The English Bar: Commercial

4 Stone Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings

Outer Temple Chambers

4 New Square Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers

Leading Silks

Anneliese Day KC – Fountain Court Chambers 'Anneliese is a commanding oral advocate with a natural charisma that carries a room. She is able to grasp the essence of a matter quickly and has brilliant instincts that serve her very well on her feet. She is a nuanced and effective communicator who is able to persuade clients, lawyers and judges alike.'

Charles Dougherty KC – 2 Temple Gardens 'An excellent appellate advocate - has total mastery of the law.'

Richard Hill KC – 4 Stone Buildings

Tom Montagu-Smith KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Tom is exceptionally hard-working and detail-oriented. He has a particular skill in unpacking complex technical matters and distilling those matters down into simple propositions. He is a forceful and effective advocate who can smell the key point and press it effectively.’

Zoe O’Sullivan KC – Serle Court 'Very tenacious. Punchy and persistent advocacy.'

Rupert Reed KC – Serle Court 'One of his strongest quality lies in producing clear, strategic advice and presenting arguments in a calm but persuasive way. In arbitration, he is particularly effective at simplifying technical points for the tribunal, and in court proceedings his written advocacy is consistently of a very high standard. His written work is always outstanding —succinct, well-structured, and tailored to the client’s needs.'

Mohinderpal Sethi KC – Littleton Chambers

Sharif Shivji KC – 4 Stone Buildings 'He is clinical in his analysis and drills down to the core issues very quickly and understands the legal landscape in the UAE very well having had experience in this jurisdiction for over a decade.'

Andrew Spink KC – Outer Temple Chambers ‘An astute negotiator and excellent leader.’

Guy Blackwood KC – Quadrant Chambers 'Excellent on his feet. Very user friendly.'

Nicholas Craig KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘His written and oral advocacy is excellent, as is his judgment. He is always a pleasure to work with. A real team player.’

Karim Ghaly KC – 39 Essex Chambers 'Karim is a genuinely outstanding leader possessed of a huge intellect. He is always several steps ahead of almost everyone else in the room. He is a ferocious and tenacious cross-examiner, and someone who has a total command of the information being used in the case.'

Saima Hanif KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Saima is an exceptional barrister and a true leader at the Bar. Her intellectual rigour and deep understanding of the law are second to none, allowing her to navigate the most complex and challenging cases with ease. As a formidable advocate and a master of written work, her judgment is always sound, and her advice is consistently invaluable. She is a highly respected and influential figure, and a tremendous asset to any team.’

Stuart Isaacs KC – Wilberforce Chambers 'Nothing escapes Stuart's attention: his approach is clinical and not a single word in his advocacy is misplaced or superfluous. His legal and evidentiary analysis is painstakingly thorough, yet his delivery remains seamless.'

Richard Liddell KC – 4 New Square Chambers

Hodge Malek KC – 3 Verulam Buildings

Rajesh Pillai KC – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Rajesh is a phenomenal leading counsel, combining technical excellence with lashings of strategic nous.'

David Quest KC – 3 Verulam Buildings

David Russell KC – Outer Temple Chambers

Christopher Smith KC – Quadrant Chambers 'His professionalism, strategic thinking, and deep understanding of English law truly set him apart. He combines strong technical expertise with a practical and commercially minded approach that consistently delivers excellent results.'

Robert-Jan Temmink KC – Quadrant Chambers 'A fantastic advocate. A brilliant lawyer on the papers. A great tactician. A real pleasure to have as part of any team. Rob is the gold standard in terms of commercial silks who undertake complex, high stakes, international work.'

Steven Thompson KC – XXIV Old Buildings

David Turner KC – 4 New Square Chambers ‘David has unmatched attention to detail, and his mastery over the facts and documents immediately garners the attention and confidence of a tribunal.’

Bankim Thanki KC - Fountain Court Chambers

Farhaz Khan KC – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Farhaz is a standout and impressive advocate, combining brilliant knowledge of the law and legal processes with an exceptional ability to distil complex legal matters into commercially sound and practical strategies. He is without a doubt the advocate you want in your corner.’

2024 Silks

Paul Toms KC – Quadrant Chambers 'Quick grasp of difficult issues. Strong usability. Practical and to the point.'

Oliver Assersohn KC - XXIV Old Buildings

Leading Juniors

Yash Bheeroo – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Incredibly hardworking. His written and oral advocacy is exceptionally strong.'

James Bickford Smith – Littleton Chambers

Tim Chelmick – 4 New Square Chambers 'Very good at advocacy and cross-examination of expert witnesses.'

Ian Edge – 3PB

Lucas Fear-Segal – 2 Temple Gardens ‘Charming and intelligent, with very good writing skills.'

Gregor Hogan – Serle Court

Anthony Jones – 4 New Square Chambers

Timothy Killen – 2 Temple Gardens ‘Timothy is fully on top of his brief. He is very knowledgeable on insurance matters and has an easy-going manner with judges, which is very effective.’

Tom Stewart Coats – XXIV Old Buildings ‘Tom is probably the best known DIFC advocate at his level of call. He is an extremely good technical lawyer. He is also very responsive and sees all the points. He is becoming well known for his work in the DIFC. He has particular expertise in state-related matters, both commercial and investor-state, which makes him an easy choice for those sorts of claims.’

Justina Stewart – Outer Temple Chambers 'Justina is whip smart with a great bedside manner. She stands no nonsense and is all over the details of the case without losing sight of the strategic objectives. Just brilliant.'

Alastair Tomson – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Good advocate and an excellent junior.’

Karishma Vora – 39 Essex Chambers 'She is very hard-working, detail oriented and tactful when it comes to advocacy.'

Matthew Watson – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Matthew is outstanding, undoubtedly a silk in waiting. He is incredibly intelligent, very commercial and his written advocacy is excellent. A go-to junior for any commercial dispute.'

Sean Yates – Outer Temple Chambers 'An outstanding learner who approaches his work with an open mind. He quickly grasps new information pertinent to the case and skillfully adjusts his strategy to incorporate these insights. His advocacy is consistently polite and respectful, probably sometimes critical points being delivered without the necessary strength.'

Ali Almihdar – Outer Temple Chambers

Karl Anderson – 4 Stone Buildings ‘His drafting is excellent, he has great judgement, he is responsive, helpful, and has been excellent with the client. He is happy to roll up his sleeves and muck in with whatever needs to be done.’

Jonathan Bellamy – 39 Essex Chambers

Harris Bor – Twenty Essex

Georges Chalfoun – 3 Verulam Buildings

Rumen Cholakov – 3 Verulam Buildings ‘Rumen is very committed. He is increasingly being instructed in DIFC proceedings and is now fairly well known in the market. He is becoming a junior to watch.’

Max Davidson – Quadrant Chambers ‘Max is unflappable. He doesn’t shy away from difficult cases but won’t advise you to run bad points for the sake of it either. He’s very personable and diligent and will really get stuck in’

Daniel Edmonds – Fountain Court Chambers ‘Daniel is a forceful advocate. Meticulously prepared and able to read the court very well. He is a skilful drafter of pleadings and has a great understanding of strategy issues.’

Arshad Ghaffar – XXIV Old Buildings 'He is excellent, very proactive and provides top notch service and demonstrate professionalism, competence, and effectiveness when appearing before an arbitral tribunal.'

Sophia Hurst – Essex Court Chambers

Ravi Jackson – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Ravi is a very good barrister. He has a sharp mind and a tireless work ethic, and he combines both with a remarkable ability to get to the heart of a legal problem. His written work is of a high standard, his advocacy is strong, and he is a real pleasure to work with.'

Edward Knight – XXIV Old Buildings

Kevin Lee – Twenty Essex ‘Exceptionally bright and a brilliant strategist. Kevin’s drafting is beautiful, and his advocacy is first-rate. He is incredibly responsive, and clients appreciate the effort he puts in.’

Peter Linstead – Outer Temple Chambers 'Very responsive and detailed in his analysis of the law.'

Zara McGlone – 4 Stone Buildings

Thomas Ogg – 11KBW

Laurence Page – 4 Pump Court 'Very approachable and excellent on his feet.'

Philip Punwar – Outer Temple Chambers ‘Philip can be very charming, and can build a good rapport with the tribunal.’

Andrew Rose – 4 Stone Buildings

Albert Sampson – 4 Stone Buildings

Andrew Stevens – Quadrant Chambers ‘There is a clarity and persuasiveness to his oral arguments, while his time management during closing submissions is exceptional.

Adam Temple – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Adam can process large amounts of information and get straight to the salient points very effectively. He provides sensible, pragmatic advice and his drafting skills are first rate. His advocacy style is refreshingly straight forward, with no grandstanding or taking points for the sake of it. He presents the issues clearly, succinctly and persuasively.'

Mark Wassouf – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Mark possesses a unique blend of legal knowledge, strategic thinking and interpersonal skills. He has a formidable intellect and the capacity to move past procedural and substantive hurdles in order to shape favourable outcomes.'

James Weale – Serle Court 'James is absolutely tireless, he produces work to an exceptional standard and extremely fast. He has the ability to present a complicated case in very simple terms taking the court to the core issues.'

Joseph Wigley – 4 Stone Buildings 'Highly responsive, commercially sound, and demonstrates a strong ability to distil complex legal issues into practical litigation strategy. His drafting is clear and persuasive, and he is effective in oral advocacy, calm, well-prepared, and able to adapt to the court’s direction'

Thomas Williams – Kings Chambers 'A clear and very focused advocate, who pursues and develops the best points in his written submissions and targets the weaknesses in the other side's case. Very good at managing a wealth of documentary material and identifying the critical evidence.'

Stephen Doherty – Serle Court 'Stephen is technically excellent, in particular in relation to the specific procedural requirements as well as the substantive laws of the DIFC Courts. He is extremely user-friendly, is comfortable handling challenging clients, and has an unflappable manner when on his feet.'

Rising Stars

Anson Cheung – 4 New Square Chambers 'Very clear, logical and considered written advocacy. Real eye for detail.'

James Partridge – 2 Temple Gardens 'Strengths are in providing effective legal advice, explain risky positions, and strategizing and drafting of pleadings.'

Hossein Sharafi – 4 Stone Buildings 'Good at preparing advice.'

Chinmayi Sharma - 3 Verulam Buildings 'Chinmayi is a truly first-rate barrister. She is ferociously intelligent and exceptionally hard-working, possessing a brilliant analytical mind. Her written work is superb and she is a skilled advocate. She demonstrates an ability that is well beyond her years, making her an invaluable member of every team she works on. She is, without question, a future star of the Bar.'

Patrick Tomison - Outer Temple Chambers

Max Marenbon - Serle Court 'As well as having great clarity of thought that can cut through legal complexity, Max is highly attuned to strategic and commercial sensitivities. He places client objectives front and centre.'

The English Bar: Commercial in Middle East: The English Bar

Tier 1 sets

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings is a leading set in commercial and financial litigation in the DIFC and the ADGM Courts, and work also spans financial crime and restructurings. Tom Montagu-Smith KC's recent work includes acting in the appeal in the ‘Agility’ dispute, which concerned the act of state doctrine under DIFC law, and the Carmon v Cuenda case involving injunctions in support of foreign proceedings. Matthew Watson appeared for the Danish tax authority in DIFC Court proceedings relating to the large-scale litigation that has become known as simply the SKAT litigation. Timothy Killen joined the set in October 2025.

Referenzen

‚Stuart Pullum leads a fantastic team. Very response and always accessible.‘

‚Strong set up for clerking under Stuart Pullum and Luke Carvalho.‘

‚Stuart Pullum runs a tight ship.‘

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4 Stone Buildings

The members of 4 Stone Buildings act in major international banking, financial services, corporate, and shareholder disputes. The set’s barristers have acted in a range of precedent-setting commercial disputes in free zone courts: Sharif Shivji KC leads Albert Sampson and Hossein Sharafi for the liquidators in the ongoing Bank Sarasin-Alpen liquidation proceedings in the DIFC, and Richard Hill KC has acted for the first defendant in Gate Mena DMCC v Tabarak Investment Capital Ltd, a case concerning issues of the handling of cryptoassets. Elsewhere in Chambers, Andrew Rose is active in the ADGM courts, representing Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC in litigation and arbitration, and Karl Anderson has acted unled in GTC Trading SA v Hazem Abdolshahid Mahmoudi Rashed and Ors, a case involving a worldwide freezing order which gave rise to one of the first judgements of the Conflicts of Jurisdiction Tribunal in Dubai.

Referenzen

‚I regularly work with Ryan Tunkel and he is a superstar. He is incredibly helpful and responsive and bends over backwards to find the right barrister for the job, no matter how large or small.‘

‚The service as noted above is excellent, given that they are not only very responsive and mindful but also the fact the set has very astute and skilled barristers at all levels. The clerks are superb and I can mention Ryan Tunkel as a good example along with others.‘

‚The clerking team has been efficient and helpful. Communication has been timely and clear, particularly in coordinating availability and handling logistical matters.‘

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Outer Temple Chambers

Outer Temple Chambers has a longstanding presence in the Middle East and has been lauded for having ‘a wide range of expertise and considerable intellectual heft’ among its members. In addition to disputes, the set’s members are instructed to advise on legislative reform by the DIFC regulatory authorities on financial services, artificial intelligence and digital security laws. Andrew Spink KC led Justina Stewart for the claimant on appeal and in a retrial in Huobi Mena FZE v Christian Thuner, one of the first cryptocurrency disputes in the DIFC Courts. Sean Yates acted for the defendant in Murex Gulf Properties Company KSCC v The Investment Dar Company KSCC, an attempted enforcement of a Kuwaiti judgement in the DIFC Courts.

Referenzen

‚The clerks have been very responsive, helpful in coordinating the matter and understanding of our needs. We mostly dealt with Lexie Johnson.‘

‚Efficient, supportive, and dedicated clerk team, especially Nick Levett.‘

‚Communications have been clear and timely, and they have been responsive to logistical and administrative queries with minimal friction. While my exposure to the wider clerks’ room is limited, the service I have received reflects a well-managed and client-conscious support team.‘

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Tier 2 sets

Quadrant Chambers

‘A commercial and responsive set’, Quadrant Chambers has a global footprint in commercial disputes, and acts in banking, shipping and insurance matters in the Middle East, and has strength in depth at the silk level. Paul Toms KC has considerable experience in UAE-seated international trade disputes, while Andrew Stevens joined the set in September 2025 from 4 Pump Court, bringing with him in DIFC and ADGM-seated commercial arbitrations.

Referenzen

‚The clerks are always responsive and accommodating.‘

‚The clerks were helpful and responsive anytime I had dealings with them.‘

‚Clerks are a match for the quality of the barristers they assist. Their service, at all levels, is consistently good, and I have usually found them extremely helpful and commercial when dealing with some of the more difficult areas of the professional relationship, i.e. agreeing fees.‘

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Serle Court

Acclaimed as having ‘significant strength-in-depth in commercial work, particularly in arbitration and DIFC matters’, Serle Court‘s members are highly experienced in the offshore UAE courts on major commercial and financial disputes at the silk and junior level. ‘Extremely eloquent and engaging in his advocacy’, Rupert Reed KC led Max Marenbon in DIFC litigation for various entities in the AES International group against GBS Capital LTD, a case relating to an alleged poaching raid of AES’ financial advisory business in the Middle East. Zoe O’Sullivan KC has an established practice in jurisdictional cases, leading for the defendant in Neal v Nadir, a Court of Appeal case which concerned the jurisdiction of the DIFC to enforce interim relief measures. Gregor Hogan acted unled for the respondent in resisting the appeal of the enforcement of an arbitral award in Dubai Expo 2020 LLC-SO v. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC.

Referenzen

‚The clerks are all super: efficient, helpful, professional and pleasant to work with. Connor Ward has always been brilliant on all these counts in managing the junior members‘ chambers.‘

‚The clerks’ room at Serle Court provides an excellent service. They are approachable, efficient, and proactive in finding suitable counsel and resolving logistical issues. They demonstrate flexibility with fee arrangements and are consistently professional in handling international instructions. Particular mention should be made to Practice Director Dan Wheeler, who assists in the smooth coordination of complex cases and ensures that counsel availability is managed seamlessly; and the junior clerks, who are responsive and helpful‘

‚Really excellent clerking team and Colin Bunyan is great- very responsive, diligent and keen to assist.‘

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XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings has received praise for the ‘diversity and calibre of their barristers’ acting on international litigation and arbitration. Tom Stewart Coats gives ‘gives thoughtful, strategic advice’ and recently acted in the DIFC for the claimant in Byju’s Alpha Inc. v Byju Raveendran, Riju Ravindran and Divya Gokulnath, a high-profile international fraud claim. Arshad Ghaffar is instructed in litigation and arbitration proceedings alike, and Edward Knight appeared before the DIFC Court of Appeal for the claimant in Globemed Gulf Healthcare Solutions LLC v Oman Insurance Company PSC, a wrongful termination claim in health insurance under UAE law.

Referenzen

‚They have very good team of clerks who understand and appreciate the need for service to be provided to their clients at the highest level.‘

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Tier 3 sets

2 Temple Gardens

2 Temple Gardens has been praised by clients as a ‘strong commercial and insurance set’ with ‘high-calibre’ barristers. The set has a presence in the ADGM and DIFC Courts on maritime and aviation insurance arbitration and litigation proceedings. ‘A highly intelligent, logical and persuasive advocate’, Charles Dougherty KC led Lucas Fear-Segal in Global Private Investments RSC Limited v Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Limited & Ors, a precedent-setting case on the measure of indemnity. James Partridge acted for the claimant in Childescu v Gheorgiu & Ors, a large cross-border fraud case.

Referenzen

‚The clerks were all especially helpful. Especially Lee Tyler and Joel Banks with whom we worked very closely. They were extremely patient with us specifically as the client took a while to provide instructions. They were also very flexible in relation to the payment terms and offered a variety of solutions for us.‘

‚The clerking team are excellent – professional, efficient and transparent on fees.‘

‚Very friendly set.‘

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4 New Square Chambers

4 New Square Chambers ‘offers good breadth of experience and expertise’ on UAE-seated commercial disputes in the insurance, financial and hospitality sectors. The set’s barristers are capable in both offshore-court-seated litigation and arbitration proceedings. Richard Liddell KC acts on a range of complex trade credit insurance and joint venture disputes, leading Anthony Jones in consolidated proceedings for Dubai Insurance Co. ‘A master at cross examination’, David Turner KC has broad experience in commercial arbitrations, and Anson Cheung acts in the ADGM and DIFC Courts.

Referenzen

‚Excellent. If Dennis Peck cannot do something, it cannot be done.‘

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Fountain Court Chambers

Fountain Court Chambers is praised as a ‘very good chambers for the range of professional disputes’ and acts on commercial cases in the DIFC and ADGM Courts, including insolvencies, negligence claims, and banking disputes. Anneliese Day KC is leading Daniel Edmonds for the claimants in the long-running AIML & ACLD v KPMG proceedings, which is scheduled to go to the longest ever trial in DIFC history in 2026. Elsewhere in chambers, Bankim Thanki KC is acting in the ADGM Courts for the joint administrators in NMC Health Ltd & Ors v Bank of Baroda, Commercial Bank of Dubai & Ors, a large cross-jurisdictional insolvency dispute.

Referenzen

‚Sian Huckett is a great clerk, always able to suggest suitable counsel and commercial in fee discussions‘

‚Sian is a standout in the clerks room. She is very user-friendly, sophisticated, and understands how to manage client relationships effectively‘

Ranking nach PraxisbereichMiddle East: The English Bar

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