John Wardell 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
- Set Profile
- Go to...
John Wardell 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 > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is a superb strategist, who gives clear and confident advice. He is also fantastic advocate, who is always up for the fight, and he has a magical ability to read judges which means his advice is always spot on.’
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4London Bar > Fraud: civil
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC –Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is a superb strategist who gives clear and confident advice. He is a fantastic advocate who has a magical ability to read judges, which means his advice is always spot-on.’
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.
London Bar > Professional negligence
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is a formidable advocate and a real star in court. He provides exceptional strategic advice to clients while also able to get to grips with the details of the matter and focus on the important issues.’
The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 1John Wardell KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘John is a master tactician, with a great ability to pull the various strands of a case together.’