News & Events
News & Events
James Smith has written an article titled ‘Russia sanctions and the prohibition on trust services’ for the latest journal article of Trusts & Trustees, published on 9th July 2025. UK sanctions law contains a prohibition on the provision of trust services to or for the benefit of designated persons and persons connected with Russia. This article analyses the background to and legal framework of the prohibition. The article then looks at the application of the prohibition to Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, before considering practical steps for affected practitioners. It concludes that a prohibition on trust services is likely to be a lasting feature of the UK’s sanctions regime, posing significant compliance challenges for the trusts industry. Read the full…
External Publications, News 11 Jul, 2025
Event Date: 4 Jun, 2025
We are delighted to be part of London International Disputes Week (LIDW25) taking place from 2nd – 6th June 2025. Outer Temple Chambers will be hosting a talk on Wednesday 4th June to examine the hot topics in 2025 for international dispute resolution. With this year’s theme being “Innovation in dispute resolution: navigating global risks”, the 6th London International Disputes Week event will focus on key issues and trends across the international commercial disputes community. Outer Temple Chambers are delighted to be part of the LIDW calendar of events, hosting a talk with fellow experts at Fox Williams and Rimkus on Wednesday 4th June 2025 to discuss some of the hottest topics of the moment including the difficulties posed by…
We are delighted to announce that dual-qualified US lawyer and English barrister Joshua Ray has joined the International Team as a full tenant. We are delighted to announce that Joshua Ray has joined the International Team as a full tenant, splitting his time between London and New York. An accomplished US financial crime specialist and commercial litigator, Josh previously worked closely with Outer Temple’s International team as a Professional Associate before deciding to dedicate his time to the bar and join on a full-time basis in December 2024. Before that he was an attorney in New York and London with several leading disputes firms. Josh will continue to focus his practice on Business Crime, Sanctions, International Arbitration and Commercial Litigation.…
News 5 Dec, 2024
Chambers and Partners UK Bar 2025 have today launched their 2025 Guide and we are delighted to share the highlights from this year’s rankings, including two Band 1 awards for our Pensions Law team and Travel Law team. We are delighted to share the news that Outer Temple Chambers has yet again been awarded 9 set rankings in the 2025 Chambers & Partners UK Bar Guide and over 110 individual rankings. In what is our best set of rankings ever, our individual rankings see 12 new entries and 16 elevations, whilst we are delighted with two new Band 1 set rankings. A huge congratulations to all of our barristers and clerks for another year of excellent results. A particular thank…
News 17 Oct, 2024
The Legal 500 2025 rankings have just been announced and Outer Temple Chambers is delighted with another year of excellent results including a Tier 1 Pensions ranking We are proud to announce that we have been recognised as a Top Tier Set in Crypto & Blockchain Assets again, as well as achieving a Top Tier Set ranking in Pensions. These Tier 1 rankings mean we are now ranked for excellence in nine practice area rankings with 73 individual members ranked across 27 practice areas. A huge congratulations to all of our barristers and clerks within these teams for another year of excellent results. A particular thank you to all our clients and colleagues for taking the time to provide references.…
News 2 Oct, 2024
We invite you to join our expert panel for a specialist workshop on The Sanctions & Debarment Frameworks of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and International Financial Institutions (IFIs), taking place on Thursday 26th September 2024. MDBs and IFIs have a fiduciary duty to protect their funds and projects from prohibited practices such as fraud and corruption. Are you fully aware of how your company may be at risk of exclusion or debarment from the World Bank even if a minor fraud by a subsidiary, subcontractor or agent is committed? Do you know how to protect your company? Or how to conduct any subsequent investigation? Join our team of international experts for this specialist MDB workshop on Thursday 26th September to…
We are delighted to announce the arrival of US-licensed attorney Charles (Charlie) Steele to our International Business Crime, Regulatory, and Sanctions team. Charlie joins Outer Temple Chambers as a Professional Associate, based in Washington DC. A former senior U.S. Treasury Department, Department of Justice, and FBI official, Charlie has a solo law practice in the US, the Law Office of Charles Steele. He advises and represents clients primarily on US economic sanctions matters, including counselling, compliance advice, delisting petitions, license applications, enforcement actions, and training. He also helps clients with anti-money laundering enforcement matters and is available to serve in mitigation roles in foreign direct investment matters before the US Government’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).…
News 29 Jul, 2024
Outer Temple’s sanctions law specialists, Alex Haines and Henry Reid are providing a sanctions training session alongside the British Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday the 18th of June 2024. The training session will focus on the Russia sanctions regimes implemented by the UK and US. The sessions will cover: Designated persons, ownership and control, financial and trade sanctions, enforcement, and compliance within the UK context; The role of sanctions in litigation and arbitration, focusing on contentious cases; and An overview of secondary sanctions in the US context. The training aims to ensure that companies comply with specific regulations and standards, enabling employees to understand and adhere to these requirements. By doing so, the training helps minimise legal risks and…
News 14 Jun, 2024
We are delighted to welcome Salomé Lemasson to Outer Temple Chambers as a professional associate within the Business Crime, Regulation and Sanctions team. Salomé is qualified to practise in France and Germany, admitted to the Paris Bar (2014) and Berlin Bar (2020). Prior to setting up independent practice in 2023, she worked for law firms in Paris and Berlin (Gibson Dunn, Hogan Lovells, and AL & Associés). Her practice focuses on representing top tier companies and high net worth individuals in sensitive, high-stake matters involving international sanctions, fraud, corruption, and money laundering. Salomé is particularly active in the field of sanctions, and regularly assists and represents individuals, organizations, and major international conglomerates in this area of law. In addition, Salomé…
News 2 May, 2024
John McKendrick KC, Oliver Powell, Alex Haines and Henry Reid will be speaking at The English Law Forum at the Georgian Bar Association, Tbilisi on Thursday, 18th April 2024. The English Law Forum conference will focus on the promotion and enhancement of English legal services, with a particular emphasis on International Arbitration, Dispute Resolution, Sanctions and the Rule of Law. The conference will kick off at 10:00am to 17:30pm followed by a drinks reception and networking. Outer Temple’s team of experts will be speaking on 7 different topics: International Arbitration/ Institutions (11:05am – 11:40am) John McKendrick KC and Alex Haines of Outer Temple Chambers will be speaking alongside Barry Coulter and Ruslan Ughrelidze discussing institutions; LCIA and London background stats; Why London?; absence…
News 16 Apr, 2024
John McKendrick KC, Oliver Powell, Alex Haines and Joshua Ray will be speaking at the English Law Day at Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul on Wednesday, 17th April 2024. The English Law Day is run in collaboration with the Bar Council of England & Wales, the concept of which was established over 10 years ago and was first run in the CIS jointly with the Law Society of England & Wales. The one day forum will focus on topics such as Arbitration in Türkiye and the wider Eurasian region – local perspectives; Resolving disputes through the eyes of a company; Dispute resolution, enforcement and finances, unlocking value in claims, judgments and awards / damages masterclass; Impact of sanctions on trade,…
News 15 Apr, 2024
Joshua Hitchens appeared as sole counsel for the Claimant, the first mono-British national to be sanctioned under the UK’s post 2018 autonomous sanctions framework. Judgment was handed down on 12 January 2024 in the third s.38 Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (SAMLA 2018) delisting challenge brought under the Russian Sanctions Regulations. Mr Justice Johnson held: (a.) SAMLA does empower the Secretary of State to interfere with the right to freedom of speech/expression; (b.) The Regulations are lawful and have the effect the Secretary of State contended they have; and (c.) The interferences with Mr Phillips Convention rights were lawful and proportionate. The Claimant is expected to seek permission to appeal. Background to this case Josh was instructed in this…
News 15 Jan, 2024
