Karl Anderson

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

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.

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

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)

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

Queens' College, University of Cambridge

BA (Hons)

2012 - 2015

Christ Church, University of Oxford

BCL

2015 - 2016

Certificate of Honour

Middle Temple

2017

Queen Mother Scholarship

Middle Temple

2016

Lord Justice Sachs Exhibition

Middle Temple

2016

Advocacy Scholarship

BPP

2016

Clifford Chance Prize for best overall performance in Principles of Civil Procedure on the BCL

University of Oxford

2016

HEFCE Graduate Scholarship

University of Oxford

2015

Foundation Scholarship

Queens' College, University of Cambridge

2014