Steven Fennell

Call 2014

fennell@exchangechambers.co.uk

"Steven is very senior and very experienced. He was an insolvency solicitor so he has a ridiculously large technical arsenal. His advocacy is always clear and considered."

Chambers and Partners 2025
Photo of Steven Fennell

Commercial Litigation

Commercial Litigation

Steven undertakes a wide range of commercial chancery work, in particular shareholder disputes, partnership and LLP disputes, claims by and against directors, and claims for and against financial institutions.  He regularly undertakes litigation in relation to sale of goods and supply of services.

He seeks to work closely with instructing solicitors and, where appropriate, forensic accountants in order to provide clients with a seamless service. Steven is regularly instructed on urgent matters.  He understands the time pressures which solicitors and clients are under, and is used to working to their deadlines in a pragmatic and efficient manner.

Commercial Fraud

Steven is a very experienced civil fraud practitioner. Before transferring to the Bar, he was a partner at a large firm of solicitors with responsibility for that firm’s work for HMRC relating to civil fraud and insolvency and regularly acted in relation to provisional liquidations of companies involved in missing trader and other tax frauds. Since joining Exchange Chambers in 2014 he has acted in relation to numerous civil fraud matters, from the initial investigation and applications for freezing order relief to trial and enforcement. His clients include corporate and individual claimants and defendants as well as insolvency practitioners.  Steven’s background as a former insolvency practitioner gives him specific expertise in relation to accounting and financial matters.

He has particular experience of:

  • Freezing order applications for claimants
  • Challenges on behalf of defendants to freezing orders by defendants, including challenges to the scope of disclosure given by the claimant
  • Cases involving allegations of missing trader and other tax fraud
  • Fraudulent trading and transactions defrauding creditors brought by insolvency practitioners
  • Claims of misappropriation by company directors
  • Applications for charging orders following judgement, including disputed claims to ownership of property

Commercial Litigation Cases

Litkraft Ltd v Cottrell [2023] EWHC 456 (Comm) (dispute between solicitors and work referrer)

Burnett v Barker [2021] EWHC 3332 (Ch) – (partnership dispute)

Rahman v Ahikmiah [2021] EWHC 324 (Ch) – (Dispute as to the management and finances of a religious charity)