At XXIV Old Buildings, ‘counsel are of an extremely high calibre', and clients remark on chambers' 'extremely complementary blend of private wealth, offshore, corporate and commercial expertise, which is well suited to heavyweight litigation'. Shareholder disputes, often involving allegations of fraud, form the backbone of the set's practice. Stephen Moverley Smith KC  continues to handle a high volume of prominent, high-profile company law cases, often involving international elements. Elspeth Talbot Rice KC is a 'confident and experienced' silk, with a solid track record in advising on unfair prejudice claims and breach of duty issues. Stuart Adair is well versed in handling claims against directors and directors’ disqualification matters.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'James Ladbrook and Tommie Drury are a pleasure to work with. They are responsive and cooperative at all times. Their client care and regard for instructing solicitors is first rate.'
  • 'I enjoy working with James Ladbrook and the other clerks. They are always helpful and constructive.'
  • 'The clerking team are superb. They work really hard to support us in any situation, and put the hard work in behind the scenes to build a relationship that you can rely on under pressure.'
  • 'Tommie Drury is always available and highly responsive.'
  • 'The clerks are among the best we work with. They are helpful and proactive, and set a tone for what is clearly a very well-run set.'
  • 'A very strong set. Some of the top people in company law are there, including some unquestioned stars of the Bar.'
  • 'XXIV Old Buildings is a reliable set for Chancery matters.'

Silks

Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Stephen Moverley Smith KC
2
Stephen Moverley Smith KC
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Stephen displays an uncanny ability to make just the right points at just the right moment.’
Francis Tregear KC
2
Francis Tregear KC
XXIV Old Buildings
‘An statesman of the company Bar who commands respect from judges.’
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
2
Elspeth Talbot Rice KC
XXIV Old Buildings
'Elspeth has a great court presence, which comes from self-confidence, experience, and thorough preparation.'

Juniors

Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
1
Stuart Adair
XXIV Old Buildings
 ‘Stuart's experience with and knowledge of case law is impeccable.’
Elizabeth Weaver
3
Elizabeth Weaver
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Elizabeth is simply fantastic. She gets to the heart of the issue quickly and establishes a rapport with clients who trust her advice.’
Hugh Miall
3
Hugh Miall
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Hugh has excellent knowledge of corporate insolvency law, allied to commercial flair.’
Daniel Warents
4
Daniel Warents
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Daniel has a tremendous talent for distilling legal propositions from complex caselaw and applying them to the facts.’
Edward Knight
5
Edward Knight
XXIV Old Buildings
‘Edward is an accomplished advocate who radiates confidence and competence.’