Zoe O’Sullivan KC
'Very tenacious. Punchy and persistent advocacy.'
Acclaimed as having ‘significant strength-in-depth in commercial work, particularly in arbitration and DIFC matters’, Serle Court’s members are highly experienced in the offshore UAE courts on major commercial and financial disputes at the silk and junior level. ‘Extremely eloquent and engaging in his advocacy’, Rupert Reed KC led Max Marenbon in DIFC litigation for various entities in the AES International group against GBS Capital LTD, a case relating to an alleged poaching raid of AES’ financial advisory business in the Middle East. Zoe O’Sullivan KC has an established practice in jurisdictional cases, leading for the defendant in Neal v Nadir, a Court of Appeal case which concerned the jurisdiction of the DIFC to enforce interim relief measures. Gregor Hogan acted unled for the respondent in resisting the appeal of the enforcement of an arbitral award in Dubai Expo 2020 LLC-SO v. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerks are responsive and easy to contact.'
- 'The clerks’ room at Serle Court provides an excellent service. They are approachable, efficient, and proactive in finding suitable counsel and resolving logistical issues. They demonstrate flexibility with fee arrangements and are consistently professional in handling international instructions. Particular mention should be made to Practice Director Dan Wheeler, who assists in the smooth coordination of complex cases and ensures that counsel availability is managed seamlessly; and the junior clerks, who are responsive and helpful'
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.
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.
James Weale
'James is absolutely tireless, he produces work to an exceptional standard and extremely fast. He has the ability to present a complicated case in very simple terms taking the court to the core issues.'
Stephen Doherty
'Stephen is technically excellent, in particular in relation to the specific procedural requirements as well as the substantive laws of the DIFC Courts. He is extremely user-friendly, is comfortable handling challenging clients, and has an unflappable manner when on his feet.'
Rising stars
Rising stars at the Bar are defined as barristers between four and eight years’ call who are seen as up-and-coming members of the Bar in their respective practice areas by clients and peers alike. They will already be instructed in high-profile, complex, and high-value contentious and non-contentious matters, working with and opposite more experienced leading counsel.
