Karl Anderson

Practice Areas

Barrister specialising in banking and finance; commercial litigation; company law; civil fraud; insolvency; and offshore disputes.

Career

Karl is a commercial chancery barrister with extensive experience across a wide range of practice areas, including: banking and financial services; civil fraud; company law; insolvency and restructuring; and general commercial disputes.

Karl is an experienced High Court trial advocate. Examples of trials which Karl has conducted as sole counsel include:

• Winch Design Ltd v (1) Carl Le Souef (2) Somnio Superyachts PTY Ltd [2025] EWHC 120 (Comm) – debt claim and rectification counterclaim arising out of the construction of the world’s largest superyacht.

• Chambi v Aristodemou and Anor [2024] EWHC 1610 (Ch) – 5-day preliminary issue trial to determine the extent of the parties’ shareholdings in unfair prejudice proceedings.

• Sahota v Sohal and Ors [2022] EWHC 2459 (Ch) – trial concerning the validity and effect of three deeds of trust under the sham doctrine and s.423 IA 1986.

In addition, Karl is regularly instructed as part of a larger counsel team in complex and high value claims in both the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division. A recent example is Autonomy Corporation Ltd v Lynch [2022] EWHC 1178 (Ch); [2025] EWHC 1877 (Ch) – a c.$8 billion civil fraud claim involving a 10-month liability trial which was described by the trial judge as “amongst the longest and most complex in English legal history”. Karl represented Dr Lynch in both the liability trial and the subsequent quantum trial.

Karl has also developed an established offshore practice. He has particular experience with disputes in the Middle East, including in the DIFC, ADGM and QICDRC. He has also been instructed on multiple cases either issued in or concerning: the BVI; the Cayman Islands; the Channel Islands; the Isle of Man; and the Seychelles.

Prior to joining Chambers, Karl read law at Queens’ College, Cambridge and studied for the BCL at Christ Church, Oxford. He maintains an academic interest in law and has published extensively on topics within his practice areas.

Professional Memberships

Chancery Bar Association; COMBAR; Insolvency Lawyers’ Association; Financial Services Lawyers’ Association.

Publications

Textbooks

• DIFC Courts Practice 3rd Ed. (Edward Elgar) (forthcoming)

• Mithani: Directors’ Disqualification (LexisNexis) (forthcoming)

• ‘International Law and Jurisdiction’ in Daniel Clarry (ed), The UK Supreme Court Yearbook, Volume 10: 2018–2019 Legal Year (Appellate Press 2021) 707 (co-authored with Jonathan Crow QC).

• Zuckerman on Civil Procedure 4th Ed. (2021) (Sweet & Maxwell) (editor)

• Loose and Griffiths on Liquidators 9th Ed. (LexisNexis 2019) (contributor)

• ‘Equity’ in Daniel Clarry (ed), The UK Supreme Court Yearbook, Volume 9: 2017–2018 Legal Year (Appellate Press 2019) 510 (co-authored with Jonathan Crow QC)

Articles & Case Notes

• ‘Question of Proof’ (2023) CLJ 82(2), 216-219

• ‘Identifying the Complainant in PPI Mis-Selling Complaints Brought by Trustees in Bankruptcy’ (2023) JIBFL (7), 494-495

• ‘Lost luggage and judicial baggage: Harb v HRH Prince Abdul Aziz’ [2016] EWCA Civ 556, (2016) CJQ 35(4) (cited in De Smith’s Judicial Review (8th Ed))

• Regular contributor to LexisPSL Case Analysis and Q&A

Other

• Contributor to Practical Law Corporate: Questions for Counsel

• Lexis PSL Practice Notes concerning compulsory winding-up (co-authored with Eleanor Holland)

• Lexis PSL Practice Notes concerning creditors’ voluntary liquidation

• Contributor to 4 Stone Buildings publications ‘Litigation in the Time of Covid-19’ (2021) and ‘Commercial and Insolvency Litigation in the DIFC’ (2022)

Personal

Queens’ College, University of Cambridge (2015) BA (Hons) Law; Christ Church, University of Oxford (2016) BCL.

Languages Spoken

Spanish (advanced – DELE B2 certified)

Expert in these Jurisdictions

England and Wales (2017 call)

DIFC (2022 call)

Education

Awards