The members at Serle Court have wide ranging expertise across chancery commercial litigation; this offering includes representation in international fraud, asset tracing, insolvency, company and shareholder, professional negligence, and financial services disputes. Among the silks at the set, Elizabeth Jones KC boasts a thriving commercial and private client practice, while Philip Marshall KC has substantial experience appearing before the courts of the BVI and Bermuda in civil fraud proceedings and cases surrounding the freezing and disclosure of assets. He is acting for the claimant liquidators of an international construction company in a claim for $1bn concerning fraudulent trading and conspiracy to defraud (Joannou Paraskavides Overseas Limited v Joannou). John Machell KC frequently handles offshore company and partnership disputes, and Jonathan Adkin KC is a highly sought after silk for large minority shareholder disputes, as well as share appraisal actions, in the BVI, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands. Ruth Jordan and Emma Hargreaves are both notable juniors; Jordan has expertise in challenging large development and infrastructure projects, while Hargreaves is acting for the claimant in Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Ltd, who is seeking to recover company shares worth $22bn. Adil Mohamedbhai is representing various dissenting shareholders in a case involving compulsorily acquired shares after the merger of numerous companies that form part of the Hong Kong-headquartered Jardine Matheson conglomerate.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Nicholas Hockney, Daniel Wheeler and Arron Snipe are excellent and extremely responsive, offering a 24/7 service.'
  • 'Clerks are always quick and easy to deal with, particularly Daniel Wheeler, Colin Bunyan and Georgina Affor.'
  • 'They understand commercial imperatives for the matters and never have any issue with them.'
  • 'Nicholas Hockney is outstanding.'
  • 'Serle Court is a superb set. They have a range of commercial and chancery expertise which is absolutely top tier. The barristers there are uniformly excellent.'

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.
1
Serle Court
‘Jonathan is an incredibly effective advocate, unflappable in court, and develops a strong rapport with the bench.’
1
Serle Court
‘Philip has fantastic knowledge of a very wide range of legal matters, and brings all that knowledge to get to the nub of complex issues.’
2
Serle Court
 ‘Jonathan’s expertise in private international law and cross-border issues is unparalleled. He is spectacularly bright with a superb ability to distil very complex law into comprehensible advice, and if he is on your side you know you are getting the right advice.’
4
Serle Court
‘Paul approaches matters in a deeply methodical way, and he balances measured consideration with forceful arguments. He commands the attention of the court.’
4
Serle Court
‘Timothy is detail-focused and reads everything. He is an expert on the law regarding shareholder rights and remedies, and he is a very skilled advocate, excellent on his feet.'

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
Serle Court
‘Adil is an incredibly well-rounded junior. He turns difficult work around very quickly and has an excellent client manner.'
1
Serle Court
 ‘Matthew is a tremendously astute lawyer. His advice is always of the highest quality, he is excellent with the court and tough in cross-examination.’
2
Serle Court
‘Ruth is responsive and extremely thorough in order to get to the bottom of a dispute.’
2
Serle Court
 ‘James is an incisive advocate with a deep knowledge of commercial disputes. He provides clear and astute guidance in the most complex cases.’
3
Serle Court
‘Zahler is excellent, extremely responsive, and relates well to clients, offshore counsel, and instructing solicitors.'