Five South Square Barristers shortlisted for GRR’s Advocate of the Year 2025

Mark Phillips KC, Tom Smith KC, Adam Al-Attar KC, Georgina Peters and Charlotte Cooke have been shortlisted.  See their work highlights below:

Mark Phillips KC 

• Represented Class B Creditors in their challenge to Thames Water’s bridging restructuring plan – launching the first Part 26A plan to directly challenge the a debtor company’s argument that the relevant alternative to its own plan would be an insolvency
• Represented oilfield developer Madagascar Oil in its Part 26A plan, successfully convincing the judge that its COMI was in England
• Counsel to Cape Intermediate Holdings in obtaining unprecedented injunctive relief order against a US receiver

Tom Smith KC

• Represented public utility Thames Water in its Part 26A plan and defended the plan’s sanction in subsequent Court of Appeal hearings
• Counsel to Peking University Founders Group in its appeal overturning a US$1.7 billion liability judgment stemming from breach of duty under its keepwell deeds
• Represented Chinese property developer Sino Ocean’s Part 26A plan

Adam Al-Attar KC 

• Represented the Class A lenders providing bridging finance to public utility Thames Water in its first Part 26A plan
• Counsel to infrastructure consulting group Enzen on its Part 26A – the first to be actively supported by UK tax authority HMRC
• Defended the administrators of Russian investment bank VTB Capital in a US$800 million fraud claim

Georgina Peters 

• Junior counsel in British budget retailer Poundland’s Part 26A that saw US investor Gordon Brother’s take over the group
• Junior counsel to Thames Water’s parent company in its challenge to the plan in the High Court and Court of Appeal

Charlotte Cooke 

• Counsel to secured creditors in infrastructure company Enzen’s Part 26A plan
• Junior counsel in automotive sealing company Standard Profil’s scheme of arrangement dealing with a €380 million debt pile
• Junior counsel on Thames Water’s Part 26A plan in front of the High Court and Court of Appeal

Congratulations to our members and to all others who were shortlisted!