Commercial litigation

XXIV Old Buildings

Renowned for its offshore offering, XXIV Old Buildings fields ‘a strong bench’ that is well-equipped to handle shareholder disputes, breach of contract, civil fraud allegations, and other commercial instructions. Steven Thompson KC, acting for Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, and Edward Cumming KC, defending Sprite Aviation No. 6 DAC, were instructed to appear on opposite sides of a dispute concerning the interpretation of an operating lease agreement between the two parties. At the junior level, Stuart Adair represents Alawwal Capital JSC in Dubai International Financial Centre proceedings against Rasmala Investment Bank Limited, alleging that Rasmala’s misrepresentations induced Alawwal to invest in an offshore trade finance investment fund. Oliver Assersohn KC was elevated to silk in March 2024. Previously a senior practice manager, James Ladbrook is now the set's COO.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Profile: xxiv.co.uk

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'Brilliant clerking led by Paul Horsfield.'
'Paul Horsfield has done an excellent job.'
'The clerks are helpful and easy to deal with. Paul Horsfield and Perry Brown deserve particular mention.'
'The XXIV clerks are a pleasure to deal with- Paul Horsfield leads an excellent team in an approachable way, from whom Perry Brown stands out as particularly good.'
'The set has a strong bench and a number of impressive individuals.'
'An excellent commercial Chancery set.'
'XXIV Old Buildings have an extremely complementary blend of private wealth, offshore, corporate and commercial expertise which spans the private and corporate worlds. It is well suited to heavyweight litigation for clients who are ultra-high net worth individuals and corporations owned by such individuals.'
'Good strength in depth with a handful of truly star performers.'

Lawyers

Leading silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

3

Elspeth Talbot Rice KC

'Truly outstanding, one of the best barristers ever.'

3

Steven Thompson KC

‘Steven has an excellent ability to see through complexity and bring focus and clarity to difficult problems. A rare combination of intellectual firepower and commercial savvy.'

4

Stephen Moverley Smith KC

'A pleasure to work with and highly recommended.'

5

Edward Cumming KC

‘Superb advocate and brilliant to work with.'

5

Francis Tregear KC

‘His advocacy and pleading drafting skills are exceptional.'

2024 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1

Oliver Assersohn KC

‘Oliver deals with very complex issues adeptly. His written work is clear and concise. He is a pleasure to deal with.'

2023 Silks

KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.

1

Adam Cloherty KC

‘Adam has excellent clarity of thought which manifests in beautifully tight and effective advocacy. He is a great team player and his ability to retain his humour even in times of significant pressure makes him a pleasure to work with.'

Leading juniors

Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.