Alexander Farara

Alex has represented officeholders, directors, shareholders and individuals in personal and corporate insolvency disputes and restructurings.

He heavily assisted (led by David Lord KC) on litigation concerning the priority of a floating charge holder and the circumstances in which a solicitor’s lien may be preserved or waived in a cross-border insolvency dispute heard before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal (on appeal from the BVI): Re Peak Hotels and Resorts Ltd [2022] UKSC 35. He also as a pupil helped advise on the merits of an appeal challenging a liquidator’s assignment of a cause of action: Lock v Stanley [2022] EWCA Civ 626.

He recently acted in two related insolvency proceedings before the BVI Commercial Court. The first concerned a petition to liquidate a dissolved foreign company of Bahrain (led by Robert Weekes KC) and applications for injunctive relief to prevent a BVI company (listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange) from redomiciling out of the jurisdiction and into Palestine (led by David Mumford KC). Both proceedings concern claims of fraud and conspiracy between warring family members in relation to circa US$100 million in assets.

He also recently successfully represented the directors of a company in liquidation in challenging a decision of BVI appointed liquidators to facilitate an ongoing shareholder dispute in Singapore.

In addition, Alex’s experience includes:

• Claims challenging reviewable or antecedent transactions
• Applications challenging the decisions of office-holders
• Applications seeking an exemption to the general restriction on the re-use of company names on behalf of directors under section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986
• Official Receiver applications for bankruptcy restrictions orders under shc.4A of the Insolvency Act 1986
• Advising and acting in winding up and bankruptcy petitions
• Applications to set aside statutory demands;
• Applications restraining the presentation of winding up petitions
• Applications to challenge both the remuneration of office-holders and extent of liquidation expenses

Much of Alex’s practice focuses on civil fraud disputes, both domestic and international.

Current and recent instructions include:

• Seeking in the BVI quia timet and/or Chabra injunctive relief to prevent a BVI company listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange from redomiciling out of the jurisdiction and into Palestine (in the context of underlying conspiracy claims) (led by David Mumford KC)
• Acting in significant conspiracy claims in the BVI in relation to a $94 million inheritance (led by Robert Weekes KC)
• Advising (as sole counsel) an Indian based shipping group on the merits of claims against its Swiss legal advisors accused of misappropriating the proceeds of a US$25 million arbitration award
• Successfully dismissed at trial (as sole counsel) claims against the chief investment officer of an intervened FCA-regulated investment management firm accused of dishonestly investing clients’ personal portfolios in a Cayman Islands based fund
• Representing (as sole counsel) a New Zealand company in conspiracy claims against the UBO of two Australian corporate fund managers for the misappropriation of its capital and profits before the BVI Commercial Court
• Representing (as sole counsel) a property developer in equitable, conspiracy and inducement of breach of contract claims against LPA receivers and mortgagees before the High Court where the damages sought were in excess of £1.5 million
• Successfully representing (as sole counsel) the directors of a BVI company in liquidation facing misfeasance and breach of duty claims regarding a joint venture
• Acting (as sole counsel) in a dispute concerning the secret purchase of a residential home with misappropriated funds. Claims of deceit and forgery are made in relation to an alleged loan and legal charge

Alex accepts instructions in all manner of company disputes. He has acted in shareholder disputes, including derivative actions and unfair prejudice disputes, breach of duty claims against directors, joint venture disputes, director disqualification proceedings and just and equitable winding ups.

Recent instructions include:

• Acting (led by Andrew Willins KC) in derivative action proceedings before the BVI Commercial Court concerning a Greek shipping group in relation to an alleged $300 million loss
• Advising on the urgent removal of a director who misappropriated millions of company funds originally intended to secure licensing and partnership agreements with various Premier League football clubs
• Acting in an unfair prejudice petition concerning a Chinese-Mongolian restaurant group valued in excess of £20 million (Re HLHP Oriental Food Ltd [2024] EWHC 497 (Ch))
• Advising former directors of a rubber conglomerate in a double derivative claim they sought before the Singapore International Commercial Court
• Successfully securing the transfer of shares from a criminally convicted director under the pre-emption provisions of a shareholders’ agreement

Alex has an expansive commercial practice where he frequently acts as sole counsel in multi-day trials.

Current and recent instructions include:

• Acting (as sole counsel) in a contractual dispute before the Circuit Commercial Court in relation to services provided to a Saudi Arabian conglomerate, raising issues of actual and ostensible authority
• Representing the equity partners of a former high street law firm that merged with the now intervened Axiom DWFM
• Advising on claims against an international hotel group and UK financial institution in a matter raising issues of consumer credit and agency
• Acting (as sole counsel) for the chief investment officer challenging the sanctions imposed on him by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to investments made in a Cape Verde hotel development

Alex has an expanding offshore and international practice.

He was called to the Bar in the BVI in 2022.

Recent instructions include:

• Acting (led by Robert Weekes KC) in ongoing proceedings concerning a conspiracy claim between warring family members. The matter raised novel issues before the local courts including the standing of a member to petition for the liquidation of a foreign dissolved company
• Acting (led by Andrew Willins KC) in derivative action proceedings concerning a Greek shipping group; the losses sought exceed $300 million
• Acting (led by David Mumford KC) in an application seeking quia timet and/or Chabra injunctive relief to prevent a BVI company (listed on the Palestine Stock Exchange) from redomiciling from the jurisdiction
• Successfully representing the directors of a BVI company in liquidation facing breach of duty claims arising from a joint venture in the oil and gas sector
• Advising the shareholders of a BVI company in their appeal of a winding up order

He heavily assisted (led by David Lord KC) on a cross-border dispute concerning a floating charge holder and the circumstances in which a solicitor’s lien may be preserved or waived. The matter was heard in the English Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and also came before the BVI Commercial Court and Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal: Re Peak Hotels and Resorts Ltd BVIHCMAP2020/0021.

Alex has extensive experience in trusts and estates disputes, both onshore and offshore. He has a keen interest on the application of trusts law in commercial, civil fraud and insolvency disputes. He has spoken and written widely in this area. He is currently assisting in the update of Lexis Nexis’ looseleaf on International Trusts Law.

His experience includes:

• Applications for the removal of trustees and executors, including applications to pass over executors under section 116 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 and section 50 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985
• Contentious Beddoe applications and/or claims for directions under Part 64 in respect of trusts and estates
• Contentious probate proceedings
• Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Appearing in the Court of Protection on trusts and estate matters

Recent instructions include:

• Advising (led by Alexander Learmonth KC) a mother and son in respect of the Singapore estate of their missing father and husband believed to have been detained in mainland China and who at the time of his disappearance controlled a substantial company listed on the Singapore exchange
• Acting for the widow in a number of representative capacities in a High Cout claim concerning a failed life insurance discretionary trust
• Acting for the professional administrator of a multi-million pound estate in which a contentious Beddoe claim was brought to unpack a number of complex issues that arose from the previous misadministration of the estate
• Acting in a matter before the Court of Protection on behalf of family members resisting a claim brought under the Mental Capacity Act to impose a statutory will over P’s estate. Alex acts as sole counsel against a leading silk and junior on the other side

Alex has a developing arbitration practice. He has acted in a variety of international and domestic arbitrations both institutional and ad hoc and has experience on issues of jurisdiction, choice of law and in bringing and defending court applications brought either in support of arbitral proceedings or in enforcing arbitral awards.

His recent arbitration related work has involved disputes connected to England, the Gulf States, Asia and the Caribbean.

• Boston College (USA) (Double Major, Philosophy and Literature)
• City Law School, GE LLB
• City Law School, BPTC

• A joust with HMRC and the application of BTI v Sequana in the trusts context (the Barrister Magazine)
• Stuck between a rock and a hard place: Proving the provenance of your inheritance is not the proceeds of crime

• Chancery Bar Association
• Commercial Bar Association (Combar)
• R3 (Associate Member)
• INSOL International
• Contentious Trusts Association (ConTra)

• Spanish (conversational)
• Italian (conversational)

‘Alexander is a very capable and responsive barrister. He particularly excels in client consultations and is well able to deal with any queries that arise, however unexpected. He thinks outside the box and is skilled in strategising and foreseeing potential difficulties.’

Legal 500 The English Bar Offshore 2026 – Commercial Disputes; Rising Star