Region Area

Barristers

William Willson

William Willson

South Square, London

Position

William specialises in insolvency and restructuring, banking and finance and commercial litigation. His busy practice also includes civil fraud, company law, financial services, professional negligence, shipping, insurance and real property. Many of his cases have an international element, and he is particularly interested/experienced in cases involving Russia/the CIS. In the last 12 months he has been instructed in relation to many of the major insolvencies/restructurings, including Virgin, Debenhams, Arcadia, British Steel and Lehman Brothers.

In recent years William has appeared successfully in several high-profile trials, both at home and abroad, including the ongoing dispute about the ranking/priority of $10 billion of Lehman Brothers’ subordinated debt, and the $2 billion professional negligence claim by Primeo (a Madoff ‘feeder fund’) against HSBC. In the next 12 months he is instructed to appear in the Privy Council and the Court of Appeal, as well as trials in both the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division.

William has appeared as sole Counsel in the Court of Appeal, the Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands and the Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. He has been called to the Bar of Gibraltar (2013), the Cayman Islands (2014) and the British Virgin Islands (2016).

Before practicing at the Bar, William was a journalist/documentary producer, specialising in the former Soviet Union, terrorism and the intelligence services. His credits include the triple-BAFTA winning The Government Inspector.

Career

Called 2006: called to the Bar of Gibraltar 2013: called to the Bar of the Cayman Islands 2014.

Memberships

Chancery Bar Association, Commercial Bar Association, Insolvency Lawyers’ Association, INSOL International.

Education

Oxford University (2000 MA Classics, First Class); City University (2005 CPE, Distinction); Inns Court School of Law (2006 BVC).

Mentions

London Bar

Banking and finance (including consumer credit)

Leading junior2
William Willson – South Square ‘William has all the qualities of a junior silk, and it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a KC. His advocacy is persuasive and he makes a real connection with judges. He is thorough and clever on technical issues, but also has a real ability to distil that and to be commercial and filter his advice through that lens, which clients find invaluable.’
The English Bar Offshore

Commercial disputes

Leading junior1
William Willson – South Square ‘William is a prodigious talent.'
London Bar

Company

Leading junior4
William Willson – South Square ‘Extremely commercial and very personable, William gets straight to the point and is an effective communicator.’
London Bar

Fraud: civil

Leading junior4
William Willson –South Square 'A seasoned advocate with a well-earned reputation for commercial astuteness.'
London Bar

Insolvency

Leading junior1
William Willson – South Square ‘William is passionate about his work and is extremely engaging to work with. He helped us achieve great results in difficult circumstances.’