JUNIOR PROFILE
Nico Leslie

Nico Leslie

UK Bar 2026

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Ranked in 6 practice areas

About

Provided by Fountain Court Chambers

UK Bar

Practice Areas

Art & Cultural Property; Banking and Finance; Commercial Litigation; Fraud – Civil; International Arbitration; Offshore; Professional Negligence.

Specialises in commercial litigation with particular expertise in banking and finance, insurance and reinsurance, fraud/asset recovery, jurisdiction and conflict of laws, professional negligence, art law, international and domestic arbitration. Chambers & Partners ‘Banking & Finance Junior of the Year’ 2022.

Recent practice includes a number of high-profile commercial cases, including acting in the US$1 billion PIFSS litigation for a Kuwaiti sovereign wealth fund, acting for the administrators of the NMC Group in multi-billion dollar litigation and arbitration across the world, and acting for successful investors in the Czech Photovoltaic arbitrations in The Hague and Vienna. Has particular experience of litigation in offshore jurisdictions (Bermuda, BVI, Cayman and St Lucia) and in Hong Kong and Singapore, and has extensive experience of international arbitration under the rules of numerous arbitral institutions.

Career

Called 2010; Lincoln’s Inn.

Professional Memberships

COMBAR.

Publications

Publications of note: co-author, ‘The Law of Assignment (3rd Edition)’ with Mr Justice Marcus Smith; co-author of chapter on ‘Choses in Action’ for Halsbury’s Laws of England; contributing editor of Gough on Company Charges (2nd edition, forthcoming); contributing editor, Restitution chapter, ‘Bullen, Leake and Jacob’s Precedents of Pleading’.

Personal

Leisure: Football, skiing, travel.

Languages: Fluent/Near Native French, Italian, Croatian/Serbian; Fluent Spanish.

Education: Eton College (King’s Scholarship); Christ’s College, Cambridge (2007 BA Modern Languages, Starred Double First); City Law School (2009 GDL, Commendation); City Law School (2010 BVC, Outstanding).

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Banking & Finance - London (Bar)

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Nico Leslie is a talented junior with a reputation for handling disputes relating to interest rate swaps and alleged market manipulation on behalf of leading financial institutions. In recent years he has made great use of his fluency in Italian to handle cases for international investment banks that have had disputes with Italian authorities. He is highly experienced in conducting cases in multiple jurisdictions, as evidenced by his appearance in cases in Bermuda and the BVI.

Fraud: Civil - London (Bar)

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Nico Leslie is a well-regarded junior barrister with experience handling high-profile, cross-border fraud disputes. He assists clients in claims involving allegations of bribery, embezzlement and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Offshore - All Circuits

Band 1
Band 1

Individual Editorial

Nico Leslie has acted for clients in several high-profile pieces of multi-jurisdictional litigation. His practice covers a broad range of areas, including professional negligence, insolvency litigation, and commercial disputes including fraud cases. Leslie's work predominantly takes him to the Cayman Islands, as well as other jurisdictions including Gibraltar, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

Art and Cultural Property Law - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Nico Leslie is an experienced commercial junior. He advises on contentious and non-contentious art matters, including those with a negligence element.

Professional Negligence - London (Bar)

Band 3
Band 3

Individual Editorial

Nico Leslie is a strong choice for professional negligence claims in the Caymans and other offshore jurisdictions. He represents claimants and defendants in complex cases, including one concerning client confidentiality in the criminal trial of the Brazilian banker Kátia Rabello.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Nico is able to grapple with complex issues quickly and efficiently and is able to distil advice to clients in a way that is clear and concise.

    Banking & FinanceUK Bar
  • He has a magical combination of incisive intellect, a keen eye for commerciality and a very high EQ.

    Banking & FinanceUK Bar
  • Nico is fiendishly clever, always composed, very responsive and one of the standout juniors of his generation.

    Banking & FinanceUK Bar
  • He is incredibly hard-working, calm and measured.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar
  • Nico is strong lawyer who is very hard-working, commercial and client-friendly in his approach.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar
  • He is very effective on his feet.

    Fraud: CivilUK Bar

Ranked Barristers at Fountain Court Chambers (259)

All Circuits

London (Bar)

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