Two ‘Stars at the Bar’ for Fountain Court

We are pleased to have had two of our silks named by Chambers & Partners as 2021 ‘Stars at the Bar’, meaning they have “proved their excellence across a range of practice areas”. Head of Chambers Bankim Thanki QC and fellow senior silk Richard Lissack QC have been named in the list, and their detailed write ups are below.

As the only set to have more than one member named, this supports our excellent 2021 set rankings in both Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500, including top tier rankings for Aviation, Banking & Finance, Commercial Dispute Resolution, Financial Services, Civil Fraud and others.

Fountain Court has also been shortlisted for nine awards at next week’s Chambers Bar Awards 2020 (see here for more information).

BANKIM THANKI QC

“‘When a leading bank finds itself in hot water, Bankim Thanki QC is undoubtedly one of the first people they will call. He is widely considered to be a “star commercial silk” and a go-to for the most factually complex banking litigation. One fellow barrister calls him “truly the best person I’ve worked with at the Bar,” whilst solicitors reinforce the sentiment, including one who says “the indefatigable Bankim Thanki is on another level.” He is described as a “highly intelligent and effective advocate,” and someone who “operates at a high level of advocacy.” Composure is a key theme when interviewees discuss Thanki: “He is able to dissect complicated cases full of detail in a cool and collected manner; he makes complex things look so simple and there’s a real art to that.” A supremely talented silk, Thanki can turn his hand to a range of areas, leading to his reputation as “an extraordinary barrister across many fields, with the most phenomenal brain.” He is ranked in ten sections of our guide and has well-earned band one rankings in commercial dispute resolution, financial services and civil fraud. He has also developed a reputation as the foremost expert in legal privilege following his representation of ENRC in the Court of Appeal. He is no stranger to the higher courts, having appeared for Ukraine before the Supreme Court in its high-profile dispute with Russia relating to a 2013 Eurobond issuance.’

RICHARD LISSACK QC

‘“There is nobody at the Bar like Richard Lissack QC,” according to one impressed interviewee, who goes on to add: “He perfectly straddles the intersection between business crime and regulatory exposure. He is in a very unique position and as a consequence of this he has great strategic vision.” Lissack is widely regarded as a go-to silk for the most high-profile and challenging financial crime and banking cases, such as his recent involvement in the litigation arising from the £11 billion investment by Qatar in Barclays Bank, or the Autonomy scandal, a matter which involved allegations brought by both the SFO and the US Department of Justice. Thanks to his extensive expertise in criminal and regulatory law, he is also recognised as a leading practitioner for health and safety matters, and his recent work in this area includes the representation of one of the companies involved in the investigation into the Didcot Power Station explosion. He earns significant praise for his courtroom advocacy and is described by one solicitor as “one of the most powerful advocates at the Bar.” Others report that he is “a lionheart of an advocate,” and note that “he is a real fighter on behalf of his clients, and people instruct him for a reason – he is a very robust and forceful advocate.” Interviewees also draw considerable attention to Lissack’s client management skills when discussing his strengths as a barrister: “He has complete devotion to his clients,” according to one impressed interviewee, while another attests that he “inspires total confidence.” A solicitor adds: “He’s one of the best silks I’ve worked with in terms of user-friendliness and client care. Clients love him and have confidence in his ability, he’s very responsive and his written work is excellent”.’