Adrian de Froment


Year of Call: 2013

Portrait of Adrian de Froment

Practice Overview

Adrian has a broad commercial chancery practice with a focus on commercial disputes, intellectual property, civil fraud and offshore and DIFC disputes. He has a particular interest in matters which combine these practice areas. Much of Adrian's work has an international or cross-border element to it, and he has experience of jurisdiction disputes, conflict of laws, service out of the jurisdiction and enforcement of foreign judgments.

He has substantial experience of large, complex litigation, having acted in matters including the RBS Rights Issue litigation and Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company Limited and ors, one of the highest value trust cases to have been litigated (both at the 6-month trial heard in 2022 and the 2-week appeal heard in January 2025).

Adrian also regularly appears unled in the High Court and IPEC, including recently acting for the successful parties in two patent disputes (D.W. Windsor Limited v Urbis Schreder Limited [2025] EWHC 563 (IPEC) and Bionome Technology Limited v Clearwater [2024] EWHC 3155 (Ch)) and in UK enforcement proceedings following judgment in the DIFC for $135 million (Barclays v Shetty [2022] EWHC 19 (Comm)). He also acted for the successful defendants in INVISTA v Botes and ors [2019] EWHC 58 (Ch), a 7-day trial before Birss J. of claims relating to alleged breaches of confidence by research scientists.

Adrian is a registered Part II Practitioner before the DIFC Courts. He has been instructed in numerous matters overseas, both at first instance and on appeal, including in the DIFC Courts (where he acted in Barclays v Shetty [2020] DIFC CFI 061 and Lural v Listran and Lokhan [2021] DIFC CA 003) and the courts of The Bahamas and Bermuda. He also has experience obtaining interim relief, including freezing relief and Norwich Pharmacal relief.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Adrian gained a PhD in evolutionary biology from Princeton University. As a former scientist, he is well placed to deal with scientific and quantitative issues that arise in litigation.

News & Events

  • News

    Serle Court at Dubai Arbitration Week 2025

    Serle Court is proud to announce it will be co-sponsoring three events with Holman Fenwick Willan, NHB Legal and... Read More

    News

    Serle Court Achieves Outstanding Results in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

    We are delighted to announce another year of outstanding rankings and testimonials in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026. Serle Court has... Read More

  • Events

    Software Disputes: a review of the recent law on ownership of copyright, injunctive relief and remedies

    Location: Online
    Read More

    Events

    SCL IT Disputes Group - Software Disputes: a review of the recent law on ownership of copyright, injunctive relief and remedies

    Location: 6 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, WC2A 3QS
    Read More

  • "Adrian is a detail-oriented, focused and diligent barrister who provides pragmatic and realistic responses to client or solicitor proposals while never neglecting the client’s stated goal."

    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • "Adrian’s attention to detail has been impressive. He was proactive and approachable throughout. Adrian was particularly impressive on his feet and agile with his advocacy." 

    Chambers & Partners, 2026
  • "Adrian's work advising on IP disputes is of the highest quality. Adrian's draft pleadings on complex IP matters stand up to the scrutiny of years of subsequent litigation."

    Chambers & Partners, 2026

Education & Qualifications

BA Biological Sciences (Double First), New College, Oxford

PhD Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

GDL (Distinction), City University London

BPTC (Outstanding), City University London

Oxford Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice 

Appointments

Registered Part II Practitioner before the DIFC Courts - December 2019

Languages

French

Prizes and awards

Queen Mother’s Scholarship, Middle Temple (for the GDL and the BPTC)

Burroughs-Wellcome Fellowship, Princeton University

Centennial Fellowship, Princeton University

Scholarship, New College, Oxford

News & Events

  • News

    Serle Court at Dubai Arbitration Week 2025

    Serle Court is proud to announce it will be co-sponsoring three events with Holman Fenwick Willan, NHB Legal and... Read More

    News

    Serle Court Achieves Outstanding Results in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

    We are delighted to announce another year of outstanding rankings and testimonials in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026. Serle Court has... Read More

  • Events

    Software Disputes: a review of the recent law on ownership of copyright, injunctive relief and remedies

    Location: Online Read More

    Events

    SCL IT Disputes Group - Software Disputes: a review of the recent law on ownership of copyright, injunctive relief and remedies

    Location: 6 New Square, Lincoln's Inn, WC2A 3QS Read More