Praised as a ‘very strong commercial’ chambers, Erskine Chambers is a ’go-to set for complex company law and insolvency and restructuring matters’. Other areas of expertise for its members include corporate transactions and the financial services sector. Michael Todd KC is a notable silk at the set with expertise in company law mandates, as well as corporate finance, capital markets, and corporate insolvency disputes. Todd KC is acting for the defendant in Athene Ltd v Siddiqui, a case concerning allegations of misusing confidential information, which will be heard before the Supreme Court of Bermuda. For David Chivers KC BVI restructuring and insolvency form key areas of practice, while Edward Davies KC is also called to the Bar in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. Turning to the juniors, Andrew Blake is acting for Jardine Strategic Limited in a case surrounding a $5.5bn restructuring, in which more than 80 plaintiffs are seeking compensation. Anna Scharnetzky is another key junior in this case.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Andrew specialises in company law, commercial litigation, restructuring and corporate insolvency. His time is divided between litigation and advisory work. Much of his work involves large and contentious corporate transactions, both domestically and overseas. Andrew is called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. He has been instructed in significant corporate and insolvency matters in most offshore financial centres.
Recent and current instructions include: Re Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd (acting with Jonathan Crow KC and Martin Moore KC in merger appraisal proceedings); 1Globe Capital LLC v Sinovac Biotech Ltd (Privy Council appeal with James Potts KC for the Chinese biopharmaceutical company in proceedings concerning an alleged AGM ambush and adoption of a ‘poison pill’ rights plan); SOSBEIS v Adam and others (acting on behalf of the successful NEDs with Andrew Thompson KC in the largest and most complex disqualification proceedings ever brought, arising from the collapse of Carillion).
Career
Called 2012; Lincoln’s Inn.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association; COMBAR.
Education
2007 – 2010: BA Law, Worcester College, Oxford (First Class; ranked 1st of 223 in Law Moderations)
2010 – 2011: Bachelor of Civil Law, Worcester College, Oxford (Distinction)
2011 – 2012: BPTC, BPP Holborn (Very Competent)
Andrew was a lecturer in contract law at the University of Oxford (Worcester College and University College) between 2012 and 2013.
Prizes and Scholarships:
The Sweet and Maxwell Prize (best performance in Oxford University in Law Moderations)
The Andrew Dixon Scholarship (best performance in Worcester College in Law Moderations)
The Ogilvie Thompson Scholarship (all round contribution to Worcester College)
Arts and Humanities Research Council full grant for the Bachelor of Civil Law
The Bruce Reynolds Prize (best Bachelor of Civil Law performance in Worcester College)
Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn Award)
Hardwicke Entrance Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn Award)
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- "Alex Calder is excellent. He is very helpful and provides timely responses which is important.'
- 'Alex Calder and Seamus Nixon have been extremely helpful and very user-friendly.'
- 'The clerks at Erskine chambers are an excellent team; quick to respond, helpful and pragmatic, and understanding of the challenges faced by instructing solicitors. They are polite, professional and hard working.'
- 'Erskine is a very strong commercial set which you feel confident approaching for important matters requiring counsel's involvement. Clerks provide timely responses and the barristers are excellent. Having seen some of their juniors, it is clear that they attract and train excellent barristers.'
- 'Erskine is the go-to set for complex company law and insolvency and restructuring matters. Their members are the brightest company law set, who are easy to work with and very available.'