Clare Stanley KC > Chambers of Brian Green KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Wilberforce Chambers is ‘a leading set on all matters relating to trusts’ and ‘a real powerhouse in private wealth work’. ‘Trusts expert’ Clare Stanley KC is ‘a persuasive advocate’; sherepresented Simon Halabi in the Halabi v Equity Trust case before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, an appeal from the Jersey courts concerning if trustees have priority over other creditors of an insolvent trust. In addition, Jonathan Davey KC represented HMRC in Levack v Bay Trust International test case concerning the doctrine of mistake, and trustees placing themselves at risk of mistakes as applied to tax structures, in this case one established by the practice of struck-off solicitor-turned-pornographer Paul Baxendale-Walker. Turning to the set’s juniors. Simon Atkinson represented the trustees in Goodrich v AB – a case concerning if provisions in a trust deed drawn up in 1990 should, in the light of subsequent legislation, should be interpreted as including stepchildren as children and civil partners as spouses.

A ‘wonderful full-service set that engages in a modern and commercial way with instructing solicitors‘, Wilberforce Chambers‘ civil fraud work is closely aligned to the set’s enviable offshore practice. In Bourlakova v Bourlakov, Alan Gourgey KC acts for the principal defendant in a high-profile claim concerning ownership of approximately $3bn of assets. John Wardell KC represented a shopping centre magnate in his defence of a €55m claim brought against him by the Bank of Ireland, which claimed that he had lied about his assets and liabilities in a statement of affairs. Clare Stanley KC also routinely acts in major fraud cases; and in a boost to chambers, Thomas Grant KC, an expert in obtaining and defending freezing and related interim orders, joined from Maitland Chambers in October 2022.

Wilberforce Chambers is noted for being ‘excellent from top to bottom’ and retains its robust offshore reputation for representing international clients on high-profile and complex cases in the Bahamas, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands. Prominently, Clare Stanley KC is acting in Kuwait Ports Authority v Port Link, regarding derivative actions brought on behalf of exempted limited partnerships and raising important points of law in relation to security for costs. Robert Ham KC is well-known for his offshore litigation and advisory practice, which emphasises trust law. Gilead Cooper KC is praised as ‘one of the top silks in the international trust and estate litigation world’, while turning to the set’s senior juniors, Graeme Halkerston is an expert in offshore and cross-border Chancery litigation, particularly matters in the Cayman Islands and BVI. Anna Littler maintains her broad offshore practice, encompassing fraud claims, company and insolvency issues and trusts disputes.