Ruth Bala
UK Bar Guide 2025
Band 1 : Consumer Finance
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
2073530924Share profile
Band 1
About
Provided by Ruth Bala
Practice Areas
Ruth has built up a specialist practice in financial services, retail banking and regulated lending. She is currently sole counsel for a number of financial advice firms/professionals and discretionary investment managers in Upper Tribunal and High Court proceedings against the FCA, and is junior counsel for Barclays Bank plc in its judicial review of FOS’ decision-making on motor commission. Ruth was lead counsel for the creditor in Kerrigan & 11 ors v Elevate Credit International Limited (t/a Sunny) (in administration) [2020] EWHC 2169 (Comm), the payday lending test case litigation. She also mounted a successful defence of undisclosed PPI commission in the seminal case of Harrison v Black Horse Ltd [2011] Lloyd’s Rep I.R. 455, subsequently overruled by the Supreme Court in Plevin v Paragon Personal Finance Limited [2014] 1 W.L.R. 4222, and appeared in Conlon v Black Horse Ltd [2012] GCCR 11423 (settled three days before the hearing in the Supreme Court).
Chambers Review
UK Bar
Ruth Bala is an experienced junior, who specialises in finance law, including consumer credit. She regularly advises clients on financial mis-selling matters and has represented corporates in the Court of Appeal in connection with unfair relationship cases.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Ruth is a fiercely intelligent lawyer who articulates her advice clearly, whether orally or in written form. She is excellent at demonstrating whether she feels something is a live issue or not."
"Ruth is a tenacious advocate with very strong knowledge of consumer credit law."
"Ruth is very responsive and her ability to translate complex concepts into understandable language for the lay client is highly impressive."
"My clients have been so happy with her (even when she tells them not to do something), because she is so clear in her explanations. She's also really accessible, even when things are last minute."
"Ruth is a fiercely intelligent lawyer who articulates her advice clearly, whether orally or in written form. She is excellent at demonstrating whether she feels something is a live issue or not."
"Ruth is a tenacious advocate with very strong knowledge of consumer credit law."
"Ruth is very responsive and her ability to translate complex concepts into understandable language for the lay client is highly impressive."
"My clients have been so happy with her (even when she tells them not to do something), because she is so clear in her explanations. She's also really accessible, even when things are last minute."
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