John Wardell KC KC > Chambers of Brian Green KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Wilberforce Chambers Offices
Wilberforce Chambers
8 NEW SQUARE, LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3QP
England
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John Wardell KC KC
Position
John has a very broad and varied commercial litigation practice. Most of his cases are heard in the High Court although he also does international arbitration work and regularly appears in offshore jurisdictions. Much of his time is taken up dealing with complex frauds. He also has a substantial professional indemnity practice. He is widely regarded as a leading silk. ‘His advice has real clarity and strategic vision, and he always displays a strong tactical grip’. He is an ‘outstanding advocate who is highly skilled at cross-examination. He is able to digest large volumes of information quickly and impresses clients with his commercial knowledge’. ‘He has a great eye for detail, is incredibly numerate and user-friendly’. As well as applauding his strategic thinking and cross-examination skills, solicitors welcome his willingness to back his judgment. ‘He gives bold advice and sticks to it. He is very calm, good on his feet, clever and has a nice touch with clients’.
Career
Qualified 1979; Silk 2002.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association; Commercial Bar Association; Professional Negligence Bar Association.
Education
Exeter University (LLB Hons); Cambridge (MPhil).
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Professional negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC – Wilberforce Chambers
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is second to none. An intellectual powerhouse and formidable cross-examiner who is lovely to work with.’
Wilberforce Chambers is recognised as an ‘excellent commercial Chancery set’, offering specialist expertise across various areas including banking and finance, insolvency, fraud, and commercial contract disputes. In a notable cryptocurrency dispute, John Wardell KC leads Bobby Friedman and Sri Carmichael in representing the claimant in Tulip Trading LLP v Bitcoin Association following a hack on the computer of CEO Craig Steven Wright, raising questions about whether Bitcoin developers owe fiduciary duties to fraud victims. Alan Gourgey KC represents principal defendants in Bourlakova v Bourlakov, a case involving assets worth nearly £3bn belonging to the late Russian businessman Oleg Burlakov. Additionally, in Mitchell v Al Jabar, Clare Stanley KC defended Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber regarding whether directors of BVI companies owe fiduciary duties post-liquidation.
London Bar > Fraud: civil
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is a top-class barrister. His attention to detail is meticulous, which combined with an engaging and persuasive advocacy style makes him a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom.’
The English Bar Offshore > Commercial disputes
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘A dedicated advocate who is always prepared to think outside of the box.’
Wilberforce Chambers boasts ‘a very strong bench of experienced offshore barristers, both junior counsel and silks‘, who frequently represent clients in high-profile cases in the Bahamas, Bermuda, the BVI, the Cayman Islands, and the Channel Islands. For Thomas Lowe KC, offshore merger litigation is a key area of practice, while Clare Stanley KC is skilled in commercial Chancery matters surrounding issues of fraud, insolvency, and asset tracing. John Wardell KC is strong in disputes concerning joint ventures, company law, and breaches of fiduciary dates, and he is representing the defendant in a case regarding allegations of unlawful means conspiracy through a group restructuring attempt against a company with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Raiffeisen International Bank v Scully Royalty). Business-related matters, including litigious mandates surrounding banking and financial services, are a notable strength of Terence Mowschenson KC. The set also has a strong bench of juniors, including Graeme Halkerston, who is a specialist in offshore mandates, especially those from the BVI and the Cayman Islands, as is Tara Taylor, another active member of chambers. Taylor is acting for one of the defendants in an application that is part of a larger piece of litigation involving allegations of misappropriated funds totalling $4.4bn against the former chairman of one of Kazakhstan’s largest banks, along with several other associates (JSC ‘BTA Bank’ v Ablyazov and others).