Brick Court Chambers

Jasbir Dhillon KC

Jasbir Dhillon KC

YEAR OF CALL: England and Wales: 1996; New York: 1993    YEAR OF SILK: 2013

"The courtroom master, Jasbir is one of the most powerful advocates at the English Bar. He has superb strategic skills and a remarkable ability to get the evidence he needs out of difficult witnesses"
(Legal 500 2023).
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Jasbir is an advocate with over 30 years’ experience of complex and high value commercial disputes. After a 1st class law degree from Oxford and an LLM from Harvard, Jasbir spent three years at the New York Bar with Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Since 1997 he has been a member of Brick Court Chambers and has been involved in many leading commercial cases. Jasbir is recognised by the legal directories as a leading barrister in Banking and Finance and Commercial Litigation.

Jasbir is an advocate with over 30 years’ experience of complex and high value commercial disputes. After a 1st class law degree from Oxford and an LLM from Harvard, Jasbir spent three years at the New York Bar with Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Since 1997 he has been a member of Brick Court Chambers and has been involved in many leading commercial cases. Jasbir is recognised by the legal directories as a leading barrister in Banking and Finance and Commercial Litigation.

Jasbir is regularly instructed to appear as counsel in major international arbitrations, including under LCIA, ICC, SIAC and CAS rules and ad hoc in London, Paris, Switzerland and Singapore. He has extensive experience of dealing with foreign laws including New York, Californian, Arizona, Chinese, Russian, Singapore, Chinese, Cayman, Italian, French, Portuguese, Lebanese, Iraqi, Indian, Iranian and Saudi laws. He frequently appears in applications to the English Court in support of international arbitrations. Jasbir also acts as an arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations.

Jasbir’s experience extends over a variety of areas of commercial law including banking and finance, conflict of laws, cross-border fraud, asset tracing, professional negligence, and public international law. Jasbir’s versatility as an advocate extends to other areas of civil law, including company law (including shareholders’ rights and company valuation), insolvency, intellectual property, defamation, regulatory, competition, public and administrative, sports and EU. As well as the English Courts, Jasbir has appeared in the courts of New York, Florida, Amsterdam, Gibraltar and the Cayman Islands as advocate or expert witness. 

Jasbir is a Bencher of Gray's Inn, Chair of its Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and is an accredited Advocacy Trainer. Jasbir is Deputy Chair of the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund (the insurer for the English Bar) and is Chairman of its Investment Committee. Jasbir is also a Visiting Senior Fellow of the LSE Law School.

Jasbir's significant cases in silk include:

Re Sina Corp & Re 58.com (2 of the largest section 238 company fair value appraisal cases in the Cayman Islands)

Qatar Airways Group v. Airbus SAS (instructed by Qatar Airways in its claim against Airbus relating to the design and manufacture of A350 aircraft, which was included in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases for 2023”)

Macquarie Bank v Phelan Energy Group [2022] EWHC 2616 (Comm) (interpretation of requirements for a valid notice of Event of Default under Section 5(a)(i) of the 2002 ISDA Master Agreement)

Banca Intesa Sanpaolo and Dexia v. Venice [2022] EWHC 2586 (Comm) (acted for Italian banks in 6 week trial of claim by City of Venice that English law governed interest rate swaps were invalid under Italian law)

Dexia v. Pesaro and Urbino [2022] EWHC 2410 (Comm) (summary judgment on claims by Italian bank relating to English law interest rate swaps which Italian local authority claimed were invalid under Italian law)

Hays v. Bloomfield [2022] EWHC 1648 (Comm) (challenges to LCIA arbitration award on grounds of lack of jurisdiction and serious irregularity)

Sakab Saudi Holding v Al Jabri [2021] EWHC 3390 (QB) (production of documents pursuant to letter of request from Canadian Court in support of US$3 billion fraud claim against former Saudi government minster)

MAD Atelier Int’l v. Manes [2021] 1 W.L.R. 5294 & [2021] EWHC 3335 (Comm) (acted for Claimant in 4 week trial claiming damages for fraud against renowned French chef; 1st post Brexit anti-suit injunction against EU Member State proceedings (Dutch) and post judgment freezing injunction)

De Havilland Aircraft v SpiceJet [2021] EWHC 362 (Comm) & [2021] EWCA Civ 1834 (summary judgment on claim for liquidated damages against Indian airline for breach of aircraft purchase agreement; and strike out of airline’s appeal unless a payment into court was made)

Dexia v. Venice [2020] EWHC 3150 (Comm) (applications to strike out claimant’s claim concerning interest rate swaps on grounds of abuse of process and for stay on grounds of parallel proceedings in Italy)

The Software Incubator Ltd. v. Computer Associates (UK) Ltd [2018] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 613 & [2022] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 139 (Court of Appeal and Court of Justice of the E.U. on whether software constitutes goods for the purposes of the Commercial Agents Directive)

Burford Capital v. London Stock Exchange [2021] All E.R. 377 (Norwich Pharmacal order in support of claim for market manipulation (spoofing/layering) arising from HFT/algorithmic share trading)

MAD Atelier Int’l v. Manes [2020] Q.B. 971 (dismissal of application for summary judgment seeking strike out of fraud claim on grounds of issue estoppel/abuse of process based upon Paris Commercial Court judgment)

Perkins Engines Co. Ltd. v. Ghaddar [2018] EWHC 1500 (Comm) (claim for interim anti-suit injunction restraining Lebanese proceedings in support of English arbitration proceedings)

Lehman Brothers v. National Power Corp. [2018] EWHC 487 (Comm) (leading case on the calculation and determination of the Close-Out Amount in the ISDA Master Agreement, 2002 ed.)

Europa Plus SCA SIF v. Anthracite Investments (Ireland) PLC [2016] EWHC 437 (Comm) (construction of defined terms in agreement terminating total return swaps under Lehman structured note programme)

Caterpillar v. Mutual Benefits Assurance Co [2015] 2 Lloyd's Rep 261 (claim against a Liberian insurance company under Advance Payment and Performance Bonds)

Enasarco v. Lehman Brothers [2015] EWHC 1307 (Ch) (leading case on the calculation and determination of Loss in the ISDA Master Agreement, 1992 ed.)

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  • Banking and finance M

    Jasbir has advised and represented UK and global retail banks, investment banks, hedge funds, other financial institutions and the FCA in relation to a wide variety of banking and finance disputes. Jasbir has experience of a broad range of financial instruments and market practices including equity and debt instruments, taking and realising security, financial derivatives (including credit default swaps) governed by ISDA documentation, trading strategies, structured finance products (including securitisation, asset backed securities and CDOs), and Islamic financial products.

    Jasbir has extensive experience of banking and financial services regulation. He acted for Lloyds Bank in relation to the Bank Charges investigation and litigation brought by the OFT. He advised Barclays in relation to the FSA’s investigation of PPI policies. He advised HM Treasury in relation to the Parliamentary Ombudsman's report on the regulation of Equitable Life.

    Jasbir is recognised by the independent directories as a leading barrister in the field of Banking and Finance. He was nominated for Banking & Finance Junior of the Year at the Chambers Bar Awards 2011. He was an assistant editor of Paget's Law of Banking and has given talks to City law firms and at major conferences on a wide range of banking issues.

    Notable cases include:

    Macquarie Bank v Phelan Energy Group [2022] EWHC 2616 (Comm) (interpretation of requirements for a valid notice of an Event of Default under Section 5(a)(i) of the 2002 ISDA Master Agreement)

    Banca Intesa Sanpaolo and Dexia v. Venice [2022] EWHC 2586 (Comm) (acted for Italian Banks in 6 week trial of claim by City of Venice that English law governed interest rate swaps were invalid under Italian law)

    Dexia v. Pesaro and Urbino [2022] EWHC 2410 (Comm) (summary judgment on claims by Italian bank relating to English law interest rate swaps which Italian local authority claimed were invalid under Italian law)

    Dexia v. Venice [2020] EWHC 3150 (Comm) (application to strike out claimant’s claim concerning claim under interest rate swaps on grounds of abuse of process and for stay on grounds of parallel proceedings in Italy)

    Burford Capital v London Stock Exchange [2021] All E.R. 377 (application for Norwich Pharmacal order in support of claim for market manipulation (layering/spoofing) arising from HFT/algorithmic share trading)

    Lehman Brothers v National Power Corp. [2018] EWHC 487 (Comm) (leading case on the calculation and determination of the Close-Out Amount in the ISDA Master Agreement, 2002 ed.)

    Europa Plus SCA SIF v Anthracite Investments (Ireland) PLC [2016] EWHC 437 (Comm) (construction of defined terms in agreement terminating total return swaps under Lehman structured note programme)

    Caterpillar v Mutual Benefits Assurace [2015] 2 Lloyd's Rep 261 (claim against Liberian insurance company under Advance Payment and Performance Bonds)

    Enasarco v Lehman Brothers [2015] EWHC 1307 (Ch) (leading case on calculation and determination of Loss under ISDA Master Agreement, 1992 ed)

  • Commercial M

    Jasbir has wide experience of commercial disputes involving contractual issues (including breach of warranty claims), cross border fraud, asset tracing, shareholders' rights, economic torts, quantum of damages, conflict of laws, public international law (including state immunity), obtaining interim relief, including freezing injunctions, pre-action and non-party disclosure and Norwich Pharmacal relief, and obtaining post-judgment relief.

    Notable cases include the following:

    Qatar Airways Group v. Airbus SAS (instructed by Qatar Airways in its claim against Airbus relating to alleged defective design and manufacture of A350 aircraft which was included in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases for 2023”)

    MAD Atelier Int’l v. Manes [2021] 1 W.L.R. 5294 & [2021] EWHC 3335 (Comm) (acted for claimant in 4 week trial claiming damages for fraud committed by renowned French chef, 1st post-Brexit anti-suit injunction vs EU Member State court (Dutch), and post judgment freezing injunction)

    Sakab Saudi Holding v Al Jabri [2021] EWHC 3390 (QB) (production of documents pursuant to letter of request from Canadian Court in support of US$3 billion fraud claim against former Saudi government minster)

    De Havilland Aircraft v SpiceJet [2021] EWHC 362 (Comm) & [2021] EWCA Civ 1834 (summary judgment on claim for liquidated damages against Indian airline for breach of aircraft purchase agreement and strike out of airline’s appeal unless a payment into court was made)

    MAD Atelier Int’l v. Manes [2020] Q.B. 971 (application for summary judgment seeking dismissal of claim on grounds of issue estoppel/abuse of process based upon Paris Commercial Court judgment)

    Software Incubator Ltd. v. Computer Associates (UK) Ltd [2018] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 613 & [2022]

    2 All E.R. (Comm) 139 (Court of Appeal and Court of Justice of the E.U. on whether software constitutes goods for the purposes of the Commercial Agents Directive)

    Perkins Engines Co. Ltd. v Ghaddar [2018] EWHC 1500 (Comm) (claim for interim anti-suit injunction restraining Lebanese proceedings in support of English arbitration proceedings)

  • Company and Insolvency M

    Jasbir has experience of a wide variety of company and corporate insolvency disputes, including (1) advising on security issues arising in company administration proceedings; (2) advising creditors in relation to the Eurotunnel debt restructuring, including issues under the EU Insolvency Regulation; (3) acting for creditors in relation to proceedings seeking to set-aside fraudulent transactions under section 423 of the Insolvency Act and to set-aside fraudulent Individual Voluntary Arrangements.

  • Arbitration M

    Jasbir is regularly instructed to appear as counsel in major international arbitrations under LCIA, ICC, SIAC and CAS rules and ad hoc in London, Paris, Switzerland and Singapore. He has extensive experience of dealing with foreign substantive laws including New York, Californian, Arizona, Chinese, Lebanese, Dutch, Singapore, Russian, Iraqi, Iranian, French, Portuguese, Saudi and Indian laws.

    Jasbir’s international arbitration experience as counsel includes: (1) LCIA arbitration claim concerning a dispute between litigation finance company and funded party governed by Arizona law; (2) LCIA arbitration claim concerning dispute between litigation finance company and funded party governed by New York law and involving California law; (3) ad hoc arbitration concerning dispute between defence contractors with respect to agreement to provide classified defence technology; (4) SIAC arbitration claim heard in Singapore concerning a minority shareholders’ dispute relating to a major Indian hospital governed by Indian law; (5) an ad hoc arbitration claim heard in London concerning an IT contract raising complex issues of quantification of damages on a claim valued at £1.4 billion; (6) an ICC arbitration claim concerning a dispute with respect to an Indian food group arising out of a shareholders’ agreement governed by Indian law; (7) an ICC arbitration claim heard in London by investment bank involving compatibility of financial derivatives with Saudi law; (8) ad hoc arbitration claim heard in London in which Jasbir represented UK Transport Secretary in dispute concerning rail franchise agreement; and (9) an ad hoc arbitration concerning agreement to provide classified defence technology.

    Jasbir has also been appointed to act as arbitrator in institutional and ad hoc arbitrations. Since 2014 Jasbir has been a member of the panel of arbitrators for the KLRCA. Jasbir is a contributor to “SIAC Rules: An Annotation” (Lexis, 2014).

    Jasbir has appeared in several substantial applications to the English Court in support of international arbitrations and notable reported judgments include:

    Hays v. Bloomfield [2022] EWHC 1648 (Comm) (challenges to LCIA arbitration award for lack of jurisdiction under sections 67 and 72(2)(a) of Arbitration Act 1996 and for serious irregularity under sections 68 and 72(2)(b))

    Perkins Engines Co. Ltd. v Ghaddar [2018] EWHC 1500 (Comm) (successful claim for interim anti-suit injunction restraining Lebanese proceedings in support of English arbitration proceedings)

  • Professional negligence M

    Jasbir has acted in a wide variety of professional negligence disputes including claims against barristers, solicitors, accountants/auditors, tax advisers, bankers and financial professionals. He has lectured extensively on the limitation of auditors' liability under the Companies Act 2006.

  • Insurance and reinsurance M

    Jasbir has extensive experience of insurance and reinsurance disputes.

  • Sports M

    Jasbir has experience of sports disciplinary proceedings concerning drugs. Jasbir has advised a foreign sports tribunal in relation to a dispute concerning the selection of a national team to enter the Olympics. He has also advised sports bodies on re-drafting their disciplinary rules.

  • Intellectual property M

    Jasbir has represented clients in a number of intellectual property disputes involving trademarks, copyright, patents and breach of confidence.

  • Competition M

    Jasbir has advised and appeared for clients in matters involving anti-trust/competition and commercial agency law. Jasbir has been instructed in many of the leading English cases concerning the Commercial Agents Regulations. Jasbir has experience of litigating ant-trust disputes concerning the following markets: US tobacco, US airlines, European pay tv/films, Mauritian telecoms and the UK beer/pubs.

  • Public Law M

    Jasbir advises and acts for commercial clients, the Government and other public authorities in relation to judicial review and human rights issues. Jasbir was instructed to act for the Electoral Commission in the first claim for forfeiture of an impermissible donation to a political party.

  • Publications M

    Paget’s Law of Banking, Assistant Editor

    SIAC Rules: An Annotation, Contributor

    Competition Litigation, UK Practice and Procedure, Contributor

  • Qualifications M

    Keble College, Oxford, MA Jurisprudence, 1st Class Honours

    Harvard Law School, LLM

    Queen’s Counsel, 2013

    Called to English Bar, 1996

    Admitted to US Supreme Court Bar, 1998

    Admitted to New York State Bar, 1993

    Admitted to New York Federal Bar, 1993

  • Directory Quotes M
    • "He can handle very difficult pieces of litigation; it is not just his knowledge, but how he advocates for it in court." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir is a strong cross-examiner and he's a strong oral and written advocate." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir is a commanding presence in any hearing. He can also understand the client's case from the big picture to the minute details." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir knows how to communicate well with clients and the solicitor, team and provides excellent strategic advice without hesitation. He is particularly good on novel points of law." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir can handle very difficult pieces of litigation. He's highly knowledgeable and very persuasive in court." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir is a strong cross-examiner." (Chambers & Partners 2024)
    • "Jasbir is one of the elite financial services barristers who has a super-rare combination of first-class analytical ability plus compelling courtroom ability. He is extremely persuasive in submissions and then he can really step it up when the time comes to tear apart dishonest testimony in cross-examination." (Legal 500 2024)
    • "A very effective cross-examiner." (Legal 500 2024)
    • "Jasbir is proactive, creative and a very effective advocate." "Very insightful both in terms of strategy and legal analysis." (Chambers & Partners 2023)
    • "Jasbir Dhillon KC is very strategic with great advocacy skills and he reads the judge very well." "Jasbir is proactive, creative and a sharp advocate. He has a real understanding of, and enthusiasm for, banking sector work which makes him a natural choice for structured finance disputes." (Chambers & Partners 2023) 
    • "Jasbir is one of the elite Silks at the English Bar for investment banking disputes. He is a formidable courtroom performer with exceptional skills in cross examination. Jasbir has deep expertise in strategising multi-jurisdiction litigation." (Legal 500 2023)
    • "The courtroom master, Jasbir is one of the most powerful advocates at the English Bar. He has superb strategic skills and a remarkable ability to get the evidence he needs out of difficult witnesses in court." (Legal 500 2023)
    • "Smart, thoughtful, excellent at oral advocacy and highly responsive to clients." (Chambers & Partners 2022)
    • "He is first-class on his feet." "He is smart, commercially savvy, and really prepared to put his shoulder to the grindstone."  (Chambers & Partners 2022)
    • "An absolute expert in derivatives, with superb skills in running international and multijurisdictional cases. A true master of the courtroom who knows how to persuade the toughest judges." (Legal 500 2022)
    • "Jasbir is a complete master of the courtroom. A superb legal mind who also knows how to fight in court." (Legal 500 2022)
    • "He is all over the papers and is a very interesting lateral thinker who puts forward very novel points." "A persuasive advocate who is very user-friendly." (Chambers & Partners 2021)
    • "Excellent knowledge of ISDA documentation. He's very driven and determined." "Dhillon has great intellectual aptitude and he applies it well." (Chambers & Partners 2021)
    • "He is technically excellent, very bright and good on his feet." (Legal 500 2021)
    • "The master of finance litigation, particularly derivatives disputes – he is academically superb, combined with exceptional commerciality and formidable courtroom skills." (Legal 500 2021)
    • "His advocacy style is excellent and he invariably takes the right points." "A very clever barrister." (Chambers & Partners 2020)
    • "A very capable barrister who takes a very robust approach when it comes to his opinions." "A technically strong and courageous advocate whose marshalling of the law and complex facts is really impressive." (Chambers & Partners UK & Global 2020)
    • "Phenomenally rigorous and incisive – a true strategic thinker." (Legal 500 2020)
    • "Unrivalled in cross-examination, he can destroy a witness and win a case within 15 minutes of standing up in court. Highly impressive in ISDA disputes, he has a great gift for simplifying disputes for the benefit of the court." "He is excellent on the detail and will never let a point slip away." (Chambers & Partners 2019)
    • "Jasbir is a very effective advocate, particularly in relation to complex areas of law." "Impresses with his attention to detail, his responsiveness and his ability to spot commercial solutions." (Chambers & Partners 2019)
    • "One of the most experienced advocates in ISDA Master Agreements in the UK." (Legal 500 2018-19)
    • "Jasbir is a truly impressive KC who wins clients' trust and confidence very quickly. He gets straight to the point and never sits on the fence." (Chambers & Partners 2018)
    • "He inspires tremendous confidence in clients with his direct, forceful and decisive style." "He's a very measured and thoughtful lawyer who considers all the angles." (Chambers & Partners 2018)
  • Languages M

    Punjabi (fluent), Hindi, Urdu