3 Verulam Buildings

Having previously been named by Legal 500 as one of the top 10 Commercial Litigation Juniors under 8 years call three years in succession, Ian is a former solicitor with particular experience in international arbitration, banking/finance matters, and group / many-party actions.

Described in the directories as “Always excellent”, “extremely bright” and “very hands-on and user-friendly”, a “[v]ery thoughtful lawyer whose drafting is first rate” (Legal 500 2021), a “fantastically strong junior” (Chambers and Partners 2022) and “a joy to work with” (Chambers and Partners 2022), Ian is ranked in Commercial Dispute Resolution (Chambers and Partners 2024), and Banking and finance (Legal 500 2025, including consumer credit), and Chambers and Partners 2024)).

His led work has included the RBS Rights Issue Litigation, one of The Lawyer’s top 10 cases of 2017 (part of a team led by Jonathan Nash QC), resisting a $1.5bn freezing order on behalf of a third party (led by Adrian Beltrami QC), appearing in the Court of Appeal on a case regarding asymmetric jurisdiction clauses under the Brussels Recast Regulation (led by David Joseph QC and Adam Kramer), and acting for two of the many defendants in the PIFSS v Al Rajaan matter.

He has experience of large-scale international arbitration, both as a solicitor and as counsel.

Ian’s cases often have a banking or finance dimension. He undertook a part-time secondment to a major bank in the early part of his career, where he worked with the in-house legal teams dealing with claims for consequential loss arising out of alleged interest rate swap mis-selling. He is a contributor to Paget’s Law of Banking, and was co-editor of Byles on Bills of Exchange and Cheques (30th edn). He also has experience of insolvency matters.

Before coming to the Bar, Ian was a solicitor in the disputes department of White & Case LLP in London specialising in substantial commercial arbitrations. Ian has also held posts at the School of Oriental and African Studies as a part-time tutor in Equity, and as Teaching Fellow at the Faculty of Laws, UCL.

Prior Career

Trainee solicitor, White & Case LLP 2008-2010, including a year spent in White & Case’s Moscow and Hong Kong offices.

Solicitor, dispute resolution, White & Case LLP 2010-2011.

Formerly teaching fellow in laws, University College London, and part-time tutor in equity, School of Oriental and African Studies.

Memberships held: Gray’s Inn, COMBAR, Chancery Bar Association

University College Oxford (2005 BA (First)); University College London (2006 LL.M International Business Law, (Distinction)); Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (2007 PGDip Legal Practice (Distinction)).

Publications of note:

Co-editor (with Jonathan Mark Phillips and Richard Hanke) of Byles on Bills of Exchange and Cheques (30th edn, 2019) Kramer & Higgins, “Bewigged and Bewildered – A Guide to Becoming a Barrister in England and Wales” (3rd ed, Bloomsbury, 2016) Contributor to Paget’s Law of Banking (ed. John Odgers KC and Ian Wilson KC, 16th edn, 2023) Contributor to Bullen, Leake & Jacob’s Precedents of Pleadings (19th ed, 2019) (chapters on guarantees, mortgages and undue influence)