Department profile
3 Verulam Buildings

Chancery: Commercial

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)


3 Verulam Buildings

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chancery: Commercial - London (Bar)

Band 2

Band 2


What the Team is Known For

3 Verulam Buildings is particularly well regarded for its handling of commercial chancery litigation involving complex elements of banking and financial services law. Members are also well versed in civil fraud and insolvency disputes, and are regularly called upon to appear in major litigation arising in several international and offshore jurisdictions. Cases of note include: Various Investors v Standard Chartered plc, a £1.5 billion banking and financial services dispute; FDIC-R v Barclays Bank, a high-value breach of competition law and breach of fraudulent misrepresentation matter; and Liverpool Football Club v Manchester City Football Club, a widely reported claim arising from alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial fair play rules.

Stuart Pullum is the director of clerking.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The clerks are very responsive and prepared to have a good open dialogue, especially around availability and fees.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • The clerking team are very joined up and always prompt and helpful.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks understand the needs of solicitors, see the big picture and add value to the relationship.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • The clerking team is commercial and willing to be flexible when the need arises and when the client demands it.

    Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Star IndividualsAdrian Beltrami
    Star IndividualsAdrian Beltrami

    Adrian Beltrami

    • Adrian is one of the leading advocates at the Bar for banking and more general commercial disputes. He is absolutely fantastic.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Adrian is very good on his feet; he generates a lot of trust and respect from courts and judges pay much attention to what he says. He is the go-to silk in restructuring and finance disputes.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • A man for the biggest cases.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Ewan McQuater
    Band 1Ewan McQuater

    Ewan McQuater

    • Ewan has a lot of gravitas and is a very powerful advocate. If you want to intimidate the other side, he is the silk you think of because of the way he commands the courtroom.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Ewan is absolutely brilliant and truly eminent.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Adam Kramer
    Band 3Adam Kramer

    Adam Kramer

    • Adam is very responsive and good to work with.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Adam is very technically excellent, but also has the ability to simplify everything for the client, even complex strategy. He is great in court.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Peter de Verneuil Smith
    Band 3Peter de Verneuil Smith

    Peter de Verneuil Smith

    • Peter is an excellent KC who is very bright and thorough. He gets to the nub of the issues and gives clear, commercial advice.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Peter is a true, trusted adviser who relates very well to clients.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Peter is very robust, highly objective and a good team player.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Peter is incredibly client-friendly and commercial, but without losing that quiet force of direction and clear strategy that is needed in a complex and fast-paced dispute.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Ali Malek
    Band 4Ali Malek

    Ali Malek

    • Ali is the guy you wheel out for your biggest and most testing matters. He's an incredibly well-measured lawyer who understands the issues at play and metes out superior advice accordingly.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Farhaz Khan
    Band 4Farhaz Khan

    Farhaz Khan

    • Farhaz is incredibly user-friendly and pragmatic.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Farhaz has a tremendous personality and enormous ability.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Farhaz Khan KC is an absolute dream and a go-to silk for a huge range of clients. He displays good time management, responsiveness and intellectual ability.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Farhaz's knowledge is superb – he has really dived into his subject. When you deal with him, what comes across is his quiet confidence and his willingness to listen.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • A really nice guy to work with, Farhaz is open, collaborative and someone with good judgement. He is fluent when on his feet and very good with the commercial issues that can crop up.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Jamie Riley
    Band 4Jamie Riley

    Jamie Riley

    • Great to work with, Jamie has excellent analytical ability and a fine legal brain. He really gets the to heart of the case and presents his arguments in simple terms.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Jamie has been fantastic for us throughout. He's really good to work with, very collaborative and someone who feels like an extension of our team.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Nicholas Craig
    Band 4Nicholas Craig

    Nicholas Craig

    • Nicholas has a great grasp of the big picture in a case and an impressive ability to pick up details quickly and translate them into strong written and oral pleadings.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Nicholas is extremely user-friendly and charming. He has a fine strategic mind and is an outstanding advocate, and he builds up an excellent rapport with the judge.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksPhilip Hinks
    New SilksPhilip Hinks

    Philip Hinks

    • User-friendly, sharp and smart, he spotted a lot of things that everyone else missed. He was very realistic in terms of looking at the case and realising its weaknesses.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Philip has excellent experience and is a fine, powerful advocate who doesn't sit on the fence. His advice is delivered promptly and always has an eye on the commercial side of the case.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar
    • Philip Hinks produces outstanding advocacy.

      Chancery: Commercial respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at 3 Verulam Buildings (9)

London (Bar)

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