Department profile
Serle Court

Commercial Dispute Resolution

UK Bar Guide 2026 : London (Bar)


Serle Court

Rankings

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Commercial Dispute Resolution - London (Bar)

Band 3

Band 3


What the Team is Known For

A regular presence in the Commercial Court and Chancery Division, Serle Court is a set noted for its work on extremely high-value commercial disputes, particularly those involving civil fraud. Individuals at the set regularly guide clients through the most stressful and complex cases in the market, many of which are international in scope. Recent cases include: Município de Mariana v BHP Group, a major group action on behalf of victims of the Fundão Dam disaster; Public Institution for Social Security v Al-Rajaan, a high-value fraud claim; and Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse AG & Others, a USD3 billion claim arising out of the 'Tuna bonds' scandal. Its members also continue to play a role in the Diesel Emissions group litigation. A source commented that the set's "incredibly intelligent and impressive team is able to unpick and understand complex issues."

Nicholas Hockney and Daniel Wheeler are the practice directors.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • The clerks are responsive and commercial.

    Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • The clerks at Serle Court have been professional and considerate in their approaches. I have found them straightforward to deal with.

    Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • The Serle Court clerks are a great, friendly team who are very commercial and open to discuss solutions to fee-related queries.

    Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • The clerking is really good. They have the best team at the Commercial Bar.

    Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Senior Practice Manager Arron Snipe is the gold standard. He puts the rest of the clerking world to shame. He sorts things incredibly quickly.

    Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

  • Senior StatespeoplePhilip Jones
    Senior StatespeoplePhilip Jones

    Philip Jones

    • He is fantastic.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He is among the absolute legends of the Commercial Bar.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Elizabeth Jones
    Band 1Elizabeth Jones

    Elizabeth Jones

    • Elizabeth Jones is among the best of the best. She is an outstanding member of the Bar in every respect.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • A master strategist who also has complete command of the detail. The foundations of her submissions are always rock-solid.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • She is the crème de la crème of the Commercial and Chancery Bar. Excellent is too weak a word for her.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • A tactical genius with a prodigious capacity for absorbing and retaining detail. She drives the team to produce their best work, but is also pleasant and fun to work with.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 1Jonathan Adkin
    Band 1Jonathan Adkin

    Jonathan Adkin

    • Jonathan Adkin is one of the best. He is extremely clever and very good with the law.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Always available, extremely clever and someone who goes for the killer point, he's a bulldozer of an advocate. In terms of contactability, he's a dream silk.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Jonathan is a masterful advocate and an excellent leader.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Hugh Norbury
    Band 3Hugh Norbury

    Hugh Norbury

    • He has fantastic judgement, and clients love him.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • A great leader, a great team player and a technically brilliant barrister. He is a brilliant fraud practitioner whose advocacy is very effective.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3James Mather
    Band 3James Mather

    James Mather

    • James is a deep thinker.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • James displayed considerable strategic thinking and was not afraid of putting forward his own views even where these differed from those of more senior team members. His written work was very strong.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • James Mather is hugely cerebral and wonderful to work with. He has been a longstanding instruction for me because he is so good.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3John Machell
    Band 3John Machell

    John Machell

    • John is down to earth, super responsive and commercially minded. He has great judgement and balances the risks and benefits of a matter in a concise manner.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • John has a way of presenting to the court which judges really respond to. He rolls his sleeves up and gets stuck in to documents and drafting.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He is without peer among silks advising on LLP and partnership law.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • A very able advocate with an excellent style, he is very intelligent and presents things in a way clients like.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • John is hard-working, and has both razor-sharp intelligence and an incisive eye for detail. He is an excellent all-rounder.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Lance Ashworth
    Band 3Lance Ashworth

    Lance Ashworth

    • He is a very effective advocate.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Lance Ashworth has the relatively rare combination of being a first-class brain and a high-quality advocate. He is very responsive and very aware of the bigger picture in complex matters.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 3Marc Delehanty
    Band 3Marc Delehanty

    Marc Delehanty

    • Marc is really thriving and has had a lot of victories in the last year. Recently, he was a standout in the Supreme Court in terms of his advocacy.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Marc Delehanty is always a pleasure to work with. His written work is superb, he's excellent on his feet and he understands clients.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Marc is incredibly hard-working, and his client-handling skills are superb. He enjoys being part of the team, and he is brilliant fun.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Daniel Lightman
    Band 4Daniel Lightman

    Daniel Lightman

    • Dan is a genius and a top expert on unfair prejudice.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He is very good technically.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Daniel Lightman is an extremely intelligent advocate who provides cutting-edge and practical legal analysis of complex corporate disputes.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He is excellent in his cross-examination.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He is pleasure to work with – accessible, very intelligent and fastidious. He is also good with clients and can break things down into digestible bits of information.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Justin Higgo
    Band 4Justin Higgo

    Justin Higgo

    • Justin is very hands-on, prepared to get involved in the detail and very good on strategy.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • A problem-solver and a polished written advocate who is very creative, highly responsive and impressively client-friendly.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Justin is accessible, really easy to work with and very good on his feet. He's got that nice balance of being really smart and incredibly eloquent.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Paul Adams
    Band 4Paul Adams

    Paul Adams

    • Paul Adams' written advocacy is fantastic; he is really creative.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Paul has excellent tactical instincts and the acumen to tackle the most complex and knotty legal issues.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Paul Adams is a good person to work with. He is very responsive, and he is a very bright and reflective man.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Rupert Reed
    Band 4Rupert Reed

    Rupert Reed

    • Rupert has a deep knowledge of commercial disputes, particularly those relating to the Middle East. He has got real experience and gravitas, but wears it lightly.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • He works extremely well with the client and solicitor team.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Rupert Reed is really the father figure of the DIFC bar. He is an excellent and smooth advocate.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Simon Hattan
    Band 4Simon Hattan

    Simon Hattan

    • Very calm and tremendously experienced, he thinks really strategically and doesn't waste time. He has very good client-handling skills.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Simon Hattan has a wonderfully clear mind and stays calm whatever happens. He is always a very reassuring presence.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 4Zoe O'Sullivan
    Band 4Zoe O'Sullivan

    Zoe O'Sullivan

    • Zoe is incredibly bright and tenacious. She isn't scared of anybody, and she will tell you straight out when she thinks that there is something wrong with your case.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Zoe is firm but charming. Her written work is very impressive, and she produces it quickly.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Zoe has a strong advocacy style and is excellent in cross-examination. Hers is a highly forensic approach.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 6Dan McCourt Fritz
    Band 6Dan McCourt Fritz

    Dan McCourt Fritz

    • Dan goes toe to toe with far more senior KCs and excels. His advocacy is superb, and he is the kind of guy you want on your team.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Dan is very good on his feet.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Dan has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and a memory that puts us all to shame. He memorised everything presented in court. With clients, he adapts his style to gain their confidence.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 6David Blayney
    Band 6David Blayney

    David Blayney

    • David Blayney is a very clever and forensically brilliant barrister. He did one of the finest cross-examinations of an expert I've ever heard.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Extremely able, highly technical and cerebral in his approach, David is the person to go to for a monstrous case. Unflappable and dignified, he really holds the attention of the court.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 6Emma Hargreaves
    Band 6Emma Hargreaves

    Emma Hargreaves

    • Emma Hargreaves is amazing and great to work with. She is a very clear oral advocate who has excellent drafting skills.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Emma Hargreaves drove the drafting of the defence under tight time pressures. She was good at managing dense amounts of data and being flexible as needed.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Emma Hargreaves is an incredibly careful barrister who is terrifyingly good.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • Band 6Stephen Doherty
    Band 6Stephen Doherty

    Stephen Doherty

    • Stephen Doherty is very easy to work with and very commercial. I find him to be excellent – he matches and often surpasses the KCs he works with.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Stephen Doherty is an excellent advocate who has committed to the DIFC region. His cross-examination is something to behold – he dominates.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • In every aspect, Stephen has provided us with an advantage over our opponent, from availability and comprehension of the key legal turning points to case preparation and delivery at trial.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksJames Weale
    New SilksJames Weale

    James Weale

    • James Weale is a KC in all but name. He is a fiercely intelligent and incredibly versatile advocate whose oral advocacy is particularly impressive. His strategic vision is second to none.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • James is a great advocate and a very fine cross-examiner.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
  • New SilksMatthew Morrison
    New SilksMatthew Morrison

    Matthew Morrison

    • Matthew is technically excellent, has a brilliantly sharp mind and shows amazing attention to detail. He can identify and think of solutions to problems before they have even occurred to the opponent.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Matthew Morrison is excellent; he's the best counsel we use. His content is excellent, and his client work is superb, as is his cross-examination in the courtroom.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar
    • Matthew Morrison has a very calm, reassuring manner. He is unflappable.

      Commercial Dispute Resolution respondentUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Serle Court (20)

London (Bar)

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