David Blayney KC

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David Blayney KC has a commercial and chancery practice with a particular focus on disputes involving complex financial or quantum issues.

Major cases in which David has been involved include the litigation arising out of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the test case on the fairness of bank charges and the group litigation relating to RBS’s £12bn rights issue in 2008.

David is also closely involved in the development of technology to support the analysis and preparation of complex cases, and is therefore well placed to help the team implement technology-enabled approaches to investigation and case preparation in appropriate matters.

Areas of Expertise

Commercial Litigation

Recent Cases

Pagden v Fry (including summary judgment/strike-out hearing at [2025] EWHC 1918 (Ch)) – Claim for damages against a private equity fund manager relating to the sale of a portfolio of companies.
The RBS Rights Issue Litigation – Group litigation seeking damages arising out of RBS’s £12bn rights issue during the 2008 financial crisis.
Constantin Medien v Ecclestone & Others – Claim for damages relating to an alleged $44m bribe paid by Bernie Ecclestone and his family trust upon the sale of commercial rights in Formula One. (Instructed by Peters and Peters.)
Re Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (In Administration) [2011] EWHC 2022 – Proceedings relating to the validity and effect of liens in Master Custody Agreements and Standard Terms & Conditions used between LBIE and other Lehman Brothers companies. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Brightsea UK Ltd v Drachs Investments No.3 [2012] EWCA Civ 516; [2012] STC 1507 – Instructed by the successful appellant in appeal to the Court of Appeal concerning the extent of the vendor’s powers under a tax deed that formed part of a £200m company sale. (Instructed by Clifford Chance.)
Bradford & Bingley Valuation – Instructed by the Independent Valuer of Bradford & Bingley in relation to more than 700 references to the Upper Tribunal arising out of his valuation. The references were all dismissed following a hearing in May 2012. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Abbey National & Others v OFT [2008] EWHC 2325, [2009] EWHC 36, [2009] EWCA 116, [2010] 1 AC 696 – The test case to establish whether the unarranged overdraft customers with the 67 million personal current account customers of the UK’s 8 major banks were challengeable under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and/or under the common law penalty doctrine. (Instructed by Linklaters.)

Professional Negligence

David has considerable experience of professional negligence claims, particularly involving trustees, accountants, solicitors, company directors and valuers.

Recent Cases

Lemos v Coutts – Breach of trust claim brought against trustees of a Cayman based trust, concerning the trust’s investment in ships. The case involved a mixture of trust, professional negligence and loss quantification issues.
South Australia Asset Management Corp v York Montague [1997] AC 191 – Landmark decision in professional negligence and assessment of damages. (Instructed by Clifford Chance.)
Nykredit v Erdman [1997] 1 WLR 1627 – House of Lords decision on application of SAAMCO decision to questions of interest and limitation. (Instructed by Clifford Chance.)

Partnership

David has considerable experience in disputes relating to partnerships and joint ventures.

Recent Cases

K v R – Dispute about issues of business valuation and legal argument about the effect of correspondence and meetings concerning proposed termination of the partnership. Settled shortly before trial in 2013. (Instructed by Harcus Sinclair.)
R v P – Dispute about partnership for operation of greyhound kennels. (Instructed by Goodman Derrick.)
K v B – Dispute about dissolution of solicitors’ partnership. (Instructed by Fox Williams.)
Re L – Appointed by the Bar Council to act as arbitrator on dispute about termination of a solicitors’ partnership.

Trusts & Probate

Recent Cases

Lemos v CIBC – Claim against professional trustees in the Cayman Islands relating to the sale of shipping investments. (Instructed by Mourant.)
Lemos v Coutts – Claim against professional trustees in the Cayman Islands relating to the acquisition and retention of shipping investments. (Instructed by Maples & Calder and Linklaters.)
Trilogy Management Ltd v Cheung [2012] JCA 152 – Instructed (assisting Advocate Nicholas Journeaux) for the successful appellant to the Jersey Court of Appeal on a dispute as to the meaning of a provision in the Articles of Association of a company. (Instructed by Carey Olsen.)
Re Seymour Settlement [2002] – Called to the Isle of Man Bar and represented the claimant beneficiary in proceedings seeking the removal of a Protector on the grounds of conflict of interest.
Smith v Smith [2001] 1 WLR 1937 – Case about disputed disclaimer of interest under a will. (Instructed by Picton Smeathmans.)

Banking & Financial Services

Recent Cases

The RBS Rights Issue Litigation – Group litigation seeking damages arising out of RBS’s £12bn rights issue during the 2008 financial crisis.
Re Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (In Administration) [2011] EWHC 2022 – Proceedings relating to the validity and effect of liens in Master Custody Agreements and Standard Terms & Conditions used between LBIE and other Lehman Brothers companies. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Bradford & Bingley Valuation – Instructed by the Independent Valuer of Bradford & Bingley in relation to more than 700 references to the Upper Tribunal arising out of his valuation. The references were all dismissed following a hearing in May 2012. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Credit Suisse v Ramot Plana [2010] EWHC 2759 – €12 million banking and commercial dispute relating to a property development in Bulgaria. (Instructed by Asserson Law Offices.)
Abbey National & Others v OFT [2008] EWHC 2325, [2009] EWHC 36, [2009] EWCA 116, [2010] 1 AC 696 – The test case (litigated all the way to the Supreme Court) established whether the unarranged overdraft customers with the 67 million personal current account customers of the UK’s 8 major banks were challengeable under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and/or under the common law penalty doctrine. (Instructed by Linklaters.)

Company

Recent Cases

Pagden v Fry (including summary judgment / strike-out hearing at [2025] EWHC 1918 (Ch)) – Claim for damages against a private equity fund manager relating to the sale of a portfolio of companies.
Re Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (In Administration) [2011] EWHC 2022 – Proceedings relating to the validity and effect of liens in Master Custody Agreements and Standard Terms & Conditions used between LBIE and other Lehman Brothers companies. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Centenary Holdings III Ltd (in liquidation) v Vivendi SA & Others – £78m claim relating to allegedly unlawful financial assistance given upon sale of company. Includes claims against directors, advisors and parent company. Settled shortly before trial listed for January/February 2011. (Instructed by Lawrence Graham.)
Singer v Beckett (Re Continental Assurance of London Plc) [2007] 2 BCLC 287 – 72 day trial of £5m wrongful trading / misfeasance claim against directors of an insurance company. (Instructed by Goodman Derrick.)

Charities

David has considerable experience of charity matters, including acting for several years as one of the Treasury Solicitor’s panel counsel representing the Attorney-General, and more recently acting in two very substantial charity matters that are not in the public domain.

Recent Cases

Royal Merchant Navy School Foundation v Bearwood College Trustees – Acting for a well-known school in contentious charity proceedings relating to the terms of its separation from its founding charity. Settled in 2012. (Instructed by Stone King Sewell.)
Harwood v Harwood [2005] EWHC 3019 – Case about whether a gift of a collection for a museum gave rise to a valid charitable trust. (Instructed by HM Attorney-General.)
Manoogian v Sonsino (2002) W.T.L.R. 989 – Charity proceedings concerning the validity of a gift “for the purpose of the education and advancement in life of Armenian children”. (Instructed by HM Attorney-General.)

Insolvency & Restructuring

David has considerable experience in insolvency matters, particularly in cases involving banking or trust issues or claims against directors.

Recent Cases

Pagden v Fry (including summary judgment / strike-out hearing at [2025] EWHC 1918 (Ch)) – Claim for damages against a private equity fund manager relating to the sale of a portfolio of companies.
Re Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (In Administration) [2011] EWHC 2022 – Proceedings relating to the validity and effect of liens in Master Custody Agreements and Standard Terms & Conditions used between LBIE and other Lehman Brothers companies. (Instructed by Linklaters.)
Centenary Holdings III Ltd (in liquidation) v Vivendi SA & Others – £78m claim relating to allegedly unlawful financial assistance given upon sale of company. Includes claims against directors, advisors and parent company. Settled shortly before trial listed for January / February 2011. (Instructed by Lawrence Graham.)
Singer v Beckett (Re Continental Assurance of London Plc) [2007] 2 BCLC 287 – 72 day trial of £5m wrongful trading/misfeasance claim against directors of an insurance company. (Instructed by Goodman Derrick.)

Group Litigation

Recent Cases

The British Airways Data Breach Litigation – Group litigation arising out of the breach of security systems leading to the leaking of personal data of more than 400,000 BA customers – the first mass data breach claim to proceed as group litigation in the UK. (Instructed by Pogust Goodhead.)

Telecommunications and Information Technology

The British Airways Data Breach Litigation – Group litigation arising out of the breach of security systems leading to the leaking of personal data of more than 400,000 BA customers – the first mass data breach claim to proceed as group litigation in the UK. (Instructed by Pogust Goodhead.)

International

David has experience in this field across a wide range of matters.

Testimonials

“David is immensely creative and clever.”

Chambers & Partners 2026

“David is definitely the person to go to for a monstrous case. He is unflappable and dignified in the courtroom.”

Chambers & Partners 2026

“David is just one of the cleverest guys on earth. He is methodical, well-reasoned and someone with exceptional brain power and court presence.”

Chambers & Partners 2026

“David did one of the finest cross-examinations of an expert I've ever heard. He's very astute and forensically brilliant.”

Chambers & Partners 2026

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Latest

Recent Cases

Core VCT v Soho Square Capital & Others [2025] EWHC 1918 (Ch)

David Blayney KC and Sophie Holcombe acted for the successful defendants in a High Court decision clarifying the application of section 32 of the Limitation Act 1980.

Recent News

: Email David
: +44 (0)20 7242 6105
: Contact Practice Managers
: vCard
: Download CV
: Shortlist

For general enquiries and instruction advice, please contact our Practice Management Team:

Call: +44 (0)20 7242 6105
or email: clerks@serlecourt.co.uk

Recommendations

Commercial Dispute Resolution, Chancery: Commercial, Group Litigation (Chambers & Partners)
Banking & Finance, Commercial Litigation, Company & Partnership, Private Client: Trusts & Probate, Professional Negligence (The Legal 500, 2019)

Memberships

Chancery Bar Association
Commercial Bar Association

Education & Qualifications

BA Law (First Class), Lincoln College, Oxford

BSB Registration

David James Blayney KC

VAT Number

649223135

Areas of Expertise

Commercial Litigation

Recent Cases

Professional Negligence

Recent Cases

Partnership

Recent Cases

Trusts & Probate

Recent Cases

Banking & Financial Services

Recent Cases

Company

Recent Cases

Charities

Recent Cases

Insolvency & Restructuring

Recent Cases

Group Litigation

Recent Cases

Telecommunications and Information Technology

International

Testimonials

Latest

Recent Cases

Core VCT v Soho Square Capital & Others [2025] EWHC 1918 (Ch)

Recent News

Artificial Intelligence in International Dispute Resolution: Build, Buy or Be Left Be

Serle Court at London International Disputes Week 2026

Serle Court achieves outstanding results in The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

AI in Action: How LLMs are revolutionising dispute resolution

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