Banking & Finance

Anthony Grabiner KC is a doyen of the commercial Bar with several decades of experience of appearing in the leading cases of the day, a significant number of which have taken place in the House of Lords and the Supreme Court.He is an accomplished arbitration counsel and also sits as an arbitrator in domestic and international arbitrations.

"He provides really authoritative opinions."

Laurence Rabinowitz KC is an extremely reputable silk with renowned experience in the banking sector, who has an outstanding reputation for handling the most complex and intricate disputes with aplomb. He is skilled in handling cases involving misrepresentation of LIBOR, damages claims and asset disputes, among others, and acts for a glittering array of clients, including banks, funds and asset managers.

"An excellent advocate and a very strong strategist, Laurie is a genius."

"Laurence is hugely experienced and insightful, and works brilliantly with clients."

Sonia Tolaney KC enjoys a standing as an exceptionally talented advocate with regard to banking and finance disputes. She offers additional expertise in civil fraud and insolvency cases. Tolaney is much in demand and receives regular instruction from leading sector clients, including a number of prominent national and international banks.Her specialisms in this area are myriad, but her numerous market-leading cases include several landmark disputes relating to swaps transactions, ISDA issues and contract disputes, in which she has displayed particular flair.

"Sonia is obviously a star of the Bar. She does the largest, most complex and most valuable cases in banking. She is an exceptional counsel who is absolutely devastating in cross-examination."

"She is very good. Her oral advocacy is very strong and she cuts straight to the point and is very smart."

"Sonia is phenomenal. She's really bright and very smooth."

"Sonia is one of the top silks at the Bar, who conducts herself with a degree of confidence that few can match, who really works to understand the client's needs and knows how to set up a case to win."

"She is a superstar. She provides very clear, sensible and commercial advice and the clients love her as well. She's one of the go-to people for difficult litigation."

Daniel Toledano KC is an outstanding silk of choice for many leading banks and hedge funds in complex disputes, and has experience in cases concerning the provision of investment advice, fraudulent misrepresentation, negligence and dishonest assistance. He is also a highly rated advocate for civil fraud and general commercial matters. Alongside his fantastic trial experience, he is noted for his busy advisory practice.

"Daniel is a fantastic lawyer and advocate. He is practical, commercial and astute, and inspires complete confidence in what he does."

"Daniel is one of the top silks; he's the first name for big-ticket matters."

"He's super. He's very bright and picks up and understands issues quickly and advocates them really well. He's very good in cross-examination: relentlessly persistent but always polite."

David Wolfson KC is a highly experienced commercial silk with an impressive background in complex banking litigation matters. He is able to draw from his significant expertise in civil fraud and commercial litigation disputes to bring to bear on high-stakes cases.

"He is just a wonderful person, with a unique style both with the team and with the court. He is incredibly disarming, with an ability to convey the most difficult things in a very clear way."

"He is an absolutely fantastic advocate, in terms of both courtroom advocacy and also his ability to clearly and crisply explain anything to the client. The latter he does better than anyone."

"He is very good. He has a very nice manner and drafts very well. He is really excellent at handling tricky technical points."

"David is a master of the art. He is great with clients and solicitors and has a fantastic way of encapsulating things."

"David comes up with clever ideas of his own. He's brilliant, insightful and has such a wealth of experience."

Nehali Shah is a standout junior who has forged a fantastic reputation across a number of related fields for being a highly intelligent and hard-working practitioner. She has particularly pronounced experience with regard to noteholder, private equity and restructuring cases, and regularly handles matters relating to sale disputes, LIBOR manipulation and derivatives. As a consequence of her popularity, her enviable client list includes leading international investment banks, hedge funds and private equity firms.

"She is engaged, intelligent and a good advocate."

"Nehali is very good, very detailed, and a good strong banking junior."

"Nehali is a go-to senior junior. She's an absolute superstar. She's calm and smart, and everyone likes working with her."

Sandy Phipps is widely regarded as a leading commercial junior with a strong focus on banking and finance matters. His enviable roster of clients includes many leading investment banks, as well as high net worth individuals and financial services providers. He has previous experience of working as a commercial litigator at a magic circle firm.

"He's an outstanding draftsman."

"A star of his generation, he's extremely clever and hard-working."

"Sandy is absolutely fantastic. He has a rare mix of technical expertise and help for everyone on our team. He's incredibly responsive and his oral advocacy is very confident and persuasive."

Alain Choo Choy KC is an advocate with broad-ranging expertise across a number of practice areas central to One Essex Court, including banking and civil fraud. He has a particularly strong reputation when it comes to points of conflict of law and jurisdiction cases, and is noted for his skill in handling LIBOR and loan disputes. His practice also includes domestic and international commercial arbitrations. Choo Choy has appeared before numerous foreign courts, including in the BVI, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands and the Mauritius Supreme Court.

"Alain is always thinking two steps ahead. He understands how judges think and advises accordingly."

"Alain has an exceptional combination of great intellectual and legal ability and strong teamwork. He's also got that magical thing where he just makes the judges listen."

Anthony de Garr Robinson KC frequently represents sophisticated domestic and international clients in a range of disputes, including those relating to company law and civil fraud, as well as banking and finance. He is regularly instructed in international arbitrations, in addition to appellate and High Court proceedings. De Garr Robinson is also registered to practise in the British Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Singapore and DIFC. He is frequently instructed in significant commercial disputes and is familiar with cases centring around capital markets transactions, often when they involve asset-backed securities and structured products. He has undertaken a number of cases concerning LIBOR and bribery disputes.

"Anthony is who you want when you need some oomph in the COA or Supreme Court. He's also brilliant with clients and brilliant in court."

"He is incredibly hard-working and incisive, with superb instincts."

Rhodri Davies KC is especially accomplished with regard to cases stemming from the credit crunch, and has a particular interest in financial disputes involving issues of bondholder rights, credit facility and share sale agreements. He has further experience of handling professional negligence cases, most often those addressing alleged accountants' negligence. Davies is adept at handling cases concerning transactions governed by the ISDA Master Agreement or the Global Master Repurchase Agreement. He acts for both national and international organisations, and also sits as a deputy High Court judge.

"Rhodri is formidable and his advocacy in hearings is exceptional. One of the nicest barristers I have ever worked with."

Stephen Auld KC maintains a highly respected practice across a number of areas, including civil fraud, and has a focus on cases addressing complicated contractual arrangements. He has expertise in swaps, derivatives and mis-selling cases, among other matters. Auld has expertise in acting on the side of claimants in disputes with leading financial institutions.

"Stephen is a grand homme of the Bar. He's affable, calm and steady. He's very commercial too, which is helpful."

"Stephen is very good for his knowledge of the law and application of that in a strategic way."

Adam Rushworth is a well-regarded junior who is frequently sought after to act in high-stakes banking litigation cases. He is also able to draw from his expertise in professional negligence and civil fraud, among other areas.

"Adam brings a quiet confidence. He works quickly and efficiently, and is extremely responsive. He is all over the smallest details and instils confidence that everything has been considered."

"A very smart and sophisticated senior junior who has a good tactical appreciation of the dispute and an excellent handle on the detail."

"He is a brilliant junior. He's really helpful, writes very well and is really responsive."

"He highly intellectual and someone who is able to tackle legal issues and find his way."

Conall Patton KC enjoys a fast-growing reputation among peers and instructing solicitors, particularly for his outstanding written advocacy across a range of areas, including banking, competition law and energy. He is a go-to for numerous instructing solicitors presented with complex, multi-jurisdictional banking cases, and is noted for his deft handling of bond disputes and fraud claims.

"Conall is a formidable advocate; he is so bright and delivers really sharp and strategic advice. He is always on top of any point of law and has answers at his fingertips."

For a KC, he is refreshingly ready to be "down in the trenches" and will respond incredibly quickly. His advice is clear and commercially focused, and he is not afraid to deliver difficult messages.

Craig Orr KC has a markedly international practice, often appearing in the courts of both Europe and the Far East representing both banks and claimants. His practice in financial disputes focuses on matters involving complex investment arrangements and derivatives. He also has notable experience of cases involving conspiracy claims and allegations of fraud.

"Craig gives very clear and concise advice. He has a very measured style."

"Craig is one of my favourites. He makes me and the client comfortable and is always all over the detail. His advocacy is impressive."

"Craig is magnificent. He is very effective and a team player. He has an amazing eye for detail, and immerses himself in the case."

Jamie Goldsmith KC is a skilled and well-respected silk with a practice covering the full spectrum of domestic and international commercial litigation and arbitration.He is comfortable acting for both claimants and defendants in major cases, many of which involve breaches of contract, negligence allegations and loan disputes.

"Jamie is an all-round brilliant barrister. He's very commercial, practical and great with judges and clients."

"Jamie gets into the detail from the outset and is a class act."

"He's personally a delight; he rolls his sleeves up and is incredibly bright and commercial. He's great on his feet and is very good on paper."

"Jamie has an ability to retain information. His work ethic is second to none. He is a very good advocate and gives very clear advice on the law. He cross-examines convincingly."

Nathaniel Bird is an increasingly prominent junior who garners praise for his expertise in commercial banking disputes. He frequently acts in high-profile matters dealing with civil fraud, as well as being skilled in international arbitration.

"Nathaniel digests complex questions of law with ease and provides straightforward and effective advice on those questions."

"Nathaniel is so bright and focused on the detail. He is an extremely safe pair of hands and goes above and beyond."

Richard Mott is an established junior with a practice encompassing arbitration, energy, and banking and finance disputes. He has an additional interest in cases addressing issues of civil fraud. Mott has built up substantial expertise in working for claimants and has growing experience of handling large-scale group actions. He acts on both the claimant and defendant sides and is noted for his work handling conspiracy claims and mis-selling allegations.

"Richard Mott is terrific. He is very user-friendly, intelligent and creative. He's at the forefront of securities litigation."

"Richard is excellent. He's very good, very helpful and a very good oral advocate."

Alexander Polley KC has a reputation for being an exemplary technician. His practice in banking and finance matters often overlaps with his wider expertise in civil fraud and professional negligence. He is noted for acting in particularly high-value cases that often involve cross-border elements, and is an expert in matters concerning misrepresentations, bribery allegations and ISDA-related matters. His clients include national and international banks and corporations.

"Alexander has a brilliant work ethic and brilliant turnaround of documents. He provides clear and commercial advice."

"Alexander is incredibly quick at getting up to speed and digesting material. He is unbelievably responsive and very user-friendly and engaged."

Andrew Lodder has acted in a range of banking matters, especially those involving multiple jurisdictions. He has particular expertise in ISDA disputes and foreign exchange rate manipulation litigation. He also has experience in handling arbitration proceedings.

"Andrew Lodder is very responsive. He provides strong written advocacy and is always very on top of all of the details. His oral advocacy is clear and persuasive."

"He works diligently and efficiently. He's very alive to the challenges solicitors have in managing their clients."

Camilla Bingham KC is particularly experienced in representing large banks in a variety of litigation proceedings.She has significant experience of enforcement and conspiracy matters. She also has noted expertise in multi-jurisdictional cases.

"She is one of the best; she's a joy in cross-examination."

"She is a standout. Camilla gets into the detail of any matter and is such a delight to work with. She is a superb cross-examiner and her written and oral advocacy is exceptional."

"Camilla is awesome. She is really easy to work with. At hearings she just says the right points. She wins on the minimal amount of fuss and bother and is very commercial."

"She is a superb advocate. She is extremely bright – one of brightest of her generation."

James MacDonald KC is an impressive new silk who is highly respected for his handling of complex banking and finance disputes. His practice in this area is diverse, spanning multi-jurisdictional cases and enforcement proceedings. MacDonald's superb reputation sees him regularly instructed in the most high-profile of matters, and he acts on both the claimant and defendant sides for national and international banking organisations. He is experienced in acting on top-drawer cases involving silks of the highest order, and is further noted for his knowledge of Islamic finance cases.

"James is calm, measured, thoughtful and a brilliant draftsman. His advocacy is exceptional. He's extremely responsive and gains clients' trust."

"An excellent new silk who is meticulous in his preparation and extremely client-friendly."

Michael d'Arcy is an experienced barrister whose well-regarded practice regularly sees him in court representing claimants against banks. He is well-versed in such areas as derivatives mis-selling, along with investment issues and fraud. He has acted at various levels of court, including the High Court and Court of Appeal.

"Michael is just wonderfully intelligent and fantastically clear in his advice."

"Michael is an excellent barrister. His advice is thorough and effective, and he is very client-friendly."

Neil Kitchener KC maintains a wide-ranging and well-respected practice encompassing civil fraud, insolvency, company law and energy disputes. His representations in banking cases have included those addressing allegations of negligence and breaches of fiduciary duty.He has growing expertise in resolving disputes through international arbitration. Kitchener has also gained experience in cases relating to Islamic financial instruments.

"Neil is a great advocate who is terrific to work with."

Oliver Butler is a promising junior with expertise in a wide range of domestic and international litigation and arbitration in the financial arena. He acts for both claimants and defendants, and regularly handles matters relating to damages allegations, breaches of contract and repayment.

"Oliver is an excellent junior barrister with a bright future ahead. He provides thoughtful advice and gets to the heart of the issues the lay client cares about."

Orlando Gledhill KC is a junior silk with an impressive practice covering the fields of retail and investment banking. He has experience of acting both for and against banks, and his longstanding proficiency in fraud cases makes him well placed to handle allegations of misrepresentation and the misappropriation of assets. He has handled a variety of cases involving LIBOR misrepresentation, fund issues and lease disputes.

"He has a superb understanding of the law, of judicial practice and of the tactical manner in which breach of confidence disputes play out. He is also a great team player."

Sebastian Isaac KC has an ever-growing reputation as a capable barrister whose commercial disputes practice is not limited to banking and finance disputes. In this field, he has particular experience in securities cases and those turning on allegations of fraud. He is often instructed in matters with a significant international dimension. Isaac is particularly noted for his experience in relation to transactions of debt-based securities such as bond sale disputes and cases concerning subordinated debt. He acts for prominent banks, financial organisations and individuals.

"He is the complete package and will be a complete star."

"He's a brilliant lawyer."

"Sebastian can pick anything up and give advice on it. He's very pragmatic and very commercial, and focuses on getting good outcomes for clients."

Timothy Goldfarb is a noted junior who has particular experience in defending banks. His work has involved significant mortgage cases and fall-out litigation from the Lehman administration.

"Timothy's judgement is very reliable."