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Giles Richardson KC

Year of Call: 1997 Year of Silk: 2022

"Giles is superb. He is exceptionally hard-working, supremely talented and is a great black-letter lawyer but also has exceptional strategic insight, tactical insight and is a complete package. On top of that, he is an exceptional draftsman and will turn around drafts very quickly and they will be sparkling. He is brilliant."

Chambers & Partners High Net Worth
Portrait of Giles Richardson KC
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    Practice Overview

    Giles took silk in 2022.  He specialises in trusts, probate, company and fiduciary obligations litigation, both in London and offshore, as well as associated professional negligence and fraud work.  He also acts in high value financial remedy actions in the Family Division. 

    Giles is ranked in Chambers and Partners for all of Traditional Chancery, Commercial Chancery, Offshore, Trusts and Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts being described as “A joy to work with, Giles is a hugely talented advocate, who is fiercely intelligent. Clients and solicitors love him, and he also commands the ear of the court” and in Legal 500 for Trusts and Private Wealth, Private Wealth and Probate and Company law where he is described as “a superstar … incredibly bright, inspires the utmost confidence in clients and has a very collaborative approach. He is a real team player”.

    • Areas of Expertise
      • Expertise Shortlist Private Client Trusts and Probate

          Davidson v Seelig [2016] EWHC 549: instructed to advise and act in High Court proceedings, one of the first after the Supreme Court decision in Pitt v Holt / Futter v Futter, to invoke the “Re Hastings-Bass” jurisdiction to set aside defective exercises of power by trustees, in this instance in relation to exercise of powers of appointment in 2003 under complex family trusts first settled in 1967.  

          High Commissioner for Pakistan v Prince Mukkaram Jah, his exalted Highness the Nizam VIII of Hyderabad: instructed to represent and advise the estate of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad in relation to a c. £20m bank account deposited in London by the 7th Nizam in 1947 to which Pakistan, India and his grandsons also lay claim, the case concerning alleged informal trust arrangements and successive testamentary dispositions by the 7th Nizam.

          DIA v Pugachev: acted for New Zealand trustees of trust structures established to benefit the family of a Russian banker, whose assets were pursued by various Russian entities.

          Re EAIC [2014] WTLR57: instructed on behalf of joint adminstrators from KPMG of schemes of arrangement dealing with an insolvent insurance company who were also the trustees of a c.£20m trust fund held for the benefit of its policy holders. The trustees faced a real issue with their ability under the trust instrument to make payments to entitled policy holders in a commercially sensible and efficient manner. A claim was therefore made in the High Court for, effectively, a variation of the trust under s.57 of the Trustee Act 1925 to permit payments to be made, relying on a novel approach to s.57 and dependent on actuarial advice. The claim succeeded.

          A Ltd v B and others [2013] JRC075: instructed to advise and provide an Opinion for production before the Royal Court by the Qualified Member of a Jersey foundation in the first (reported) decision on the ambit of appropriate directions obtainable by a council member or foundation. The Court noted ([16]) that his Opinion was a "very clear and helpful opinion from which we have drawn extensively for the purposes of this judgment".

          Barclays Wealth Trustees (Jersey) Ltd v Equity Trust (Jersey) Limited: acting in proceedings against the former trustee of unit trusts investing in Eastern European property developments for alleged breaches of trust and significant losses arising therefrom.

          Emerald Bay Worldwide Limited v Barclays Wealth (Guernsey Judgment 16/2013): instructed on the trial in Guernsey of a US$8m by a BVI company held within a Jersey law trust against its Guernsey incorporated former directors for breach of duties of care and skill in relation to the acquisition of a jet airplane, raising a number of significant BVI company law issues, including its regime as to the indemnification of directors.

          Walker v Egerton-Vernon and others: instructed on behalf of a personal trustee of the family trust of late Jack Walker (former Blackburn Rovers' chairman) in proceedings commenced against him and other trustees by beneficiaries in Jersey, following Jack Walker's death, involving breach of trust allegations concerning investment in Flybe and distributions to Blackburn Rovers football club.

          Pearson v Lehman Brothers Finance SA and others [2010] EWHC 2914 (Ch.): advising and appearing at trial arising from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, acting for principal US Lehman entities in relation to funds held within the Lehman estate in London, in claims giving rise to important issues as to the trust principles applicable to intermediated securities.

      • Expertise Shortlist Company

          Protec International Ltd v Stout: instructed in English proceedings following Guernsey proceedings which determined the shareholdings and directorships of a Guernsey company to claim diverted intellectual property assets against an English company held by former joint venture partners.

          F G Hemisphere v Gecamines [2012] UKPC 27: instructed to act in the Privy Council appeal of a Congolese state owned mining company seeking to resist enforcement by a U.S. distressed debt fund of state debts against c.US$120m of its assets arising from a Jersey joint venture vehicle.

          Raffiesenlandesbank v Maxfold LLP and others: instructed on behalf of the corporate directors of English LLPs and of the foreign directors of those corporate directors in a fraud action brought against them by an Austrian Bank alleging their complicity in that fraud, in which the LLPs were allegedly used as conduits to facilitate the extraction of €1.4m from the bank. The claim raised complex and interesting issues of company law and the effects of incorporation as to the extent to which an (allegedly) defrauded party can proceed directly against the officers of such alleged conduits in a fraud (and indeed against the officers of such officers) rather than having to collapse the structure through liquidations.

          Emerald Bay Worldwide Limited v Barclays Wealth (Guernsey Judgment 16/2013) : instructed on the trial on appeal in Guernsey of a US$8m by a BVI company held within a Jersey law trust against its Guernsey incorporated former directors for breach of duties of care and skill in relation to the acquisition of a jet airplane, raising a number of significant BVI company law issues, including its regime as to the indemnification of directors.

          Walker v Egerton-Vernon and others: instructed on behalf of a personal trustee of the family trust of late Jack Walker (former Blackburn Rovers' chairman) in proceedings commenced against him and other trustees by beneficiaries in Jersey, following Jack Walker's death, involving breach of trust allegations concerning investment in Flybe and distributions to Blackburn Rovers football club.

          Belgravia Financial Services Group v First Vanguard: instructed on behalf of Hong Kong based directors and investors in a complex international company law dispute involving allegation of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.

      • Expertise Shortlist Commercial Litigation

          First Peninsula Trustees Limited v Picard & others: instructed to act for the trustees of B.V.I. settlements which received substantial sums from Madoff feeder funds in relation to claims brought by the principal Madoff office holder in New York and in London.

          F G Hemisphere v Gecamines [2012] UKPC 27: instructed to act in the Privy Council appeal of a Congolese state owned mining company seeking to resist enforcement by a U.S. distressed debt fund of state debts against c.US$120m of its assets arising from a Jersey joint venture vehicle.

          Pearson v Lehman Brothers Finance SA and others [2010] EWHC 2914 (Ch.): advising and appearing at trial arising from the collapse of Lehman Brothers, acting for principal US Lehman entities in relation to funds held within the Lehman estate in London, in claims giving rise to important issues as to the trust principles applicable to intermediated securities.

          Lexingville Investments Ltd v BNP Paribas Securities Services SA: proceedings against BNP Paribas for alleged breaches of custodianship duties owed to it in dealing with client securities.

      • Expertise Shortlist Civil Fraud

          First Peninsula Trustees Limited v Picard & others: instructed to act for the trustees of B.V.I. settlements which received substantial sums from Madoff feeder funds in relation to claims brought by the principal Madoff office holder in New York and in London.

          Raffiesenlandesbank v Maxfold LLP and others: instructed on behalf of the corporate directors of English LLPs and of the foreign directors of those corporate directors in a fraud action brought against them by an Austrian Bank alleging their complicity in that fraud, in which the LLPs were allegedly used as conduits to facilitate the extraction of €1.4m from the bank. The claim raised complex and interesting issues of company law and the effects of incorporation as to the extent to which an (allegedly) defrauded party can proceed directly against the officers of such alleged conduits in a fraud (and indeed against the officers of such officers) rather than having to collapse the structure through liquidations.

      • Insolvency
      • Chancery
      • Banking and Financial Services
      • Professional Negligence
      • International and Offshore
      • Matrimonial Finance: Trusts and Company law
    • Recommendations

        Private Client Global Elite Directory (2023)
        Chancery: Commercial, Chancery: Traditional, Offshore, Trusts, Family and Matriomonial (Chambers & Partners)
        Dispute Resolution: Commercial Chancery, Offshore, Private Wealth: Trusts (Chambers Global, 2022)
        Chancery: Traditional (Chambers High Net Worth, 2017-2023)
        Private Client: Trusts and Probate, Offshore, Company and Partnership (The Legal 500)
        Private Client (Who's Who Legal: UK Bar, 2019 & 2022)

    • What the directories say

        "Giles is brilliant. He's incredibly talented, he works hard and he is bright and engaging. His strategic insight and input are always valued, and clients love him." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Great in court and a real all-rounder, he has a great reputation and rightly so. He is very detail-focused and does not get lost in the weeds." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "A joy to work with, Giles is a hugely talented advocate, who is fiercely intelligent. Clients and solicitors love him, and he also commands the ear of the court." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is a pleasure to work with and gives excellent, well-informed advice." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "He's always helpful and on hand. Clients really trust him." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "He is absolutely incredible at dealing with complex legal issues." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is excellent and a go-to in this space." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is hugely experienced and has a good reputation. He is a silk who rolls up his sleeves and is very user-friendly." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is one of the go-to leading counsel for chancery trust matters, whose knowledge of the sector is unmatched. He is one of the brightest silks out there and very good on complex disputes." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "He is the most highly sought-after chancery barrister on the scene. He is an intellectual powerhouse who brings humility with that." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is extremely pragmatic and a very sensible person to deal with. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of the case and is someone whom you just have enormous respect for." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "He is one of the brightest silks out there and is very good at complex and often unique disputes." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "He is phenomenal and his ability to work from first principles is exceptional. His legal analysis is great and he always cuts through to the main points." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is very down to earth, very responsive, excellent with clients and not afraid to give decisive advice." (Chambers & Partners, 2025)

        "Giles is a superstar. He is incredibly bright, inspires the utmost confidence in clients and has a very collaborative approach. He is a real team player." (The Legal 500, 2025)

        "Giles Richardson KC is an exceptionally well-respected barrister who is frequently trusted with complex multi-jurisdictional matters. He is also noted for his experience in matrimonial finance and other matters falling in the crossover between family law and traditional chancery." (Chambers & Partners, 2024)

        "He's very commercial in his approach, very approachable and someone you can pick up the phone to." (Chambers & Partners, 2024)

        "He's massively intelligent and has always been extremely user-friendly." (Chambers & Partners, 2024)

        "Giles is excellent, with a brain the size of Britain. He's calm and totally unflappable." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar 2023)

        "Giles Richardson is great and the courts appreciate his explanations an work. He's absolutely superb, calm, cool and collected, but charming with it, which really helps clients." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Such a clever guy, and so pleasant to deal with." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Very experienced and good on the strategy" (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Giles Richardson has provided stellar counsel." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "He is very clever, very experienced, and advised the right strategy for our case." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Giles Richardson is brilliant in both traditional chancery work and high net worth disputes. He is personable when dealing with clients and has got a good way of putting them at ease." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "His is effortless advocacy, gracefully delivered - he is an absolute joy to work with. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Giles." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Calm, responsive and engaged, he is the full package. He is an exceptional barrister, loved by clients." "Giles is one of the best in terms of knowledge, experience, strategy and tactics. You want him on your side in thorny disputes." (Chambers & Partners UK Bar, 2023)

        "Giles is an excellent and very academic lawyer who consistently provides high-quality legal advice on extremely complex issues, often with complicated cross-border elements." (Chambers & Partners HNW, 2023)

        "Giles is superb. He is exceptionally hard-working, supremely talented and is a great black-letter lawyer but also has exceptional strategic insight, tactical insight and is a complete package. On top of that, he is an exceptional draftsman and will turn around drafts very quickly and they will be sparkling. He is brilliant." (Chambers & Partners HNW, 2023)

        "Personable and supremely intelligent. he has a great way with clients and his written advice is considered and reasoned." "Giles' advice is very helpful, very user-friendly, and very commercial. It has rigorous analysis behind it. He's really bright and a real team player." (Chambers & Partners, 2022)

        "He is plainly exceptionally bright and extraordinarily able." (Chambers & Partners, 2022)

        "He doesn't beat around the bush, and his answers are always spot on. He gets to the meat of the case within seconds and he acts quickly." "Giles is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in offshore contentious trust work, with none of the stuffiness." (Chambers & Partners, 2022)

        "His technical understanding of trusts is second to none. If you are in a difficult complex dispute he's the man you want as he's good on the strategy." (Chambers & Partners, 2022)

         "Has an innate ability to explain difficult technical points in a user-friendly way." "He is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in handling contentious offshore trust work." "Calm, measured and assured as an advocate, he adopts a clinical approach that is devastatingly effective." (Chambers & Partners, 2022)

        "Is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in the field of contentious trust and private client work, which he combines to great effect with charm, hard work and approachability."  (The Legal 500, 2022)

        "Giles provides sharp. timely and fearless advice, whilst being extremely user friendly." (The Legal 500, 2022)

         "Personable, professional and a joy to deal with." (The Legal 500, 2022)

        "Outstanding" he has "excellent judgement on how the court will deal with issues, and is a fearless advocate." "His goal is to find the solution together and he is fantastic at guiding both clients and instructing solicitors towards a strategy everyone is on board with." (Chambers High Net Worth 2021)

        "An outstanding barrister, easy to work with, solid and technically very gifted." "His pragmatic advice is world class." "He provides quick and thorough advice and inspires confidence with clients." (Chambers Global, 2021)

        "He's just brilliant - exceptionally clever, hard-working and responsive." "He's very user-friendly and is a measured advocate." (Chambers Global, 2021)

        "Clever and a delight to work with, he can more than hold his own against the more established silks in the area." "For offshore trusts work, he's truly a top choice - unflappable, very very responsive, and someone for whom nothing is too much trouble." (Chambers Global, 2021)

        "Clever and a delight to work with, he can more than hold his own against the more established silks in the area." "For offshore trusts work, he's truly a top choice - unflappable, very very responsive, and someone for whom nothing is too much trouble." (Chambers & Partners, 2021)

        "Bridges the gap between matrimonial and complex trust issues. He is approachable, gets stuck in, works well in a team and has a detailed, technical knowledge of trusts law." "Brilliant with clients, witty and extremely hard-working, he is able to explain complicated trust issues in a clear and understandable way." (Chambers & Partners, 2021)

        "An outstanding barrister, easy to work with, solid and technically very gifted." "His pragmatic advice is world class." "He provides quick and thorough advice and inspires confidence with clients." (Chambers & Partners, 2021)

        "Has a very good sense of humour, and is utterly unflappable. He's incredibly diligent and bright, and is always on top of the most recent law." (Chambers & Partners, 2021)

        "He's just brilliant - exceptionally clever, hard-working and responsive." "He's very user-friendly and is a measured advocate." (Chambers & Partners, 2021)

        "Quick and incisive, good with clients and fun to work with." (The Legal 500, 2021)

        "He is so clever and his tactics are fantastic. He is exceptionally knowledgeable in all aspects of trusts and estates disputes particularly in the matrimonial context." (The Legal 500, 2021)

        "He balances different jurisdictions with aplomb and is particularly skilled at distilling complex advice into digestible form." (The Legal 500, 2021)

    • Publications

        Minority Shareholders - Law, Practice and Procedure (OUP 5th ed., 2015), co-author

    News & Events

    • News

      Serle Court Excels in Chambers Global Guide 2025

      Serle Court is delighted to have once again achieved top-band recognition in the Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025. We are... Read More

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      Serle Court Achieves Top Tier Ranking in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025: The English Bar Offshore

      Serle Court is delighted to have once again achieved top-tier recognition in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025: The English Bar Offshore, with... Read More

    • Events

      Junior Litigators’ Forum | 5 - 6 June

      Location: Lowry Hotel, Manchester, UK
      Read More

      Events

      ConTra & Informa Connect: Junior Litigators’ Forum

      Location: The Grand Hotel Birmingham, UK
      Read More

    View all news & events

    • "He is phenomenal and his ability to work from first principles is exceptional. His legal analysis is great and he always cuts through to the main points."

      Chambers & Partners, 2025

    • "Giles is extremely pragmatic and a very sensible person to deal with. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of the case and is someone whom you just have enormous respect for."

      Chambers & Partners, 2025

    • "Giles is hugely experienced and has a good reputation. He is a silk who rolls up his sleeves and is very user-friendly."

      Chambers & Partners, 2025

    • “Giles is a superstar. He is incredibly bright, inspires the utmost confidence in clients and has a very collaborative approach. He is a real team player.”

      The Legal 500, 2025

    Education & Qualifications

    BA (First Class),BCL (First Class),Merton College Oxford

    Memberships

    Commercial Bar Association
    Chancery Bar Association
    S.T.E.P.
    The Family Law Bar Association

    VAT Number

    731116378

    Other

    Called: 1997 (England & Wales); 2012 (British Virgin Islands)

    News & Events

    • News

      Serle Court Excels in Chambers Global Guide 2025

      Serle Court is delighted to have once again achieved top-band recognition in the Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025. We are... Read More

      News

      Serle Court Achieves Top Tier Ranking in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025: The English Bar Offshore

      Serle Court is delighted to have once again achieved top-tier recognition in The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025: The English Bar Offshore, with... Read More

    • Events

      ConTra & Informa Connect: Junior Litigators’ Forum

      Location: The Grand Hotel Birmingham, UK Read More

      Events

      Book Launch: ‘Minority Shareholders: Law, Practice, and Procedure’  (7th edition)

      Location: Royal College of Surgeons (Lumley Library), 38 – 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields Read More

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