Lisa Lacob > Chambers of Ewan McQuater KC and David Quest KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

3 Verulam Buildings is ‘an excellent set’ with a particular strength in handling professional negligence matters within the financial sector. George Mcpherson is acting for a property company in the case of Freehold Managers (Nominees) Ltd v JB Leitch, in which the claimant is trying to recover damages in negligence from a firm of solicitors. Hefin Rees KC has extensive experience handling claims against accountants, banks, investment advisors, and hedge fund managers. Led by Andrew Onslow KC, Lisa Lacob represented a large group of claimants against Clydesdale Bank and National Australia Bank in a high-value claim arising out of the sale of tailored business loans, which included elements of negligence and fraudulent misrepresentation. Richard Hanke was also involved in the case, forming part of the team that defended Clydesdale Bank against the claims.

Noted for being one of the ‘go-to chambers for banking disputes,’ 3 Verulam Buildings houses members that are regularly instructed on complex, high-value claims, with clients benefitting from the set’s related expertise in other practice areas, ranging from commercial litigation, to civil fraud. Members are experienced in a wide range of banking and finance-related issues and services, including syndicated lending, securitisations and derivatives instruments. The set was recently involved in the case of Farol & Others v Clydesdale Bank and National Australia Bank which, led by Andrew Onslow KC, with Lisa Lacob, Liisa Lahti and Emma Hughes, saw the team act for over eight hundred claimants in large group proceedings concerning the breakage costs charged to customers of Clydesdale on early termination of tailored business loans, as well as the trial of four test claims. Other notable members include Hannah Glover, who is acting for one of the lead defendant groups in claims brought by the Danish tax authority in SKAT v Solo Capital Partners; and Rajesh Pillai KC, who has an active cross-border practice.

3 Verulam Buildings is ‘an exceptionally strong financial services set with excellent practitioners at all levels’, regularly acting for and against financial institutions, regulators and private clients across the spectrum of contentious and non-contentious work. Ian Wilson KC successfully acted for the defendant, opposite Lisa Lacob, in Farol & Ors v Clydesdale Bank plc & National Australia Bank Ltd, with the High Court deciding that Cyldesdale was entitled to charge break costs, and that it had not acted wrongfully in the manner it had priced and explained the loans to the claimants who entered into them. Saima Hanif KC is ‘developing an impressive silk practice in financial services’ and is particularly well adept at acting for clients against the FCA.