With their deep expertise in equitable remedies and asset tracing in a commercial context, barristers at XXIV Old Buildings are highly experienced in dealing with civil fraud claims.
They act in domestic and multi-jurisdictional proceedings at all stages and before all levels of court, from freezing injunctions, proprietary injunctions and pre-action disclosure applications at the early stages all the way through to handling the most complex of claims at trial and beyond. Members’ expertise includes in relation to claims involving fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, mis-selling and misappropriation, as well as claims concerning misfeasance, fraudulent trading, bribery, knowing receipt, dishonest assistance and more. Our members are also adept at tracing and recovering assets and enforcing judgments and awards post-trial.
As specialists in this practice area, the members of XXIV Old Buildings are committed to providing their services on a charitable basis as corporate partners of the Fraud Advisory Panel. As the first Chambers to be corporate partners our members collaboratively promote education to the counter-fraud community to enhance awareness and deter fraud and financial crime.
Barristers at XXIV Old Buildings are regularly instructed on domestic civil fraud matters and are widely esteemed for their expertise when complex civil fraud claims coincide with other related commercial practice areas in which they specialise, such as insolvency, company and financial services matters.
They act in fraud and asset recovery claims concerning global sectors such as the art world, luxury asset markets and the oil, gas and engineering industries.
They also are instructed on matters where allegations of fraud intersect with trust structures, due to their extensive experience in trust, private wealth and offshore disputes
Our barristers are used to working on complex multi-jurisdictional disputes alongside foreign lawyers, accountants and other professions. They have extensive experience of the conflict of laws and cross-border recognition issues that frequently arise in international fraud disputes and they have particular experience where fraud claims involve trusts and particular experience of fraud claims involving complex offshore structures.
Their experience extends to jurisdictions such as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bermuda, the BVI, Cayman, The Bahamas, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa and Nigeria.
David Brownbill KC, Edward Cumming KC, Sarah Bayliss, Oliver Assersohn, Tom Stewart Coats, Ben Waistell and Charles Strachan are co-authors of the disputes chapter in Crypto and Digital Assets Law and Regulation (2023), which addresses civil fraud litigation in digital assets disputes.
Barristers experience in financial fraud includes crypto-currency scams, push payment frauds and mis-selling of financial products. They are able to advise clients on the regulatory and criminal liability that can arise from underlying allegations of fraud and financial crime.
Barristers at XXIV Old Buildings are knowledgeable on the crossover of commercial and criminal fraud practice including disputes concerning bribery and corruption. They are experienced in proceedings connected to the freezing and forfeiture of assets under the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (including High Court Asset Forfeiture under Part 5 and Tax Proceedings under Part 6).
Acting on behalf of c.700 beneficiaries of three Jersey-law trusts, who successfully recovered debt assets with a book value of over £410m.
Acting for the Swiss bank in claim brought in Bermuda by the former prime minister of Georgia arising out frauds committed by a rogue employee.
Acting in litigation concerning the assets of the late Robert Brockman who was, before his death, accused of the largest US tax fraud in history.
Acting in a BVI claim by a US Bankruptcy Trustee to recover US$398m lost in a Ponzi scheme.
Instructed in BVI court proceedings concerning the transfer of shares in underlying Russian businesses.
Acting for the judgment creditor (for over €130 million) in a Part 71 Examination of the judgment debtor relating to complex international asset arrangements, including multi-layered corporate and trust structures across multiple jurisdictions.
Acting in a dispute between a modern art collector and Belgian art advisors relating to dishonest assistance of breach of fiduciary duty, an account of unauthorised commissions received from the artwork sellers and negligent advice.