The members of Maitland Chambers have substantial experience in representing clients before all levels of court, including before the Privy Council, in commercial, shareholder, and joint venture disputes, fraud cases, and cross-border insolvency matters. Among its strong bench of silks, Richard Morgan KC is a key name for handling cases regarding high-value fraud; he represented the claimant in Ivanishvili and Others v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Limited, a defence of an appeal brought by the defendants regarding a $607.5m judgment regarding a fraud committed by Credit Suisse employees. Andrew Westwood KC handles cases arising out of the BVI, Cayman, and Jersey, while David Mumford KC is acting for the defendants in a case surrounding claims that they fabricated a trust in the BVI and subsequently utilised it to seize control of very high-value assets (Ieremeieva v Estera, Lagur and Others). Turning to the juniors, Olivier Kalfon specialises in commercial litigation and predominately acts for clients in BVI and Cayman Island proceedings.
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Profile
Position
Barrister specialising in commercial and chancery litigation, including business agreements and general commercial disputes, civil fraud, company and partnership matters, jurisdictional disputes, claims against trustees and other fiduciaries, and professional negligence. Notable cases include: BAT v Sequana (dividend claw-back in connection with US environmental indemnity claims); Canary Wharf Finance (dispute over the securitisation of the Canary Wharf estate); Bumi (shareholder and other claims concerning the UK-listed mining enterprise); Red October (jurisdiction challenge in debt and conspiracy claims against Russian steel works); Berezovsky v Abramovich, Hine & ors (various actions involving the famous Russian oligarch); Masri v Consolidated Contractors (alleged conspiracy to evade judgment debts); Jennington v Assaubayev (fraud claims in connection with the sale of a gold mining conglomerate); Cadogan Petroleum v Tolley (fraud and bribery claims in connection with a gas exploration business); Lehman Brothers (concerning the administrators’ liability for rent); Cinnamon v BCP (claim against a Portuguese bank about a mortgage securitisation); Equitable Life v Bowley & Ors (acting for former Managing Director and Appointed Actuary in claims arising out of the collapse of the Society); In re the Buncefield Incident (acting for commercial property owners in claims arising out of the oil terminal explosion); Marlwood v Kozeny (acting for US investors in fraud claims concerning the privatisation of the Azeri oil industry); Scottish & Newcastle v PwC (defending professional negligence claims against management consultants) and Gregson v HAE Trustees Limited (successfully resisting a 'dog-leg' claim against directors of a trust company for breach of trust).
Career
Called 2000; Lincoln’s Inn.
QC 2016.
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association; COMBAR.
Education
Born 6 March 1975. Educated King's College School and Magdalen College, Oxford (MA Classics, 1st Class Honours). Former Mansfield Scholar and Denning Scholar of Lincoln's Inn.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'John Wiggs is very helpful and responsive.'
- 'I rate the clerks highly, in particular John Wiggs and Luke Irons.'
- 'Excellent service. The clerks are superbly led by John Wiggs.'
- 'One of the stronger sets operating in the BVI and other offshore jurisdictions.'
- 'Exceptional for offshore matters. Have a wide number of barristers called in the relevant jurisdictions to assist.'