Leona has been practising at the bar since 2000. She acts in a very wide variety of commercial cases, with particular expertise in fraud and asset recovery. She has very extensive experience of search orders, freezing orders and other pre-emptive injunctive relief. Her practice also includes general commercial work, in particular large contractual disputes, commodities disputes and professional negligence claims. She appears regularly in the Chancery Division, Commercial Court, Queen’s Bench Division and in commercial arbitrations.

Leona is recognised as a Tier 1 leading junior in the latest editions of both the legal directories, Chambers UK and Legal 500, for her expertise in commercial litigation and civil fraud. Recent comments include:

  • "Leona is the standout junior. She is a class act and brilliant advocate."- Chambers & Partners, 2025
  • "With Leona, you are getting a KC at junior level. She is hugely intelligent, really thoughtful and cares a lot - a top advocate."- Chambers & Partners, 2025

Previous comments include:

  • "Leona is very bright, her advocacy is consistently well pitched with the court, and she is very responsive and approachable."- Legal 500, 2024
  • "Leona is an incredibly fast worker, with impeccable judgement. She is phenomenal."- Chambers & Partners, 2024
  • "Leona is an exceptional barrister – her advocacy work is terrific, her drafting is first class, she works brilliantly with solicitor teams, and is a barrister of choice for any civil fraud dispute."- Legal 500, 2023
  • "Leona is effortlessly brilliant."- Chambers UK, 2023

Experience

Shortlist

Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

Leona is well recognised as a leading commercial fraud junior. She has very extensive experience of obtaining freezing and search orders, and of dealing with other without notice applications, and she is experienced in managing fraud actions and trials. She also has wide experience of dealing with data theft and recovery cases.

Leona’s clients frequently include family offices, banks and large insurers. She is regularly instructed in cases involving large scale and complex frauds, bribery and corruption, employee and supplier frauds, and breach of fiduciary duty. She is recognised by Chambers UK as a leading junior in civil fraud and commercial litigation.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Commercial

Leona has an extensive commercial practice, appearing regularly in heavy commercial disputes in the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division. She has extensive experience of managing cases involving proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.

Leona has also acted as counsel in many confidential commercial arbitrations, in particular in relation to commodities disputes. She has experience of UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA and DIFC-LCIA arbitrations. She has also acted as an arbitrator in relation to two UNCITRAL arbitrations.

Cases

Grid view
List view
Shortlist

Arbitration

Leona has extensive international commercial arbitration experience and has appeared and acted in several UNCITRAL, ICC,  LCIA, DIFC-LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations. She has particular expertise in relation to commodities disputes and has also acted as an arbitrator in relation to two UNCITRAL arbitrations. 

Cases

Grid view
List view

Achievements

Education

MA Oxon

Appointments

Junior Counsel to the Crown (B Panel).

Memberships

  • COMBAR
  • PNLA

Selected earlier reported cases

Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

Mahfouz v El Rashid [2017] EWHC 1460 (Comm) (asset disclosure, committal, contempt)

Angel Group v Davey [2017] EWHC 1149 (Ch) (indemnity costs, dishonesty, misappropriation of trust assets)

Cherney v Deripaska [2012] EWHC 1697 (QB) (organised crime, witness anonymity, witness protection

Serious Organised Crime Agency v Namli [2011] EWCA Civ 1411 (civil recovery proceedings, disclosure, public interest immunity)

Commercial

T&L Sugars v Tate & Lyle Industries [2015] EWHC 2696 (Comm) (breach of contract, hedging, futures trading, indemnity clauses)

Gutermann v Hartley [2012] EWHC 1697 (QB) (injunctions, confidential information)

Standard Bank Plc v Al Jaber [2011] EWHC 2866 (Comm) (guarantees, estoppel, implied terms, summary judgment)

VAT registration number: 782323920

Barristers regulated by the Bar Standards Board

+44 (0)207 5831770

Clerks

Staff