Serle Court

Lance is recommended by Chambers and Partners, the Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and The Best Lawyers in the United Kingdom.  He is recognised as a leading silk with a commercial and chancery practice, having a particular focus on international litigation, civil multi-jurisdictional fraud, company and insolvency cases.  He has a firm grasp of the commercial realities of any litigation and understands clients’ needs and wishes.

Lance’s fraud practice is both international and domestic and at present includes acting for a Malian gold mine seeking to set aside a settlement agreement on the grounds of it having been induced by fraud; Hummingbird Resources, and acting for clients who are alleged to have defeated a claim by the production of forged documents; Taylor v. Khodabakhsh listed for October 2024.   He has dealt with a substantial number of freezing orders, again both domestic and international.

Lance has substantial expertise both at first instance and on appeal in company and commercial matters including unfair prejudice petitions, having been successful in 2 of the leading Court of Appeal cases in the last 3 years: Loveridge v. Loveridge and The Hut Group; breach of duty claims including being instructed in Wickers v. Humbles which is due to be heard in 2024 for 10 weeks in the Isle of Man, which will be one of the longest cases in the Isle of Man in recent years; share warranty claims, hedge fund claims and professional negligence cases.

In insolvency matters, Lance deals with both corporate and personal insolvency.  In 2022, he undertook the energy suppliers’ failure case: Croxen v. GEMA dealing with liabilities of the failed companies for renewables obligations and Suppliers of Last Resort, and was successful in Orca v. Dusoruth in establishing that where a bankruptcy order was made on the basis of what turned out to be an unliquidated debt, the Court retained a discretion not to annul the bankruptcy.  He acts both for and against insolvency practitioners in claims against former directors, accountants and others, as well as having done a substantial number of cases involving more technical issues that arise under the Insolvency Act 1986.

In addition, Lance has substantial expertise of the use of insolvency tools and section 423 Insolvency Act 1986 in order to effect recovery of assets both pre- and post-judgment, currently being instructed on several matters in this area.

Lance was appointed a Recorder in 2005 and a Deputy High Court Judge of the Chancery Division from 2016 and sits in both the civil and criminal jurisdictions.

Called 1987, Middle Temple; Recorder 2005; KC 2006; Mediator 2009; Deputy High Court Judge 2016.

German.

Chancery Bar; COMBAR; Midlands Commercial and Chancery Bar Association.

Educated at Oundle School; Pembroke College, Cambridge (MA). Trustee of the Access to Justice Foundation; Chairman, Middlesex Lord's Taverners Committee.