Senior Practice Manager
Practice Manager
Assistant Practice Manager
Ben Waistell is a leading commercial senior junior, an advocate with “a robust and sensible style” (Legal 500).
He has particular experience and expertise in civil fraud and asset recovery exercises, general commercial litigation (including aviation, banking, tech, international sale of goods, and energy), company law and corporate insolvency, shareholder disputes, international arbitration, and financial services. In recent years Ben has also developed a strong media practice in music, entertainment, and related IP disputes.
He is ranked as a leading junior in the leading legal directories for Commercial Litigation; Fraud: Civil; and Insolvency. Clients praise him for being “Sharp, knowledgeable and pragmatic” and that he “drafts to the point and provides direct advice”.
Ben’s expertise in civil fraud and interim relief means he is regularly instructed, whether as sole counsel or led, to seek or oppose urgent injunctive relief including: freezing injunctions and proprietary freezing injunctions; Chabra injunctions, asset disclosure orders, notification orders and other orders ancillary or akin to freezing injunctions; Norwich Pharmacal, Bankers Trust and pre-action disclosure orders; anti-suit injunctions; and various forms of ad hoc or bespoke urgent injunctions, particularly in relation to tech disputes, digital assets, and shareholder disputes.
A large proportion of Ben’s work has an international or offshore element, and he has a particular interest in the conflict of laws and enforcement issues these raise. Notably he has been engaged from trial to the Privy Council and beyond in Ivanishvili & Ors v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Limited [2026] AC 533 – the leading authority on inducement in deceit/misrepresentation and the common law choice of law rules. He has been instructed to advise and/or act in relation to the DIFC, the Astana International Financial Centre, the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Court, Bermuda, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, BVI, St Kitts & Nevis, the Singapore International Commercial Court, and LCIA, DIFC, LMAA, ICC, ICSID, and ad hoc arbitrations.
Ben is a “junior with a robust and sensible style” who relishes trials and heavy interlocutory applications, both led and unled. He is regularly instructed against far more senior opponents and silks. “Ben’s advocacy is well-prepared, thoroughly researched, well-delivered, and measured. His written work is also excellent, including both pleadings and skeleton arguments.”
Ben is a contributor to the Sweet and Maxwell title Crypto and Digital Assets Law and Regulation, is a member of the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery network (CFAAR), and is a member of the executive committee of the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA).
Ben has developed a strong practice in Media, Entertainment, Sport, and other IP disputes.
In particular, Ben is regularly instructed to act for and against bands and other musical artists, managers, record companies, media groups, and talent agencies. His media expertise includes IP issues (in particular copyright, performers’ rights, goodwill, and passing off), protection of social and digital assets, management and agent disputes, issues with the structuring of trading entities and assets, and general commercial disputes in the media sector.
Ben is also developing a sports practice, having been instructed in two high profile references concerning a global sporting championship.
His experience includes:
In addition to the above Ben has acted on various music disputes including IP issues (in particular copyright, goodwill, and performers’ rights), management, agency and general disputes in relation to bands and rap artists. He has also advised on matters in relation to allegedly misappropriated documents or information, concerning privacy, confidentiality, copyright, and database rights. In particular, Sinel v Hennessy [2018] JCA 095; [2018] JRC 007 (led by Edward Cumming KC), an important decision regarding the law of Jersey on these issues.
Ben’s aviation practice sits alongside his broad international commercial disputes and arbitration practice. He has been instructed to act or advise in proceedings relating to maintenance disputes, financial and leasing disputes, detention rights, and has substantial experience of various carriage by air claims.
Examples of work in this area include:
Ben co-authored the article “Turbulence in the aviation sector” which discusses the impact of COVID on aviation.
Ben is regularly instructed both for and against financial institutions in a range of matters including financial instruments and contracts (including swaps, hedging products, letters of credit, buyer’s credits, SIPs, guarantees, various forms of credit agreements), investment and other financial fraud, contentious financial regulatory disputes, advising on financial regulation, and general commercial disputes in the banking and finance sector. Ben is a member of the executive committee of the Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA).
His experience includes:
Ben is an experienced and effective civil fraud practitioner. He is ranked as a leading junior in this area, with clients praising him as “a junior with a robust and sensible style.” (Legal 500).
He relishes, and is regularly instructed on, urgent applications for injunctions or other orders in the asset recovery toolkit: freezing injunctions and proprietary freezing injunctions; Chabra injunctions, asset disclosure orders, notification orders and other orders ancillary or akin to freezing injunctions; Norwich Pharmacal, Bankers Trust and pre-action disclosure orders; anti-suit injunctions; and various forms of ad hoc or bespoke urgent injunctions.
Ben is adept at acting at speed in urgent asset recovery scenarios and is creative in fashioning effective forms of relief which will be attractive to the Court.
In addition to regular instructions in asset recovery exercises, Ben is highly experienced in all forms of fraud claims, having been instructed on the leading case on inducement in the tort of deceit from trial to the Privy Council (Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Limited) and regularly being instructed in claims of deceit, asset misappropriation, and forgery.
Ben also has an academic interest in this area, having researched the law of tracing and unjust enrichment at post-graduate level under the supervision of Professor Charles Mitchell. He has delivered both conference talks and in-house presentations on the topic and welcomes the opportunity to do so again.
Relevant examples of work in this area include:
Ben is a leading commercial senior junior and is ranked as such by Legal 500, which says of him:
“Sharp, knowledgeable and pragmatic – drafts to the point and provides direct advice”
“Ben’s advocacy is well-prepared, thoroughly researched, well-delivered, and measured. His written work is also excellent, including both pleadings and skeleton arguments.”
Commercial litigation forms the heart of Ben’s practice, which encompasses a broad range of industry sectors and practice areas from aviation to telecoms and energy to media. Ben is regularly instructed to act or advise in relation to complex issues of contractual interpretation, and he is frequently instructed as sole counsel against far more senior opponents. He thrives in all forms of commercial work from junior briefs on heavyweight commercial litigation (in various jurisdictions and arbitrations), to heavy interlocutory skirmishes, and a stream of High Court, 7-figure+ unled commercial work.
Banking and Finance
Sale of Goods
(the next section also relates to sale of goods contracts and disputes)
Aviation, Shipping, Energy, and Natural Resources
Tech and Telecoms
Media and Entertainment
Other
Ben is regularly instructed in relation to company disputes (particularly shareholder disputes) and to advise boards on creative options for achieving a given result without resort to litigation. He also has experience of a wide-variety of applications under the Companies Act and in relation to corporate insolvencies (both of domestic and overseas companies).
Ben has experience of dealing with crypto and digital assets. This has arisen from his expertise in civil fraud and media and entertainment disputes. Crypto and digital assets are frequently becoming commonplace issues in Ben’s general commercial litigation work.
Ben is a contributor to the Sweet and Maxwell title Crypto and Digital Assets Law and Regulation, is a member of the Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery network (CFAAR). He has delivered both conference talks in this area, including on Cryptocurrencies and civil fraud, cryptocurrencies and trusts, and the international regulation of cryptocurrencies. He welcomes the opportunity to provide further talks in this area, including by way of inhouse presentations.
See also Ben’s article “Cryptocurrencies and Civil Fraud Practice – Questions in a Developing Area” exploring issues cryptocurrencies raise in the civil fraud practice.
His experience includes:
A significant element of Ben’s commercial practice involves work in the energy, oil and gas, and natural resources sectors.
Prior to commencing practice, Ben completed a placement in the global disputes department of an oil and gas major, during which time he was involved in running a full range international oil & gas disputes, including work with upstream teams, decommissioning fields, JV disputes, shipping disputes, crude, natural gas, and LNG disputes, international arbitrations, international corporate structuring, and parent companies’ alleged liability for subsidiaries.
Examples of his work in this area include:
Ben is ranked as a leading junior in insolvency work (Legal 500, 2026).
He specialises in insolvency scenarios and situations which are connected to his expertise in civil fraud (especially s.423 and anti-avoidance actions), company law (especially claims against directors), and shareholder disputes.
Examples of work in this area include:
Ben has a significant level of experience insurance and reinsurance work. This flows from his time in an oil and gas major before commencing practice and a substantial volume of shipping and insurance work early in practice. With this background he remains comfortable acting and advising in relation to true insurance and reinsurance issues and disputes. Indeed, he assisted Stephen Moriarty KC in giving expert evidence of English law in relation to the multi-jurisdictional Russian aviation insurance disputes.
Examples of his work in this area include:
Ben is an experienced arbitration practitioner, both unled and unled. In recent years he has repeatedly been instructed as an arbitration specialist junior in the legal team.
Ben has experience across all the major arbitral institutions (including DIFC, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, LMAA, UNCITRAL) and of ad hoc arbitrations. He has acted, both led and unled, in both domestic and international arbitrations across subject matters including aviation, civil fraud, international trust disputes, energy and natural resources, shipping and sale of goods, tech and digital assets, and investor-state arbitrations.
He also has experience of arbitration claims before the Courts including: applications under s. 44 Arbitration Act 1996; jurisdiction challenges; challenges to arbitral awards under the Arbitration Act 1996; and enforcement of arbitral awards both domestic and international.
Much of Ben’s work has an international element and he regularly deals with or advises upon complicated issues of jurisdiction, applicable law, enforcement, and conflict of laws rules under various regimes. This includes his instruction on the leading case on the common law choice of law rules and the end of the doctrine of renvoi in commercial claims: Ivanishvili & Ors v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Limited [2026] AC 533.
Examples of work in this area include:
Ben has a strong practice across the breadth of trust and estates litigation, including contentious probate, advising trustees and beneficiaries on myriad issues arising under trusts, challenging wills and trusts, and heavyweight international trust litigation. Ben has experience of acting or advising in relation to trusts engaging a variety of jurisdictions, including Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, the BVI, and Singapore. In particular, Ben has undertaken secondments at leading offshore firms in Jersey in which he has primarily undertaken work in relation to trusts and other private client disputes.
Commercial litigation
Legal 500
‘Sharp, knowledgeable and pragmatic- drafts to the point and provides direct advice.’ (2026)
‘Ben’s advocacy is well-prepared, thoroughly researched, well-delivered, and measured. His written work is also excellent, including both pleadings and skeleton arguments.’ (2025)
Fraud: civil
Legal 500
Ranked as a leading junior. (2026)
‘A junior with a robust and sensible style.’ (2025)
Insolvency
Legal 500
Ranked as a leading junior. (2026)
Articles
Ben regularly provides seminars and lectures, at conferences or as in-house presentations. He is very happy to talk on any subject within his practice areas. He has previously given talks on topics including:
