Zara McGlone

Zara has been instructed both as sole counsel and as part of a team in various banking and finance disputes. These include:

• Acting as sole counsel for the successful sixth to eighth defendants in Union Bank of India v Velocity LLC and Ors (17 July 2023), a claim for $2.5 million brought by the claimant bank in the DIFC Courts.
• Advising a global bank on, inter alia, its Quincecare duty of care, led by Jonathan Crow KC;
• Oscar Trustee Limited v MBS Software Solutions Limited BVIHC (COM) 2021/0022: led by Sharif Shivji QC in a dispute concerning the ISDA Master Agreement;
• Drafting pre-action correspondence and statements of case in claims regarding the mis-selling of investment products;
• Assisting in relation to the insolvency of a bank in the MENA region;
• Assisting the Independent Third Party addressing complaints from SME customers of RBS’ Global Restructuring Group during and following the 2008 financial crisis.
• Robert Tchenguiz & Ors v Grant Thornton UK LLP & Ors: assisting in relation to the Commercial Court proceedings in the multi-billion pound dispute arising out of the Claimants’ financing arrangements with a major Icelandic bank.

 

Much of Zara’s practice concerns commercial disputes between businesses large and small in a range of different sectors. Recent work in this area includes:

• Acting for the Secretary of State for Education, led by James Segan KC and Tom Cleaver (of Blackstone Chambers), in defending claims for alleged negligence and misfeasance brought by the shareholders of the parent company of an apprenticeship business.
• Acting, led by Andreas Gledhill KC and Shane Sibbel (of Blackstone Chambers), in an LCIA arbitration claim for the recovery of £20 million in connection with a restructured debt secured by various property developments and gas peaking projects. Zara appeared unled against a KC at a hearing concerning disclosure matters.
• Acting, led by Alastair Tomson, in successful applications for freezing injunctions in support of foreign proceedings under s.25 of the Civil Justice and Jurisdiction Act 1987 (Armeniakou v Thomson [2024] EWHC 2136 (Comm); Armeniakou v Thomson [2024] EWHC 2568 (KB));
• Led by Alex Cook KC in drafting a request for arbitration under the LCIA Rules seeking the purchase of the Claimant’s shares in a private equity firm, related injunctive relief, and damages representing the Claimant’s loss of earnings and compensation for distributions;
• Acting, led by George Bompas KC and Donald Lilly, in an international arbitration under the LCIA Rules of a dispute relating to a loan agreement, with a value of over US$77 million
• Acting as sole counsel in disputes concerning: the purchase and sale of farm machinery; guarantees provided for bridging loans; the sale of advertising space in a national football league; property development projects; royalties for historic music recordings; and the sale and purchase of titanium sheets.

Zara regularly advises on and acts in a wide range of company and partnership law matters, particularly concerning shareholder disputes. She is ranked as a ‘Rising Star’ in this area by the Legal 500, and as an ‘Up and Coming’ junior in this area by Chambers & Partners. Recent instructions include:

• Led by Christopher Harrison in a dispute relating to the affairs of a computer software company;
• Led by Andreas Gledhill KC of Blackstone Chambers, acting for the petitioner in a s.994 unfair prejudice petition brought in respect of a property development company;
• Re Compound Photonics Group Ltd [2021] EWHC 787 (Ch): led by Andreas Gledhill QC (of Blackstone Chambers) and Donald Lilly in the four-week trial of an unfair prejudice petition brought against the majority shareholders in an electronic display company, and assisting in relation to the successful appeal, which clarified the content of the contractual duty of good faith ([2022] EWCA Civ 271 (Ch));
• Led by Nigel Dougherty of Erskine Chambers, acting for the petitioner in an unfair prejudice petition brought in respect of a PPI claims management company pursuant to s994 Companies Act 2006;
• Led by Gregory Denton-Cox, acting for the petitioner in a s994 unfair prejudice petition brought in respect of an ethical clothing company;
• Led by Jeffrey Gruder QC, advising on a shareholder dispute in a financial services start-up company;
• Acting as sole counsel for both petitioners and respondents in a number of unfair prejudice petitions;
• Acting as sole counsel in a number of company applications, including for the rectification of the Companies Register, for extensions of time to register charges at Companies House, and for the restorations of companies to the Companies Register.

Zara has been involved in a number of cases concerning fraud, and is thus familiar with the issues which often arise in such claims, as well as applications for interim relief (including freezing injunctions). Recent experience includes:

• Armeniakou v Thomson [2024] EWHC 2136 (Comm); Armeniakou v Thomson [2024] EWHC 2568 (KB): led by Alastair Tomson in an application for a freezing injunction in support of foreign proceedings under s.25 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982, and related applications concerning asset disclosure;
• Led by Andreas Gledhill KC in the drafting of a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation in the dispute underlying the events set out in Alpha Schools (Holdings) Ltd v Signal Alpha III Fund LP [2024] EWHC 2862 (Ch);
• ACL Netherlands BV (and Ors) v Lynch and Anor [2022] EWHC 1178: led by Robert Miles QC, Richard Hill QC and Sharif Shivji QC in the 93-day trial of a US$5 billion claim involving allegations of fraud, arising out of the acquisition of Autonomy by Hewlett Packard in 2011;
• Robert Tchenguiz & Ors v Grant Thornton UK LLP & Ors: assisting in relation to the Commercial Court proceedings in the multi-billion-pound dispute arising out of the Claimants’ financing arrangements with a major Icelandic bank;
• As sole counsel, acting in claims in deceit, breach of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance and knowing receipt;
• As sole counsel, successfully obtaining continuing freezing injunctions.

Zara is regularly instructed on behalf of both creditors and debtors in both personal and corporate insolvency matters arising under the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency Rules 2016. She also regularly acts for HMRC in winding-up petitions, bankruptcy petitions, and related applications. Zara is recognised by the Legal 500 as a ‘Leading Junior’ in this area. Her work includes:

• Acting in a bankruptcy dispute based on an unrecognised foreign judgment, raising issues similar to those addressed in Servis-Terminal LLC v Drelle [2025] EWCA Civ 62;
• Acting as sole counsel in a misfeasance claim against the former director of an insolvent company;
• Acting as sole counsel in an application to set aside a statutory demand for £5 million;
• Acting as sole counsel for the joint administrators of the Oasis and Warehouse retail group in extending the administrations on multiple occasions and in winding up two of the group’s nine companies;
• As sole counsel, obtaining permission for joint administrators of an investment holding company to make distributions of over £6 million to an unsecured creditor;
• Acting as sole counsel on behalf of OFGEM in urgent Part 8 claims brought in the High Court for declarations of insolvency in respect of energy supply companies (Rebel Energy Supply Limited; Neon Reef Limited; Zog Energy Ltd; Social Energy Supply Ltd; Together Energy (Retail) Limited);
• Led by John Brisby QC in opposing an application to restrain the presentation of a winding-up petition in connection with a high-value debt arising out of a contract subject to arbitration. The case involved allegations of market distortion, and the application of Salford Estates (No. 2) Ltd v Altomart Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 1575
• Acting as sole counsel in applications for the discharge of administrators; for the recognition of foreign insolvency proceedings; to remove trustees in bankruptcy; for the provision of documents under s.366 Insolvency Act 1986; for the approval of administrators’ statements of proposals.
• Assisting in relation to the administration of Greensill Capital.

Zara has a strong interest in international arbitration. During her Pegasus Scholarship in Hong Kong in 2018, she spent a number of weeks at the HKIAC, which coincided with the launch of the HKIAC Rules 2018. She also coaches the Middle Temple team for the Vis Commercial International Arbitration moot. Instructions include:

• Acting, led by Andreas Gledhill KC and Shane Sibbel (of Blackstone Chambers), in an LCIA arbitration claim for the recovery of £20 million in connection with a restructured debt secured by various property developments and gas peaking projects. Zara appeared unled against a KC at a hearing concerning disclosure matters.
• Led by Alex Cook KC in drafting a request for arbitration under the LCIA Rules seeking the purchase of the Claimant’s shares in a private equity firm, related injunctive relief, and damages representing the Claimant’s loss of earnings and compensation for distributions;
• Acting (led by George Bompas KC and Donald Lilly) in an international arbitration under the LCIA Rules concerning a dispute with a value of over US$77 million relating to a loan agreement;
• Acting (led by Jeffrey Gruder QC of Essex Court Chambers) in a multi-million-dollar ICC dispute concerning the management of a hospital in the MENA region, including successfully opposing an application for interim relief;
• Successfully applying under s9 Arbitration Act 1996 for a stay of proceedings in favour of arbitration.

Zara has a range of offshore experience, including in relation to matters in the DIFC, ADGM and BVI. She is a registered Part II practitioner in the DIFC Courts and is recognised by the Legal 500 (EMEA) as a Leading Junior in Commercial Litigation in the Middle East: The English Bar. She also has rights of audience in the AIFC Courts in Kazakhstan. Recent work includes:

• Acting in injunction proceedings concerning a dispute arising from a contract for investment in a luxury yacht;
• Advising on a commercial dispute before the DIFC Courts relating to artworks produced for an outdoor site in Al Ula, KSA;
• Assisting in relation to an unfair prejudice petition brought in the ADGM Courts under Article 858 and 860 of the ADGM Companies Regulations 2020.;
• Acting in a commercial dispute before the DIFC Courts between a large retail landlord and a tenant of units in a new shopping mall, covering issues relating to property and fit-out contracts;
• Acting as sole counsel for the successful sixth to eighth defendants in Union Bank of India v Velocity LLC and Ors (17 July 2023), a claim for $2.5 million brought by the claimant bank in the DIFC Courts;
• Oscar Trustee Limited v MBS Software Solutions Limited BVIHC (COM) 2021/0022: led by Sharif Shivji KC in a dispute concerning the ISDA Master Agreement;
• Advising on potential claims against a director in an ADGM-incorporated company for alleged misconduct;
• Advising on the potential insolvency of an ADGM-incorporated company;
• Assistance in relation to an application for joinder and associated requests for information by a non-party to a shareholder dispute in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court concerning an investment fund
• Assisting in relation to the insolvency of a bank in the MENA region;
• Drafting a statement of case in an unfair prejudice petition concerning a Singaporean product testing company;
• Assistance in relation to requests by a trustee in bankruptcy to a major law firm for delivery up of documents under s342(1) Gibraltar Insolvency Act 2011.

• Member of the Attorney General’s ‘C’ Panel
• Member of the Chancery Bar Association (ChBA)
• Member of the Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)
• Member of the British-Russian Lawyers Association (BRLA)
• Member of the British-Kazakh Lawyers Association (BKLA)
• Volunteer barrister for Advocate

• Registered in Part II of the DIFC’s Register of Legal Practitioners,
• Dubai Registered in the AIFC’s Register of Legal Practitioners, Kazakhstan

• Introduction to Corporate Law & Governance, London School of Economics
• BPTC, City Law School
• GDL, City Law School
• MA (Hons), Classics and Modern Languages, University of Oxford (Trinity College)
• Study abroad at Université de Paris IV – Paris Sorbonne
• Pegasus Scholarship, Inner Temple
• Queen Mother Scholarship, Middle Temple
• Diplock Scholarship, Middle Temple
• Lingen Fund Award, Trinity College
• Finalist, HRLA National Judicial Review Competition
• Middle Temple Team and Team Leader, Willem C Vis international Commercial Arbitration Moot
• National Moot Team, City Law School
• Secretary, the Oxford Union

• Case Contributor to Corporate Rescue and Insolvency Journal
• Banker Beware: shadow directorship and risks for lenders (Journal of International Banking and Finance Law, May 2024)
• Oceanfill v Nuffield: a clear outlook for commercial landlords? (Journal of International Banking and Finance Law, January 2023)
• Contributor to Loose and Griffiths on Liquidators (9th Ed.)
• Contributor to Litigation in the Time of COVID-19 (4 Stone Buildings’ E-Book)

• French
• Some Russian

Legal 500 (EMEA) 2025:

“Zara is an exceptional barrister with a strong command of legal drafting, particularly in preparing comprehensive written submissions before the common law courts. Her ability to distil complex legal issues into clear, persuasive, and well-structured submissions stands out. Zara’s drafting is always meticulously researched and demonstrates a deep understanding of both procedural and substantive law, which greatly enhances the persuasiveness of the documents.”

Chambers & Partners 2025:

“Zara is extremely hard-working and very energetic. She also has good judgement and is a delight to work with.”

“A really good junior who is an invaluable resource, Zara is a barrister who grasps everything so quickly. She is great to bounce ideas off and good at providing strategic advice”

Legal 500 2025:

“Knowledgeable, bright and efficient, Zara gives sensible commercial advice.”

“Extremely helpful, always going above and beyond, she is totally reliable. Technically excellent and very approachable.”

Legal 500 (EMEA) 2024:

“An exceptional barrister.”

Legal 500 2024:

“Undoubtedly a future star of the Bar, Zara is incredibly sharp, extremely charming and her knowledge of company law is impeccable.”

Chambers & Partners 2024:

“Zara McGlone is very impressive, she has a really strategic mindset.”

“Zara does not mess about with unnecessary issues – she gets to the heart of matters”

“Zara drafts really nicely, is really responsive and has a nice collegiate approach.”