Location: New York City
This year’s conference, with a theme of ‘International Lawfare: Combining Commercial and Chancery Expertise at the Legal Frontline’, will bring together leading practitioners from across the world to explore developments and discuss strategies in international commercial chancery disputes.
The conference will be followed by a closing party at the sophisticated rooftop Mezcaleria, Bar Cima. This event will be sponsored by Kroll.
Chambers thanks its conference sponsors, Hereford Litigation for their generosity before and after the event.
Do not hesitate to contact Serle Court Business Development and Marketing Director Zoe Gardiner or Marketing Manager Crystal Fernandes for further information.
See you in New York!
The Rockefeller Center, New York
John has a broad commercial chancery practice, and particular experience of large-scale litigation involving trusts, fiduciary duties, and fraud and trusts, 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 relates to trusts, mostly offshore, and he has appeared in the Grand Court in Cayman on a number of occasions in the last few years.
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 (he has appeared in numerous 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 2024, C&P 2025 describes him as “special. He is somebody for whom there is no length that he will not go to find a solution for your problem… Daniel is, and always has been, a great strategist, whose advocacy is focused and persuasive…”, whilst the Legal 500, 2025, describes him as “extremely bright, incisive and original in his thinking… He knows his stuff inside out. Clients love him because he is able to come up with solutions that no one else can think of”. 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; and King v Stiefel [2022] 1 All ER (Comm) 990.
Richard has a practice encompassing litigation, drafting and advisory work across a wide range of traditional and commercial chancery, with a strong emphasis 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. He is ranked in Band 1 by Chambers & Partners UK Bar 2025 for Traditional Chancery, Offshore, Trusts and Matrimonial: Trusts / Tax and is described as “… one of the leading KCs, if not the leading KC for offshore trust work.”. He has appeared in many of the leading trusts cases in recent times, including Futter v. HMRC, Gany v. Khan, Wong v Grand View and Dawson-Damer v Grampian.
A truly gifted advocate, who is totally committed to the case” (Legal 500 2025). Tim has a broad commercial and chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on litigation concerning issues in respect of commercial agreements and company, international trusts and insolvency matters. He is recommended as a leading practitioner in six directories, including for the fields of commercial chancery, company, trusts, asset recovery, insolvency and offshore. 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. He acts in cases across numerous jurisdictions, including BVI, Bermuda, Cayman, Hong Kong and the Channel Islands. He is one of the contributors to Minority Shareholders: Law, Practice and Procedure (7th edition), where he writes the chapters on Rights Under the Companies Act 2006 and on Remedies and Valuation, and co-writes the chapter on Unfair Prejudice: the Statutory Remedy.
Matthew has a broad commercial chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on civil fraud, company and partnership and insolvency litigation. Matthew has also appeared in a number of judicial review claims and other matters raising issues of public and administrative law. Matthew has been instructed as sole counsel in proceedings before the High Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as in the Courts of the BVI, the DIFC, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. He is also regularly instructed as junior counsel in large-scale commercial and chancery matters both onshore and offshore. In addition, Matthew has significant experience of assisting advocates in appearances before the Royal Courts of Jersey and Guernsey.
Matthew is recommended by Legal 500 as a leading individual in civil fraud, commercial litigation, insolvency, company and partnership, and offshore. He is ranked in Chambers & Partners for civil fraud, commercial dispute resolution, commercial chancery, company and offshore, and in Chambers & Partners Global for commercial, commercial chancery and offshore.
Michael is a highly sought after senior junior specialising in property, commercial chancery, civil fraud and professional liability. Known for his extensive trial experience, strategic focus and excellent cross-examination, clients have told Legal 500: 'Michael is a phenomenal property lawyer who understands not only the academic intricacy of property law, but how it works and can be made to work in practice for his clients.'
Michael frequently appears in the Court of Appeal, High Court, County Court, and Tribunals in connection with all areas of his practice. Michael draws on his broad expert knowledge to advise clients on how to best achieve their strategic goals in complex cases and transactions. He receives regular instructions in commercial matters and projects involving property, company and partnership law, development finance, securities and planning.
In 2021 Michael was appointed to the Attorney General’s A Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown.
James has a very busy commercial chancery practice with a focus on domestic and international commercial and trusts disputes. He has been recognised as a leading practitioner in those fields in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers High Net Worth, and Who’s Who Legal where he is described as a “brilliant lawyer” and a “Superstar”. James was also awarded Chambers and Partners junior chancery barrister 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, the Cayman Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and Panama.
Zahler has a broad commercial chancery practice, with a particular emphasis on contentious trusts, civil fraud and company disputes. She regularly advises on a wide range of matters, with considerable experience in large-scale trust and commercial 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. Zahler is a contributing author to Minority Shareholders (OUP, 7th Ed, 2024) and was awarded 'Chancery Junior of the Year' at the Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023.
Harry 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 offshore. 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”. He has previously he received the “star junior” award at the Chambers High Net Worth Awards.
Ollie practises across Chambers' core areas of commercial chancery work, with a particular emphasis on civil fraud and contentious trusts disputes both in London and in the major offshore jurisdictions. He is recognised as a leading junior in these areas by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. He is described in the current edition of Chambers & Partners as an “outstanding senior junior”, who is “very good at reading what it is that clients want” and “brilliant on his feet”.
In 2019, Ollie was admitted to the Bar of the BVI.
Ollie’s current or recent fraud cases include acting for an international film Group in bringing bribery claims against its former treasury manager and FX broker; and acting for c.45 victims of an FX Ponzi scheme carried out in the US in bringing an action in dishonest assistance against the London-based FX broker used by the fraudsters.
In the contentious trusts sphere, current or recent cases include acting for the Interim Administrators of the BVI, English and Singaporean estates of a deceased Russian oligarch, acting for one of two adult beneficiaries in complex proceedings in Jersey concerning three trusts which hold a prominent global business, and several cases in the Channel Islands in which Ollie is instructed for trustees bringing claims for breach of trust against former trustees.
Sparsh is a commercial chancery barrister with a heavy focus on company, trusts and offshore disputes. A rarity for someone of his call, he is regularly instructed as sole counsel on offshore matters. Examples of his present matters include a dispute regarding the powers and duties of an interim administration of a valuable BVI estate, a claim that a settlor did not properly divest himself of the ownership of assets settled in a Cayman law discretionary trust, and a claim to breach of contractual duties regarding the management of offshore social casino gaming platforms. Sparsh has also appeared before the Privy Council twice as part of a counsel team ("Chu v Lau" [2020] UKPC 24 on appeal from the BVI, and "Perry v Lopag" [2023] UKPC 16 on appeal from the Cayman Islands). He is due to appear again (led by Richard Wilson KC) before the Privy Council in "Dawson-Damer v Grampian Trust Company Limited" (on appeal from The Bahamas). He is said to be a "pleasure to work with" and a "first-rate junior" in the most recent editions of Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.
Andrew has a busy Commercial Chancery practice across Chambers’ core areas, with interests in civil fraud and asset tracing, offshore and domestic trusts litigation, matrimonial finance, insolvency, company, and property law. Andrew particularly welcomes instructions which involve legal or factual complexity, interim remedies and allegations of fraud.
Since completing pupillage in 2023, Anneliese has been developing a broad commercial and chancery practice. She has worked on a range of private client and commercial matters involving contracts, trusts, wills, fraud, intellectual property, and art.
Anneliese brings her prior professional and commercial experience to her legal work. Before transferring to the Bar, Anneliese was a Specialist at leading international auction houses, working closely with small businesses and high-net-worth private collectors and their estates. She also holds an MBA and worked in strategy consulting and market research full-time alongside her legal studies.
Renowned for its breathtaking panoramic views of the New York City skyline, the Rainbow Room offers an elegant and sophisticated setting that perfectly complements the prestige of this international event. With its Art Deco decor, world-class cuisine, and a rich history of hosting distinguished gatherings, the Rainbow Room provides attendees with an unparalleled backdrop for engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and memorable moments, ensuring that this conference will be an unforgettable experience in a truly remarkable venue.
View from the Rainbow Room
Rainbow Room
Hereford Litigation is a London-based, international third-party funder and legal assets investor. Hereford provides intellectual rigour, experience, discretion and independence of thought. Hereford brings considerable experience across third party funding and special situations investing, combined with flexible and permanent capital. Hereford invests globally across a wide range of case types. The Hereford team includes two leading English KCs, six highly experienced litigation solicitors (three of whom were previously heads of litigation departments at major law firms) and the former head of special situations credit at a large investment bank. The Hereford team looks forward to meeting you all at the conference.
Kroll specialises in asset recovery and investigations, helping clients reclaim misappropriated funds through intelligence-led strategies and legal enforcement. With deep expertise in forensic accounting, financial analysis, and global investigations, we uncover hidden assets and take decisive action to secure them. As appointed liquidators, receivers, and trustees, we manage recovery processes directly, delivering measurable outcomes. Our ability to navigate complex jurisdictions and enforce legal remedies sets us apart. Whether tracing assets, executing claims, or enforcing judgments, Kroll offers a comprehensive approach to safeguarding financial interests and maximizing recoveries.
Zoe Gardiner (Business Development and Marketing Director).
Crystal Fernandes (Marketing Manager).
Sarah Fletcher (Marketing Executive).
Lucy Slattery (Marketing Assistant).
We are here to assist you with any questions, registration details, or special requests you may have. Feel free to reach out to us via email at events@serlecourt.co.uk.
