"Serle Court has increasing bench strength, with number of juniors coming through to make a name for themselves in complex banking and finance and Middle Eastern work."
"Highly skilled’ in banking disputes, especially offshore and fraud-related cases"
We have a strong and growing reputation as one of the leading sets of chambers for banking and financial services litigation. Several members of Serle Court are recognised in the directories as leading practitioners in this area and our members have participated (sometimes on opposing sides) in some of the main banking and financial services cases of recent years, including the RBS Rights Issue Litigation, the Bank Charges Litigation, cases arising out of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and many misselling cases including JP Morgan Chase v Springwell Navigation Corp.
Members of Serle Court act both for and against banks and financial services companies and have experience in a wide range of banking transactions, instruments and types of dispute.
Our banking and financial services clients often appreciate our ability to couple expertise in those fields with expertise in other areas that may be relevant, such as insolvency, trusts, regulatory issues and fraud/asset recovery.
Chambers UK 2021
Silks
David Blayney KC: "He is exceedingly bright and very good on his feet." "He has a super-computer brain for any sort of technical, scientific or financial expert material and he has a very easy and understated style of advocacy."
Legal 500 2021
Serle Court is an 'excellent commercial set' whose members are often instructed on market-leading and complex banking and finance disputes, including many with an international angle.
Silks:
Elizabeth Jones KC: "An outstanding mind and phenomally hard worker."
Dominic Dowley KC: "Quick and great on the papers."
Philip Marshall KC: "A superlative Commercial and Chancery Silk – creative with exceptional tangential thinking ability and very hard working."
David Blayney KC: "A brilliant mind, and first choice for complex and fact-heavy financial litigation. Large-spirited and unflappable."
Rupert Reed KC: "Our go to silk for DIFC Court matters - he is pre-eminent in the UAE and DIFC."
Juniors:
Simon Hattan: "Top-notch senior junior - works hard, is reliable and produces excellent work product."
Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse Trust Limited [2023] SGCH(I) 9:
The Singapore International Commercial Court (International Judge Bergin) has today handed down judgment following the trial of the dispute between Bidzina Ivanishvili and other plaintiffs and Credit Suisse Trust Limited. The claim stemmed from the long-running fraud committed by Patrice Lescaudron, an employee of Credit Suisse Bank in Geneva.
In a detailed judgment spanning 257 pages, the Court upheld the Plaintiffs’ claim that the Defendant acted in breach of trust. Of particular interest:
The Court has determined the basis for the assessment of loss and ordered that the calculations of loss be updated following the judgment. The total loss is expected to be in excess of USD 900 million.
Sophie Holcombe and Jamie Randall acted for the successful Plaintiffs with Drew & Napier LLC.CIVI
To read the judgment, please click here.
State of Qatar v Emirates NBD Bank:
Philip Marshall QC, Jonathan Harris QC (Hon.) and James Mather are acting for Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in State of Qatar v Emirates NBD Bank, one of the largest claims to be brought in the English High Court, in which claims are brought against the bank by the State of Qatar in conspiracy said to arise out of an alleged international scheme to manipulate the value of Qatari currency and bonds connected with the so-called ‘blockade’ of Qatar by neighbouring Gulf states causing the Qatari Central Bank to have to deposit US$13 billion.
Grove Park Properties v Royal Bank of Scotland:
Lance Ashworth QC acts for the claimant in Grove Park Properties v Royal Bank of Scotland, which is due for a 10-day Commercial Court trial in January 2021, in which it is alleged that the defendant bank fraudulently amended a loan agreement to halve the term of the loan.
Shanghai Shipyard Co Ltd v Reignwood International Investment (Group) Company Ltd [2020] EWHC 803 (Comm):
Zoe O’Sullivan KC acted for the successful defendant in a US$170m guarantee claim brought by the Shanghai Shipyard, in which Robin Knowles J held that the guarantee given by it to the Shipyard in respect of the final installment of a shipbuilding contract was not a performance bond but gave rise only to secondary liability: Shanghai Shipyard v Reignwood International Investment (Group) Company Ltd [2020] EWHC 803 (Comm). She is also acted for the shipowner in its 2021 LMAA arbitration claim under the shipbuilding contract.
Please click here to view the judgment.
Ang v Reliantco [2019] 3 W.L.R. 161:
Jonathan Harris QC (Hon.) and Zahler Bryan successfully argued that an investor in Bitcoin futures was a consumer for the purposes of the European rules of jurisdiction in Ang v Reliantco [2019] 3 W.L.R. 161.
Yukos Finance B.V & ors v Stephen Lynch & Ors:
Jonathan Adkin QC successfully acted for one of the Defendants in Yukos Finance B.V & ors v Stephen Lynch & Ors in a five-week Commercial Court trial arising out of the Yukos Oil saga, in which allegations of corrupt participation in a rigged Russian auction were dismissed.
Please click here to view the judgment.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) v Srinivasan [2019] EWHC 3495 (Ch):
In Punjab National Bank (PNB) v Srinivasan [2019] EWHC 3495 (Ch), Matthew Morrison appeared for the Third Defendant in connection with an appeal from a judgment setting aside permission to serve the Defendants out of the jurisdiction. PNB's claims in respect of loans totaling US$37 m were based on personal guarantees and allegations that the loans had been produced by fraudulent misrepresentation. The decision to set aside permission on the grounds of non-disclosure of existing foreign proceedings, and the absence of viable claims in contract and deceit, was upheld on appeal.
Please click here to view the judgment.
The Global Legal Post:
'Banking litigation offers appellate insight on sanctions compliance' article by Professor Suzanne Rab
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Wilson Leung has written an article for LexisNexis: ‘Bankruptcy debtor had ‘carried on business’ by letting out a single property (Durkan v Jones)’
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ThoughtLeaders4 Disputes: Funding Litigation Against Financial Institutions & Big Corporates in 2024 - Issues For Your Radar
Location: Online, via Zoom Read More
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"Good strength in depth of hardworking juniors"
Welcome to SerleShare
SerleShare is an up-to-date digital marketing initiative that came to life in July 2020 when our Business Development and... Read More
Wilson Leung has written an article for LexisNexis: ‘Bankruptcy debtor had ‘carried on business’ by letting out a single property (Durkan v Jones)’
In an article for LexisNexis, Wilson Leung analyses Durkan v Jones [2023] EWHC 1359 (Ch) (a case in which Wilson acted as... Read More
ThoughtLeaders4 Disputes: Funding Litigation Against Financial Institutions & Big Corporates in 2024 - Issues For Your Radar
Location: Online, via Zoom Read More
The Financial Regulatory and Disputes Summit 2021
Location: Queen Elizabeth II Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, London, SW1P 3EE Read More
