Fountain Court Chambers is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Chapman, Derrick Dale, Akhil Shah, Marcus Smith and Veronique Buehrlen have been successful in their application to be appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Counsel. This takes the number of silks practising at Fountain Court to 29.
Jeffrey Chapman was called to the Bar in 1989. He has a broad commercial law practice specialising in multi-jurisdictional commercial litigation particularly civil fraud, banking, international arbitration, reinsurance and insurance. Jeffrey is recommended in Chambers 2009 as “a lawyer who is always ready to stand up and be counted when things get tough.” Jeff is “a great man to have on your side when the going gets tough.” He is mentioned in Chambers 2008 as “Clear, clever and someone whom clients quickly warm to.”. Ranked by Chambers as a Leading Junior in Commercial Litigation, Banking & Finance and Civil Fraud.
Derrick Dale has a wide ranging experience of all areas of commercial law. Derrick is profiled as a leading junior in Legal 500, Legal Experts and Chambers for commercial litigation, insurance/reinsurance and professional negligence work. He is described variously as a “clear-minded” presence, an “incredibly bright and hard-working fellow” who is “noted for his sound commercial judgment and inventive approach”. Most importantly, it has been stated that “he retains a sense of humour in the darkest of times”. He has been since 2004 the joint editor of the damages section in ‘Simpson on Professional Negligence’
Akhil Shah was called to the Bar in 1990. He has a wide-ranging commercial and civil law practice with an emphasis on aviation, insurance and reinsurance, arbitration, commercial litigation and private international law. His expertise in these practice areas is acknowledged by Chambers & Partners UK, Legal 500 and Legal Experts. Legal 500 describe him as “arguably the strongest junior at the aviation bar” and as being “very impressive.”
Marcus Smith was called to the Bar in 1991. He specialises in commercial and commercial chancery work, which includes an extensive arbitration practice. He also does some regulatory work. Marcus’ work spans aviation, banking, commercial contracts, conflict of laws, insurance and reinsurance, IT, professional negligence and sports. More specific details appear below. Marcus relishes cases that have a technical element to them – whether this is US tax law, the corrosion of metal in nuclear reprocessing plants or complex securitization structures. Marcus has particular expertise in relation to intangible property (of all sorts) and is regularly involved in advice and litigation in this area. He is the author of the leading work in this area – The Law of Assignment: The Creation and Transfer of Choses in Action (OUP 2007).
Veronique Buehrlen was called to the Bar in 1991. Her experience spans many aspects of commercial law including banking, insurance and civil fraud and she has a particularly strong energy practice. She is well used to working in teams of counsel as well conducting cases in her own right and is already leading other Fountain Court Juniors in the Commercial Court this coming April/May 2010 and in a 3 week ICC arbitration due to be heard in June/July 2010. Whilst Veronique has appeared in many different levels of Court, including the Privy Council and the Court of Appeal, most of her recent work has been in relation to matters brought in the Commercial Court and before arbitral tribunals. Veronique is bilingual French/English.
