The English Bar Offshore

Serle Court

South Square

Wilberforce Chambers

XXIV Old Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings

4 New Square Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers

Leading Silks

Jonathan Adkin KC –Serle Court ‘Jonathan has an advocacy style which is very effective. He is calm and measured and builds a strong rapport with the judge, always keeping him or her on side but pressing points forcefully when needed.’

David Allison KC – South Square 'David has a laser focus on the key legal issues and an ability to grasp the commercial realities to find a solution.'

Richard Boulton KC –One Essex Court

David Chivers KC –Erskine Chambers ‘Excellent all round – extremely well prepared for any hearing and absolutely unflappable. He knows the file inside out by the time he gets to his feet. Highly recommended and good on larger issues of strategy.’

Gilead Cooper KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Gilead is very experienced and provides thoughtful insights as to the law and strategy.'

Jonathan Crow KC –4 Stone Buildings

Justin Fenwick KC –4 New Square Chambers ‘Very smart, incisive and strategic. Excellent at cross-examination.’

Brian Green KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Brian is a masterful advocate and is the most valuable member of any team. He brings unusual, valuable insights, and deploys creative strategies that others would not have imagined. He has a wonderful mind, and can be very intellectual but is also practical, strategic, down to earth and can articulate the most complex matters clearly and succinctly. '

Dakis Hagen KC – Serle Court ‘Dakis is one of those rare KCs at the London Bar who is approachable, a pleasure to deal with and responsive, whilst also being technically the best there is. His advocacy is a true delight to listen to, he is not afraid to think outside the box in the interests of the client and to find a commercial solution.’

Robert Ham KC – Wilberforce Chambers

Barry Isaacs KC –South Square 'Barry has meticulous attention to detail and a ferocious work-rate. He is willing to take on the hospital passes and give them the intense care that they need, often succeeding against the odds.'

Elizabeth Jones KC –Serle Court 'Elizabeth is a formidable advocate. She is a master of strategy and is right across the detail. She is fantastic at pulling a team together and wringing the very best out of it.'

Philip Jones KC –Serle Court

Sir Jeffrey Jowell KC –Blackstone Chambers 'Jeffrey's strength lies in the fact that he is the highest authority on matters of constitutional law particularly in relation to the constitutions of the British Overseas Territories. His advocacy is top quality.'

David Lord KC –Three Stone

Thomas Lowe KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Tom is an excellent trial advocate and is a pleasure to work with.'

Hodge Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Utterly unflappable with an incredible capacity to take in complicated facts quickly and work out the route to achieve the best result for client. A perfect mix of academic ability with vast experience and first-rate common sense.’

Philip Marshall KC –Serle Court ‘A commercial and Chancery Silk of the highest calibre. Philip has an almost unparalleled ability to address the most challenging of legal disputes domestically and internationally. Always better to be on his side than against him. Incredibly hard working, committed and a wonderful advocate.’

Paul McGrath KC –Essex Court Chambers

Ewan McQuater KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Richard Morgan KC –Maitland Chambers 'Richard knows the law inside out and has worked on many of the leading cases on jurisdictional issues and interim injunctions. His advocacy style is measured and extremely effective.'

Nicholas Le Poidevin KC –New Square Chambers

David Quest KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Penelope Reed KC –5 Stone Buildings ‘Penny is simply outstanding in every respect. It would be unfair to try and single out any particular skill only to try and to put it above the rest.’

Hefin Rees KC –3 Verulam Buildings 'Hefin is affable and detail-oriented.'

Elspeth Talbot Rice KC –XXIV Old Buildings

Stephen Moverley Smith KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'A real flair for advocacy. Energetic, engaged and enthusiastic.'

Tom Smith KC –South Square 'Tom is quite simply the gold-standard of restructuring and insolvency barristers. His advocacy is measured, logical, and surgical - and as a result, incredibly persuasive. This is always underpinned by excellent written work, both in terms of advice and written advocacy.'

Clare Stanley KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Clare is extremely user-friendly and always very committed to the client's cause. She is good at developing novel and compelling arguments in difficult circumstances. Excellent in court and hitting a sweet-spot in reputation and instructions offshore over the last few years.'

Alan Steinfeld KC –XXIV Old Buildings

John Wardell KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'John is a master tactician, with a great ability to pull the various strands of a case together.'

Shân Warnock-Smith KC –5 Stone Buildings 'Technically brilliant, straight to the issues. Team player and a client-facing barrister.'

David Alexander KC –South Square 'David is popular with the clients, very responsive and a team player. He brings value and is prepared and very easy to work with, especially in stressful trial situations.'

Stephen Atherton KC –Twenty Essex 'Stephen is a captivating advocate. He is also extremely hardworking and great to work with.'

David Brownbill KC –XXIV Old Buildings

Graham Chapman KC –4 New Square Chambers 'Graham is incredibly user-friendly and excellent with both clients and the judiciary. He has a razor-sharp intellect and is a fantastic advocate.'

Edward Davies KC –Erskine Chambers 'Edward is a brilliant barrister to work with. He is very thorough in his work, clever in terms of strategy and practical in the advice he provides. His advocacy is excellent as he demonstrates a strong understanding of all the issues and develops compelling arguments.'

Vernon Flynn KC –Brick Court Chambers 'Vernon is exceptional - his advocacy skills are exemplary. He is very personable and easy to work with.'

Michael Furness KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Michael has excellent analytical skills. He is able to reduce highly complex matters to core issues and convey the points of focus which matter. He listens and readily tests other hypotheses and is a pleasure to deal with.'

Matthew Hardwick KC –3 Verulam Buildings ‘Matthew is always fully prepared and is an excellent advocate. He has a clear and convincing style and is highly intelligent.’

Jonathan Harris KC –Serle Court

Jonathan Hilliard KC – Wilberforce Chambers

Mark Howard KC –Brick Court Chambers

Robert Levy KC – No5 Barristers' Chambers

John Machell KC –Serle Court ‘John is a pleasure to work with. He is excellent with clients, gets stuck into the detail, and manages to distil what appear to be complicated facts and law into as clear and concise a position as possible. He is an excellent advocate, with a courtroom manner that is very much appreciated by judges.’

Daniel Saoul KC –4 New Square Chambers 'Daniel has an incredible grasp of the law across a number of distinct fields. He is very measured and thoughtful and thinks hard about developing the right strategy for the client.'

Mohinderpal Sethi KC – Littleton Chambers

Simon Taube KC –Ten Old Square

Bankim Thanki KC –Fountain Court Chambers 'Bankim is a thoughtful and masterful tactician who always sees the big picture. His advocacy is surgical and deadly in its effectiveness, exquisite in its courtesy and unflappable in its delivery.'

Michael Todd KC - Erskine Chambers

Felicity Toube KC - South Square

Francis Tregear KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Francis is a user-friendly silk. He is well-versed in the law and able to relate to clients and instructing lawyers very easily. He is adept at explaining complex legal points in layman's terms. His advocacy is well-prepared, calm and persuasive.'

Ben Valentin KC –Fountain Court Chambers ‘He is a brilliant advocate who masters the detail very quickly and is incredibly user-friendly. His trial advocacy is superb and his cross-examination skills are particularly impressive.’

Richard Wilson KC –Serle Court 'Richard is a leading trust advocate and an excellent lawyer. A key strength is his advocacy. He is also an excellent team player and good at getting to the point.'

Francis Barlow KC –Ten Old Square

George Bompas KC –4 Stone Buildings

Paul Bowen KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Paul is a go-to leading counsel with respect to public law and, in particular, judicial review proceedings with a regulatory element. He is an excellent advocate – persuasive, and tough when he needs to be, whilst staying on the right side of the judge.’

Edward Cumming KC –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Edward has strong skills as a strategist and makes sound decisions quickly. He marshals his arguments well, thinks and speaks clearly and is very effective as an advocate.’

Simon Davenport KC - 4 Pump Court

Thomas Dumont KC –Radcliffe Chambers

Ben Hubble KC –4 New Square Chambers 'Ben is a reassuring silk to have on your side. His advice is invariably measured, sensible, and tactically sound, with a firm eye on the underlying commerciality of the case.'

Stephen Midwinter KC –Brick Court Chambers 'Incredibly bright and able to absorb new matters at great speed. Excellent judgment, unflappable, great value for money and a pleasure to work with.'

Richard Millett KC –Essex Court Chambers

Tom Montagu-Smith KC – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Tom is a highly analytical lawyer and moderated advocate. He is effective and popular.'

Terence Mowschenson KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Terry commands the respect of the court, and is a persuasive and engaging advocate with sound judgement.’

Jern-Fei Ng KC – 7BR ‘Jern-Fei is a first-rate lawyer with sound and mature judgment and an extraordinary work ethic. He has a remarkably high-quality practice offshore as well as internationally.’

Rajesh Pillai KC –3 Verulam Buildings

Thomas Roe KC –3 Hare Court

Simon Salzedo KC –Brick Court Chambers ‘Extremely bright, always on top of the detail and results driven. His written and oral advocacy is clear, concise and highly persuasive.’

Steven Thompson KC –XXIV Old Buildings 'Steven is exceptionally bright and a brilliant advocate who can always be relied on to get great results, even with a difficult case. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the law ad so it particularly suited for appellate work, but he is equally good at interlocutory skirmishes.'

Adrian Beltrami KC - 3 Verulam Buildings

Anneliese Day KC – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Anneliese has an excellent manner with clients, is a strong advocate and gets up to speed at very short notice on an instruction.’

Graeme McPherson KC – 4 New Square Chambers 'Thoroughly prepared, extremely intelligent and able to digest and make sense of huge volumes of material.'

Andrew Ayres KC –Twenty Essex 'Andrew is a very impressive silk with extensive expertise across a wide spectrum of offshore practice areas. He prepares meticulously for court, works collaboratively in large teams, and is incredibly effective in court. He is without par.'

Hermann Boeddinghaus KC –4 Stone Buildings ‘Hermann has a talent for distilling complicated issues of law into clear and articulate principles. He is a strong advocate who always maintains very good credibility with the judge.’

Alain Choo Choy KC – One Essex Court

Timothy Collingwood KC – Serle Court 'Known for his attention to detail, approachability, persuasive advocacy and fortitude.'

Glen Davis KC –South Square

Richard Fisher KC – South Square ‘Richard is an excellent lawyer and very responsive. He is equally strong on paper, in conference and as an advocate. He reads the court and his opponents well, and his submissions are always succinct and clearly delivered.’

Orlando Fraser KC –4 Stone Buildings

Jeremy Goldring KC –South Square

Bridget Lucas KC –Fountain Court Chambers

Ali Malek KC –3 Verulam Buildings 'Top quality advice and a user friendly, excellent advocate who knows that often less is more.'

David Mumford KC –Maitland Chambers 'David is incredibly bright and a fantastic advocate. He is always calm under pressure and has the ear of the court.'

Pavlos Panayi KC – 7BR

Lord David Pannick KC –Blackstone Chambers

Charles Samek KC – Littleton Chambers 'Charles is a fearsome and unyielding advocate, and fights tooth and nail for his clients. He has a real talent for seeing through the smoke of battle and remaining focused on the key points which really make a difference.'

Nikki Singla KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Nikki is a committed advocate and fiercely analytical in his approach. He holds his opinions strongly and is not afraid to voice them.'

Adam Solomon KC –Littleton Chambers ‘Very strong mind. A brilliant strategist who comes up with incredible solutions and has a very strong work ethic.’

George Spalton KC - 4 New Square Chambers 'George's advocacy is very strong and he handles both factual and expert witnesses very well. He gets very quickly to the key points in a case and keeps them in focus. His bedside manner is fantastic and clients love him.'

Christopher Tidmarsh KC –5 Stone Buildings

James Willan KC –Essex Court Chambers

Constance McDonnell KC - Serle Court 'Constance is an absolutely brilliant advocate. She is a go-to Silk for all matters concerning offshore trust and family disputes. She is incredibly clever, thoughtful, pragmatic and resolute in her advice which comes out top every time. Her client skills are superb and instil well deserved confidence.'

Tiffany Scott KC - Wilberforce Chambers 'Tiffany's advocacy is first class: effective and persuasive and always well prepared. She is a first class barrister - very hard working, astute and tactically sound but also a real pleasure to work with.'

Aidan Casey KC – South Square ‘Aidan is amazing with clients and great to work with. He is a go-to silk – very commercially minded, great on the law and a brilliant advocate.’

2022 Silks

Tony Beswetherick KC –Twenty Essex 'Hard working, responsive and innovative.'

Giles Richardson KC –Serle Court 'Giles is just excellent; was the junior of choice and now already one of the silks of choice. Superbly bright, very hard-working and an absolute pleasure to deal with.'

Robert Weekes KC - Blackstone Chambers

Andrew Westwood KC –Maitland Chambers 'Excellent advocate, user friendly and hard working.'

2023 Silks

Adam Cloherty KC –XXIV Old Buildings

Alexander Cook KC - 4 Stone Buildings

Leading Juniors

Simon Adamyk –New Square Chambers ‘Phenomenally detail-driven. A very strong advocate who is amazingly well-prepared.’

Adam Al-Attar –South Square

Sarah Bayliss –XXIV Old Buildings ‘Sarah is a user-friendly and measured junior, with an assured grasp of both the law and the practicalities of a case. She inspires real confidence in her clients and instructing solicitors.’

Andrew Blake –Erskine Chambers 'Andrew is charming, responsive and user-friendly.'

Toby Brown –South Square 'Super attention to detail, responsive, and very good drafting.'

Piers Feltham –Radcliffe Chambers

Marcus Flavin –Radcliffe Chambers

Thomas Fletcher – Serle Court ‘Thomas is a formidable intellect, with a technical knowledge to be revered. He is a lightning quick thinker and shrewd operator. He is always someone you want to see on your side of the court room.’

Graeme Halkerston – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Graeme is a top pick for offshore work. He really knows his offshore cases and the nuances of the offshore company and insolvency legislation. He is absolutely great on his feet – really well-prepared and researched. He holds his ground under the most difficult questioning. He rarely fails to get a result and is always thinking about different angles of attack.’

Nicholas Harrison –Serle Court

Andrew Holden –XXIV Old Buildings

Mark Hubbard –New Square Chambers 'Mark doesn't beat around the bush - he gets to the point, gives his advice in a clear and concise way and clients and judges alike love that approach.'

Adil Mohamedbhai –Serle Court 'Adil is highly competent and industrious. He can provide good advice within tight deadlines on a wide range of issues. He is invariably pleasant to deal with.'

Matthew Morrison –Serle Court 'An outstanding barrister. Very hard working and a tremendous team player.'

Tom Richards –Blackstone Chambers 'Tom has an outstanding legal mind. His legal brilliance is only outmatched by his humility. He has the ability to precisely set out and present his arguments and without fail he provides unique insight and advice.'

Lynton Tucker –New Square Chambers ‘Lynton is a first class litigator, with an intellectual rigour, hands-on approach and team work. He is noted for his highly persuasive advocacy and his ability to master and control very large scale and often cross-jurisdictional litigation.’

William Willson –South Square

Robert Amey –South Square

Nigel Burroughs –4 New Square Chambers

Lucy Colter –4 New Square Chambers

Emma Hargreaves –Serle Court

Jordan Holland –5 Stone Buildings 'Jordan is a strong and sensible advocate who gets the confidence of the court.'

Ruth Jordan –Serle Court 'Ruth is thorough and conscientious with a strong understanding of public law.'

Ciaran Keller –Essex Court Chambers 'Ciaran is extremely intelligent and hard working and is able to provide helpful and practical advice that cuts through the complexity. He works extremely collaboratively in large teams and is a real asset and team player. As an advocate, his no nonsense style, mastery of his case, and eloquence wins him plaudits on the bench.'

Nicole Langlois –XXIV Old Buildings 'Intellectually strong but strategically aware and astute too.Very strong advocacy.'

Nico Leslie –Fountain Court Chambers 'Highly intelligent and articulate with excellent instincts and produces very high quality written work quickly. A real pleasure to deal with and a consummate team player. Very responsive to the client. Overall, a class act.'

Anna Littler – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Anna has an excellent grasp of all the issues and a rare ability to handle difficult characters in a sensitive and productive way. Good judgement and great forensic skills meaning she is destined to do really well. Anna is able to stand up and fight her corner in an intelligent and persuasive way.’

Rowan Pennington-Benton –3 Hare Court ‘Rowan’s greatest strengths are his extremely sharp mind and his uncanny ability to quickly and accurately identify the key points in any case. He is an outstanding advocate.’

Robert Strang –3 Hare Court 'Robert is extremely user friendly; nothing is too much trouble. He is very pleasant to deal with and to work with and has a high quality mind which is able to read judges' minds and apply the law practically and effectively.'

Daniel Warents –XXIV Old Buildings 'Daniel is unbelievably quick, very clever and tactically excellent.'

James Weale –Serle Court 'James' written work is first-class and accurate. His contributions in conferences are measured and valuable. Very user-friendly, always happy to deal with ad hoc questions.'

Elizabeth Weaver –XXIV Old Buildings

Zahler Bryan –Serle Court ‘Zahler is extremely impressive, able to turn around significant drafting very quickly and handles clients deftly.’

Simon Calhaem –29 Bedford Row Chambers

Joshua Folkard – Twenty Essex ‘Joshua is highly skilled at legal research and writing. He works at a blazing speed and always produces superbly well-written and coherently constructed work.’

Marcus Haywood –South Square

Alexander Heylin – No5 Barristers' Chambers ‘Alexander is an excellent courtroom advocate and is very user-friendly, being particularly effective in winning clients' trust quickly.’

Philip Hinks –3 Verulam Buildings 'Philip is a fantastic barrister. He has a keen insight into the law and adds immediate value to the client's counsel team. He works hard and is a great team player.'

Sophie Holcombe –Serle Court 'Sharp as a scalpel and provides robust advice and both tactical and practical guidance with alacrity, in a good turnaround time.'

Elizabeth Houghton – Wilberforce Chambers ‘Clarity of thinking and drafting. Understands the key issues very quickly and provides practical advice which the clients appreciate.’

Clara Johnson – South Square 'Calm under pressure, ability to listen and work with the clients. Strong commercial legal mind and a team player with clients and insolvency practitioners.'

Olivier Kalfon – Maitland Chambers ‘Olivier is a superlative advocate. He provides focused, careful advice consistently. He is always available and is excellent when dealing with extremely complex legal problems. He is a silk in the making and one of the most impressive members of the Bar. He is a delight to work with.’

Edoardo Lupi – South Square ‘Edoardo is incredibly bright but doesn’t lose sight of the client’s commercial objectives. He is hard-working, always willing to roll up his sleeves which has meant he has become a go-to junior. The quality of his written work is also exceptionally and of the quality of someone many years his senior.’

James MacDougald –Ten Old Square

Andrew Maguire – Littleton Chambers

Andrew McLeod – One Essex Court 'Andrew is highly articulate and engaging and has a masterly grasp of the law.'

James McWiliams – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘James has great judgement and is clear in his advice, as well as producing high-quality work both orally and on paper.’

Matthew Paton –5 Stone Buildings 'Matthew is incredibly bright, an excellent tactician, and has a commanding presence in the courtroom. He also has an unshakable work ethic, and is very easy to get along with.'

Leon Pickering –Ten Old Square

James Purchas –4 Pump Court

Charles Raffin –Gatehouse Chambers

Bajul Shah –XXIV Old Buildings 'Calm, collected and methodical. Judges love his approach, as he tells it as it is.'

William Buck – Monckton Chambers

Sparsh Garg - Serle Court 'Sparsh is a outstanding junior. Fearsomely clever and organised, his work is always of a very high standard and he appears destined for great things.'

Henry Phillips - South Square

James Potts - 3 Verulam Buildings 'James is bright, fast and accurate.'

Charles Sorensen – 3 Hare Court ‘Charles is dedicated, diligent responsive, knowledgeable and has a great eye for detail.’

Michael Ashdown – Wilberforce Chambers 'Michael is extremely bright and and very quickly gets to grips with complex matters, including those with an international dimension and issues of foreign law. Consistently impresses with his written and oral advices.'

Daniel Burgess –Blackstone Chambers

Rupert Coe – Three Stone

Mark Cullen – 4 New Square Chambers 'Mark is a brilliant junior. Keen, energetic with a first rate intellect and unmatched knowledge of law and procedure. He is a joy to work with and an invaluable member of any team.'

Josh Lewison –Radcliffe Chambers

Edward Ho – Brick Court Chambers 'Edward is a very strong lawyer, hard working and goes the extra mile.'

Tim Parker –Blackstone Chambers 'Tim is very smart, commercial and quick to understand the complexities of a dispute.'

Naina Patel –Blackstone Chambers 'Naina is a responsive and diligent barrister who performs well under pressure. She is articulate and persuasive in her written work - no stone is left unturned in her advices.'

Jamsheed Peeroo –The 36 Group

Sarah Tresman –Twenty Essex ‘Sarah is an accomplished junior and very much in demand. One of her strengths is her attention to detail and being able to immediately point leading counsel to every potentially relevant document or argument on the fly. She is also particularly adept at distilling difficult points of foreign law and other expert evidence.’

Tom Mountford - Blackstone Chambers 'As good as it gets for a junior, doubtlessly a silk in the making.'

Tom Roscoe - Wilberforce Chambers 'A great draftsman and strategist. You definitely want him on your side.'

Ben Woolgar - Brick Court Chambers

Rising Stars

Charlotte Beynon – Serle Court ‘Charlotte has a level of poise and judgement rarely seen in a barrister of her call.’

Aaron Taylor - Fountain Court Chambers

Adam Riley - 3 Hare Court 'He is enthusiastic and articulate on his feet and is particularly impressive before the Privy Council.'

James Fennemore – XXIV Old Buildings ‘James has a great attention to detail and impresses with his detailed knowledge of a case. His advice is always clear and to the point.’

James Gale - 3 Hare Court

Stephanie Thompson - Serle Court 'Stephanie is very hard working and willing to go the extra mile. She has considerable experience of the BVI courts and this helps her to contribute to the team effort both on law and procedure but also on strategy.'

The English Bar Offshore in The English Bar Offshore

Tier 1 Cabinets d'avocats

Serle Court

Serle Court retains its status as among the market-leading offshore sets, with extensive expertise across international trusts, probate and commercial work, with members regularly involved in cases at the bleeding edge of the law in this area. Recent prominent cases include Re Cave Cay, which is thought to be worth more than $300 million, in which Philip Jones KC is acting in an injunction application in BVI in aid of arbitration proceedings. Elsewhere within set, Jonathan Adkin KC is involved in a billion-dollar shareholder dispute in the Bermuda Supreme Court in Re Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd, which concerns an attempt to take private the Jardine Matheson conglomerate, which owns Hongkong Land and Mandarin Oriental. Dakis Hagen KC is known for his wide-ranging offshore practice and sees frequent involvement in high-end trusts and estate litigation in major offshore jurisdictions. Pre-eminent offshore silk Elizabeth Jones KC remains noted for her strong offshore presence and is often instructed on complex, high-profile and high-value international commercial disputes.

Les références

‘Nick Hockney is the best clerk at the Bar! He is quick to respond, very commercial and helpful in ensuring clients get the right person for the job.’

‘Charlie Payne is helpful, personable and responsive.’

‘Clerks are first-class, responsive and sensible. Paul Ballard is very good.’

Principaux dossiers

South Square

South Square is well-known within the offshore marketplace as a leading set for financial services, insolvency, company and fraud-related work, with members receiving instructions across a vast range of jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, BVI, Bermuda and the Channel Islands. Multiple members are involved in ongoing litigation in the Cayman Islands in Port Fund (Cayman Islands) regarding a $100m claim arising from the management of a fund, raising complex questions regarding the duty of the general partner in Cayman Islands limited partner investment vehicles and the circumstances in which limited partners may bring derivative claims. Tom Smith KC and David Allison KC are representing the Kuwait Port Authority, across the table from Felicity Toube KC and Robert Amey who are acting for the Gulf Investment Corporation. In the BVI, David Alexander KC acted in an appeal to the Privy Council in respect of an unfair prejudice and just and equitable winding up application in Ma v Wong. Meanwhile, David Allison KC and Richard Fisher KC were involved in the application for the appointment of a conflict liquidator to pursue litigation in Sian Participation Corporation (In Liquidation) v Halimeda International Limited, a dispute estimated to be worth several billion US dollars arising from the seizure from a port in Russia.

Les références

‘South Square are the go-to set for insolvency matters. They have incredible depth in both silk and juniors.’

‘South Square has an array of sparkling KCs and juniors who are real experts in the fields of Insolvency and Company Law. The clerks are usually able to provide suitable alternatives when my first choice of counsel is not available.’

‘Always very responsive and commercial.’

Principaux dossiers

Wilberforce Chambers

Wilberforce Chambers is noted for being ‘excellent from top to bottom’ and retains its robust offshore reputation for representing international clients on high-profile and complex cases in the Bahamas, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and the Channel Islands. Prominently, Clare Stanley KC is acting in Kuwait Ports Authority v Port Link, regarding derivative actions brought on behalf of exempted limited partnerships and raising important points of law in relation to security for costs. Robert Ham KC is well-known for his offshore litigation and advisory practice, which emphasises trust law. Gilead Cooper KC is praised as ‘one of the top silks in the international trust and estate litigation world’, while turning to the set's senior juniors, Graeme Halkerston is an expert in offshore and cross-border Chancery litigation, particularly matters in the Cayman Islands and BVI. Anna Littler maintains her broad offshore practice, encompassing fraud claims, company and insolvency issues and trusts disputes.

Les références

‘Always very responsive – Nicholas Luckman, Andrew Barnes and Antonia Matthew in particular.’

‘Great guidance from Nick Luckman and Fraser Geddes.’

‘Nick Luckman is the best known and liked barrister’s clerk in London. Top drawer clerks! User friendly and hugely intelligent, just like their barristers.’

Principaux dossiers

XXIV Old Buildings

‘Pre-eminent Chancery set’ XXIV Old Buildings offers clients a ‘deep bench with consistently high quality’ and demonstrable expertise in offshore jurisdictions including Gibraltar, Bermuda, BVI, Cayman Islands and the Crown Dependencies. Corporate and commercial matters, trust related work and financial based cases are among the core pillars of the set’s offshore offering. Steven Thompson KC was retained for an appeal heard in December 2022 in Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse (Bermuda) Ltd. The case involves a claim by the ex-prime minister of Georgia against a subsidiary of the Swiss bank arising out of the allegedly fraudulent actions of a rogue employee; the bank was ordered to pay over US$600m in damages by the Bermudian court. Head of chambers and in-demand silk Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is very well-known for her broad commercial Chancery practice, appearing in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, among others. Elsewhere within chambers, offshore commercial cases are a core specialism of Stephen Moverley Smith KC with his practice emphasising restructuring, fraud, corruption and insolvency.

Les références

‘Universally helpful and commercial, Paul Horsfield and his team are a pleasure to work with.’

‘Paul Horsfield is very approachable and also extremely commercial. He really understands the need to maintain good client relations and helps us to do that.’

‘Excellent – James Ladbrook particularly stands out as a first class clerk.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 2 Cabinets d'avocats

3 Verulam Buildings

Known in the offshore world as a ‘strong commercial set with a number of excellent counsel’, 3 Verulam Buildings experienced another strong year with members receiving instructions across a breadth of complex cases, ranging from banking and finance disputes to high-profile judicial reviews. Hodge Malek KC , Hefin Rees KC and Philip Hinks are representing MBFX and a MultiBank Group's founder in a large international fraud case where it is alleged that the trading platform fraudulently misappropriated €35m of noteholder funds. Ewan McQuater KC is involved in litigation in the BVI worth $1.5bn, where he is acting for provisional liquidators appointed by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands seeking to preserve and prevent dissipation of the assets of the business group headed by Global Cord Blood Corporation.

Les références

‘Steve Penson makes sure things are humming.’

‘3 Verulam Buildings clerks have a great business sense and are very responsive to clients’ needs and concerns.’

‘They are a good set of chambers with strength in depth.’

Principaux dossiers

4 New Square Chambers

4 New Square Chambers‘ members frequently handle high-profile, high-value and complex cases pertaining to finance, fraud and shareholder disputes, to name a few, and many instructions fit within the set’s particular area of professional negligence litigation. Heavyweight litigator Justin Fenwick KC is acting for the first defendant in AML Creditor v Madison Pacific & Ors, in which the Bermudian claimant alleges that the defendants conspired to misappropriate companies active in West Africa. ‘Fantastic advocate’ Graham Chapman KC runs a broad commercial offshore practice which emphasizes negligence claims involving trustees, directors, officeholders alongside professionals including auditors, fund managers and lawyers. Daniel Saoul KC remains a key name for business disputes and commercial fraud cases, particularly those spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Les références

‘Dennis Peck is the best clerk in London.’

‘4 New Square are becoming more and more visible in the major litigation offshore with a well-known easy to work with and savvy group of advocates.’

‘4 New Square are a good set, reliable and consistent in quality.’

Principaux dossiers

Fountain Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers is known for its ‘in-depth experience in offshore work’ and has a demonstrably strong track record in both the Caribbean and the Channel Islands for banking and finance, commercial litigation, company law and civil fraud cases. Bankim Thanki KC is praised for his ‘surgical and deadly’ advocacy – his recent offshore caseload includes Ieremeieva v Estera, Lagur and Ivakhiv, in which he acts for two Ukrainian businessmen in a BVI dispute concerning the operation of a trust and the ownership of various Ukrainian companies, the value of which is estimated to exceed $800m. Ben Valentin KC‘s offshore practice focuses on the BVI and Cayman Islands and encompasses fraud, insolvency and shareholder dispute cases, among others. In-demand silk Anneliese Day KC appeared before the Privy Council in A & A Mechanical Contractors and Company Ltd v Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago, which considered the application of ‘without prejudice’ privilege to final account negotiations under a construction contract.

Les références

‘Good availability of counsel and good in depth experience in offshore work.’

‘This set has a get theirs hands dirty and sleeves rolled up approach: they think and dig for themselves. Deep bench with a user friendly attitude, alongside fantastic professional development and excellent pastoral nous.’

‘Considerable strength in depth.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 3 Cabinets d'avocats

3 Hare Court

Members of 3 Hare Court undertake a broad range of public and constitutional law work in a significant number of non-UK common law jurisdictions, particularly throughout the Caribbean and Gibraltar. Noted for its ‘strength in depth’, the set is known in the offshore market for its involvement in a diverse range of Privy Council cases. One such example saw Thomas Roe KC involved in Chandler v The State, concerning the lawfulness of the mandatory death penalty in Trinidad and Tobago. Rowan Pennington-Benton is known for his Chancery, insurance and insolvency matters in Gibraltar but also receives instructions in the BVI and Cayman Islands, among others.

Les références

‘I often deal with Darren Whitbread who is approachable, friendly and will always try and assist.’

‘Very strong and very good with international solicitors and international clients, including in government. James Donovan is the standout player.’

‘Excellent strength in depth.’

Erskine Chambers

Corporate transactions, restructuring and insolvency, and financial services are the core pillars of Erskine Chambers offshore offering, with members appearing at all levels of the court system throughout the Caribbean. The ‘excellent all round’ David Chivers KC lends his expertise to offshore corporate litigation and company law, in addition to corporate restructuring and insolvency work. Edward Davies KC and Michael Todd KC were involved in Re Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd, which saw proceedings in Bermuda concerning two insolvent insurance companies with aggregate deficiency of an estimated $300m.

Les références

‘Always very helpful and professional.’

‘Erskine is a very strong set well known for its expertise in company and commercial litigation matters. The set is excellent with a number of terrific counsel available at varying levels of experience.’

Principaux dossiers

Maitland Chambers

Maitland Chambers is noted as a go-to set for high-profile, civil fraud, commercial and trust matters at all levels of the court systems, including before the Privy Council, with barristers regularly active across all offshore jurisdictions. Richard Morgan KC successfully acted for the claimant in resisting the recent appeal of Credit Suisse against a $607m judgment in Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Limited v Ivanishvili. The case involved a claim by the ex-prime minister of Georgia against a subsidiary of a Swiss bank arising out the allegedly fraudulent actions of a rogue employee. ‘Fantastic advocate’ David Mumford KC led an appeal before the Eastern Caribbean Court of appeal in November in Wang v Floreat, a case which sought the winding up of funds worth $500 million. From the set’s juniors, Olivier Kalfon ‘s practice retains its strong offshore disputes emphasis, particularly those in the BVI and Cayman Islands.

Les références

‘The clerks are excellent – very responsive and nice to deal with. John Wiggs and Luke Irons are standouts.’

‘Excellent – John Wiggs is a hero.’

‘John Wiggs is a legend. Very responsive and flexible.’

Principaux dossiers

New Square Chambers

New Square Chambers is highly-respected in the offshore arena for its work representing institutional and corporate clients, alongside ultra-high net worth individuals, on a vast range of instructions covering commercial, company and property law. Head of Chambers Nicholas Le Poidevin KC maintains his strong offshore practice centred on contentious trusts, wills and estates. Simon Adamyk is instructed in a high value unfair prejudice claim, a breach of warranty claim and a fraudulent misrepresentation claim relating to a BVI joint venture company seeking to enforce an arbitration award worth nearly $11bn. Senior junior and respected offshore practitioner Lynton Tucker is known for his extensive offshore trusts experience, principally in the Channel Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the BVI.

Les références

‘Senior clerk Charlie Sherwood is very facilitative and informative. Always gives a quick response.’

‘The clerks’ room has always been most helpful. I have never had anything other than courteous service.’

‘Clerks are always, friendly and easy to work with.’

Principaux dossiers

Tier 4 Cabinets d'avocats

5 Stone Buildings

Praised as an ‘elite set’ in the offshore world, 5 Stone Buildings is a notable set for traditional Chancery, with the depth of members’ expertise ranging from contentious trusts and probate to family provision claims. Shan Warnock-Smith KC handles major trust and estate cases throughout the Cayman Islands, the BVI and Bermuda. One such recent case included Re Z Trusts, in which Warnock-Smith KC represented the appellant in the Privy Council on a major appeal from Jersey which involved novel questions of law regarding a trustee’s indemnity against reasonable costs and expenses. Penelope Reed KC is noted for her extensive offshore expertise in trusts, wills, probate and related tax issues whilst also seeing involvement in high-profile offshore commercial litigation. Of the juniors, ‘excellent advocate’ and ‘real fighter’ Matthew Paton is well-versed in high-value offshore litigation involving contentious and non-contentious trust and probate matters.

Les références

‘Very proficient with a strong understanding of offshore banking and KYC/AML requirements.’

‘The clerks are accommodating and flexible. I would recommend.’

‘Clerks are efficient, and keep billing simple and effective. Their knowledge of their barristers’ particular strengths and availability is impressive.’

Principaux dossiers

One Essex Court

With a strong presence throughout the Caribbean and Channel Islands, members of One Essex Court undertake a broad spectrum of offshore work encompassing contentious and non-contentious, complex commercial litigation, international fraud and asset tracing, as well as insolvency and financial services litigation. Recent stand-out cases include Re 58.com, where Richard Boulton KC is acting as lead counsel in a multi-billion dollar s.238 merger dispute in the Cayman Grand Court. From the juniors, Andrew McLeod‘s robust offshore practice spans the full suite of high-value commercial disputes involving civil fraud, trusts, company law issues and insolvency.

Les références

‘One Essex Court are right at the top of the tree.’

Principaux dossiers

Twenty Essex

Twenty Essex has a strong track-record in commercial chancery, company, and offshore litigation, with specific expertise regarding contentious trust and probate issues, undue influence, charitable and family company matters, fraud cases and shareholder disputes. Stephen Atherton KC is acting for the petitioner in Evenstar Master Fund SPC v Fang Holdings Limited, a just and equitable winding up petition concerning a company worth approximately $800m. Of the juniors, Joshua Folkard was instructed in Tethyan Copper Company Pty Limited v Pakistan, reportedly the first attempt at enforcing an ICSID award (in this case, $5.9bn) through the BVI courts – the matter settled in April 2023.

Les références

‘Excellent clerking, very responsive and professional.’

‘Chris Theobald and the clerking team are quick, responsive, commercial and sensible on fees.’

‘Deep bench strength.’

Classements par PratiqueThe English Bar Offshore

Le guide

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