Legal 500

LEGAL 500 UK BAR DIRECTORY

2023 RECOMMENDATIONS

XXIV Old Buildings and its members are recommended in all the following areas:

Art and Cultural Property Fraud: Civil
Aviation Insolvency
Banking and Finance International Arbitration: Counsel
Charities Mediators
Commercial Litigation Offshore
Company and Partnership Private Client: Trusts and Probate
Construction Professional Negligence
Financial Services Regulation Property Litigation

 

ART & CULTURAL PROPERTY

James Fennemore – ‘James is very much one to watch in this area. He is hugely clever, hugely personable and brilliant at presenting a case in a way that a judge can easily grasp and be persuaded by.’

 

AVIATION

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading aviation chambers (tier 2).

XXIV Old Buildings is a ‘great aviation and commercial litigation set’ which frequently acts for aviation lessors, airlines and manufacturers. Steven Thompson KC is well-known for handling aviation maintenance, lease, sale and purchase agreements. Arshad Ghaffar  is a popular choice for aircraft lessors, while Bajul Shah  deals primarily with disputes relating to dry leasing, mortgages and forfeiture issues. Erin Hitchens has appeared in various interim matters in the Commercial Court and Tom Stewart Coats is instructed in regulatory matters.

  • Steven Thompson KC – ‘Steven has a strong intellect and gives clear and robust advice. He knows the aviation field better than almost anyone else at the Bar.’
  • Arshad Ghaffar – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Bajul Shah – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Erin Hitchens‘Erin is one of the most experienced aviation juniors around with a hugely-effective understated, but tough, style of advocacy.’
  • Heather Murphy‘Heather is a creative thinker and problem solver and is unflappable, even in the most difficult of situations. As an advocate, Heather is straight to the point, very persuasive and quick on her feet.’
  • Tom Stewart Coats ‘A highly effective advocate, with an exceptional depth of experience and expertise in the aviation sector.’


BANKING & FINANCE

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading banking and finance set (tier 3).

XXIV Old Buildings is ‘a strong set for banking‘, offering ‘brilliant minds and real strength across the board‘. The set’s members have particularly good expertise in offshore, fraud and insolvency related banking disputes. A major ongoing case is Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) before the Bermuda Commercial Court, in which Stephen Moverley Smith KC and Sarah Bayliss  are acting for the defendant life insurance company, a subsidiary of Credit Suisse, in a claim linked to an alleged investment fraud brought by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former president of Georgia. Edward Cumming KC is representing the claimants in Elite Property Holdings v Barclays Bank Plc regarding an alleged unlawful means conspiracy between Barclays and a leading accountancy firm to place the claimants into administration. Members such as Alexander Pelling  and Francis Tregear KC have good expertise in Middle Eastern related banking disputes.

  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC‘Stephen is a first-class barrister. He is able to get up to speed with really complicated matters quickly and provide clear concise advice. His oral advocacy is also impressive.’
  • Francis Tregear KC‘Very sharp brain, can translate complex issues and theories into easily understandable and digestible for the client. Excellent rapport with judges who respect his straightforward approach.’
  • Edward Cumming KC ‘Ed is a superstar already notwithstanding his relatively young age. Incredibly in demand. Is superb at banking but can turn his mind to a range of fields as the best silks can.’
  • Marcus Staff – ‘He is extremely thorough and detailed. He leaves no stone unturned. Especially good on matters connected with Switzerland and Swiss law. A really top senior junior who solicitors look forward to working with again soon.’
  • Alexander Pelling – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Sarah Bayliss – ‘A strong detail-orientated junior.’
  • Oliver Assersohn – ‘Technically brilliant, very hard working and a delight to work with.’


CHARITIES


COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading commercial litigation set (tier 2).

XXIV Old Buildings is a ‘top-quality set with ability across the board, good strength in depth and a user-friendly approach‘. It is considered ‘a go-to for trust and fraud litigation‘ and is an undoubted leader for the full range of Offshore matters. Recent matters include Capital WW v Paysafe & Ors in which Robert Levy KC led Bajul Shahfor the claimant in its applications for Norwich Pharmacal relief concerning unpaid dividends from a gambling business. Several senior juniors regularly act unled in significant cases, including Adam Cloherty and Hugh Miall; the latter represented the claimant, a property consultancy company, in Burbage Realty Ltd v RJ 15 Ltd & Ors, a dispute over fees for the introduction, negotiation and development of a warehousing and logistics site next to the M1.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC‘Incredibly bright, charming in court, reassuring for clients and incisive with decision making.’
  • Michael Black KCRanked as a Leading Silk
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC‘His advocacy is clear and calm. He does not get ruffled, even in heated hearings. First class.’
  • Francis Tregear KC ‘Francis is calm and measured, independent-minded and thoughtful. As an advocate (both orally and in writing), his work is very poised and attractively presented. He has real intellectual fire-power.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – ‘Elspeth is a superb all-rounder. A very strong advocate, excellent with clients and cuts through complexity to get to the core and then consider a commercial and practical approach.’
  • Steven Thompson KC‘Steven is a truly brilliant advocate. He is always meticulously prepared and is an immaculate court room performer. Exceptional in every way.’
  • Edward Cumming KC‘Ed is the absolute best when it comes to commercial chancery work. He works incredibly hard, is commercial, is an outstanding advocate and is loved by clients for being aggressive and knowing their cases inside out. He is the first name that comes to mind for any high value and difficult case.’
  • Elizabeth Weaver – ‘Advises across a broad range of Chancery and commercial matters. No nonsense, but very good with clients. Court room manner is steely and determined.’
  • Stuart Adair – ‘Stuart is an exceptional barrister. He is a fantastic advocate – always incredibly well prepared with a manner which resonates well with Judges. He is an incredible cross examiner, combining a calm forensic approach with a hard-nosed aggression. His written work is fantastic, he is responsive and he is altogether a joy to work with.’
  • Alexander Pelling – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Bajul Shah‘Hardworking and thorough. His written work is excellent.’
  • Nicole Langlois – ‘An excellent courtroom advocate.’
  • Edward Knight‘A pleasure to work with. He has a very calm manner even when under pressure and puts client’s worries at ease.’
  • Oliver Assersohn – ‘Amiable and smart he produces superb written work and is a considered and impressive advocate. Wonderful to have in your team.’
  • Adam Cloherty‘An outstanding junior with a wealth of experience.’
  • Hugh Miall – ‘Excellent technical ability, and timely practical advice. Hugh is very responsive, and excellent as part of a team.’


COMPANY

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading company and partnership chambers (tier 2).

An excellent set with well rounded experience‘, XXIV Old Buildings includes barristers with experience at the High Court in some of the market’s leading company law disputes, as well as being capable of providing teams of counsel in matters that cross several areas of the Chancery Bar. Stephen Moverley Smith KC is noted for cases with international elements and continued to be instructed on matters in the BVI and Cayman Islands, while Edward Cumming KC has provided sole counsel on several disputes arising from acquisitions. 2014 call Timothy Sherwin is fast building a notable company law practice and has a focus on disputes relating to section 994 petitions concerning companies held in trust structures.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC‘Simply one of the best.’
  • Michael Black KC – ‘Clever and well prepared.’
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC – Stephen has been doing BVI work for over two decades. He knows the law and procedure inside out.’
  • Francis Tregear KC‘Great and clear advocate. Very commercial. Extraordinary mind and very focused.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – ‘Very strong advocate, excellent with clients and cuts through complexity to get to the core.’
  • Lyndsey De Mestre KC ‘Extremely well prepared, very efficient, drafts beautifully and has a brilliant manner.’
  • Edward Cumming KC‘An absolute star performer.’
  • Elizabeth Weaver – ‘Advises across a broad range of Chancery and commercial matters. No nonsense but very good with clients.’
  • Stuart Adair‘He is very knowledgeable in this area and methodical in the presentation of his case which quickly gains the confidence of the court.’
  • Daniel Warents – ‘Daniel is a very confident and clever advocate, equally at home with cross examination or submissions.’
  • Hugh Miall‘Excellent technical ability, and timely pragmatic advice.’
  • Timothy Sherwin – Ranked as a Leading Junior


CONSTRUCTION

XXIV Old Buildings works closely with a number of local and international law firms in Dubai.  Arshad Ghaffar has an extensive disputes practice with in-depth knowledge of the construction and engineering space, as well as a particular interest in aviation law.


CIVIL FRAUD

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading fraud chambers (tier 2).

XXIV Old Buildings has ‘considerable depth in civil fraud work‘ and ‘ heavy hitting leading counsels and very bright and knowledgeable juniors‘. A real strength is its Chancery expertise, ‘particularly onshore and offshore trust and probate work’. Edward Cumming KC  and Timothy Sherwin are representing the former trustee in St John’s Trust Company (PVT) Limited v Watlington, a major dispute involving fraud, freezing injunctions and trust and corporate issues linked to allegations by the US Department of Justice that the multi-billion dollar trust was used to assist in the largest US tax evasion case against an individual taxpayer, the Texas billionaire Robert Brockman. Stuart Adair  is representing a former director and shareholder of Emerald Meats (London) Limited over claims of misappropriated assets emerging from the company’s liquidation, in which Alan Steinfeld KC is acting as opposing counsel.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC – ‘Incredibly bright, determined in court, commands respect and charismatic.’
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC‘Stephen is one of the most creative counsel in complex disputes and should never be under estimated.’
  • Francis Tregear KC‘Very user friendly and easy to work with. Excellent practitioner.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC‘Her trial prep is meticulous. Her advocacy is some of the best I have seen: very well prepared, succinct and forceful.’
  • Steven Thompson KC – ‘Steven is real heavyweight in this area with a razor sharp eye for detail and a no nonsense approach. He has a great advocacy style and his written work is excellent.’
  • Edward Cumming KC – ‘The combination of a Trojan work ethic, a brilliant mind and skilled advocacy makes him lethal to opposition in court.’
  • Stuart Adair – ‘He is very knowledgeable in this area and methodical and balanced in the presentation of his case which quickly gains the confidence of the Court.’
  • Alexander Pelling – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Bajul Shah – ‘Good and detailed analysis; careful drafting; controlled, thorough and careful presentation to judges. Easy to work with.’
  • Edward Knight‘Pragmatic and highly capable. An excellent advocate.’
  • Hugh Miall – ‘Hugh can deliver clear and digestible advice in respect of extremely complex and challenging matters. He is user-friendly, commercial and adept at finding creative solutions in the face of seemingly insurmountable problems.’
  • Timothy Sherwin‘For someone relatively junior he provides very strong and robust advice (written and oral) and is prepared to provide an honest view without unnecessary embellishment. His advocacy is first rate.’


FINANCIAL SERVICES REGULATION

  • Oliver Assersohn – ‘Oliver is very pleasant to work with and extremely personable. He is bright and committed; and understands how the FCA thinks. He is a robust advocate when needed.’


INSOLVENCY

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading insolvency chambers (tier 2).

Strong chancery and insolvency chambers‘ XXIV Old Buildings has a particularly notable presence offshore where Stephen Moverley Smith KC is among the most active lead counsels in standout insolvencies. Head of chambers Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is instructed in the high profile insolvent estate of Boris Berezovsky, as well as recently acting in proceedings arising from the liquidation of Stanford International Bank in Antigua.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC‘Incredibly bright, determined in court, commands respect and charismatic.’
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC‘Stephen is a first-class barrister. He is able to get up to speed with really complicated matters quickly and provide clear concise advice.’
  • Francis Tregear KC‘Very sharp brain, can translate complex issues and theories into easily understandable and digestible for the client. Excellent rapport with judges who respect his straightforward approach.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC‘She has presence and combines intellect, hard work and forcefulness.’
  • Steven Thompson KC‘Steven is highly experienced in this field and with his offshore expertise is a great asset on any case involving aspects of insolvency.’
  • Lyndsey de Mestre KC‘She is extremely well prepared, very efficient, drafts beautifully and has a brilliant manner.‘
  • Edward Cumming KC‘Charming leader and a very motivated junior silk.’
  • Stuart Adair‘He is very knowledgeable in this area and methodical and balanced in the presentation of his case.’
  • Edward Knight‘Pragmatic and highly capable. An excellent advocate.’
  • Daniel Warents – ‘Daniel is a very confident and clever advocate, equally at home with cross examination or submissions.’
  • Hugh Miall ‘Hugh is bright, calm and unflappable. He is exactly the kind of barrister you want on a complex case.’


INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION: COUNSEL

  • Michael Black KC An excellent arbitral advocate with great experience both as a member of Tribunals and appearing for one of the parties.
  • Arshad Ghaffar – ‘Arshad gets straight to the point, understands the interplay between the law and the commercial reality of the situation.’
  • Tom Stewart Coats‘Tom is a truly excellent barrister who has been doing a good volume of arbitration work, and has established his name in this field. He can manage very large cases very well.’


MEDIATORS

  • Lyndsey de Mestre KC – her ‘USP is her empathy and her ability to communicate that empathy to the client. She is incredibly diplomatic, as well as hugely knowledgeable – a key combination of skills for a mediator‘. De Mestre has broad company and insolvency law experience, and is a specialist in directors’ duties and disqualification.
  • Michael King‘has impressive soft skills, combined with a clear focus on how the mediation should advance and the ability to challenge parties’ stances in a constructive way‘. King frequently mediates high-value trust, probate, estate and inheritance claims.


OFFSHORE

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading offshore chambers (tier 1).

XXIV Old Buildings are well regarded for this ‘historical strength in overseas work,‘ with a number of leading silks among its ranks who engage with various major offshore disputes in a wide variety of regions such as the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands. Members of chambers engage in a selection of different areas, such as corporate and commercial matters, trust related work and financial based cases. Alan Steinfeld KC is regarded as a ‘true star of the Bar‘ and is a popular advocate, with cases such as Perry v Lopag Trust Reg and Ors whereby he acted for the opposing counsel in a significant case on the law of equitable mistake in the Cayman Islands. Stephen Moverley Smith KC ‘s recent highlights include Al Thani v Al Thani, an attempt to enforce a Qatari judgment, validiating an oral will, in the BVI despite the BVI not permitting oral wills. Sarah Bayliss  is noted for her strong presence in appearance in high value cases in Gibraltar, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and the BVI including complex offshore trust and investment structures, fraud, banking and insolvency.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC – ‘The oracle.’
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC – ‘Stephen is a consummate professional and extremely well versed in everything BVI, with a complete knowledge of the law but more importantly in some ways, how the jurisdiction operates and the personalities of the judges, both in the commercial court and the Court of Appeal.  This can be fundamental to how a case is presented. He is also extremely approachable, user-friendly and knowledgeable which immediately puts clients at ease.’
  • Francis Tregear KC – ‘Francis has a wonderful demeanour and is easy to work with. He is also responsive and a great leader to have on your matters. He is a team player and the clients all like his style and approach.’
  • David Brownbill KC – ‘David is absolutely brilliant in dealing with highly complex and technical legal issues.  His judgment is superb, taking into account not only legal issues but practical client concerns.  You can always rely on his advice.  He is also incredibly diligent and hard-working and a joy to work with.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – ‘Very direct and to the point. Clear.’ 
  • Steven Thompson KC – ‘Robust advocacy, not easily fazed, makes difficult concepts simple to understand, stands up well under pressure even at the highest levels of the court system.’
  • Edward Cumming KC – ‘Edward has an excellent persuasive style as an advocate, chooses strong points and develops them well. He is able to take decisive strategic positions rapidly, with an appreciation for the risks faced by clients and the need to manage them carefully.’  
  • Elizabeth Weaver – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Marcus Staff – ‘Very easy to work with and a proficient communicator, very knowledgeable in the trusts sector.
  • Bajul Shah – Ranked as a Leading Junior
  • Nicole Langlois – ‘Practical, and very good intellectually but also strong strategically. Impressive, unflustered and effective in court.’
  • Sarah Bayliss – ‘Excellent with complicated Chancery claims, especially with challenging or particularly sensitive client issues. She takes clients along with her brilliantly through very complex issues.’
  • Adam Cloherty – ‘Adam is a very clever barrister, as well as charming and generous.’
  • Andrew Holden – ‘Andrew is absolutely brilliant. A wonderful mix of being super intelligent, commercial and a great strategist. He is great to have on your team and solicitors trust his judgement on matters. His written work is first-rate.’
  • Daniel Warents – ‘Phenomenally hard-working, a great team member and a very good advocate.’ 

 

PARTNERSHIP

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading partnership chambers (tier 3).

XXIV Old Buildings‘ general Chancery prowess leads it to have a solid standing in partnership law, fielding ‘lots of seasoned practitioners‘. Both Elspeth Talbot Rice KC and Alan Steinfeld KC are seasoned counsel in various types of disputes involving partnerships, a recent highlight seeing them both leading Hugh Miall at different stages acting for 50 separate former partner claimants against Medivet.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC – ‘Simply one of the best.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC‘Elspeth a superb allrounder. Very strong advocate, excellent with clients and cuts through complexity to get to the core and then consider a commercial and practical approach.’
  • Helen Galley‘Commercial and sensible counsel. Specialist in difficult and technical areas and great bedside manner. Fearless in court and calm and persuasive manner.’
  • Hugh Miall – ‘He is a pretty complete package: very strong on the law; an excellent live advocate and very strong on paper.’


PRIVATE CLIENT: TRUSTS AND PROBATE

XXIV Old Buildings is recommended as a leading private client chambers (tier 1)

XXIV Old Buildings is an ‘excellent set, with first-rate counsel and great strength in depth’ and the ‘first port of call’ for many clients when it comes to complex trust related matters. Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is experienced at handling many complex and high-value Chancery pieces of litigation, particularly those with an international angle. David Brownbill KC has extensive expertise in trust law and focuses mainly on private client cases. ‘Brilliant orator’ Edward Cumming ‘is the absolute best when it comes to commercial Chancery work’ and has experience of cases which reach the final level of appeals.

  • Alan Steinfeld KC – Ranked as a Leading Silk
  • Stephen Moverley Smith KC – ‘Stephen is technically brilliant, commercially and emotionally astute and is able to handle difficult clients with consummate ease. He also goes out of his way to collaborate with the solicitors instructing him, making himself available at short notice and generally ensuring the smooth running of a case.’
  • Francis Tregear KC – ‘Francis is an excellent advocate and is highly persuasive in court.His written work is excellent, and his legal opinions carry real weight when a trust application requires such an opinion. He is a very good leader of a team for instructing lawyers, junior counsel and the client.’
  • David Brownbill KC – ‘David is a measured, careful and meticulous leader with a deep understanding of the law and, in particular, international structures and clients.’
  • Elspeth Talbot Rice KC – Ranked as a Leading Silk
  • Edward Cumming KC – ‘Edward is an intellectual who can distil the crux of a dispute from even the most complicated fact pattern. He holds himself and his clients and instructing solicitors with purpose and resilience.
  • Elizabeth Weaver – ‘She provides thorough advice in plain English.’
  • Helen Galley – ‘Helen is very quick to deal with instructions but is also thorough.
  • Bajul Shah – ‘Bajul is calm, collected and incredibly clever. Judge’s like listening to him and clients respect him as an expert.’
  • Adam Cloherty – ‘Adam can distil complex arguments into clear summaries, which is helpful with clients and in the court, where he is refreshingly straightforward. He is excellent at getting to the heart of legal problems.’
  • Andrew Holden‘Andrew is an absolute go-to counsel for trust matters. He has encyclopedic trust knowledge in several jurisdictions and provides his counsel and advice pragmatically and commercially. He is very responsive and a great person to have on your side.’
  • Daniel Warents – ‘Daniel always goes the extra mile and a real team player. Clients love his straightforward approach and clear advice.’
  • Heather Murphy – ‘Heather is excellent at making sense of a morass of difficult material. She is really good at cutting through all the noise to identify the key issues and decisions which need to be taken.’
  • Timothy Sherwin – ‘Timothy is superb at distilling complex trust issues in a clear and precise way. He has a superb manner with clients. He goes above and beyond to make himself available and deliver top quality advice – a star of the future.’


PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE

Alan Steinfeld KC, Helen Galley and Edward Knight are recommended.


PROPERTY LITIGATION

Helen Galley – ‘Helen adopts a very pragmatic and commercial approach, cutting through the issues to recommend a way forward. ’