XXIV Old Buildings is well-versed across a wide array of insolvency matters, be they contentious or non-contentious, across multiple jurisdictions. Chambers’ members appear in cases raising issues of civil fraud and insolvencies in the aviation sector. Going to the Privy Council, Stephen Moverley Smith KC acted in Wide v Stefanovich, a recovery claim relating to a Ponzi scheme that raised the issue of who may challenge the decision of a liquidator to admit a proof of debt. Edward Cumming KC is currently representing the trustee of a Guernsey trust in the Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan case against the estate of the former director general of a Kuwaiti public institution, who was accused of dishonestly diverting over $1bn from the institution. Stuart Adair acts on a long-running dispute between two former business partners of a meat trading business in which the opponent is accused to have fraudulently misappropriated assets.
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Profile
Position
Edward is a barrister specialising in most areas of chancery and commercial litigation. He particularly relishes advocacy, appearing frequently before a range of courts and tribunals, and has extensive experience of international and multi-jurisdictional disputes. This particular international emphasis was further enhanced when he was retained for a substantial period to advise a leading offshore firm on a number of business and trust matters involving Guernsey and the BVI. Edward’s breadth of expertise is recognised by the leading directories. He is not only recommended in the chancery sphere for traditional chancery litigation, private client disputes (trust and probate), company disputes and insolvency disputes, but also for commercial dispute resolution, banking and finance, and aviation.
Career
Call: 2006 | Silk: 2018
Edward read Law at Downing College, Cambridge where he was President of the Cambridge Union. After leaving Cambridge he was a Thouron Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, studying at both the Law School and Wharton Business School. He then became director of a group of engineering and property management companies, acquiring a practical understanding of the commercial realities of business and, in particular, company law, before completing pupillage at XXIV Old Buildings.
Languages
French, basic German.
Memberships
- Chancery Bar Association
- Commercial Bar Association
- Institute of Art & Law
- Guernsey International Lawyers Association
- Bar Pro Bono Unit
Education
- MA (Cantab)
- LLM (UPenn)
- Thouron Fellowship to the University of Pennsylvania
- Queen Mother’s Scholar and Harmsworth Exhibitioner of Middle Temple
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Lyndon Tiller is an asset.' 'Paul Horsfield is first class - I have worked with him for over 10 years and cannot say a bad word about him.' 'All the clerks are easy to get on with and helpful.' 'The clerks are very efficient. Paul Horsfield and Perry Brown are especially responsive and proactive.' 'They are our go-to set for insolvency work.' 'They are very strong all the way through from KC level down to their juniors.'