where Sharif Shivji is experienced. In the UK, notable mandates include appearing before the Supreme Court in FCA v Macris, where Jonathan Crow QC represented the Financial Conduct Authority.

Leading Juniors

Charles Marquand - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Always provides practical advice and is able to provide insight into how the FCA will approach matters. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Sharif Shivji - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Top of my wish list for financial services work. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Alastair Tomson - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ User friendly and extremely hardworking. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Leading Silks

Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is exceptional. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Proactive and creative in his thinking. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He has a towering intellect and is an extremely persuasive advocate. ’
Ranked: Tier 3

Insolvency Tier 2

4 Stone Buildings' members have developed strong practices in insolvency and restructuring work, including representations of the UK government. Jonathan Crow QC recently appeared in PST v OW Bunker; a major case for the shipping industry that raised issues including the application of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 to any contracts which include a retention of title clause and a licence to consume. Tiran Nersessian is also recommended, and has a broad practice of private and government instructions, including acting as sole counsel to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs before the Court of Appeal in Botleigh Grange v HMRC. Andrew de Mestre QC took silk in 2019 and recently acted for the liquidators of Hellas Telecommunications. Meanwhile, Sharif Shivji acted for the claimants, the liquidators of various BVI companies, in Stephen Akers v Deutsche Bank AG, winning a €200m settlement for the clients following accusations that Deutsche Bank sold toxic and complex credit derivative instruments.

Leading Juniors

Sharif Shivji - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is one of the cleverest and savvy barristers at the Bar. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Tiran Nersessian - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a very knowledgeable counsel who has the Insolvency Rules at his fingertips and is practical in the advice which he gives. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a well-prepared and courteous advocate who presents a client’s case with care and articulacy. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Hermann Boeddinghaus - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ A very commercial and pragmatic barrister who is personable and easy to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Tom Gentleman - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is excellent to deal with, able to handle multiple work streams and deliver quality work product consistently. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Sarah Harman - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ She is very experienced and reliable. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Anna Markham - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ An outstanding member of chambers. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Leading Silks

Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is always absolutely on top of the brief without hesitation and this never fails to come across when he is on his feet. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a leading silk at the insolvency Bar. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is clear in his delivery of advice but always cognisant of the client’s ultimate goal and provides his advice in context. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
George Bompas QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is extremely knowledgeable in company and insolvency law, as well as highly intelligent and creative. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Commercial litigation Tier 3

4 Stone Buildings has 'excellent barristers across the board' with 'very sharp minds combined with a user-friendly and commercially minded clerking team'. For some, the set is often the 'first-choice chambers for all commercial Chancery work' and boasts several superstar silks. Recent highlights include Autonomy Corporation v Dr Michael Lynch, in which Robert Miles QC, Richard Hill QC and Sharif Shivji are representing Dr Michael Lynch, and Al Khorafi v Bank Sarasin-Alpen (ME) Limited and others.

Leading Juniors

Sharif Shivji - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He devours papers, cutting through complexities, to arrive quickly at the nub of the issue. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
Paul Greenwood - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Excellent with the client, meticulous on the detail, and a pleasure to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His advice is particularly polished. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Alexander Cook - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ An extremely safe pair of hands, very personable and very good with clients. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Leading Silks

Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ One of the super silks, his reputation alone adds immediate credibility to a client's case. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Connects with the judge on the most difficult points. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ A seasoned litigator with a good strategic sense. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
George Bompas QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ A hugely capable and experienced silk, he has enormous experience across a wide range of corporate and Chancery matters. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Andrew Clutterbuck QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His advice is always clear and his approach is always commercial, never losing sight of the client's objectives. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Richard Hill QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Very well regarded for commercial Chancery disputes. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Fraud: civil Tier 3

4 Stone Buildings is a popular destination for high-end fraud work, and the set's top silks are regularly instructed on some of the City's largest cases. Recent cases have included Autonomy Corporation v Dr Michael Lynch, in which   is leading a team of three members on behalf Michael Lynch. Another highlight is Danilina v Chernukhin in which Jonathan Crow QC is representing the claimant.

Leading Juniors

Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Very thorough in his analysis, he gave clear pragmatic advice to the client and was a pleasure to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Leading Silks

Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Did a terrific job and was enjoyable to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Clear in his delivery of advice but always cognisant of the client's ultimate goal. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Well-prepared, measured and to the point, he understands lay client's needs and is a real pleasure to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 2

Banking and finance (including consumer credit) Tier 4

4 Stone Buildings houses a strong complement of highly experienced banking silks and juniors. The set can often be found on complex mandates, usually with an insolvency or regulatory bent. Notable cases included Singularis Holdings Limited v Daiwa Capital Markets Europe Limited, in which Robert Miles QC and Andrew de Mestre QC represented the claimant, and Jonathan Crow QC the respondent. Richard Hill QC, Sharif Shivji and Alastair Tomson also represented the claimaint in Al Khorafi v Bank Sarasin-Alpen before the DIFC.

Leading Juniors

Sharif Shivji - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He really is first class, he combines charm and an ease of manner with a deft touch and strategic acumen. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Very erudite and thorough to a tee. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Alastair Tomson - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Great to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 4

Leading Silks

Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His cross-examination skills are measured and effective. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ A very effective advocate, focused on the main issues, and calmly persuasive. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Outstandingly clever with a compelling court style and a pleasure to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Richard Hill QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Leaves no stone unturned when it comes to assessing details and evidence and is usually thinking a step or two ahead of his opponents. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Company and partnership

A 'go-to set', 4 Stone Buildings covers all aspects of company law, including formations and dissolutions, M&A, corporate finance, regulatory issues, directors' duties, and shareholder rights. Autonomy Corporation v Michael Lynch (Hewlett Packard's litigation against the former CEO of Autonomy, over its $18bn acquisition of the company), continues to occupy a number of members, most notably Robert Miles QC and accomplished senior-junior Sharif Shivji. Gregory Denton-cox is another junior to note, with significant experience in shareholder and investor disputes. He is acting for a shareholder in a joint venture company incorporated in Singapore in arbitration and court proceedings against another shareholder regarding an option over the company's principal asset.

Company - Leading Juniors

Christopher Harrison - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His studied, cerebral manner conceals a hard edge to his approach. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Sharif Shivji - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ Great to work with, is focused, well prepared and excellent to have on your side. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Gregory Denton-Cox - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is excellent at breaking down difficult concepts for general consumption. ’
Ranked: Tier 2
Paul Greenwood - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is excellent with the client, meticulous on the detail, and a pleasure to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Tiran Nersessian - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His advice is always commercial and pragmatic. ’
Ranked: Tier 3
Hermann Boeddinghaus - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a very commercial and pragmatic barrister who is personable and easy to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Alexander Cook - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is knowledgeable, responsive and very easy to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Tom Gentleman - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is excellent to deal with, able to handle multiple work streams and deliver quality work product consistently. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
James Knott - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is very approachable and responsive, and quick-thinking, and decisively clear in his advice. ’
Ranked: Tier 4
Anna Markham - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ She is very knowledgeable, experienced and easy to work with. ’
Ranked: Tier 5
Alastair Tomson - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ His cross-examination is brilliant and he is very good on his feet. ’
Ranked: Tier 5

Company - Leading Silks

George Bompas QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is calm and brilliant. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
John Brisby QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a seasoned litigator with a good strategic sense. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Jonathan Crow QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ One of the Bar's “super silks”. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Richard Hill QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is an extremely hardworking and energetic QC. ’
Ranked: Tier 1
Robert Miles QC - 4 Stone Buildings ‘ He is a leading silk at the company Bar. ’
Ranked: Tier 1

Set overviews: England and Wales

A ‘first-choice chambers’ for commercial Chancery work, 4 Stone Buildings is a ‘go-to’ set for company, insolvency, and financial services disputes, with junior barristers who have ‘very sharp minds’ and are ‘uniformly good’. Andrew de Mestre QC took silk in 2019 strengthening chambers at the senior end. Led by senior clerk David Goddard, the clerking team is described as ‘responsive, helpful, user friendly, and commercially minded’. First junior Jason Doyle and clerks Ben Lashmar and Ryan Tunkel are highly regarded by instructing solicitors. Offices in: London

Chambers of George Bompas QC > Firm Profile

 

4 Stone Buildings enjoys an enviable reputation in relation to company/commercial litigation and advice, and many other related areas of law.

The Chambers: Chambers currently consist of 38 members, including 8 silks. Four members are currently on the Treasury panels. Three members are appointed to sit as Deputy Judges of the High Court. One of the silks is Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster and another is Attorney General to the Prince of Wales. One member is on the board of the Charity Commission. Chambers belong to the Commercial Bar Association and the Chancery Bar Association.

Work Undertaken: Work covers all aspects of company and commercial litigation, including shareholders disputes, corporate fraud and asset recovery as well as commercial arbitration, banking, financial services and regulatory work, international trusts and public law. The clerks’ room is staffed during term from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and chambers can be contacted out of hours on the number given on the chambers’ answering machine and on the website. Further information about chambers and the work undertaken is available on the website www.4stonebuildings.com.

Publications: Members of chambers have contributed to numerous publications in their specialist fields including Annotated Companies Acts (Oxford University Press), Tolley’s Company Law, Atkin Court Forms 2nd ed., (volumes on companies, winding up and equitable remedies), Halsbury’s Laws of England 4th ed. (volumes on corporations and money); A Practitioner’s Guide to Directors’ Duties and Responsibilities (City & Financial Publishing).

International: Chambers undertake a substantial amount of work for overseas clients and members regularly receive instructions from the Caribbean, the United States, Europe, Central Asia and the Far East. In recent years, members have appeared in court in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Gibraltar, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Malaysia, Singapore, Nevis, Dominica, Seychelles and Trinidad. In addition certain members are full members of the Northern Ireland Bar, the Cayman Islands Bar and the Bar of the British Virgin Islands.

Recruitment: 4 Stone Buildings’ policy is to seek to have up to 2 pupils each year and to recruit each of those pupils that meet the required standard. Prospective applicants for pupillage will find further information including details of chambers’ awards in the Pupillage Pack which is available on request. Mini-pupillages are encouraged.

 

Main Contacts

Department Name Email Telephone
Senior clerk GODDARD, David
Members of Chambers BOMPAS QC, George (1975)
Members of Chambers BRISBY QC, John (1978)
Members of Chambers MILES QC, Robert (1987)
Members of Chambers CROW QC, Jonathan (1981)
Members of Chambers HILL QC, Richard (1993)
Members of Chambers CLUTTERBUCK QC, Andrew (1992)
Members of Chambers FRASER QC, Orlando (1994)
Members of Chambers HARMAN, Sarah (1987)
Members of Chambers HARRISON, Christopher (1988)
Members of Chambers BRETTLER, Jonathan (1988)
Members of Chambers GREENWOOD, Paul (1991)
Members of Chambers COX, Nicholas (1992)
Members of Chambers MARQUAND, Charles (1987)
Members of Chambers MARKHAM, Anna (1996)
Members of Chambers BOEDDINGHAUS, Hermann (1996)
Members of Chambers de MESTRE, Andrew (1998)
Members of Chambers DENTON-COX, Gregory (2000)
Members of Chambers SHIVJI, Sharif (2001)
Members of Chambers NERSESSIAN, Tiran (2002)
Members of Chambers TOMSON, Alastair (2004)
Members of Chambers HOLLIMAN, Adam (2005)
Members of Chambers GENTLEMAN, Tom (2005)
Members of Chambers LILLY, Donald (2006)
Members of Chambers COOK, Alexander (2008)
Members of Chambers TIMMINS, Nicola (2008)
Members of Chambers KNOTT, James (2008)
Members of Chambers HOLLAND, Eleanor (2010)
Members of Chambers WIGLEY, Joseph (2010)
Members of Chambers VAN DEN BERG, Nienke (2012)
Members of Chambers CROSSLEY, Edward (2012)
Members of Chambers ROSE, Andrew (2013)
Members of Chambers SAMPSON, Albert (2014)
Members of Chambers HASSELL, Lara (2014)
Members of Chambers HORNER, Emma (2015)
Members of Chambers OLLIFF-COOPER, Guy (2015)
Members of Chambers McGLONE, Zara (2016)
Members of Chambers ANDERSON, Karl (2017)

Lawyer Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Mr Karl Anderson photo Mr Karl Anderson View Profile
Hermann Boeddinghaus photo Hermann Boeddinghaus View Profile
George Bompas QC photo George Bompas QC View Profile
John Brisby QC photo John Brisby QC View Profile
Andrew Clutterbuck QC photo Andrew Clutterbuck QC View Profile
Alexander Cook photo Alexander Cook View Profile
Nicholas Cox photo Nicholas Cox View Profile
Edward Crossley photo Edward Crossley View Profile
Jonathan Crow QC photo Jonathan Crow QC View Profile
Andrew De Mestre QC photo Andrew De Mestre QC View Profile
Gregory Denton-cox photo Gregory Denton-cox View Profile
Orlando Fraser QC photo Orlando Fraser QC View Profile
Tom Gentleman photo Tom Gentleman View Profile
Paul Greenwood photo Paul Greenwood View Profile
Sarah Harman photo Sarah Harman View Profile
Christopher Harrison photo Christopher Harrison View Profile
Ms Lara Hassell-Hart photo Ms Lara Hassell-Hart View Profile
Richard Hill QC photo Richard Hill QC View Profile
Eleanor Holland photo Eleanor Holland View Profile
Adam Holliman photo Adam Holliman View Profile
Miss Emma Horner photo Miss Emma Horner View Profile
James Knott photo James Knott View Profile
Donald Lilly photo Donald Lilly View Profile
Anna Markham photo Anna Markham View Profile
Charles Marquand photo Charles Marquand View Profile
Ms Zara McGlone photo Ms Zara McGlone View Profile
Robert Miles QC photo Robert Miles QC View Profile
Tiran Nersessian photo Tiran Nersessian View Profile
Mr Guy Olliff-Cooper photo Mr Guy Olliff-Cooper View Profile
Andrew Rose photo Andrew Rose View Profile
Mr Albert Sampson photo Mr Albert Sampson View Profile
Sharif Shivji photo Sharif Shivji View Profile
Nicola Timmins photo Nicola Timmins View Profile
Alastair Tomson photo Alastair Tomson View Profile
Joseph Wigley photo Joseph Wigley View Profile
Nienke van den Berg photo Nienke van den Berg View Profile

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