Daniel Lightman KC

Ranked in 5 Practice Areas

Band 1

Company

London (Bar)

22 Years Ranked

Band 2

Chancery: Commercial

London (Bar)

23 Years Ranked

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

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 2

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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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Commercial Dispute Resolution - London (Bar)

Band 4

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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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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Daniel is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is, and always has been, a great strategist, whose advocacy is focused and persuasive. Perhaps most significantly, judges respect him and defer to his company law knowledge.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is my go-to leading counsel for shareholder disputes. He is also an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

He is an oracle of all things shareholder dispute. He is a great intellect whilst remaining a persuasive advocate.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is incredibly thorough, can see points people don't think of and is quite quietly spoken and understated.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is unparalleled in his experience of shareholder disputes and expertise. He is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner. He's diligent and hard-working.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is consistent, and his level of analysis is very impressive. He understands the company law side of things, and his depth of knowledge and analysis is superior.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

He is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is an oracle of all things shareholder dispute-related. He is a great intellect and a persuasive advocate.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and complex facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

He is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

He is all over the detail and a clear lateral thinker.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

What is interesting about Daniel is he is willing to take risks for a client and thinks of creative tactical things that a client should consider. He is brave in that way, which adds value.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is special. He is somebody for whom there is no length that he will not go to find a solution for your problem.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

He's able to nimbly deal with challenging clients in a way that maintains confidence in the relationship.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is, and always has been, a great strategist, whose advocacy is focused and persuasive. Perhaps most significantly, judges respect him and defer to his company law knowledge.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Company respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is my go-to leading counsel for shareholder disputes. He is also an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

He is an oracle of all things shareholder dispute. He is a great intellect whilst remaining a persuasive advocate.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is incredibly thorough, can see points people don't think of and is quite quietly spoken and understated.

Chancery: Commercial respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is unparalleled in his experience of shareholder disputes and expertise. He is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner. He's diligent and hard-working.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is consistent, and his level of analysis is very impressive. He understands the company law side of things, and his depth of knowledge and analysis is superior.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

He is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Restructuring/Insolvency respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is an oracle of all things shareholder dispute-related. He is a great intellect and a persuasive advocate.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is a master at distilling complex legal arguments and complex facts into easily digestible and highly persuasive skeleton arguments.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

He is an effective advocate and a great cross-examiner.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

He is all over the detail and a clear lateral thinker.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK-Bar

What is interesting about Daniel is he is willing to take risks for a client and thinks of creative tactical things that a client should consider. He is brave in that way, which adds value.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

Daniel is special. He is somebody for whom there is no length that he will not go to find a solution for your problem.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

He's able to nimbly deal with challenging clients in a way that maintains confidence in the relationship.

Professional Negligence respondent
UK-Bar

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