Banking & Financial Services

Our banking and finance practice group members have extensive experience, not only in their traditional capacities as Barristers but also as arbitrators, mediators, expert witnesses and consultants in all aspects of banking and financial services disputes and non-contentious work, advising clients, acting in litigation, arbitrations and regulatory investigations both domestically and in multiple overseas jurisdictions.

Members are uniquely placed to offer clients a holistic service since those in our banking and finance practice group also have complementary practices in insolvency and restructuring, employment, public law and human rights and commercial litigation. Further, our banking and finance practice group members have over 75 years combined prior experience in employed practice in law firms and financial services regulators, amongst other things.

Our members have substantial experience acting for and against a range of public, private and supranational financial institutions. Our members’ clients include regulators and legal persons under investigation by various regulators including the Financial Conduct Authority, Payment Systems Regulator, the Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England, the Pensions Ombudsman and Financial Reporting Council in relation to civil, criminal and regulatory/compliance failure cases.

Our specialist practitioners’ experience includes financial services disputes, product mis-selling claims, rate manipulation claims (LIBOR and FOREX) derivatives and financial product litigation and related professional negligence claims. Our members also have significant experience acting for and advising clients on all aspects of cryptocurrency, cyber fraud and blockchain disputes.

Our members can and have assisted clients with the following in the context of banking and financial services:

Traditional commercial litigation
International arbitration
Part VII FSMA Transfers
Freezing injunctions
Third party debt orders against personal pensions
Blockchain tracing

Tracing the proceedings of fraud
Internal and/or regulatory investigations
Regulatory compliance and enforcement including redress schemes
Sanctions
Securities transactions

Members are highly recognised by The Legal 500 2026 UK Bar Guide for London for their expertise and market recognition across a range of specialist fields that relate to Banking & Financial Services:

Jeffrey Golden KC (Hon) – Leading Silk for Crypto and Blockchain Assets
Charlotte Pope-Williams – Leading Junior in Banking and Financial Services (including consumer credit)
Jas Jandu – Leading Junior for Financial Services and Fintech Regulation
James Gale – Leading Junior for Crypto and Blockchain Assets
Georgia Purnell – Rising Star in Banking and Finance (including consumer credit)

Details of cases in which our members have acted, or are acting, are set out in each barrister’s profile. Notable cases include:

Loudmila Bourlakova & Ors v IPEC International Petroleum Co Inc Columbus Holding and Enterprises SA (ongoing)

Musst Holdings Ltd v Astra Asset Management UK Ltd & Anor (2025) EWHC 689 (Ch)

A financial services sector dispute which arises out of a three-week trial before Mr Justice Freedman in 2021 ([2021] EWHC 3432 (Ch)). Musst claims it is entitled to management/performance fees arising from further funds managed by Astra which follow a specific investment strategy. The litigation involves expert evidence on complex financial instruments. Read the Judgment here.

Century Property (Leeds) Ltd v Aldiss & Anor (2025) EWHC 1348 (KB)

Successfully advising and representing a company seeking to enforce a judgment debt of over £400,000 by obtaining a charging order over the debtor’s personal pension, and ultimately a Blight v Brewster order over the debtor’s personal pension. Read the Judgment here.

Cohen & Ors v RiverRock European Capital Partners LLP & Anor (2025) EWHC 845 (Comm)

Examines the enforceability of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for repayment of the sum of €3,000,000 (plus contractual interest at 10 per cent), arising from a financing / equity investment transaction. Read the Judgment here.

National Bank of Anguilla (Private Banking and Trust) Ltd & Anor v Chief Minister of Anguilla & Ors (Anguilla) (2025) UKPC 14

This case concerns an application for judicial review of the Anguillan government’s response to the financial crisis. The issue on appeal is whether leave to apply for judicial review should be granted. The Appellants are two Anguillan incorporated banks which were licensed to carry out banking business. . Read the Judgment here.

R (On the Application of The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Banking) v The Financial Conduct Authority (2025) EWHC 525 (Admin)

One of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases for 2024. Appeared on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Banking (APPG) in judicial review proceedings against the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The APPG challenged the FCA’s decision to refuse to take action to procure redress for sophisticated customers who were mis-sold interest rate hedging products, in light of the Swift Review. Read the Judgment here.

R (On the Application of Chong & Ors) v Financial Services Compensation Scheme Ltd (2024) EWHC 3374 (Admin)

Acting in a challenge by judicial review to a decision of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme Limited in the context of offering compensation to applicants with potential claims against SIPP operators pursuant to section 27 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in light of the decision of the Court of Appeal in Adams v Options UK Personal Pensions LLP [2021] EWCA Civ 474. Read the Judgment here.

Momenta v Cheval Legal (2024) EWHC 3333 (Ch)

The defendant counterclaimed for breach of various contractual duties owed by Momenta in conducting claims for Cheval on an outsourced basis. The defendant secured an award of over £4,000,000.. Read the Judgment here.

The Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse International & Ors (2024) EWHC 1957 (Comm)

Acting on behalf of members of the Credit Suisse Deal Team in a multi-billion dollar civil fraud claim concerning the enforceability of state guarantees (described by The Lawyer as one of the top 20 cases of 2023). Read the Judgment here.

Momenta Holdings (PPI) Ltd v Cheval Legal Ltd & Ors (2023) EWHC 2299 (Ch)

. Read the Judgment here.

Brake & Anor v Guy & Ors (2022) EWHC 1911 (Ch)

Acting for a pension trustee and pension administrator in a complex third party debt order.. Read the Judgment here.

Other Matters Include:

Advising the PSR on its £1.82m fine of NatWest Group Banks (2022) for overcharging ‘interchange fees’ on credit cards.
Advising/representing a Director and his FCA-Regulated Financial Services Firm defending themselves against FCA Supervisory action and Enforcement investigations for alleged breaches of various regulatory obligations and principles.
Advising an investment firm on a complex $multi-million international shareholder dispute and associated regulatory ‘change-in-control’ issues regarding a former FCA-Regulated Fintech firm.
Advising an individual subject in an investigation by the Financial Reporting Council concerning the insolvency of a large institution.
Advising on a £250M redress scheme in respect of pensions misselling for a multinational insurer.
Advising a national debt management firm about the formulation, development and findings of an internal investigation following supervisory action by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect to alleged improper debt collection practices.
Advising a multinational insurer about a 7-figure breach of warranty claim giving rise to an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority.