Daniel Lightman KC

Ranked in 6 Practice Areas

Band 1

Chancery: Commercial

London (Bar)

23 Years Ranked

Band 1

Company

London (Bar)

22 Years Ranked

Band 1

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts

London (Bar)

Band 3

Restructuring/Insolvency

London (Bar)

21 Years Ranked

Band 4

Commercial Dispute Resolution

London (Bar)

18 Years Ranked

Band 4

Professional Negligence

London (Bar)

4 Years Ranked

Ranked in Guides

Global 2025

About

Provided by Daniel Lightman KC

UK Bar

Practice Areas

As part of a broad Chancery-Commercial practice, Daniel Lightman KC often engages with challenging and novel issues of law and civil procedure, in particular concerning shareholder disputes, company law (including in matrimonial proceedings), insolvency, civil fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and professional negligence.

Recent significant cases include: Re Contingent and Future Technologies Ltd [2024] BCC 223; In re BHS Group Ltd (in liquidation) [2024] 1 BCLC 71; Re Klimvest plc [2023] 1 BCLC 388; Taylor Goodchild Ltd v Taylor [2022] 2 BCLC 27; Re Prospect Place (Wimbledon) Management Co Ltd [2022] BCC 1176; and King v Stiefel [2022] 1 All ER (Comm) 990.

Career

Called to the Bar 1995. King's Counsel 2016.

Professional Memberships

ACTAPS, Chancery Bar Association, COMBAR, Family Law Bar Association and Insolvency Lawyers' Association.

Publications

Contribute chapters on derivative claims and unfair prejudice petitions to Joffe, Minority Shareholders: Law, Practice & Procedure and chapters on duties and liabilities of administrators and receivers to Lightman & Moss, The Law of Receivers and Administrators of Companies. Recent publications include: ‘Non-members and s 994 petitions: a novel approach’ (NLJ, 31 May 2024), ‘The rule in Clayton’s Case: its application in non-banking relationships’ (BJIBF, May 2024); ‘The light at the end of the tunnel and the last throw of the die: liquidators’ claims against former directors following Sequana’ (IIRR 2023-24).

Personal

BA Lit. Hum. (First Class), Magdalen College, Oxford; Dip. Law (Distinction), City University, London. Hardwicke, Mansfield and Denning Scholar of Lincoln's Inn. Co-author of Cricket Grounds from the Air (2nd Ed. 2010).

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts - London (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Daniel Lightman KC has an impressive practice advising on highly complex company and trust law matters in matrimonial cases. He is incredibly well-versed in shareholder issues in particular.

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Company - London (Bar)

Band 1

Individual Editorial

Daniel Lightman KC often acts in company law cases and is an expert in minority shareholder cases. His areas of expertise also cover derivative claims and Section 994 petition proceedings, and he has wider experience in corporate insolvency work.

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Chancery: Commercial - London (Bar)

Band 1

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Restructuring/Insolvency - London (Bar)

Band 3

Individual Editorial

Daniel Lightman KC is widely admired for his vast experience and adept representation of all parties in bankruptcy and insolvency cases. He has experience representing litigants in disputes with insolvency office holders and is noted for his expertise advising on cases involving a novel or unusual point of law.

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Professional Negligence - London (Bar)

Band 4

Individual Editorial

Daniel Lightman KC offers experience in major professional negligence matters across a broad range of professions, including barristers, solicitors and financial services. He combines this with academic activity, contributing to several reference texts.

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Commercial Dispute Resolution - London (Bar)

Band 4

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Daniel's advocacy is very strong and he is very technically strong and great on strategy.

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts respondent
UK Bar

Daniel has encyclopaedic knowledge of company law. He is a very good advocate, who is excellent in cross-examination.

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a very good advocate who is excellent at cross-examination. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of company law.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is extremely bright and effective, and he works very hard. He is an effective advocate.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC has a massive brain.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Technically, Daniel is at the top of his field and spots arguments that others do not. He is equally adept on his feet.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is an excellent technician and exquisite draftsman.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a genuine authority on all things minority shareholder disputes.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Like a ferret up a drainpipe, Daniel will go to all lengths to find a creative solution.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is accessible, very intelligent and fastidious in his approach. He is a really good strategist, who can break things down into digestible bits of information. He's also great with clients.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is an incredibly talented black-letter lawyer.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent in his cross-examination.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

An effective advocate who works extremely hard.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

He is a very clear and compelling advocate.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a pleasure to work with. He's accessible, very intelligent and fastidious.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is a fantastic black-letter lawyer. He's a really bright individual, very hands-on and very harmonious.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is a true expert in his field and is impressive both in his written work and on his feet. Great with clients and a real pleasure to work with.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

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

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

He is very good technically.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman is an extremely intelligent advocate who provides cutting-edge and practical legal analysis of complex corporate disputes.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent in his cross-examination.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK 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 respondent
UK Bar

Daniel's advocacy is very strong and he is very technically strong and great on strategy.

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts respondent
UK Bar

Daniel has encyclopaedic knowledge of company law. He is a very good advocate, who is excellent in cross-examination.

Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a very good advocate who is excellent at cross-examination. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of company law.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is extremely bright and effective, and he works very hard. He is an effective advocate.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC has a massive brain.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Technically, Daniel is at the top of his field and spots arguments that others do not. He is equally adept on his feet.

Company respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is an excellent technician and exquisite draftsman.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a genuine authority on all things minority shareholder disputes.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Like a ferret up a drainpipe, Daniel will go to all lengths to find a creative solution.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is accessible, very intelligent and fastidious in his approach. He is a really good strategist, who can break things down into digestible bits of information. He's also great with clients.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is an incredibly talented black-letter lawyer.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent in his cross-examination.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

An effective advocate who works extremely hard.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

He is a very clear and compelling advocate.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK Bar

Daniel is a pleasure to work with. He's accessible, very intelligent and fastidious.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is a fantastic black-letter lawyer. He's a really bright individual, very hands-on and very harmonious.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman KC is a true expert in his field and is impressive both in his written work and on his feet. Great with clients and a real pleasure to work with.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK Bar

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

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

He is very good technically.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Daniel Lightman is an extremely intelligent advocate who provides cutting-edge and practical legal analysis of complex corporate disputes.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent in his cross-examination.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK 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 respondent
UK Bar

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