Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Restructuring/Insolvency - UK
What the Team is Known For
4 Stone Buildings is a "premier set for restructuring advice in London". The set houses a strong bench of experienced barristers who have considerable experience appearing in high-profile disputes. The set's appearance in Byers v Saudi National Bank, heard in the Supreme Court, is a standout matter. Drawing on the set's established strength in company law, members are also well regarded for their adroit handling of non-contentious restructurings and complex directors' disqualification cases, as well as prominence in the market for "an excellent ability to handle commercial litigation and insolvency matters which involve a cross-border element and are extremely complex". The set is routinely instructed to act for and advise the government on an array of insolvency-related matters, and several of its junior members are on the Attorney General's A Panels.
Strengths
Ben Lashmar, first junior clerk, and Ryan Tunkel, second junior clerk, strive to meet the clients’ expectations. They are extremely knowledgeable about their members’ expertise and court procedure.
4 Stone Buildings has best the clerksroom around. They are direct, approachable, personal and brilliant managers.
4 Stone Buildings offer a high-level of service, and the clerks are incredibly professional and responsive.
The clerking team are friendly, sensible and wonderful. They are my go-to chambers for commercial company corporate advice.
The clerks, led by Ben and Ryan, are wonderful and they will move heaven and earth to make things happen.
Notable practitioners
Jonathan Crow KC manages a busy caseload, splitting his time evenly between commercial and public law litigation. He frequently appears in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and ECtHR. His impressive roster of clients includes public authorities in addition to private clients.
Jonathan is a leading silk of his generation. He is good in complex cases and is an amazing advocate. He has a brilliant brain and he has the respect of the judiciary.
Jonathan is the leading appellate lawyer at the chancery Bar. He is a joy to watch and is good-humoured and friendly. He maintains a very high standard.
He is an extremely impressive courtroom performer.
Tiran Nersessian habitually attracts instructions from both private clients and government officials owing to his strong track record in this area. His flourishing practice regularly sees him appearing as sole counsel in cases up to the Court of Appeal. His experience encompasses both corporate and personal insolvency litigation. He is particularly adept at handling cases concerning directors' disqualification and high-value contractual claims.
Tiran is an exceptional lawyer.
Tiran provides considered, thoughtful advice and is a very effective advocate. He is one to watch in the insolvency space.
Andrew de Mestre KC has considerable experience across the full gamut of restructuring and insolvency law. He regularly acts on behalf of an array of clients, including bondholders, issuers and corporate trustees, and routinely appears as sole counsel in high-profile cases. He is particularly well regarded for his expertise in litigation arising from securitisation transactions and other bond issues.
Andrew is technically excellent and has a great manner when it comes to dealing with clients, which gives a high level of reassurance in terms of delivering the right outcome.
Andrew is fantastic on his feet and has a calming presence in court.
He is a brilliant lawyer - he's very practical, a real team player and provides practical advice.
George Bompas KC is a leading insolvency practitioner who is recognised for his expert handling of major, sophisticated insolvency disputes alongside his significant experience in ADR proceedings. He is regularly called upon to assist with international matters and multimillion-pound claims. He is frequently instructed in overseas cases in Hong Kong, Singapore, Trinidad, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
George is a heavyweight silk in restructuring matters.
John Brisby KC has substantial experience advising on big-ticket litigation. He has appeared before the courts of the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Bermuda, among others. He also sits as a deputy High Court judge.
John is strong in cross-border insolvency and fraud cases. He is highly respected for his strategic insights and wisdom, and he delivers advice in a practical manner with regard to clients' needs.
John is fantastic at cross-examining. His ability to put people in different positions and get the right answers out of them is amazing.
John is a great, ballsy advocate who is scared by nothing. He gets into the detail and thinks on unique points.
Richard Hill KC is highly sought after by an array of clients for his extensive expertise in complex insolvency disputes and for his specialist insight into various forms of ADR. His established restructuring and insolvency practice is further complemented by deep knowledge across civil fraud, commercial and company law. He is frequently instructed by bondholders and bond trustees, and is noted as an authority in contentious restructurings.
Richard is a super prepared and excellent advocate. His cross-examinations are excellent.
Anna Markham is regularly instructed in significant insolvency and company law matters. She has a strong reputation and has appeared both for and against government departments in a range of insolvency-related disputes. Her areas of expertise include public winding-up petitions and disqualification proceedings.
Anna Markham is easy to work with and responsive.
Christopher Harrison has developed a highly regarded insolvency practice which is complemented by his wider strength in chancery commercial matters. He features regularly in high-profile cross-border cases and complex shareholder disputes. He is known for his expertise in obtaining freezing injunctions and also practises as a barrister in the Cayman Islands and Turks & Caicos Islands.
Christopher is excellent at finding a way through very difficult matters, and he is very calm under pressure.
He gives excellent advice and is a pleasure to deal with.
Sharif Shivji KC is highly sought after for his expertise in insolvency disputes and wider commercial capabilities. He is particularly adept at handling matters arising from the collapse of financial institutions, and his broad experience covers both domestic and offshore insolvencies.
Sharif is extremely personable and an extremely able lawyer.
Donald Lilly KC is an impressive performer in insolvency proceedings, particularly those regarding the estates of well-known individuals. He is experienced in working on behalf of trustees, administrators and governments, often appearing without a leader.
Donald is outstanding - he is a terrific lawyer who is hard-working and technically outstanding. He's a pleasure to work with and his written advocacy is outstanding.
Donald has a brain that won't wait a minute, he has a wonderful temperament, and his written work is superb and excellent.
He presents very clearly and runs things through a judge without complicating things. He has a good rapport and takes a calm and measured approach.