Middle East
“Described as a ‘powerhouse when it comes to DIFC court litigation’ Serle Court remains a popular choice for commercial, banking, civil fraud and asset recovery litigation and arbitration proceedings.”
Legal 500 2025
“Described as a ‘powerhouse when it comes to DIFC court litigation’ Serle Court remains a popular choice for commercial, banking, civil fraud and asset recovery litigation and arbitration proceedings.”
Legal 500 2025
Serle Court is widely regarded as a stand-out set in the Middle East, consistently achieving top-tier rankings and industry recognition.
Over the past decade, our sustained presence in the region and the high esteem in which our barristers are held, have established Chambers as the leading English set operating in the market.
Acting for clients across a broad spectrum of sectors and specialisms, our barristers’ work in the Middle East includes:
Serle Court members continue to act in the most significant cases litigated before the DIFC Courts and maintain a strong presence in the Middle East arbitration market, as both counsel and arbitrators. Frequent visitors to the region, our barristers combine technical excellence with a deep understanding of local practice, culture, and some even the language.
Serle Court is also associated with the first comprehensive, and now leading practitioners’ text, on DIFC law and the Rules of the DIFC Courts DIFC Courts Practice (Second Edition, published in 2024). This reflects not only our knowledge of procedural rules but also insight into the market.
In 2026, Serle Court was named ‘English Bar in the Middle East: Commercial Set of the Year’ at the Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards.
One of our barristers is the co-founder and Chair of BarMENA, a network of London lawyers with an interest in better understanding the laws of the Middle East.
Our dedicated Middle East Practice Director, Daniel Wheeler, maintains close and regular contact with clients and contacts throughout the region and within the DIFC, ensuring the delivery of a consistently high standard of service.
Call: 1983
Silk: 2002
Call: 1987
Silk: 2006
Call: 1997
Silk: 2013
Call: 1996
Silk: 2014
Call: 1993
Silk: 2015
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).
Call: 2004
Silk: 2025
Call: 2006
Silk: 2025
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.
Call: 2007
Silk: 2026
Call: 2011
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.
Call: 2011
Call: 2013
Call: 2013
Call: 2016
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.
Call: 2020
Call: 2021
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
Call: 2022
Call: 2023
Call: 2024
Serle Court has significant experience in cross-border disputes involving Asia, notably Hong Kong and Singapore, and the wider Asia-Pacific region – particularly where English law intersects with offshore and international issues.
Serle Court is widely recognised as a leading offshore set for the Caribbean and Bermuda, reflecting the scale and significance of our work in the region.
Serle Court has a well-established practice across the Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar. Our barristers are regularly instructed in high-value disputes connected to Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, including complex multi-jurisdictional litigation arising from offshore financial and corporate structures.
Significant strength-in-depth in commercial work, particularly in arbitration and DIFC matters.
Legal 500 2026
Serle Court stands out as the leading London set for DIFC litigation. It offers one of the largest and most recognised teams dedicated to this field, with members regularly instructed on high-stakes commercial and financial services disputes involving novel points of law.
Chambers Global
Considerable depth in quality and one of the few offering genuine specialism in DIFC court work.
Legal 500
In the first judgment to consider the jurisdictional gateways introduced by the Courts Law 2025, the DIFC Court reaffirmed the breadth of its jurisdiction and granted a worldwide freezing order of more than US$100 million.
The DIFC Court of Appeal has recognised the Foreign Act of State doctrine in DIFC law while refusing to set aside an ICC arbitral award, with Zoe O’Sullivan KC acting for Korek.
Zoe O’Sullivan KC acted for Korek in a landmark DIFC Court of Appeal judgment on the Foreign Act of State doctrine and the amended Applications Law.
Rupert Reed KC and Gregor Hogan acted for the successful respondent in a landmark DIFC Court of Appeal decision clarifying the scope of the public policy exception to the enforcement of arbitral awards.
Serle Court members Rupert Reed KC, Zoe O’Sullivan KC, Michael Walsh KC, James Weale KC, Stephen Doherty, Gregor Hogan, Max Marenbon, Ryan Tang and Alfie Lewis will be in Dubai from 21 – 24 September 2026.
Michael Walsh KC, Gregor Hogan and Henry Fahrenkamp successfully represented the claimants in a significant DIFC Court decision clarifying the limits of confidentiality rings and reaffirming the principles of open justice and a fair trial.
In the first judgment to consider the jurisdictional gateways introduced by the Courts Law 2025, the DIFC Court reaffirmed the breadth of its jurisdiction and granted a worldwide freezing order of more than US$100 million.
Michael Walsh KC, Gregor Hogan and Henry Fahrenkamp successfully obtained a mid-trial proprietary injunction in a significant DIFC trust dispute involving approximately US$28 million in disputed assets.
LEADING SET:
UK Bar 2026
WINNER:
MENA Awards 2026 - English Bar in the Middle East: Commercial Set of the Year
WINNER:
Best Chambers for Work / Life Balance 2026
SHORTLISTED:
UK Bar Awards 2025 - Chancery Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED:
Bar Awards 2025 - Chancery Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED:
Chambers of the Year Award 2025
WINNER:
Bar Awards 2024 - Chancery Set of the Year
WINNER:
Middle East Awards 2024 - Middle East-Wide Dispute Resolution: Leading UK Barristers' Set
SHORTLISTED:
Bar Awards 2024 - Intellectual Property Set of the Year
SHORTLISTED:
Bar Awards 2024 - Commercial Litigation Set of the Year
Contact Us
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Lincoln's Inn
London
WC2A 3QS
Phone: +44 (0)20 7242 6105
Email: clerks@serlecourt.co.uk
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