Serle Court

Max is a commercial chancery barrister with a particular focus on civil fraud, company and insolvency disputes. He appears in some of today’s most high-profile commercial litigation and in precedent-setting commercial and chancery cases:

• Ras Al-Khaimah Investment Authority v Azima and others, part of a long-running litigation concerning allegations of fraud, perjury and computer hacking. Settled shortly before a ten-week trial listed to be heard by Mr Justice Michael Green in 2024.  Acted for the Fourth Additional Defendant, led by Antony White KC and Ben Silverstone.
• Glenea Contracts v Friel [2024] EWHC 1243 (Ch).  Sole counsel for the successful claimant in this three-day employee fraud trial, establishing constructive trusteeship and obtaining a c. £1m judgment inclusive of interest and costs.
• Re Klimvest plc [2023] 1 BCLC 388, on whether a listed plc can have a purpose or ‘substratum’, failure of which is a ground for winding-up, distinct from its constitutional ‘objects’, and whether a listed plc can be a quasi-partnership. Represented the successful petitioner, led by Daniel Lightman KC.
• Kennedy v The Official Receiver [2022] BPIR 1536, on whether the Court should have regard to the facts of similar cases when determining the tariff of a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order.  Sole counsel for the successful appellant.

Max is regularly instructed to appear as sole counsel in the High Court of England and Wales and has assisted as junior counsel with cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales and appeals to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.  In 2024, Max was appointed to the UK Attorney General’s Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown.  He is also developing a practice in the Middle East, focusing on the DIFC and ADGM.  He is a Registered Part II Practitioner before the DIFC Courts and has appeared as sole Counsel in the DIFC Court of First Instance in addition to acting as junior Counsel on appeal to the DIFC Court of Appeal.  Before transferring to the Bar, Max qualified as a solicitor and worked as a judicial assistant at the UK Supreme Court.

Year of Call: 2020 (Solicitor 2018)

Commercial Bar Association

Chancery Bar Association

Young Fraud Lawyers’ Association

LLM (First), University of Cambridge

GDL, City University

BA Classics, University of Oxford