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About
Provided by Sonia Tolaney KC
Practice Areas
Specialises in commercial litigation and arbitration, in particular banking (including all aspects of credit and security), commercial fraud and asset tracing, insolvency, professional negligence and insurance/reinsurance. Notable cases include: Mastercard v Merricks (2024); Banca Intesa Sanpaolo and Dexia Crediop v Comune di Venezia (2023); PAGI v Cigna (2023); Deutsche Bank v Vik (Committal) (2023); Deutsche Bank v Busto di Arsizio [2021] EWHC 2706 (Comm); Qatar Airways v Airbus (2022); Lehman Brothers Holdings Plc and LB Holdings Intermediate 2 Limited [2021] EWCA Civ 1523; WEX v Travelport [2020] EWHC 2670 (Comm); Sabbagh v Khoury [2019] EWHC 3004 (Comm); LLB Verwaltung (Switzerland) AG v Group Seven & Ors [2019] EWCA Civ 614; Deutsche Bank v Unitech [2019] EWHC 969 (Comm); ECU v HSBC [2018] EWHC 3045 (Comm); Privatbank v Kolomoisky [2018] EWHC 3308 (Ch); Deutsche Bank v Savona [2018] EWCA Civ 1740; RBS Rights Litigation [2017]; Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (In Administration) v. DB & Bank of New York Mellon [2016]; Rosneft v. HM Treasury [2015] EWHC 248; Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander v. UBS [2014] EWHC 2540 (Comm); Deutsche Bank v. Sebastian Holdings [2014] EWCA Civ 1100; HSH Nordbank AG v. Intesa Sanpaolo SpA [2014] EWHC 142; Berezovsky v. Abramovich [2012] EWHC 2463 (Comm); UBS AG v. HSH Nordbank AG [2009] EWCA Civ 585 (CA).
Career
Called 1995; KC 2011. Elected Joint Head of Chambers (2024). Appointed Deputy High Court Judge (Comm Ct) (2016). Appointed Attorney General to the Duchy of Lancaster (2021). Elected Middle Temple Bencher (2013). Chair of COMBAR (2019-2021).
Chambers Review
UK Bar
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 Tolaney KC is a leading silk who regularly represents banks and financial institutions in consumer credit cases. She further advises them on the FCA Handbook.
Sonia Tolaney KC is a standout silk who is particularly adept at dealing with instances of alleged banking fraud. Her work relates to a broad range of allegations, including misrepresentation, collusion and conspiracy, and is often international in nature.
Sonia Tolaney KCis highly a sought-after commercial silk who frequently appears in high-profile collective actions. She is particularly adept in the representation of banks and other financial institutions.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Sonia Tolaney is a genuine superstar at the Bar. She is calm and utterly charming in court, and has a disarming advocacy style."
"Sonia is a very polished advocate, who is a major presence in the field. She is very crisp, succinct and effective in her advocacy."
"Sonia Tolaney has a brilliant mind. In court, she is fantastic on her feet and very, very robust."
"Sonia is simply the best silk to have on your team. She is super bright, a terrific advocate and brilliant with clients."
"Sonia is a real heavyweight. She has many strings to her bow and is absolutely devastating in cross-examination. If you need someone forensically picked apart, Sonia's who you go to."
"One of Sonia's great skills is her ability to read the court and get a sense of what is troubling the judge and react. She has a tremendous intellect and is a fantastic communicator."
"In terms of advocacy, you couldn't find someone who is more silky smooth; she's just so calm and utterly charming."
"Sonia is just so in tune with everything that is happening in the courtroom – the way the arguments are unfolding, the next move the opposition is going to make and the mood of the Bench."
"Sonia is excellent on her feet, tenacious and charming, and undeniably respected by her peers and judges."
"The court completely trusts her, she is an absolute pleasure to work with, and when the chips are down, she performs."
"Sonia has a very good reputation and she is very good with funders."
"Sonia is at the top of her game. Her advocacy skills are unbeatable and she is able to cut through exceptionally complex issues to get to the core of the matter."
"Sonia is absolutely incredible and she has a deep knowledge of group litigation, with experience of both claimant and defendant sides."
"Sonia absolutely lives up to the hype. She is in a league of her own – utterly extraordinary, and on top of this she is utterly charming and lovely."
"Sonia is a rockstar. She is excellent on her feet, tenacious and charming, and is undeniably respected by her peers and judges."
"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."
"Sonia Tolaney is a genuine superstar at the Bar. She is calm and utterly charming in court, and has a disarming advocacy style."
"Sonia is a very polished advocate, who is a major presence in the field. She is very crisp, succinct and effective in her advocacy."
"Sonia Tolaney has a brilliant mind. In court, she is fantastic on her feet and very, very robust."
"Sonia is simply the best silk to have on your team. She is super bright, a terrific advocate and brilliant with clients."
"Sonia is a real heavyweight. She has many strings to her bow and is absolutely devastating in cross-examination. If you need someone forensically picked apart, Sonia's who you go to."
"One of Sonia's great skills is her ability to read the court and get a sense of what is troubling the judge and react. She has a tremendous intellect and is a fantastic communicator."
"In terms of advocacy, you couldn't find someone who is more silky smooth; she's just so calm and utterly charming."
"Sonia is just so in tune with everything that is happening in the courtroom – the way the arguments are unfolding, the next move the opposition is going to make and the mood of the Bench."
"Sonia is excellent on her feet, tenacious and charming, and undeniably respected by her peers and judges."
"The court completely trusts her, she is an absolute pleasure to work with, and when the chips are down, she performs."
"Sonia has a very good reputation and she is very good with funders."
"Sonia is at the top of her game. Her advocacy skills are unbeatable and she is able to cut through exceptionally complex issues to get to the core of the matter."
"Sonia is absolutely incredible and she has a deep knowledge of group litigation, with experience of both claimant and defendant sides."
"Sonia absolutely lives up to the hype. She is in a league of her own – utterly extraordinary, and on top of this she is utterly charming and lovely."
"Sonia is a rockstar. She is excellent on her feet, tenacious and charming, and is undeniably respected by her peers and judges."
"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."
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