9th International Trusts & Commercial Litigation Conference 2026

John Machell KC has a broad commercial chancery practice, with particular experience in large-scale litigation involving trusts, fiduciary/director duties, and fraud, particularly with an international dimension.    

John is regarded as one of the leading partnership and LLP silks and has experience of a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious matters across the whole range of business sectors. A large part of his work involves issues arising from the use of partnerships and LLPs in hedge fund and private equity structures; in international commercial group structures; and as part of wealth planning strategies. 

A substantial part of John’s practice is offshore, and he has appeared in the courts of Grand Cayman, the British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda on several occasions in recent years. 

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

Shortlisted for Company/Insolvency Silk of the Year in the Chambers & Partners UK Bar Awards in both 2026 and 2024 and shortlisted for Chancery Silk of the Year in the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2026, Daniel is recommended in Band 1 for Silks for Company by both Chambers UK, 2027 and the Legal 500, 2027 – and in Band 1 for Chancery Commercial by Chambers. Chambers UK, 2027 describes him as “A go-to silk for high value, complex disputes who leads the pack on shareholder disputes. He has great judgement and always furnishes reliable advice” and praises him for “constantly identifying innovative solutions to complex problems” and building “outstanding relationships with the wider legal team.” 

Daniel has an extensive international practice, including current or recent shareholder litigation in the courts of Abu Dhabi, Bermuda, Cayman, Guernsey and Qatar, and a multi-shareholder arbitration in Hong Kong.

Described by The Legal 500 as “one of the stars of his generation”, Richard Wilson KC specialises in litigation, drafting and advisory work across traditional and commercial chancery. His practice focuses on trusts and probate, both contentious and non-contentious, related company and partnership law, claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, tax, professional negligence and civil fraud. 

Richard has acted in many of the most significant and high-value cases in these areas in recent years. He is currently involved in several disputes concerning the estates of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) in England and overseas. 

His practice frequently involves offshore matters and private international law. He has appeared before the Privy Council, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Gibraltar, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Bermuda, the Supreme Court of The Bahamas, the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. He has also provided expert evidence on English law before the Royal Courts of Jersey and Guernsey. 

Richard regularly acts in disputes across all the principal offshore jurisdictions. A significant proportion of his practice involves international clients, particularly those based in Asia, including Hong Kong.

Timothy Collingwood KC has a broad commercial and chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on litigation concerning commercial agreements, company, insolvency, and international trust matters. 

Described in Legal 500 (2025) as “a truly gifted advocate who is totally committed to the case”. The directories recognise him as a leading practitioner in these fields. He has extensive experience of claims concerning breaches of duty, in particular in respect of directors or trustees and frequently involving allegations of fraud, and of shareholder disputes. 

Prior to commencing practice in this jurisdiction, Tim was called to the bar in the Cayman Islands and practised as an attorney-at-law. He continues to undertake work in respect of a number of offshore jurisdictions. He is called to the Bar of the British Virgin Islands. 

Matthew Morrison KC has a broad commercial chancery practice, with particular expertise in civil fraud, company and partnership disputes, and insolvency litigation.  

Described by Chambers UK 2027 as an “outstanding barrister” who is “technically brilliant, fantastic with clients and someone whose cross-examination is exceptional”, Matthew regularly appears in the High Court and Court of Appeal and has acted in proceedings before the Grand Court and Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (BVI), the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, the Isle of Man High Court of Justice and the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts. He also has significant experience assisting advocates before the Royal Courts of Jersey and Guernsey. He is generally admitted to the BVI Bar and is currently admitted ad hoc on a number of matters in the Cayman Islands. 

Matthew is an established legal author. He has written widely read PLC practice notes on minority shareholder remedies and edits chapters on directors’ duties and disqualification, and insolvency, in Gore-Browne, Butterworths Corporate Law Service, Tolley’s Company Law Service and Tolley’s Company Law Handbook; and on unfair prejudice, misfeasance and disqualification in the Law of Limited Liability Partnerships (Whittaker and Machell (6th ed.), 2026). 

Rob Mundy KC has a wide-ranging commercial practice and has particular expertise in company, commercial fraud, contract and insolvency disputes. He is often instructed in high-value, complex litigation. He has been consistently recommended in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. 

Rob is an experienced trial advocate who enjoys oral advocacy and cross-examination, particularly in document-heavy and forensically complex cases. He is described in the 2027 Chambers UK Bar Guide as “thoughtful, considered and remarkably unflappable, even in high-pressure situations” and as having a “formidable reputation”. He is often instructed to advise on strategy from the outset of a dispute, being described in Legal 2027 as “an excellent lawyer and strategist, and a delight to work with”. 

Rob took silk in 2025. He is a practising mediator and also sits as a Recorder of the County Court. 

James Weale KC has a very busy commercial chancery practice with a focus on domestic and international commercial and trusts disputes. 

He is recognised as a leading practitioner in those fields by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers High Net Worth, and Who’s Who Legal, where they describe him as a “brilliant lawyer” and a “Superstar”. He was Chambers & Partners’ Chancery Junior of the Year in 2023. 

He regularly appears (both as sole and junior counsel) in the English High Court and has appeared several times in the Court of Appeal. He also has considerable experience in overseas jurisdictions (including as sole counsel), including Bermuda, the DIFC, the BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and Panama. 

Jonathan Upton KC is recognised for his work in high-value commercial disputes, real estate litigation and asset recovery. His expertise across these interconnected fields makes him “the perfect package for complex and hard-fought” litigation. 

His work is both domestic and international, with many cases involving fraud and trusts. Jonathan is regularly instructed in complex, high-value and urgent applications, including freezing injunctions, proprietary injunctions and asset disclosure orders. Commentators note that “he has an unwavering ability to get to the commercial crux of a matter extremely quickly” and that “Jonathan is both technically brilliant and a creative advocate.” 

Recent instructions include acting in a substantial Commercial Court group action involving over 200 claimants and allegations of fraud, conspiracy and non est factum; advising on the recovery of debts in the context of the Russian sanctions and OFSI licensing regime; and challenging a Letter of Request issued by the Supreme Court of New York to the Royal Court of Jersey in connection with the Williams F1 Racing Team v Schwarz litigation in the US. 

Jonathan is noted for being “incredibly approachable and helpful. You can just pick up the phone and talk to him” and “an absolute pleasure to work with.” 

Marc Delehanty practises in commercial litigation and civil fraud, with a particular focus on international disputes concerning jurisdiction, foreign law, insolvency and trusts. He regularly acts in urgent injunction applications, particularly in connection with asset recovery. He is experienced in handling matters relating to gambling, cryptocurrency and sanctions. 

Marc is sought after for high-value, high-profile and high-stakes disputes. He has appeared twice in the Supreme Court, conducting oral advocacy in BTA Bank v Khrapunov, concerning unlawful means conspiracy, and Invest Bank v El-Husseiny, concerning transactions defrauding creditors under s.423, Insolvency Act 1986. He is currently instructed in the pending Supreme Court appeal of Crescent Gas v NIOC, a $2 billion dispute involving agency, insolvency and trusts law. 

Recent instructions include acting for over 3,000 claimants in UK group litigation against Johnson & Johnson concerning alleged fraudulent misrepresentation in marketing talc-based baby powder; defending a $357 million breach of contract claim brought by the Bahamian Government against the Grand Bahama Port Authority; and representing BVI corporate defendants in PrivatBank v Kolomoisky, a $3 billion-plus Ukrainian banking fraud case. 

Marc is ranked by Chambers and Partners in Commercial Dispute Resolution, Civil Fraud and Gambling Disputes. 

Lara Kuehl is a commercial and chancery junior specialising in high-value disputes in England and Wales and offshore. Her practice encompasses commercial litigation and arbitration, company law, restructuring and insolvency, property litigation and civil fraud. 

Lara is ranked across five practice areas: Commercial Litigation, Commercial Chancery, Insolvency and Restructuring, Company and Property Litigation, in Chambers UK, Chambers Global, Legal 500 and Lexology UK Bar. 

Highly regarded for her advocacy, Lara acts as lead or sole counsel in most cases, frequently appearing unled against senior juniors and KCs. She is equally experienced as junior counsel alongside senior barristers from within and outside chambers in complex domestic and international disputes. 

Alongside her private practice, Lara undertakes work for the UK Government. She is a member of the Attorney General’s B Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown, representing the Government in commercial, property, company and insolvency matters. 

Before transferring to the English Bar, Lara practised as a solicitor in the London commercial disputes teams at Weil, Gotshal & Manges and McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP. From 2013 to 2015, she practised as a Cayman Islands attorney in the Dispute Resolution and Insolvency group at Maples and Calder, gaining offshore experience. 

Amy Proferes’ practice covers both traditional and commercial Chancery. She has particular interests in contentious probate, company, civil fraud, and property, and is experienced in dealing with cases where these areas overlap. She appears regularly in the High Court, often unled, but also enjoys working as part of a larger team.  

Amy is ranked as a leading junior in Private Wealth & Probate by Legal 500 and in Chancery: Traditional by Chambers & Partners. The directories describe her as “remarkably versatile across company law and trust and estate disputes” and “very thorough, has an intricate knowledge of the law, and is also very approachable.”  

Zahler Bryan has a broad commercial chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on contentious trusts, civil fraud and financial disputes. 

She regularly advises on a wide range of matters, with considerable experience in large-scale commercial and trust disputes spanning an extensive range of jurisdictions. 

Zahler also has a particular interest in appellate work and has appeared in the Supreme Court and the Privy Council. 

Described as “razor smart and a great asset to any team“, Zahler was awarded ‘Chancery Junior of the Year’ at the Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023. 

Harry Martin has a busy junior practice specialising in chancery, commercial chancery, and art and cultural property work. He advises in relation to contentious and non-contentious matters, both in England & Wales and in other jurisdictions. 

Harry is ranked as a leading barrister in the Chambers UK Bar and Chambers High Net Worth guides, which describe him as “a rising star”, and “very bright and commercial in his advice”.  

Oliver Jones is a senior junior with a broad commercial and chancery practice, and particular expertise in private wealth and civil fraud disputes. He is recognised by the directories as a leading junior in these areas. 

In addition to his busy practice in England, he regularly works in major offshore jurisdictions, including the Channel Islands, BVI and Bermuda. Ollie was called to the BVI bar in 2019. 

In addition to noting his “incredible intellect” and “engaging and persuasive” advocacy, the directories note Ollie’s ability to “roll up his sleeves”, “get on top of huge volumes of work and detail quickly” and build a “great rapport with clients”. In addition to acting unled, Ollie also enjoys working as part of larger teams on large-scale litigation, in which he “consistently delivers impressive results”. Ollie takes pride in his reputation for being “user-friendly” and “great to work with”. 

Before coming to the Bar, Ollie spent several years as a management consultant in the financial services, energy, and public sectors. He brings this commercial experience and perspective to bear in his cases. 

Stephanie Wickenden specialises in intellectual property, art and media law. 

She has experience in commercial chancery cases in the creative and technology sectors, including contractual and tortious IT disputes, contentious trusts and estates matters involving creative assets, and shareholder and directors’ disputes involving IP breaches. A significant proportion of her practice has an international element, including cases involving disputed jurisdiction, foreign law, and service and enforcement out of the jurisdiction. 

With a background in art and theatre, combined with expertise in IP, commercial and private international law, Stephanie is uniquely placed to advise on contentious and non-contentious matters relating to art and cultural property. Having spent three years at a top international law firm, she also advises on IP transactions and licensing. 

Stephanie enjoys working as part of a team and is confident acting as sole counsel. She is regularly instructed in significant Intellectual Property cases before the UK courts, often unled and against KCs, including Thatchers v Aldi [2025] EWCA Civ 5 and EasyGroup v Nuclei and others [2023] EWCA Civ 1247. She has appeared before the CJEU (General Court), Court of Appeal, High Court and IPEC, and in registry proceedings before the UK IPO and EUIPO. 

Charlotte Beynon has a commercial chancery practice encompassing contentious trusts, civil fraud, insolvency and commercial litigation. 

Her clients say, “Charlotte is brilliant. A superstar in the making”, and they also commend her as “pragmatic, responsive and commercial.” 

She frequently handles complex, high-value cases, onshore and offshore, often with international elements. She is particularly experienced in acting in high-value offshore trusts disputes and complex fraud claims – often raising issues of private international law. 

Charlotte regularly appears in the High Court and County Court both led and as sole counsel. She also appears as specialist chancery counsel in matrimonial proceedings in the Family Division. Her legal writing has been published in Trusts & Trustees. 

Sparsh Garg is a chancery and commercial barrister specialising in contentious trusts and estates matters and company disputes. He has acted in complex, high-value trusts and company cases. 

Sparsh is recognised in the legal directories for offshore private client and commercial work. He regularly receives instructions in The Bahamas, Gibraltar and Jersey, is called to the BVI Bar, and acts in BVI matters independently and as part of counsel teams. 

In England, Sparsh is recognised as a “rising star” and “up and coming” barrister in traditional chancery and private client work. Clients describe him as “intelligent, hard-working, an innovative thinker”, as well as personable and a good team player. 

In 2019, Sparsh was seconded to the dispute resolution team of a leading Gibraltar law firm, working on contentious trusts and commercial disputes. He has since continued to develop his offshore practice, acting as sole counsel and alongside other barristers. 

His offshore experience includes three Privy Council appeals: Chu v Lau [2020], concerning just and equitable winding-up on grounds of shareholder deadlock; Perry v Lopag [2023], concerning appellate intervention in findings of foreign law; and Dawson-Damer v Grampian Trust Company Ltd, concerning a trustee’s duty of adequate deliberation. 

Jamie Randall has a practice spanning a wide range of disputes concerning commercial and personal interests, and frequently the interconnection between the two. His recent trust and probate work covers the full spectrum of traditional chancery proceedings, including claims for breach of trust, accounts and removal of trustees, proprietary estoppel, 1975 Act claims, and probate disputes. Those cases often have an international element and he has acted on cases in numerous jurisdictions, including Jersey, Guernsey, Singapore, The Bahamas and Bermuda. His commercial work often includes claims for breach of fiduciary duty, deceit, unfair prejudice and insolvency-related issues. 

Prior to coming to the Bar, Jamie worked in strategy consulting focused on the financial services sector. He approaches cases with pragmatism and always maintains a focus on the commercial outcome for clients. He also still enjoys being able to apply his financial experience to complex claims concerning valuation and forensic accounting issues. 

Max Marenbon is a commercial chancery barrister specialising in civil fraud, company and insolvency disputes. He is recognised by the Legal 500 directory as a ‘Leading Junior’ at the London Bar and a ‘Rising Star’ in the Middle East.  

Max has appeared as sole counsel in significant cases, including a leading authority on the English courts’ jurisdiction to grant worldwide freezing orders against third parties. He has assisted with cases at all appellate levels.  His Middle East practice is centred on the courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).  

He is interested in how the law treats new ways of doing business, has experience of cryptocurrency-related litigation, and is growing a practice in artificial intelligence litigation.  He has acted as sole advocate in AI-related cases in the UK and Middle East, including the leading ADGM authority on the use of AI-generated documents in litigation. 

Appointed to the UK Attorney General’s Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown in 2024, Max previously qualified as a solicitor at a leading City firm and served as judicial assistant to Lord Wilson at the UK Supreme Court. 

Hugh Rowan specialises in property law and regularly acts in property disputes arising within a commercial chancery context. 

His practice focuses on real property, enfranchisement, residential and commercial landlord and tenant law, alongside commercial and company disputes. He appears as sole counsel and as part of a team in the High Court, County Court and First-tier Tribunal. 

Hugh regularly acts in high-profile cases. In 2025 and 2026, he appeared five times in the Court of Appeal in significant cases concerning damages for disrepair, the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022, the construction of a shareholders’ agreement and the court’s jurisdiction in bankruptcy proceedings. 

Clients value Hugh’s collaborative approach and his ability to navigate complex legal and factual issues. 

Hugh co-authors five specialist property law books covering service charges, the right to manage, enfranchisement and the Building Safety Act 2022, including one volume that he edits. He also regularly contributes to the Landlord & Tenant Review, writing case digests, topical articles and case commentaries. 

During his legal training, Hugh volunteered as a caseworker at the Free Representation Unit and the Blackfriars Settlement Advice Clinic, gaining experience supporting individuals with legal issues. 

Niamh Herrett has a broad commercial and chancery practice, with particular interest in private client trusts and probate, commercial disputes, and intellectual property. She is identified as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500 and, since joining Chambers in October 2022, has appeared in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. 

Niamh spent her first six months in practice on secondment to Farrer & Co’s contentious trusts team, where she worked on complex, high-profile private client trusts and probate matters. She enjoys advising clients in her sole capacity, as well as working as part of a larger counsel team. 

Before joining Serle Court, Niamh studied law at Merton College, Oxford, graduating with a first-class undergraduate degree and a Distinction in the BCL, receiving numerous academic scholarships and prizes. During her BPC year, Niamh was a Guest Teacher at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where she taught undergraduate seminars on the Property II course (Land and Trusts). 

Since joining chambers in 2024 on the successful completion of pupillage, Anneliese has enjoyed acting led and as sole counsel in matters both domestic and offshore. She has a particular interest in matters involving trusts, private clients, contracts and commercial arrangements, matrimonial finance, intellectual property, and art and cultural property. 

Anneliese is identified as a ‘Rising Star’ in the Legal 500, and as ‘Up and Coming’ in Chambers & Partners’ High Net Worth Guide and UK Bar directories. 

Well-publicised matters in which Anneliese has been involved include the Jersey Heritage Trust’s claim against artist Christopher Levine (led by Stephanie Wickenden, for the claimant), Ant and Dec’s successful application for a Norwich Pharmacal order against a respondent art dealer (led by Harry Martin, for the applicants), a trademark dispute arising out of a “Dragon’s Den” invention (led by Michael Edenborough), and the will validity dispute Leonard v Leonard [2024] EWHC 321(ChD) (as a pupil). 

Prior to joining Chambers, Anneliese was a fine art specialist at international auction houses. She holds an MBA alongside her legal and undergraduate qualifications and is bilingual in French. 

Ryan Tang is developing a broad commercial chancery practice across Chambers’ core practice areas. Building on his prior experience in large-scale commercial litigation as an associate at a Magic Circle law firm, he has acted in the ongoing Mariana dam litigation since joining Chambers in October 2023. In addition to his commercial work, he is also developing a practice in intellectual property and charity law, and has been ranked as a Rising Star by Legal 500 in the latter category. Ryan is routinely instructed as sole counsel in High Court litigation in all of these areas. Alongside his English practice, he is developing an active practice in the Middle East 

Nia Moseley-Roberts is building a broad commercial and chancery practice across Chambers’ core specialisms. As a pupil, Nia worked on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters, including property, private client, offshore and international, and professional negligence. 

Nia joined Chambers in March 2026, after successfully completing pupillage under the supervision of Harry Martin, Michael Walsh KC and Jonathan Upton KC. 

Nia studied English at Clare College, Cambridge, graduating with double-first class honours and several university prizes. She then pursued postgraduate study at Oxford before completing the GDL and Bar Course at BPP, funded by scholarships from Gray’s Inn