Tony Beswetherick KC

Cases of note include:

• • NMC Health plc (in administration) – acting for the successful joint administrators in applications before the ADGM Court establishing the extraterritorial effect of the office-holders’ powers to obtain documents and information ([2023] ADGMCFI 0022; [2024] ADGM CFI 0008; [2024] ADGMCFI 0013).
  • Re Vincom Commodities Limited; UBS v Kumar – acting for the successful claimant bank (together with Michael Ryan of 7KBW) in a trial against the former director of a commodities entity for fraudulent breach of fiduciary duty and negligence ([2024] EWHC 1740 (Ch)).
  • State Bank of India v Vijay Mallya– successful representation of syndicate of Indian banks in connection with the bankruptcy of a well-known Indian businessman on the basis of a £1bn debt, and in relation to appeals on multiple issues.
  • Re Pramod Mittal – acting for the trustee in bankruptcy of Pramod Mittal in successful appeal against the refusal to suspend the debtor’s discharge from bankruptcy ([2023] EWHC 920 (Ch)).
  • LB Holdings Intermediate 2 Ltd and others – acting for the joint administrators of one of the Lehman Brothers companies in an application for the approval by the court of the settlement of the multi-billion pound “Waterfall” litigation ([2017] EWHC 2032 (Ch)).
  • Lehman Brothers Europe Ltd and another – acting for the joint administrators of one of the Lehman Brothers companies in an application for directions as to whether an administrator can make a distribution ([2017] EWHC 2031 (Ch)).
  • Wall Lag (Wales) Ltd – successful application to strike out unfair prejudice petition ([2025] EWHC 1843 (Ch)).
  • Leeds v Lemos – acting for trustees in bankruptcy (led by Felicity Toube QC) in an application clarifying the interrelationship between legal professional privilege and the powers of trustees in bankruptcy ([2017] EWHC 1825 (Ch)). Subsequently acting for the trustees in bankruptcy in a trial to set aside various trust declarations pursuant to s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 ([2023] EWHC 2384 (Ch)).
  • Re Berezovsky – acting for the successful trustees of the insolvent estate of Boris Berezovsky in a complex dispute over the deployment of privileged material (Thielmann v Besharova [2022] EWHC 2879 (Ch)).
  • Re Lendy Limited – acting for the administrators of the failed peer-to-peer lender in substantial proceedings against its former directors to recover sums misappropriated from the company and in successful application for freezing injunction ([2020] EWHC 1475).
  • Edwards v Aurora Leasing [2021] EWHC 96 (Ch) – leading authority on the scope of the “good faith for value” defence to a claim to recover payments made in the period between presentation of a petition and bankruptcy.
  • Re Deep Black Drilling LLP [2020] EWHC 351 (Ch) – acting for office-holders appointed by the Brazilian court in applications for recognition under the Cross-Border Insolvency Regulations 2006 in respect of a group of 37 insolvent entities whose former controllers were convicted of acts of embezzlement and bribery of public officials.
  • Leite v Amicorp (UK) Ltd [2020] EWHC 3560 (Ch) – successful application for recognition under the CBIR of novel Brazilian insolvency proceedings
  • Re SMU Investments Ltd [2020] EWHC 875 (Ch) – successful application to set aside service and for dismissal of claim brought against Panamanian company alleged to have been recipient of preference.

Notable cases include:

• • Re BPGIC Holdings Limited: acted for the successful petitioners in proceedings in the Cayman Islands relating to a $100m+ petition debt ([2024] CIFsd 6).
  • Rasmala Trade Finance Fund – acting for petitioner in just and equitable winding-up petition in connection with trade finance fund ([2025] CIGC (FSD) 22; [2025] CIGC (FSD) 44).
  • Yield App Limited – acting for liquidators in connection with the insolvency of a crypto currency trading platform.
  • ICM SPC v Jarvis – appeal before Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal in relation not interpretation of section 49 of BVI Business Companies Act.
  • Pan African Niger Limited – successfully opposing application to strike out creditors’ winding-up petition and obtaining summary disposal of claim in related proceedings
  • Sebastian Holdings Ltd v Alexander Vik: acting for Alexander Vik in the Turks and Caicos Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in long-running multi-jurisdictional litigation in connection with the attempted enforcement a US$250 million judgment.
  • Vanguardia Trust – acting for the liquidators of a group of BVI and Cayman companies in relation to claims against former directors and service providers in various jurisdictions to recover substantial losses resulting from a large-scale fraud and commercial property Ponzi scheme carried on over ten years.
  • NMC Health plc (in administration) – acting for the successful joint administrators in various applications before the ADGM Court establishing the extraterritorial effect of the office-holders’ powers to obtain documents and information ([2023] ADGMCFI 0022; [2024] ADGM CFI 0008; [2024] ADGMCFI 0013).

Notable cases include:

• • Re Gerald Smith: acting for enforcement receivers appointed under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 in heavy, multi-party, and multi-jurisdictional litigation connected with the enforcement of the largest ever UK confiscation order obtained by the Serious Fraud Office ([2017] EWHC 3332 (Comm); [2017] EWHC 3333 (Comm); [2017] EWHC 3334 (Comm); [2017] EWHC 3335 (Comm): the appointment of receivers to enforce confiscation orders.
  • Deutsche Bank v Sebastian Holdings Ltd and Alexander Vik: acting for Alexander Vik in the English Commercial Court and in the Turks and Caicos Supreme Court and Court of Appeal in long-running multi-jurisdictional litigation in connection with the attempted enforcement by Deutsche Bank of a US$250 million judgment. [2020] EWHC 3536 (Comm); [2022] EWHC 1559 (Comm); [2023] EWHC 2563 (Comm); [2025] EWHC 283 (Comm).
  • Signifier Medical Technologies Limited – Acting for claimants/petitioners in complex proceedings relating to a med-tech company, including two sets of deceit claims in relation to the sale of shares and an unfair prejudice petition brought by prejudiced shareholders (with Duncan Matthews KC, Matthew Chan, Mark Baldock, Harris Bor and Thomas Wong).
  • Walsh v Greystone Financial Services Ltd [2019 EWHC 2573 (Ch) – acting as lead counsel in a three-week trial in the Chancery Division relating to allegations of deceit and breach of duty against a former financial adviser following investments into fraudulent “film partnership schemes”
  • Guriev v Gorbachev [2019] EWHC 2684 (Comm) (led by Paul Lowenstein QC) – decision on validity of service of the proceedings by effecting personal service notwithstanding the defendant’s deployment of security
  • Ames and other v Davies [2016] EWHC 235 (QB) – successful application to strike out a claim seeking to set aside a settlement agreement on the rounds of fraudulent
  • CFC 26 Ltd v Brown Shipley – successful application for summary judgment in respect of a claim in excess of £65 million for alleged unlawful means conspiracy ([2016] EWHC 3048 (Ch)).
  • Information Management Consultancy Ltd (in liquidation) v B&Q Plc – successful application to strike out a claim in conspiracy on the basis that the proceedings constituted an abuse of process (LTL 12/7/2017).

• Co-author of chapter on the impact of foreign insolvencies on England-seated arbitrations in ‘Arbitration and Insolvency’ (2024, Elgar Publishing).
• Co-author of chapter on ‘Reconstruction and Amalgamation’ in Gore-Browne on Companies.
• ‘Reconsidering reflective loss: are creditors barred from recovery?’ Comp Law 2016, 37(6), 178-183 (co-author).
• ‘Interpreting schemes of arrangement: a welcome intervention?’, Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, September 2015 (co-author with Stephen Atherton QC).

• Chancery Bar Association
• Commercial Bar Association
• Fraud Lawyers Association
• Insolvency Lawyers’ Association
• R3

• Oxford University: Modern History, First Class

Tony is extremely bright and is able to knit together complex multi-stranded cases into a cohesive strategy. He has an eye to the commercial reality of a case that few barristers have. Chambers UK Bar 2026

Tony is analytical and his advocacy is second to none. He is one of the leading silks in insolvency and treats everyone in the team with respect. Chambers UK Bar 2026

Tony is at the top of the list for contentious insolvency and asset recovery work. Despite being incredibly clever he is down to earth and user friendly. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

Tony has an exceptional advocacy style, calm and analytical, supported by a ferocious intellect and capacity for detail. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2026

Tony is excellent at holding large amounts of information and distilling it down to fundamental questions to move a case along efficiently. He is also excellent at cross-border litigation. Chambers UK Bar 2025

Tony is very good in front of clients. He can switch between the legal jargon world and the commercial, layman’s terms solution. He’s very good on paper and a good tactician. Chambers UK Bar 2025

Tony is highly knowledgeable and a very strategic Commercial Chancery counsel. He has particular expertise in company law and unfair prejudice-related disputes. Chambers UK Bar 2025

Tony is a brilliant asset to the team on any case. He is super bright and thoughtful but also commercial and understands and is mindful of the wider context of the case in which he is acting. Tony is accessible and user-friendly in a way that many KCs are not. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2025

Tony is a well-regarded silk. His advocacy skills are matched with an in-depth knowledge of his subject, and he gives well-thought-out and well-articulated advice. The Legal 500 Caribbean 2025

Tony has encyclopedic knowledge of company law and insolvency. He is also very good on the nuances of arguing offshore cases. Chambers UK Bar 2024

Really good at applying the law to a specific set of facts, he always keeps in mind the practical and human considerations surrounding a piece of litigation. Chambers UK Bar 2024

Tony is a true star on the rise. Through the course of our engagement he has often pitted again more senior barristers on the other side but he routinely out performs them. He is preparation is unrivalled, really getting under the skin of matters to ensure he can navigate way through hearings, often picking new points along the way. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

He gives clear advice and is well respected in the insolvency field. Chambers UK Bar 2024 Tony is a phenomenon – a complete barrister. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024

Exceptional in all aspects, Tony is fantastic to work with and impresses clients in conference. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2024 He is very approachable and user-friendly. Chambers UK Bar 2024

Tony is very commercial and approachable and knows his stuff inside out. Chambers UK Bar 2024 He’s very clear and very good at explaining concepts simply. Chambers UK Bar 2024

Hard working, responsive and innovative. The Legal 500 Caribbean Guide 2024: Offshore (Bar)

A very intelligent and persuasive advocate, who has good litigation judgement. Chambers UK Bar 2023

A go-to barrister, who is sharp-witted and a real pleasure to work with. He is good to talk through ideas with. Chambers UK Bar 2023

He marries a lot of brainpower into practicality and focus – he’s a very clear, calm and careful advocate. Chambers UK Bar 2023

Tony is a phenomenon – a complete barrister who unsurprisingly took silk earlier this year. He has an unrivalled ability to find a course through the most difficult of situations and his advocacy, both written and oral, is sublime. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023

Exceptional in all aspects, Tony is fantastic to work with and impresses clients in conference. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2023 A go-to barrister, who is sharp-witted and a real pleasure to work with. He is good to talk through ideas with. Chambers UK Bar 2022

A great senior junior – leading silks fight to have him as their junior – very capable in handling matters in his own right. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

An outstanding barrister who is extremely popular, very approachable and extremely hard-working. Chambers UK Bar 2022 Clearly someone to watch for the future, shows clarity of thought and a commercial focus. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

He marries a lot of brainpower into practicality and focus – he’s a very clear, calm and careful advocate. Chambers UK Bar 2022

He quickly got to grips with the myriad of complicated issues and provided an invaluable new perspective on some of the issues engaged. A real star to watch. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2022

A very intelligent and persuasive advocate, who has good litigation judgement. Chambers UK Bar 2022

He has a first-class mind, is easy to work with and always thinks of new ways to argue a point. Chambers UK Bar 2022

He is a true expert and is always available, provides spot-on written work and is impressive in court. Chambers UK Bar 2021

Brilliant on paper and in court. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2021

Tony is a go-to junior – he knows the insolvency legal requirements inside out. Chambers UK Bar 2021

He is a great tactician, anticipates every argument and is fully prepared to counter it. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2021 A measured and very clever advocate. Chambers UK Bar 2021

He’s hard-working and technically very, very good but at the same time pragmatic, sensible and very commercial. Chambers UK Bar 2021

He’s very, very good indeed. He’s efficient and very calm under pressure, and has a very good rapport with the judiciary. Chambers UK Bar 2021

He’s incredibly thorough and doesn’t miss a thing. Chambers UK Bar 2020

Nothing gets past him; insofar as advocacy is concerned, he anticipates every possible argument and leaves nothing to chance. The Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

He is a master at analysing all of the facts and the law to find a clear path through, which will lead the judge to the conclusion he seeks. He’s absolutely brilliant both on paper and in his advocacy and leaves no stone unturned. Chambers UK Bar 2020

A brilliant advocate who can find a pathway through very complex cases and can steer the judge to his way of thinking. Chambers UK Bar 2020

He is entirely in command of the technical aspects of his cases, and has a very keen eye for strategy and tactical opportunities. He is wonderfully personable and a real pleasure to work with. Chambers UK Bar 2019

Tony is an excellent, very hard-working, bright and capable barrister. Chambers UK Bar 2020

He has a very sharp brain so he doesn’t miss anything and he is so incredibly thorough. He’s brilliant both as an advocate and on paper. In a complex case he can easily find a path through and can steer the judge to his way of thinking. Chambers UK Bar 2020

Very bright, perceptive and thorough. He is also personable and a real team player. Chambers UK Bar 2019

He is on a different level – a silk in junior’s clothing. He is really assured and he’s the person that the judge listens to. He gets the points across well and is user-friendly and easy to deal with. Chambers UK Bar 2020

Remarkably intelligent, strategically and technically. He is extremely approachable and friendly, and excellent with clients. Chambers UK Bar 2018

He’s very practical and excellent on his feet, he’s very calm and persuasive and clients like him a lot. He assimilates information quickly and he’s very happy to get his head down and do whatever digging needs to be done in order to get the right answer. Chambers UK Bar 2018

He leaves no stone unturned and is brilliant on paper and as an advocate. Chambers UK Bar 2018