South Square Welcomes Two New Leading Recruits and Three Associate Members

Joseph Curl KC and Rory Brown both join from 9 Stone Buildings, where they have spent the last 16 years and 14 years of their careers respectively.

Appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2021, Joseph specialises in insolvency litigation. He is currently ranked as a leading silk in both the major legal directories, where he is praised for his “forensic attention to detail and extensive expertise” (Chambers and Partners 2024) and his “tenacious and courteous advocacy style” (Legal 500 2024).

Immediately before taking silk, Joseph was ranked Band 1 as a junior for Restructuring and Insolvency by Chambers and Partners 2021. He was Company / Insolvency Junior of the Year at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2019.

Before joining 9 Stone Buildings, Joseph spent several years working in the restructuring department of DLA Piper UK LLP.

A highly experienced litigator, Joseph recently led successfully for the joint liquidators of the BHS Group in Re BHS Group Limited (in liquidation); Wright v Chappell [2024] EWHC 1417 (Ch), a five-week trial before Leech J involving complex claims against a number of former directors. The award made in this case is reputed to be the largest ever entered for wrongful trading under s.214 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Other recent work includes two appeals on standing to challenge an office-holder’s conduct, which are now the leading authorities on this question in corporate and personal insolvency respectively: in the Court of Appeal in Re Edengate Homes (Butley Hall) Ltd; Lock v Stanley [2022] EWCA Civ 626, [2022] 2 BCLC 1; and in the Supreme Court in Brake v Chedington Court Estate Ltd [2023] UKSC 29, [2023] 1 WLR 3035, [2023] 4 All ER 1021.

He is one of the General Editors (with Louis Doyle KC and Professor Andrew Keay) of Doyle, Keay and Curl: Annotated Insolvency Legislation 2024 (12th edition); and the co-author (with Professor Andrew Keay and Professor Peter Walton) of Corporate Governance and Insolvency: Accountability and Transparency, published in 2022.

Joseph was appointed a Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge in 2020.

Rory Brown has a commercial-chancery practice focusing on litigation in the areas of commercial dispute resolution and insolvency and trusts disputes, in particular the removal of trustees and protectors. His practice has a heavy emphasis on civil fraud, in particular investment fraud and asset recovery. He is a sought after trial and appellate advocate. 

Rory is ranked as a leading individual in several categories across Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners Global and High Net Worth guides: civil fraud, commercial chancery, insolvency, traditional chancery, and private client: trusts and probate. He is praised in the directories as “a natural advocate, measured, meticulous and ruthless”, “an excellent cross examiner and a persuasive advocate with the rare gift of coupling those skills with the ability to deal with clients and solicitors on the level”, and “highly recommended for his handling of insolvencies arising from large-scale frauds and multi-jurisdictional matters”.

His recent work includes Lifestyle v Ahmed [2024] UKSC 17 (rules of attribution of liability to directors for company wrongs, accounts of profits); Armstrong v Carter [2023] EWHC (18 month sentence for bankrupt’s contempt of undertaking given in s236 examination); Re. Robert Bull (2023) (bankruptcy of bungalow tycoon with reported wealth of £1.9 billion); Credico Marketing Ltd v Lambert [2022] EWCA Civ 864 (utilities agency, non-competition covenants, restraint of trade) and [2022] EWHC 2114 (costs order set aside on successful appeal).

Much of Rory’s practice involves giving strategic advice in multi-jurisdictional disputes, or has an international dimension involving difficult questions of the conflict of laws. He has advised and represented clients in respect of litigation at all levels in England and Wales as well as in the courts of the DIFC, and has also advised and assisted in substantial Bermuda, Jersey, and Hong Kong proceedings. 

Rory regularly acts for liquidators, administrators, companies, creditors and trustees across multiple industry sectors including commodities, fashion, aviation, oil and gas, reinsurance, football, motor-racing, utilities, energy, banking and financial services. He has already appeared in over 35 reported cases, and has commonly led counsel teams in recent years.

Commenting on his move to South Square, Joseph said: “No other chambers enjoys quite the same reputation for insolvency as South Square and joining this set feels like a natural fit with my practice. It was a difficult decision for us to leave 9 Stone Buildings after so many years and we are both extremely grateful to the staff and our colleagues for their support over the years.”

Rory said: “The unparalleled knowledge, skills, and resources at South Square in my core practice areas will enable me to deliver an excellent service to my clients. I concur wholeheartedly with Joe’s sentiments about 9 Stone Buildings and its members and staff.”

Also joining South Square at the same time as Joseph and Rory are new associate member Louis Doyle KC, a practising barrister at Manchester-based Kings Chambers where he will remain in full time practice, and new academic members Andrew Keay, Professor of Corporate and Commercial Law at the University of Leeds, and Peter Walton, Professor of Insolvency Law at Wolverhampton University.

Head of Chambers, Tom Smith KC said: “We continue to go from strength to strength with this expansion of our membership. Joseph and Rory are both highly skilled and experienced barristers who will make a material difference to the already-excellent service we deliver to our clients. 

I am also delighted to welcome Professor Andrew Keay and Professor Peter Walton and Louis Doyle as associate members.”