Bankim Thanki KC

Practice Areas

Bankim Thanki KC is generally recognised as one of the pre-eminent Silks practising at the English Commercial Bar, with an emphasis on commercial litigation and arbitration, as well as investigations and inquiries (public and private). He has been described by The Times as “One of London’s leading commercial silks” by The Times and as “… one of the superstars of the UK Bar”.

He recently appeared for PACCAR and DAF in their successful leap-frog appeal to the Supreme Court from the decision of the Divisional Court on the validity of damages-based litigation funding agreements in the Trucks follow-on damages claim (R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others). Other significant recent cases include appearing for the successful appellant in the Court of Appeal in Soteria Insurance v IBM [2022] EWCA Civ 440, and for the successful intervener in the Supreme Court in Pakistan International Airline Corporation (Respondent) v Times Travel [2021] UKSC 40. He has acted for Ukraine in proceedings before the Supreme Court in the US$3 billion Eurobond claim brought on behalf of the Russian Federation in the Financial List, in which he secured significant victories in the Supreme Court [2023] UKSC 11 and Court of Appeal [2019] QB 1121, and in defeating a US$6 billion claim concerning minority shareholdings in Ukraine’s largest producer of oil and associated gas in an investment treaty arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty (Stockholm Chamber of Commerce). He successfully represented Barclays Bank in the case which saw the first judgment handed down in the Financial List in London (GSO Credit v Barclays Bank [2017] 1 All ER (Comm) 421). He also successfully represented BP in the first case brought to trial under the Commercial Court’s Shorter Trials Scheme and ENRC in its notable victory in the Court of Appeal in SFO v ENRC: [2019] 1 WLR 791.

Other notable cases include leading successfully for GMR in its dispute with the Republic of the Maldives over the international airport at Malé, for Deloitte LLP in its successful appeal against the record fine imposed by the Financial Reporting Council over its involvement with the Phoenix Four/MG Rover, for KPMG in successfully disputing the sanctions sought by the Financial Reporting Council over its CASS audits of BNY, for Vincent Tchenguiz in his successful claim against the SFO, for the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago in the Colonial Life Enquiry, for the Bar Council in R (Prudential) v HMRC, for Lloyds Banking Group in the OFT test case on bank charges, for the son of the King of Bahrain in his claim against Michael Jackson, for the Bank of England in Three Rivers and for Qantas in The Deep Vein Thrombosis and Air Travel Group Litigation.

Bankim regularly advises and represents clients facing SFO and FCA investigations. He has also been instructed to advise several nation states and the central banks of a number of countries including the Central Bank of Belize, the Deutsche Bundesbank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Namibia and the Central Bank of Trinidad & Tobago, as well as the World Bank.

He regularly acts for clients offshore and has appeared recently in cases in the British Virgin Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and the Isle of Man. He is currently advising or has recently advised clients in relation to litigation, investigations or inquiries in New York, Abu Dhabi, The Bahamas, Hong Kong, Jersey, Singapore, the Isle of Man, Taiwan and Trinidad & Tobago.

Bankim regularly provides expert evidence on English law to foreign courts or tribunals and has done so recently for cases before courts in the USA, Hong Kong and Brazil.

He accepts appointments as an arbitrator and has conducted LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICC, SIAC and ad hoc arbitrations.

Career

Called to the Bar 1988. Silk 2003. Bencher, Middle Temple 2008. Head of Fountain Court Chambers 2018-2023.

Professional Memberships

Commercial Bar Association.

Publications

He is the joint editor of the Law of Privilege (Oxford, 4th ed 2025)

Personal

Educated at Balliol College, Oxford (BA, 1st Class Hons 1986; MA 1989). Harmsworth Scholar, Middle Temple, 1988, Bencher 2008.