The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > Middle East: The English Bar > Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial

Ranking nach PraxisbereichMiddle East: The English Bar

Zurück zu Europe, Middle East & Africa

2024 Silks

Paul Toms KC – Quadrant Chambers

Commercial

1
4 Stone Buildings
Quadrant Chambers
3 Verulam Buildings
Outer Temple Chambers
2
XXIV Old Buildings
Serle Court
3
2 Temple Gardens
4 New Square Chambers
Littleton Chambers
39 Essex Chambers

Leading Silks

1
Anneliese Day KC – Fountain Court Chambers
Richard Hill KC – 4 Stone Buildings
Hodge Malek KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Tom Montagu-Smith KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Zoe O’Sullivan KC – Serle Court 'Tenacious, forthright, not afraid to make the tough calls and to advise strongly and directly.'
David Quest KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Rupert Reed KC – Serle Court 'Rupert is extremely knowledgeable on issues that concern the conflict of jurisdiction between the DIFC Courts and other courts of the UAE. Rupert is extremely user friendly and provides prompt turnaround.'
David Russell KC – Outer Temple Chambers
Mohinderpal Sethi KC – Littleton Chambers
Sharif Shivji KC – 4 Stone Buildings 
Andrew Spink KC – Outer Temple Chambers
Robert-Jan Temmink KC – Quadrant Chambers
Steven Thompson KC – XXIV Old Buildings
2
Guy Blackwood KC – Quadrant Chambers
Nicholas Craig KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Charles Dougherty KC – 2 Temple Gardens 'One of the very finest senior silks for commercial, insurance and civil fraud work. A real expert in disputes with a cross-border element. An advocate with an exceptionally attractive and persuasive style.'
Karim Ghaly KC – 39 Essex Chambers ‘Karim has a sharp and analytical mind, and is able to methodically examine complex issues and break them down into clear analysis. He is also a very effective oral advocate, and particularly in cross-examination.’
Saima Hanif KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Stuart Isaacs KC – Wilberforce Chambers ‘A very fine advocate and tactician. He uses his legal skills to great effect with well planned and well-woven advocacy.’
Chirag Karia KC – Quadrant Chambers 'Chirag is second to none in terms of his knowledge of the law and his ability to apply it to any given case. His written advocacy is top flight – his advices and submissions are always crystal clear, comprehensive and above all, never ambiguous, very often correctly predicting the eventual views of the court or tribunal.'
Yash Kulkarni KC – Quadrant Chambers 'Yash is great to work with – responsive, astute, able to explain legal concepts to clients clearly, simply and with ease. Yash is great on his feet, never phased and always has an answer. He is able to quickly identify the aspects of the case that are strongest and makes strategic decisions to focus on those.'
Richard Liddell KC – 4 New Square Chambers 'Richard is technically excellent, very approachable, reliable and user friendly. He has a wide range of experience before the Courts as well as in arbitration. He is brilliant on his feet and also prepares submissions in a concise fashion which are easy to follow.'
Ewan McQuater KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Andrew Onslow KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Rajesh Pillai KC – 3 Verulam Buildings
Christopher Smith KC – Quadrant Chambers
Robert Thomas KC – Quadrant Chambers 'Rob is an extremely accomplished all round barrister. He is capable of being very succinct in his advice and keeps that absolutely on the point. He is a challenging and forceful cross-examiner when required but generally succeeds in maintaining a respectful relationship with all those before whom he appears.'

2023 Silks

Matthew Reeve KC – Quadrant Chambers

Leading Juniors

1
Ali Almihdar – Outer Temple Chambers
Yash Bheeroo – 3 Verulam Buildings 'Yash is an excellent advocate. He knows the law extremely well, is detail oriented, yet see the broader strategic picture.'
James Bickford Smith – Littleton Chambers
Georges Chalfoun – 3 Verulam Buildings
Tim Chelmick – 4 New Square Chambers 'Tim is extremely commercial, clients love that he can distil the most complex legal issues into the important commercial realities. Tim has long-standing and extensive on the ground experience across the Middle East, which makes his advocacy sharp and compelling. Tim’s advocacy style is a pleasure to watch, relaxed, always with deep technical knowledge.'
Stephen Doherty – Outer Temple Chambers 'Stephen’s advocacy is clear and structured. He is not easily flustered, even when confronted with questions from left field. He is very knowledgeable about the law of the DIFC and its history.'
Ian Edge – 3PB 'He is guru on Sharia law, having taught it for many years and handled numerous cases. Stellar.'
Lucas Fear-Segal – 2 Temple Gardens 'Well ahead of his years of call, instructing Lucas is like getting the right counsel at the right time for any type of commercial (re)insurance dispute. When working with a team, he is often the key member of such team, with consummate knowledge and an amazing knack of working through problems with ease and making everyone around him comfortable.'
Gregor Hogan – Serle Court 'Well versed in DIFC Court procedure, particularly jurisdictional elements.'
Edward Kemp – Matrix Chambers
Timothy Killen – 2 Temple Gardens 'Tim has outstanding intellectual ability and close knowledge of DIFC law and procedure and of political and cultural issues in the region. His advocacy style is beguilingly understated, and he is listened to by judges, arbitrators and opposing counsel.'
Laurence Page  – 4 Pump Court
Philip Punwar – Outer Temple Chambers 'Philip is a very pleasant individual, articulate and easy to work with. He has a good connection with the arbitral tribunal.'
Justina Stewart  – Outer Temple Chambers
Alastair Tomson – 4 Stone Buildings 'A strength is Alastair’s comprehension of respondents tactics and their moves before they happen, helping to ensure that the client and case is well founded and defended. His advocacy make any case simple before a judge, any complex defence stunts by the opposing counsel is met with a unravelling approach of the issue at hand that allow the courts to easily grasp the issue at hand and focus.'
Karishma Vora – 39 Essex Chambers 'Karishma Vora’s key strengths lie in her exceptional advocacy skills and deep understanding of commercial law. She is highly articulate, presenting complex arguments in a clear, persuasive, and structured manner that resonates with both judges and tribunals. She has a calm yet authoritative courtroom presence, which instils confidence in clients.'
Matthew Watson – 3 Verulam Buildings 
Sean Yates – Outer Temple Chambers 'Sean has a meticulous attention to detail and strong work ethic. He brings to bear a wealth of private practice and in-house legal expertise which makes him quite unique as a barrister. He is incredibly well versed in Middle East law and practice.'
2
Tariq Baloch  - Essex Court Chambers
Jonathan Bellamy – 39 Essex Chambers
Edward Crossley – 4 Stone Buildings 'Extremely hard working but also pragmatic and commercial and with a very good eye for detail. Ed quickly gains the trust and confidence of the lay client and demonstrates a maturity beyond his years.'
Arshad Ghaffar – XXIV Old Buildings
Francis Hornyold-Strickland   – Monckton Chambers
Sophia Hurst – Essex Court Chambers 'Sophia’s knowledge of the caselaw of the DIFC Courts and increasingly the ADGM Courts is exceptional. She has deep experience of the interplay with the civil law courts of the UAE, and she advises with confidence. She is a team player, and her oral advocacy is always well considered and prepared.'
Anthony Jones – 4 New Square Chambers 'Able to synthesise issues quickly – cuts through legal issues with precise application of the facts.'
Edward Knight – XXIV Old Buildings
Kevin Lee –Twenty Essex 'Kevin is an exceptionally skilled and talented barrister with a ferocious strategical mind. His razor-sharp memory, towering intellect, keen eye for details, holistic understanding of the brief, advocacy style, and skillful and adaptable styles of negotiation ensures the best outcome for the client. A wholehearted collaborator and team player who is an absolute delight to work for.'
Peter Linstead – Outer Temple Chambers
Zara McGlone – 4 Stone Buildings 'Zara is an exceptional barrister with a strong command of legal drafting, particularly in preparing comprehensive written submissions before the common law courts. Her ability to distill complex legal issues into clear, persuasive, and well-structured submissions stands out. Zara’s drafting is always meticulously researched and demonstrates a deep understanding of both procedural and substantive law, which greatly enhances the persuasiveness of the documents.'
Thomas Ogg – 11KBW
Andrew Rose – 4 Stone Buildings ‘Andrew is an excellent junior barrister – ferociously intelligent, charming, and a real pleasure to work with. His drafting and research skills are second to none. He has exceptional judgement, a strong work ethic, and always takes a commercial and pragmatic approach. Increasingly taking on his own cases, he is a compelling, confident and fearless advocate.’
Albert Sampson – 4 Stone Buildings 'His strength is his grip of somewhat niche area (complex financial issues with lots of numbers and moving parts) together with meticulous attention to detail and ability to present everything simply to the Tribunal.'
Tom Stewart Coats – XXIV Old Buildings
Adam Temple – 3 Verulam Buildings
Mark Wassouf – 3 Verulam Buildings
James Weale – Serle Court ‘His drafting, responsiveness and attention to detail are all excellent, as can be expected. His advocacy is where his energy really comes through, however. As an advocate James is enthusiastic and aggressive in all the right ways which helps to instill confidence in his handling of the case.’
Elizabeth Weaver – XXIV Old Buildings
Joseph Wigley – 4 Stone Buildings

Rising Stars

Karl Anderson – 4 Stone Buildings 'A very bright up-and-coming barrister. Very user friendly and confident advocate.'
Anson Cheung  - 4 New Square Chambers  ‘Anson is a savvy commercial barrister. She has great attention to detail, her written worked is highly impressive and she has considerable commercial acumen.’
Ravi Jackson – 3 Verulam Buildings
James Partridge – 2 Temple Gardens 'An exceptionally hard-working and reliable junior with real experience of commercial disputes in the Middle East.'
Hossein Sharafi – 4 Stone Buildings

Commercial in Middle East: The English Bar

3 Verulam Buildings

3 Verulam Buildings has a solid track record in commercial litigation and arbitration, banking, insolvency and fraud claims in the Middle East, frequently leading in complex cases before DIFC, ADGM and onshore Dubai-seated arbitrations. Leading silks at the set include Tom Montagu-Smith KC, who continues to represent KPMG in the audit negligence case Abraaj Investment Management Ltd v KPMG Lower Gulf and ors – a dispute concerning the collapsed asset manager’s audits, involving heavy jurisdictional issues. Yash Bheeroo leads Ravi Jackson in Alawwal Capital JSC v Rasmala Investment Bank Limited on behalf of the defendant, who is accused of misrepresenting the financial performance of a fund. Stuart Pullum is now the set's sole director of clerking.

Highlight-Mandate


4 Stone Buildings

Highly regarded for their expertise in financial and commercial disputes, clients in particular praise 4 Stone Buildings for its members' ‘excellent insolvency and shareholder dispute related experience’. Sharif Shivji KC and Richard Hill KC - the set's new co-heads of chambers - are both experienced practitioners in the region, with the former leading Albert Sampson and Hossein Sharafi on the Bank Sarasin Alpen insolvency case in the DIFC regarding the alleged misappropriation of the business by the directors and shareholders and further fraud claims. Hill continues to act for the claimants in the Sawhney v Credit Suisse AG litigation in the DIFC related to the alleged misselling of investments. Members of the chambers are also present in cases before the ADGM, namely Andrew Rose and Karl Anderson, who have recently acted in a financial services dispute and an insurance claim respectively. Ben Lashmar and Ryan Tunkel are the set's new joint senior clerks as of April 2025; David Goddard continues with the set as a consultant.

Referenzen

‘I would particularly commend Ben Lashmar for his attention to detail and proactive approach in scheduling and case management. He has been very helpful, ensuring that we had adequate support and that all documents were handled promptly.

‘Ben Lashmar is stellar!’

‘Outstanding clerking team.  Very responsive, helpful and commercial.’

Highlight-Mandate


Outer Temple Chambers

Outer Temple Chambers is a preeminent set active in the Middle East with particular focus on Dubai and UAE law, exemplified by the set’s active contributions in the drafting of new legislation and amending of foundational laws, recently in relation to the new Digital Assets Law, led by silks David Russell KC and Andrew Spink KC. The set has a strong bench of juniors: Philip Punwar being based in Dubai and notable for his expertise in the DIFC's law of privilege, Peter Linstead excels in commercial and employment matters, and Justina Stewart has expertise in financial matters.

Highlight-Mandate


Quadrant Chambers

Quadrant Chambers handles international disputes and arbitrations across the globe, which includes a number of shipping, commodities, trading and finance disputes in the Middle East. The set is particularly strong at silk level. Robert-Jan Temmink KC  often handles fraud, corruption, aviation and construction disputes and insolvency, while recently promoted silk Paul Toms KC focuses his practice on commercial and international trade disputes, and frequently litigates in the DIFC as well as Dubai seated arbitrations.

Referenzen

‘Quadrant Chambers is a go-to Chambers for a commercial matter with a shipping or commodities type dispute. They have a good mix of counsel at different levels with good availability.’

‘The set is commercial, able to offer services of counsel at all stages of seniority and with the necessary specializations sometimes required and most importantly is approachable and extremely willing to assist. Overall, a solicitor’s dream come true!’

‘A very strong commercial set, with an unparalleled choice of barristers. Its long-standing reputation in the area of shipping and commodities also sets it apart leaving few competitors that can match them in the London market.’

Highlight-Mandate


Serle Court

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. The set is strong at both silk and junior level, Rupert Reed KC led James Weale and Gregor Hogan in the long running SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd v. Renish Petrochem FZE, Mehta and Prime Energy FZE on behalf of the SBM Bank regarding an appeal against the 2021 fraud judgement against the first and second defendants. Members of the set often handle complex jurisdiction disputes, with Zoe O’Sullivan KC representing Carmon in Carmon Restructura-Engenharia v Cuenda regarding a freezing order granted by the DIFC and permission to appeal the decision that the court lacked jurisdiction.

Referenzen

‘Excellent.’

‘The team always provide training on topical issues whenever they are in Dubai and these go down well with the team, and a pitched at a level that enables understanding by those who do not engage in as much work in the DIFC Courts.’

‘Strong training offering which is much appreciated.’

Highlight-Mandate


XXIV Old Buildings

XXIV Old Buildings’ team is well-versed in representing governments, financial institutions and high net worth individuals in complex commercial financial litigation and arbitration proceedings, particularly commercial contracts, fraud and asset recovery cases in the Middle East. Arshad Ghaffar has been instructed in arbitration cases involving public policy issues. Tom Stewart Coats maintains an active Middle East-based practice and continues to act in arbitrations and the enforcement of foreign arbitration awards.

Highlight-Mandate


2 Temple Gardens

Clients praise 2 Temple Gardens as a ‘fantastic set’ and point out its expertise in ‘professional indemnity and insurance/reinsurance issues’. The set is active in the DIFC where Charles Dougherty KC recently led Timothy Killen in Lals Holding v Emirates Insurance and SIACI Insurance Brokers, the first business interruption insurance case of its type in the jurisdiction. The team also covers work in the ADGM recently, such as in  Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Ltd  and Ors v Global Private Investments Ltd where Doughty KC led Lucas Fear-Segal in a diminution in value claim.

Referenzen

‘Lee Tyler and Billy Hammonds run a very effective and professional clerk room. Very easy to work with and genuinely nice people who are always going above and beyond.’

‘Fantastic set with subject matter expertise in commercial matters and specifically professional indemnity and insurance/reinsurance issues. Some of the best juniors on hand.’

‘Preferred set, with some really good people.’

Highlight-Mandate


39 Essex Chambers

39 Essex Chambers houses a ‘broad range of experienced barristers’ who cover a plethora of commercial cases, including banking and finance disputes, civil fraud and asset tracing cases and insurance disputes, among others, related to the Middle East and in free zones in the region. Karim Ghaly KC has an active commercial arbitration practice, as does Jonathan Bellamy. Karishma Vora acted for the respondent in Tonstate Group Limited (in liquidation) and others v Gil Wojakowski in a jurisdictional challenge in an ongoing fraud case.

Referenzen

‘They are highly regarded for their strength and depth in commercial practice. The set boasts a broad range of experienced barristers who are well-versed in handling complex commercial disputes. This depth of expertise provides a strong foundation, ensuring that clients have access to counsel with the right specialisms for their cases, no matter how niche or complex the issue.’

‘The service provided by the clerks’ room at 39 Essex is consistently exceptional. The clerks are highly professional, approachable, and efficient.’

Highlight-Mandate


4 New Square Chambers

4 New Square Chambers has an increasing presence in the Middle East and provides ‘a strong commercial litigation and arbitration offering across the board’ handling a range of insurance, contractual and professional negligence disputes. Richard Liddell KC led Anthony Jones in The Commonwealth Trade Bank (CTB) v. Dubai Insurance Co. on behalf of the insurer in the DIFC in a trade credit insurance dispute. Tim Chelmick focuses his practice on the UAE and often handles shareholder, contracts and insurance disputes and arbitrations. Anson Cheung , who joined the set in April 2024, is active in the ADGM and is considered a ‘go-to junior for high-stakes commercial litigation’.

Referenzen

‘Excellent. Dennis Peck is highly responsive, helpful and always a perfect gentleman, especially when under pressure with urgent requests. He knows each of the barrister’s skills, personalities and relevant experience, and he is happy to talk over their suitability and availability for a specific case, which is always very helpful.’

‘Dennis Peck is very organized and responsive.’

‘Excellent.  Always.  If Dennis Peck can’t get something done, it can’t be done.’

Highlight-Mandate


Littleton Chambers

With particularly strong connections to the UAE's free zones, Littleton Chambers has an established reputation in employment, discrimination, executive exit and business protection disputes. Mohinderpal Sethi KC continues to act in a number of high-profile employment litigation and arbitration proceedings concerning team moves, restrictive covenants, breach of confidence as well as handling complex freeze and search orders. James Bickford Smith acts as lead counsel in Al Khawaja v TPL Investment Management Limited, defending against the allegation that the investment fund provides the former CEO of the company permanent incentive rights in the ADGM.

Highlight-Mandate