As 'a top class chambers in commercial litigation', Fountain Court Chambers continues to impress with its routine involvement in prominent commercial disputes. The team regularly appears before the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division, and in international commercial arbitration cases. Notably, multiple members of the set represented various parties in the longrunning Russian Aircraft litigation, regarding whether aircraft expropriated by the Russian Federation, following its invasion of Ukraine and subsequent imposition of sanctions on the country, are considered permanently lost, and whether the loss is attributable to a war risk or an all-risk insured policy. The case included David Railton KC, Simon Atrill KC, Adam Sher, Ian Bergson and others appeared for Lloyds Insurance Company, and Akhil Shah KC leading the advice to Tokio Marine and HDI. The Commercial Court ruled that the aircraft were lost on 10 March 2022, and the proximate cause of the loss was Russian Government Resolution 311, which banned the return from Russia of leased aircraft and engines to Western lessors. The ban qualified as 'restraint' and/or 'detention' within the meaning of war risks perils, meaning the loss is covered under the war risk insurance and excluded under the all-risk insurance. In March 2025, Alex Barden KC and Rupert Allen KC were appointed to silk.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Practice Areas
Civil and commercial litigation including banking, financial services, insurance, civil fraud and professional negligence.
Unparalleled expertise in benchmark litigation claims (LIBOR, EURIBOR etc), with deep experience of a wide range of banking and finance litigation, relating to derivatives (interest rate, equity and credit), syndicated lending, securitisations (RMBS/CMBS), prime brokerage; disputes concerning capacity (including in particular Italian and other European local authorities) and large scale consumer claims (e.g. so-called “SAMs” mortgage claims).
Frequently instructed in civil fraud claims in various jurisdictions, including the Mozambique “tuna bonds” controversy and claims against Credit Suisse (Loreley Financing No 30 v Credit Suisse); various international arbitrations (LCIA, SCC, UNCITRAL); insurance disputes, acting for both insureds and insurers (especially involving credit insurance or political risk), including the multi-billion dollar Russian Aircraft litigation.
Particular interest and experience in disputes concerning all aspects of legal professional privilege (including high-profile appellate cases such as Sports Direct v FRC).
Winner of “Banking Junior of the Year” at the Chambers and Partners 2017 Bar Awards (also shortlisted in 2016 and 2023) and shortlisted for “Financial Services and Insurance Junior of the Year” at Legal 500 Bar Awards in 2025.
Career
Called 2007.
Contributor to various publication on privilege, including the (forthcoming) 4th edition of Thanki, The Law of Privilege (2024), and the legal professional privilege chapter in Lissack & Horlick on Bribery (3rd edition, 2020).
Memberships
COMBAR, London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association.
Education
Oriel College, Oxford, BA (First Class), BCL (Distinction), Harvard Law School, LLM.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Alex Taylor is a legend; he is sublime in his handling of complex and urgent issues.'
- 'First class. Alex Taylor is everything you look for in a senior clerk.'
- 'Sian Huckett and Adam Collins are both excellent and down to earth.'
- 'Faultless service from the clerks' room.'
- 'Fountain Court is an impressive chambers. It is professional, business like, and provides a very high quality service.'
- 'Fountain Court is an excellent set with good strength and depth.'
- 'Fountain Court are clearly strong in this field.'
- 'First-class set.'