Maitland Chambers is 'a top commercial litigation set'. Members of the team routinely appear in complex cases before the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division, as well as in international arbitration tribunals and courts. Richard Morgan KC has an excellent reputation for advising on high-profile disputes involving allegations of fraud. Matthew Collings KC has 'serious intellectual firepower', and Benjamin John's caseload includes acting for high-profile clients in domestic and international commercial litigation. Recent developments at the set include Rebecca Page KC taking silk in March 2025, and Arnold Ayoo joining the team in July 2025.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Arnold specialises in heavy commercial litigation but accepts instructions across a spread of Chambers’ practice areas. He has particular expertise in insolvency, banking and consumer finance – as well as a focus on group litigation and product liability.
Arnold’s background in high value multi-party litigation has seen him regularly appear as sole counsel in the High Court. In that capacity he has been involved in numerous recent precedent-setting decisions in his specialist areas (see Capital Funding One Limited v Esqulant [2020] EWHC 981 (QB); Wolf Rock (Cornwall) Limited v Raila Langhelle [2021] B.C.C. 67 and Points of View v Erre DB Group SA [2021] 2 WLUK 70 to name a few). He also acts in high value international arbitrations and has recently (as sole counsel) concluded a multi-million dollar ICC oil arbitration involving an African State, the State-owned oil company and its oil-exploration partners.
In 2021, Arnold is instructed (as sole counsel) on a £4m claim in the High Court concerning an intention to defraud creditors (s.423 Insolvency Act 1986) and is acting for an investment bank in a £3m Commercial Court action against a South African gold mining company, arising from a $50m brokerage contract. In 2022 he will appear for the respondent in the Supreme Court in a generationally decisive case on unjust enrichment (Barton v Gwyn Jones [2019] EWCA Civ 1999).
Indeed, he has a particular interest in cases with an international element. In 2020 he obtained a security for costs order against a China-domiciled Claimant and appeared (as sole counsel) before the QBD of the High Court in a case concerning the conversion of an Italian freezing injunction into an English remedy for the purpose of enforcement (Manetta v De Filippo [2020] EWHC 3460 (QB)).
Memberships
Commercial Bar Association
Education
BA Law (Jurisprudence), University of Oxford, Christ Church
BPTC, BPP (Very Competent)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Rob Penson and Luke Irons are both excellent.'
- 'John Wiggs is superb.'
- 'John Wiggs provides an outstanding service.'
- 'The clerks are very responsive.'
- 'A marvellous set.'
- 'Large pool of talent.'
- 'Strength in depth.'