Our People

James specialises in all areas of commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on commercial disputes, insolvency, and professional negligence.

Stephen Davies KC is widely recognised as one of the most experienced litigators of issues relating to the law and practice of insolvency, also ranging into banking and finance and the disqualification of directors.

Hugo specialises in commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on civil fraud and tracing the proceeds of fraud. His cases often have an international dimension. He is currently working on several international legal disputes, involving foreign states and offshore companies. He has also acted as leading counsel in cases involving marine insurance, banking and aviation, and has conducted a large number of shipping and shipbuilding arbitrations.

Jonathan conducts a wide range of commercial and chancery litigation, with a particular emphasis on all aspects of contentious probate, including mental capacity, family provision, cross-border estates and conflicts, disputes on the validity of wills and estates and trusts.

Geoffrey Zelin has built a broad-based practice encompassing all aspects of commercial and chancery litigation, often appearing against silks.

Chris practices in all areas of personal and commercial insolvency.

Hugo has many years experience of dealing with insolvency related matters including those with an American and cross border element. He also deals with a broad range of company, partnership and commercial matters.

Neil specialises in banking litigation and advising on financial transactions. He has particular experience of domestic banking transactions, having worked as part of the Lloyds Bank in-house legal team from 1987 - 1992. His field of expertise also covers professional negligence in financial transactions, insolvency and commercial disputes. Neil has regularly presented seminars and written articles on banking and commercial law topics. He is a former contributor to Paget’s Law of Banking and Wadsley & Penn on The Law Relating to Domestic Banking. Neil is the editor of a website of case summaries relevant to finance litigation at www.banknotesuk.com.

Before she became a barrister, Marilyn taught on a postgraduate course in business computing at City University Business School, and also ran her own computer advisory company.

Jeremy specialises in commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on all aspects of contentious insolvency (corporate insolvency, LLPs, partnerships and bankruptcy), company law (including directors’ duties, shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice petitions), company directors’ disqualification proceedings and BROs, disciplinary, licensing and regulatory proceedings involving insolvency practitioners (acted for the ICAEW on boo.com) and bank recovery proceedings (charges, mortgages, guarantees and indemnities).

Stephanie is an incisive advocate, good with clients and judges alike. She is known for getting straight to the heart of a dispute and valued for her good judgment. Her main practice areas are property, wills, trusts and probate, partnerships and mediation.

Bridget specialises in commercial Chancery litigation with an emphasis on all aspects of company disputes.

Bruce specialises in property advice and litigation.

Ed is a leading property junior with expertise in all areas of real property and landlord and tenant.

Madeleine is a detailed and pragmatic commercial advocate specialising at trial and on appeal in commercial, company, civil fraud, intellectual property, media & privacy litigation, international and offshore disputes, insolvency and restructuring

Zachary has a busy chancery commercial practice, which includes a broad range of chambers core areas namely insolvency, property to include easements, restrictive covenants, land registration issues, professional negligence in property related matters, contract, shareholder & partnership disputes and litigation in other jurisdictions concerning property in the United Kingdom.

Celso is a sought-after commercial barrister with particular expertise on emerging technology disputes relating to cryptoassets recovery, cyber risks, information technology, insurance, breach response and IT projects’ contractual disputes.

Celso regularly appears before the High Court to obtain interim injunctions in ransomware, cryptocurrency fraud and data theft cases involving fraudsters, hackers, cryptocurrency exchanges, banks and e-money institutions, including non-publication, search and freezing injunctions, third party disclosure, Norwich Pharmacal and Bankers Trust orders. His recent cryptocurrency cases include the leading authorities in this area of the law, as follows: D’Aloia v Persons Unknown & Ors [2024], Boonyaem v Persons Unknown Category (A) & Ors [2023], Mannarino v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023] and Scenna v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023].

Niall specialises in commercial law (including commercial fraud), offshore and international work (notably in the BVI as well as other jurisdictions), insolvency and restructuring and company law (with a particular emphasis on shareholder disputes). He regularly appears in the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division and in the BVI Commercial Court. He also regularly appears in arbitrations including inter alia ad hoc, LCIA.

Simon is an experienced commercial chancery barrister specialising in large-scale, technically demanding litigation.

He has particular knowledge of and expertise in group actions arising from failed property investment schemes and the interlocking specialisms involved: civil fraud, freezing orders, banking, professional negligence and private international law.

Simon also acts in a wide range of business disputes, including contractual claims of all kinds, claims for breach of warranty and fiduciary duty, together with company, insolvency and restructuring matters. 

Damian’s practice covers the areas of work undertaken by chambers with a focus on commercial litigation, insolvency and property law. In addition, Damian is a recognised expert on all aspects of electronic disclosure. His practice also encompasses international data privacy / protection.

Ross practices in commercial, banking / financial services, property and company law. He has been ranked as a leading individual on the Western Circuit in his main practice areas by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 since 2010.

Kavan represents clients in disputes across the full spectrum of commercial-chancery litigation. He is ranked by the legal directories as a leading junior in several disciplines.

Cristín has a strong commercial chancery practice, with particular expertise in all aspects of insolvency law, commercial dispute resolution and property litigation.

Daisy specialises in all areas of contentious insolvency, company law, property and wills and trusts.

Emma’s expertise covers a wide range of commercial and chancery work. She accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ core practice areas with specific emphasis on property, company and insolvency, commercial and banking disputes, probate, trusts and charities, and professional negligence.

Amit has a strong commercial and chancery practice with a heavy emphasis on contentious insolvency (corporate insolvency, LLPs, partnerships and bankruptcy), commercial disputes, company law (including directors’ duties, shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice petitions), company directors’ disqualification proceedings and bank recovery proceedings (charges, mortgages, guarantees and indemnities).

Duncan has an impressive all-round Chancery practice covering both traditional and commercial work with a particular focus on insolvency and commercial disputes, as well as property and contentious trust issues.

Abha is a traditional chancery barrister with particular expertise in contentious trusts and probate matters.

Phillip has a busy commercial chancery practice with expertise in contentious insolvency, company, civil fraud, property, and contractual disputes. He is regularly instructed in disputes where those practice areas overlap, for example, fraud claims arising in insolvency.

James is a leading junior in the field of commercial Chancery work, with particular expertise in contentious insolvency, company law and civil fraud.  He is regularly instructed in high value and complex litigation, often involving a cross-border element.

Richard Cherry undertakes a wide range of chancery, commercial and property cases, with particular expertise in landlord and tenant issues.

Matthew has a broad commercial chancery practice, covering both traditional chancery and commercial disputes. He has a meticulous eye, and a commercial perspective. He is noted for his insolvency experience, and has been described as a “steely advocate”.

Simon Newman engages in a full range of commercial and chancery litigation, in particular commercial, insurance, insolvency and financial matters. Simon has been appointed by the Attorney General as Junior Counsel to the Crown (C Panel). In 2020 he was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland.

Madeline has a busy commercial Chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on insolvency and company law. She frequently appears in both the High Court and the County Court and is equally comfortable acting as junior counsel or appearing in her own right.

Simon has appeared as sole counsel before the Court of Appeal, High Court, Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery Chamber), and has been led on high-value commercial cases. Simon also appears before the Financial Conduct Authority’s Regulatory Decisions Committee. He is frequently instructed on high-value, complex litigation.

Christopher is a commercial, property and insolvency barrister with related expertise in professional negligence and financial services. His work has a commercial and contractual focus but he is frequently instructed in cases which involve overlapping issues across his other areas of expertise.

Christopher has substantial advocacy experience across the High Court, County Court and various Tribunals, both as sole counsel and as part of a team as well as regular experience of alternative dispute resolution. He maintains a busy paperwork practice and has been praised for his efficient turnaround of high quality work.

Christopher was appointed to the Attorney General’s C-Panel in 2021.

Claire spent her first three years practicing from Chambers’ London branch but has recently re-located to Chambers’ Bristol branch. Claire continues to regularly appear in London, as well as now having an emphasis on work in Bristol and South Wales.

Since completing her pupillage in 2016, Fiona has quickly developed a reputation among judges and solicitors as a reliable and user-friendly practitioner.

Chris is a specialist chancery barrister who practises across the full spectrum of commercial and chancery work. His experience includes commercial disputes, company, partnership and insolvency law, trusts, probate and estates litigation, and property and real estate litigation.

Chris appears regularly in the High Court and County Court throughout the country.

Chris is ranked by the legal directories as a leading junior in chancery, probate and commercial dispute resolution, where he is described as a “go-to barrister for commercial disputes”, with “absolutely fantastic” attention to detail and “superb” all-round knowledge.

Dale is a commercial chancery litigator specialising in chambers core areas of insolvency, property, civil fraud/asset recovery and contractual matters. Dale offers comprehensive legal support encompassing drafting, advisory services, and representation. Dale has acted as sole counsel in the County Court, High Court, Upper Tribunal, and Court of Appeal. He is frequently instructed in cases involving complex issues and commercial sensitivity, often calling for original presentation and the identification of novel solutions.

Mairi has a strong commercial chancery practice, with particular focus on commercial disputes, insolvency and civil fraud. Mairi has significant experience in group actions arising from failed property investment schemes. Mairi is ranked as Up and Coming by Chambers and Partners in the field of Restructuring/Insolvency

Samuel is a member of Chambers’ London branch. He has a strong commercial chancery practice, and regularly deals with cases which have insolvency and property aspects, and which involve fraud and asset tracing.
He is a skilled advocate who frequently appears as sole counsel in the High Court and County Court. He has been led on a number of substantial high-profile cases, including in the Court of Appeal. He accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ main practice areas.
He has been listed as a “Rising Star” on Legal 500 for insolvency.
Highlights include:
(i) Acting since 2019 as first junior for a company in liquidation in multiple proceedings involving complex fraud, asset tracing, and enforcement; appearing in multi-week trials, and multi-day hearings, in the Commercial Court.
(ii) A 3-day appeal in the Court of Appeal concerning the law of remedies, in particular equitable compensation and accounts of profits.
(iii) Resisting a 5-day strike out/summary judgment application in the High Court in a claim involving breach of directors’ duties and dishonest assistance.
Samuel was called to the Bar in 2018, coming top of the Lincoln’s Inn cohort. Before undertaking pupillage at Chambers, Sam obtained a Distinction and a prize on the BCL at the University of Oxford, and graduated top of his year in Law at Queen Mary University of London.

Ella has a broad commercial chancery practice with a particular emphasis on cases with a property or insolvency element. She accepts instructions in all of Chambers’ main practice areas.

Ella regularly appears in both the County Court and the High Court, both led and unled. She predominantly acts as sole counsel and, as such, her advocacy experience is well beyond her level of call.

Ella also maintains a busy paper practice. She is regularly instructed at a pre-litigation stage and follows her cases through to conclusion, at trial or otherwise. Ella prides herself on providing advice which, as well as being legally incisive, addresses the commercial and practical needs of the client.

Pearse has developed a busy and varied practice accepting instructions across all of Chambers’ core work areas with particular emphasis on insolvency work and property disputes. He gains praise for the clarity and practicality of his work; he is equally adept at providing a written solution to a complex matter as responding on his feet to changing circumstances in court. He appears regularly in both the County Court & High Court and has experience of handling all stages of a dispute.

The breadth of Pearse’s practice is evident from the work he has recently undertaken including successfully getting a statutory demand set aside, acting for Liquidators on a disputed winding-up petition which involved subrogation and cross-jurisdictional questions and advising in relation to varying a restrictive covenant. 

Before studying law, Pearse read Modern History at the University of St Andrews and graduated with First Class Honours. He is also a Kennedy Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn. 

Annette Thomson is a specialist Commercial and Chancery Barrister. She is dual qualified in England and South Africa, where she practiced since 2010, before joining the English Bar in 2020.

As such, Annette brings with her a wealth of experience, far beyond her year of call, such that she is able to give both strategic and pragmatic advice to meet the needs of her clients.

Bertie developed a broad commercial chancery practice during pupillage and accepts instructions across the range of Chambers’ areas of work.

James regularly appears as sole counsel in the High Court and County Court and is building a broad commercial chancery practice across all of Chambers’ areas of work. He has acted as sole counsel in multi-day trials and has cross-examination experience.

James takes instructions on corporate and personal insolvency matters, commercial disputes, company and partnership disputes, civil fraud matters, and disputes involving trusts and real property. He acts at all stages of proceedings across these areas. James is comfortable as sole counsel or assisting as part of a larger team of counsel.

Matthew has developed a broad commercial and chancery practice across all of Chamber’s areas of work. He is regularly instructed in commercial litigation, property, probate, and corporate and personal insolvency matters, and is regularly instructed across the whole lifespan of a case, from initial advice through to trial.

Matthew appears frequently in the Business and Property Courts and the County Courts across England & Wales, as well as providing advice & drafting for clients.

Tom joined Chambers in October 2024, following the successful completion of his pupillage, during which he developed a broad commercial chancery practice.

Tom accepts instructions across the range of Chambers’ areas of work. He has particular experience in corporate and personal insolvency matters, commercial disputes and property disputes.

Jonathan conducts a wide range of commercial and chancery litigation, with a particular emphasis on all aspects of contentious probate, including mental capacity, family provision, cross-border estates and conflicts, disputes on the validity of wills and estates and trusts.

Chris practices in all areas of personal and commercial insolvency.

Stephanie is an incisive advocate, good with clients and judges alike. She is known for getting straight to the heart of a dispute and valued for her good judgment. Her main practice areas are property, wills, trusts and probate, partnerships and mediation.

Celso is a sought-after commercial barrister with particular expertise on emerging technology disputes relating to cryptoassets recovery, cyber risks, information technology, insurance, breach response and IT projects’ contractual disputes.

Celso regularly appears before the High Court to obtain interim injunctions in ransomware, cryptocurrency fraud and data theft cases involving fraudsters, hackers, cryptocurrency exchanges, banks and e-money institutions, including non-publication, search and freezing injunctions, third party disclosure, Norwich Pharmacal and Bankers Trust orders. His recent cryptocurrency cases include the leading authorities in this area of the law, as follows: D’Aloia v Persons Unknown & Ors [2024], Boonyaem v Persons Unknown Category (A) & Ors [2023], Mannarino v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023] and Scenna v Persons Unknown & Ors [2023].

Daisy specialises in all areas of contentious insolvency, company law, property and wills and trusts.

Amit has a strong commercial and chancery practice with a heavy emphasis on contentious insolvency (corporate insolvency, LLPs, partnerships and bankruptcy), commercial disputes, company law (including directors’ duties, shareholder disputes and unfair prejudice petitions), company directors’ disqualification proceedings and bank recovery proceedings (charges, mortgages, guarantees and indemnities).

Claire spent her first three years practicing from Chambers’ London branch but has recently re-located to Chambers’ Bristol branch. Claire continues to regularly appear in London, as well as now having an emphasis on work in Bristol and South Wales.

Michael joined Chambers in 2004 and was appointed Senior Clerk in 2019.
He is responsible for the management of the clerking team in Chambers, as well as the strategic management and development of members practices and Chambers as a whole.

Tracey joined Chambers in March 2018 and is responsible for Chambers long-term operational strategies

Raj joined Chambers in February 2018 as a Practice Manager, Raj is responsible for diary management, fee negotiation and practice management of members

Duane commenced his clerking career in 2009 and joined chambers in 2023 as a Practice Manager

Duane is responsible for the management and development of members practices and working closely with the Senior Clerk to implement chambers’ wider strategic goals

Kenya joined Chambers in October 2018 as Junior Clerk, in 2022 Kenya was promoted to Assistant Practice Manager.

Kenya assists Duane in clerking the KC's and Senior Juniors of Chambers and is responsible for diary management, fee negotiation, and practice management of members.

Finley joined Chambers in 2024 and assists the practice management team with the day-to-day administration of Members' Practices. 

Justin joined chambers in July 2018 and, with over 20 years clerking experience, brings with him a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the legal market.

Joanne joined chambers in 1993 and is primarily responsible for our Leeds branch. She also assists Michael Ireland with the general day-to-day running of chambers.

Ellen joined chambers in 2006 and assists Joanne in Leeds.

She is based at our Newcastle branch and is responsible for the general day to day running of the Chambers in Newcastle.

Jeremy undertakes work in all areas in which Chambers specialise. His particular interests are property and commercial litigation and advice, insolvency law, corporate recovery, trusts and probate.

Pulkit specialises in civil litigation with a particular interest in contentious insolvency, fraud and asset tracing, avoidance, corporate restructuring, minority oppression, mergers and amalgamations, commercial and property disputes, banking, and public law.