⁠Peter Ratcliffe⁠ specialises in heavy and complex insurance and reinsurance disputes. He was the Chambers & PartnersInsurance Junior of the Year in 2010 and 2022, and Legal 500 Financial Services and Insurance Junior of the Year in 2022. Recent instructions include advising on the war risks / all-risk claims arising out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a number of COVID-19 business interruption claims, including the FCA Test Case.

⁠William Day is ranked in both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 for insurance work. Recent instructions includeStonegate in the Commercial Court, London International Exhibition Centre in the Court of Appeal, and Bath Racecourse which has recently been given permission to go to the Supreme Court.

He is also acting in a major credit insurance dispute arising out of the collapse of Greensill Bank.

Gretel Scott⁠ is a commercial junior who moved to the Bar having previously qualified as a solicitor at Slaughter and May. Whilst at Slaughter and May, she acted for one of the insurers in the FCA Test Case. She retains an active interest in insurance disputes work at the bar alongside a diet of banking, fraud and art law cases. Gretel has also spent a year as the judicial assistant to Lord Briggs in the Supreme Court.

In this episode Peter, Will and Gretel discuss issues arising in relation to the notification of insurance claims.

In episode ten of 3VB Speaks, Adam Kramer KC andJames Sharpe discuss joint and composite insurance policies, in the light of the recent Bath Racecourse decision of the Court of Appeal.

Adam appeared in this major case in early 2025 on the application of limits in composite insurance policies and the impact of furlough payments on the quantum of insurance claims, worth billions to insurers.

 Both Adam and James work actively in the insurancefield.

 Adam has become a leading expert in businessinterruption insurance and COVID-19 claims after appearing in FCA v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd, and has since advised various policyholders, brokers and the FCA on the application of the decision to other policies and on unresolvedissues left over from the test case. 

James has particular expertise in insurance matters. He regularly acts for and advises insureds and insurers in respect of insurance policies. He advises upon and litigates all insurance related disputes including: dealing with insolvent insureds and insurance companies; subrogated recovery claims; and all coverage disputes.

James also acts for other insurance intermediaries in professional negligence claims.

In this episode of 3VB Speaks we focus on the regulatory sector and group litigation claims.

Peter de Verneuil Smith KC is one of the leading experts in commercial group litigation and is acting for a group of claimants in the largest s90 FSMA claim to date against Glencore. Saima Hanif KC is a global expert in financial services regulation, and has acted in numerous Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) disputes, both before the FOS and in the High Court, many involving high volume claims.

 In this podcast, Saima and Peter discuss the recent trend of high volume regulatory complaints before the FOS, the problems this throws up and learning from High Court group actions.

3VB Speaks is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications

Saima Hanif KC and Peter de Verneuil Smith KC....

In this podcast, Andrew Sutcliffe KC and William Day address the question of who has standing to make applications to Court under company and insolvency legislation. Andrew and William have together appeared in a number of recent cases on that question – culminating with a successful appeal to the Supreme Court in Brake v Chedington, where a bankrupt purported to challenge the actions of their trustee in bankruptcy in respect of bankruptcy assets.

The Supreme Court judgement is available online here.

In recognition of mental health awareness week, Charlotte Eborall and Clarissa Jones talk about mental health and wellbeing at the Bar; the importance of raising awareness about the sorts of issues barrister might face and what the profession does to support practitioners at all stages of their career. They also cover the various outreach initiatives that 3VB is involved in. Andrew Onslow KC also gives his perspective as a senior silk, sharing his own personal experience.

The podcast looks at some of the issues which can make life at The Bar uniquely stressful and the efforts that are being made by 3VB and more widely to address them - not least by means of the Bar Council's Wellbeing At The Bar website.

Charlotte is the chair of 3VB’s CSR committee. She is an experience senior junior specialising in complex and high value commercial litigation in the fields of banking, financial services and regulation, civil fraud and general commercial disputes.

Andrew Onslow KC has been in practice at 3VB for 40 years. He is a highly accomplished advocate, recognised for his work in commercial areas covering Art & Cultural Property, Banking & Finance, Fraud and Professional Negligence.

Clarissa Jones joined 3VB in 2018 following successful completion of pupillage. She has since worked on a broad range of notable cases, including disputes involving allegations of fraud and the dissipation of assets, complex financial transactions and enforcement. Prior to joining Chambers, Clarissa spent a year working as a paralegal in the Structured Finance department at Linklaters.

3VB Speaks is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications

In this episode of 3VB Speaks barristers Philip Hinks and William Day discuss schemes of arrangement and in particular the recent Provident and Amigo cases in which they appeared on behalf of customer advocate John York. The court was considering redress claims against consumer finance companies in relation to unaffordable and unsustainable lending. 

In episode 5 of the 3VB Speaks podcast, Peter de Verneuil Smith QC and Adam Kramer QC discuss the recent RSA Insurance Group decision in which Peter successfully defended a group action against a limitation strike out by relying on the fraud limitation extension. Limitation challenges are a typical feature of Financial Services litigation where in many cases claimants are only aware of wrongdoing years of after the event. Adam and Peter consider the insights of the case for s.90A FSMA claims and group litigation generally.

In the latest episode of 3VB Speaks, Hefin Rees QC and Cleon Catsambis discuss a recent case they were instructed in on behalf of Sir Frederick Barclay and his daughter, against other members of the Barclay family, following the discovery of a covert audio recording device at The Ritz Hotel in London where Sir Frederick would hold business meetings relating to the Barclay business empire. These conversations captured highly confidential and commercially-sensitive business information, as well as some meetings between Sir Frederick and his lawyers.

The various court hearings that took place in London in which both Hefin and Cleon acted for the Claimants attracted a significant amount of press coverage, including television, radio, and all newspaper outlets.

Their conversation focuses on the use of a Doorstep Delivery Up Order as an unusual means of obtaining information from the defendants.

This episode of the 3VB Speaks podcast features joint Head of Chambers Adrian Beltrami QC and Jonathan Nash QC discussing group litigation.

Jonathan and Adrian met at 3 Verulam Buildings' London offices to discuss strategies in group litigation and consider the kinds of claims which are suitable for group claims, how to put together and manage the group, Group Litigation Orders and the role of Funders and After the Event Insurance in security for costs applications.

They also discuss the Defendant’s perspective: how to successfully resist a group claim and take advantage of the conflicts of economic interest which are likely to arise in this kind of litigation.

In this second episode of the 3VB Speaks podcast we hear from David Quest QC and James McWilliams giving advice to defendants in civil fraud actions.

David is a leading Commercial Silk specialising in Commercial and Financial fraud amongst other areas. Many of David’s cases have an international element and he is very experienced in the conflicts of jurisdiction, conflicts of law and cross border enforcement issues that are often raised in such work. He is frequently involved in Offshore Litigation, particularly in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Recently, David was heavily involved in the drafting of the Digital Dispute Resolution Rules published by the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce of Lawtech UK.

James is one of 3VB’s most promising Juniors, frequently instructed on complex International and high value Civil Fraud and asset tracing disputes. His recent work in this field, has included acting for General Electric in proceedings in the Cayman Islands arising out of a $3.6 billion ponzi scheme operated by Thomas Petters and acting for the joint trustees of Derek Hood, once the foremost classic car dealer in Europe in a £40 million claim by a classic car investor. He has extensive experience of all aspects of Fraud Litigation, including applications for a wide variety of interim relief, disclosure applications of all kinds and in contempt of court of related applications.

The first episode in our podcast series focuses on privacy applications in Financial Services litigation. Saima Hanif QC and Emmanuel Sheppard discuss a recent Upper Tribunal in which Emmanuel appeared, as well as other cases on this issue.