Adnan Khaliq

Adnan accepts instructions at all stages of commercial disputes, including pre-action advice, pleadings, interim applications, trial and settlement.

• Drafted a witness statement and a skeleton argument in respect of a post-judgment security for costs application. The successful application was made on behalf of two of the defendants in respect of Ziyavudin Magomedov’s US$13.8 billion conspiracy claim, litigated in the Commercial Courts of the BVI and England & Wales (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Amended particulars of claim in a breach of trust claim for disgorgement and/or equitable compensation in the Commercial Court of the BVI (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Drafted a skeleton in respect of a strike out application in the English High Court pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 and/or as abuse of process. The US $350,000,000 claim included a personal claim in conspiracy as well a derivative claim on behalf of a company incorporated in the UAE (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Assisted Donald Lilly KC (as a pupil) prepare for a trial of a preliminary issue on the applicable law for s. 281 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 applications. The underlying application relates to the proceeds of a sophisticated Ponzi scheme investment fraud, orchestrated in China, valued at over US $4bn in bitcoin.
• Opinion on the merits of a claim and counterclaim alleging breach of contractual, tortious and fiduciary obligations as well alleged breaches of directors’ duties. This included, inter alia, advising on the interpretation of the underlying contractual documents (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a skeleton argument for an ex parte freezing injunction (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a statement of defence in an ICC arbitration. The underlying claim, inter alia, related to whether any fees were owed under the various relevant agreements as well as whether the project had been validly terminated for repudiatory breach. This included interpreting the underlying contractual documents as well as considering points of law involving assignment, waiver, variation, misrepresentation and/or estoppel (as a pupil, assisting James Knott).
• Note advising on the validity of security under a debenture. This included, inter alia, advising on the interpretation of the underlying loan agreements (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted a skeleton argument for a CMC hearing in the ADGM courts. The underlying contractual dispute concerned fees allegedly due under a fund management agreement (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a skeleton for a wasted costs and/or breach of warranty application. The underlying claim related to breaches of a settlement agreement involving the voluntary transfer of shares (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted a note advising a company on how to obtain an injunction for breach of confidentiality against a consultant who had retained, and threatened to use, confidential company information (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted particulars of claim alleging negligence as well as breach of contract and/or fiduciary duties. The underlying claim related to a debenture which purported to execute security over a borrower’s assets (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted a skeleton argument resisting an application for various interim remedies, including an interim payment (as a pupil, assisting James Knott).

Adnan accepts instructions in cases involving an international/offshore element, having enjoyed working on such cases during pupillage.

• Drafted a skeleton argument for a CMC hearing in the ADGM courts. The underlying contractual dispute concerned fees allegedly due under a fund management agreement (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Amended particulars of claim in a breach of trust claim for disgorgement and/or equitable compensation in the Commercial Court of the BVI (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Drafted a skeleton in respect of a strike out application in the English High Court pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 and/or as abuse of process. The US $350,000,000 claim included a personal claim in conspiracy as well a derivative claim on behalf of a company incorporated in the UAE (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Assisted Donald Lilly KC (as a pupil) prepare for a trial of a preliminary issue on the applicable law for s. 281 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 applications. The underlying application relates to the proceeds of a sophisticated Ponzi scheme investment fraud, orchestrated in China, valued at over US $4bn in bitcoin.
• Drafted a statement of defence in an ICC arbitration. The underlying claim, inter alia, related to whether any fees were owed under the various relevant agreements as well as whether the project had been validly terminated for repudiatory breach. This included interpreting the underlying contractual documents as well as considering points of law involving assignment, waiver, variation, misrepresentation and/or estoppel (as a pupil, assisting James Knott).
• Opinion on the merits of a claim and counterclaim in the ADGM Courts alleging breach of contractual, tortious and fiduciary obligations as well alleged breaches of directors’ duties. This included, inter alia, advising on the interpretation of the underlying contractual documents (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a skeleton for a wasted costs and/or breach of warranty application. The underlying claim related to breaches of a settlement agreement involving the voluntary transfer of shares (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).

Adnan accepts instructions in cases involving civil fraud, having enjoyed working on such cases during his time as the Harold G Fox Scholar in Canada and during pupillage.

• Drafted a witness statement and a skeleton argument in respect of a post-judgment security for costs application. The successful application was made on behalf of two of the defendants in respect of Ziyavudin Magomedov’s US$13.8 billion conspiracy claim, litigated in the Commercial Courts of the BVI and England & Wales (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Amended particulars of claim in a breach of trust claim for disgorgement and/or equitable compensation in the Commercial Court of the BVI (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Drafted a skeleton in respect of a strike out application in the English High Court pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 and/or as abuse of process. The US $350,000,000 claim included a personal claim in conspiracy as well a derivative claim on behalf of a company incorporated in the UAE (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Assisted Donald Lilly KC (as a pupil) prepare for a trial of a preliminary issue on the applicable law for s. 281 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 applications. The underlying application relates to the proceeds of a sophisticated Ponzi scheme investment fraud, orchestrated in China, valued at over US $4bn in bitcoin.
• Drafted a note advising a regulatory body on its ability to obtain a freezing injunction pursuant to its statutory objectives (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a note advising a statutory body on how the Insolvency Act 1986 interacts with its governing statute (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).

Adnan accepts instructions in a wide range of commercial chancery matters, including unfair prejudice petitions, disputes involving breaches of directors’ duties and fiduciary duties, as well as partnership disputes.

• Drafted a witness statement and a skeleton argument in respect of a post-judgment security for costs application. The successful application was made on behalf of two of the defendants in respect of Ziyavudin Magomedov’s US$13.8 billion conspiracy claim, litigated in the Commercial Courts of the BVI and England & Wales (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Drafted a skeleton in respect of a strike out application in the English High Court pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 and/or as abuse of process. The US $350,000,000 claim included a personal claim in conspiracy as well a derivative claim on behalf of a company incorporated in the UAE (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Assisted Donald Lilly KC (as a pupil) prepare for a trial of a preliminary issue on the applicable law for s. 281 Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 applications. The underlying application relates to the proceeds of a sophisticated Ponzi scheme investment fraud, orchestrated in China, valued at over US $4bn in bitcoin.
• Opinion on the merits of a claim and counterclaim alleging breach of contractual, tortious and fiduciary obligations as well alleged breaches of directors’ duties. This included, inter alia, advising on the interpretation of the underlying contractual documents (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a skeleton for a wasted costs and/or breach of warranty application. The underlying claim related to breaches of a settlement agreement involving the voluntary transfer of shares (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Note advising on the validity of security under a debenture. This included, inter alia, advising on the interpretation of the underlying loan agreements (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted a note advising a company on how to obtain an injunction for breach of confidentiality against a consultant who had retained, and threatened to use, confidential company information (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Note advising on a potential director disqualification and/or compensation order application under the Insolvency Act 1986 (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).
• Drafted particulars of claim alleging negligence as well as breach of contract and/or fiduciary duties. The underlying claim related to a debenture which purported to execute security over a borrower’s assets (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).

Adnan particularly enjoyed working on high value arbitrations and mediations during his time in Canada as the Harold G Fox Scholar. Prior to this, Adnan served as the Sponsorship Officer of the University of Cambridge Arbitration Conference and gained further experience working on arbitrations during his internship at the London Office of Gide Loyrette Nouel. Separately, Adnan has led arbitration/meditation tutorials on the BCL at the University of Oxford whilst a panel chaired by Lord Justice Coulson selected Adnan as the winner of the Gide/Gray’s Inn French-English Law Essay Prize on arbitration. Adnan gained further arbitration experience during pupillage.

• Drafted a statement of defence in an ICC arbitration. The underlying claim, inter alia, related to whether any fees were owed under the various relevant agreements as well as whether the project had been validly terminated for repudiatory breach. This included interpreting the underlying contractual documents as well as considering points of law involving assignment, waiver, variation, misrepresentation and/or estoppel (as a pupil, assisting James Knott).

Adnan accepts instructions in a wide range of insolvency work, having enjoyed working on such cases during pupillage and as a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal. Adnan also obtained a First Class in his corporate insolvency paper in his Master of Law from the University of Cambridge.

• Drafted a skeleton in respect of a strike out application in the English High Court pursuant to the Insolvency Act 1986 and/or as abuse of process. The US $350,000,000 claim included a personal claim in conspiracy as well a derivative claim on behalf of a company incorporated in the UAE (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).
• Drafted a note advising a statutory body on how the Insolvency Act 1986 interacts with its governing statute (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Drafted a skeleton argument for an application under ss. 234-237 Insolvency Act 1986. The application was made on behalf of a company’s liquidators who, inter alia, sought the delivery up of IT equipment to an independent IT expert (as a pupil, assisting Joseph Wigley).
• Note advising on a potential director disqualification and/or compensation order application under the Insolvency Act 1986 (as a pupil, assisting Emma Horner).

Adnan accepts instructions in cases involving trust litigation, having enjoyed working on high level trust litigation during pupillage with Donald Lilly KC. Adnan maintains a strong interest in trusts having won a prize in the inaugural Lincoln’s Inn Lord Millett Equity Essay Competition. Adnan also previously taught Equity & Trusts as a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London.

• Amended particulars of claim in a breach of trust claim for disgorgement and/or equitable compensation in the Commercial Court of the BVI (as a pupil, assisting Donald Lilly KC).

PGDip in Bar Practice, Inns of Court College of Advocacy, King’s College London.

Commercial Law LL.M. with First Class Honours, University of Cambridge (firsts in all papers).

LL.B. with First Class Honours, University of Reading.

• Runner Up, Lincoln’s Inn Lord Millet Equity Essay Prize.
• Runner Up, Lincoln’s Inn Gluckstein Advocacy Prize.
• Winner, Gide/Gray’s Inn French-English Arbitration Law Essay Prize (panel chaired by Lord Justice Coulson).
• 3rd Place, Financial Services Lawyers Association (FSLA) Essay Competition.
• Winner, Lord Kerr Memorial Written Advocacy Prize (selected by Lord Lloyd-Jones).
• Winner, Lincoln’s Inn Inter-Provider Mooting Competition.
• Winner, Lincoln’s Inn Debating Shield Competition.
• Winner, Osborne Clarke Mooting Competition (Final at the Supreme Court).
• Winner, ‘Best Individual Mooter’ in Osborne Clarke Mooting Competition.
• Winner, Boyes Turner Negotiation Competition.

Damages for Breach of Dispute Resolution Agreements and EU Public Policy (Co-Authored Case Note): Lloyd’s Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly (LMCLQ), February 2024. [end of section]

• Harold G Fox Scholarship, Middle Temple.
• Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn.
• Residential Award, Lincoln’s Inn.
• William Charnley Law Prize for the Highest First Class in LLM – Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge.