Suleman Ahmed

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Suleman has a strong ADR practice, with particular expertise in mediation and negotiation across complex commercial; financial; and public law disputes. An accredited commercial and civil mediator, he has been involved in numerous mediations, and is known for a calm, strategic, and pragmatic approach that helps unlock settlement in even the most entrenched disputes.

Suleman brings to mediation a unique combination of legal depth and commercial fluency, drawing on an academic background in accounting and finance, and extensive experience in commercial litigation; banking and financial services; professional negligence; and insolvency. His academic foundation in International Relations further enhances his ability to manage negotiations in politically sensitive or multi-party international matters, including those involving states; international organisations; and sovereign debt holders.

As a negotiator, Suleman is consistently praised for being tactically astute and outcome-driven, with a strong track record of securing favourable settlements for clients. He is regularly instructed in matters where early resolution through ADR is a priority—whether for reasons of confidentiality; cost-efficiency; reputational risk; or preserving commercial relationships.

Suleman’s experience in arbitration and public international law further reinforces his ability to advise on dispute resolution strategy holistically, helping clients evaluate litigation risk; manage multi-jurisdictional proceedings; and structure settlements in cross-border or treaty-based contexts.

Banking & financial services

Suleman has a strong interest in banking and financial litigation, grounded in his academic specialisation in accounting, finance, and derivatives at university. This foundation informs a nuanced understanding of financial instruments and market structures, which clients value in technically complex disputes.

Suleman accepts instructions from banks; financial institutions; corporate clients; and investors in a wide range of matters, including disputes involving structured finance; derivatives; syndicated lending; mis-selling of financial products; and breaches of duty under mandates and facility agreements.

Suleman can also advise in matters involving the interpretation and enforcement of ISDA documentation; close-out netting; and valuation disputes. He has experience in cross-border enforcement proceedings and in cases involving allegations of fraud; undue influence; and breach of fiduciary duty within the financial services context.

Featured cases

• Advised a guarantor on his rights as subrogee in circumstances where he intended to discharge the principal debtor company’s £10m outstanding debt secured by a Singaporean bank against a property in the UK with negative equity.
• Advised an assignee in relation to his rights to enforce the power of sale in respect of an encumbered property where the assignee had taken assignment of all securities held by the creditor.
• Advised a guarantor on his claim for contribution against a co-guarantor where the guarantor had made payment to the lender to discharge the guaranteed debt.
• Acted for a client whose husband had mortgaged the family home by fraudulently obtaining her signatures on the relevant documents.

Civil fraud & asset recovery

Suleman is regularly instructed in civil fraud matters involving deceit; conspiracy; dishonest assistance; and knowing receipt. He has experience with all aspects of fraud litigation, including freezing injunctions; search and disclosure orders; and asset tracing. Suleman is often instructed in urgent applications and long-running commercial fraud trials in both the High Court and international arbitral tribunals.

Featured cases

• Acted for a company and trusts in a multi-million-pound claim against a former director for breaches of fiduciary duties where the director diverted funds amounting to more than the company’s profits over a six-year period (c.£10m) to a charity of which he was trustee, and where the director also removed the company’s documents to his home. A freezing injunction, and search order (to obtain the documents) have been granted by the High Court.
• Represented an international airline in a claim against its impecunious corporate sales agent who had misappropriated the airline’s assets (proceeds of ticket sales) it was holding on trust. The directors were therefore also pursued for dishonest assistance. The agent sought to rely on an arbitration clause and equitable set-off for an amount lower than that claimed by the airline. It was successfully contended that set-off did not apply against trust assets, and that in any event and on the defendant’s own case, the amount being set-off was substantially lower than the amount claimed by the airline. A winding-up petition was issued against the company to address the arbitration clause, and so that the directors could be sued in their personal capacity.
• Advised and represented clients in civil fraud matters predominantly related to claiming / defending breaches of fiduciary duties and the misappropriation of assets.
• Advised and represented clients in relation to offshore trust disputes, including breaches of fiduciary duties; civil fraud claims; and disputes between beneficiaries.

Commercial

Suleman has a broad commercial practice, with particular strength in cases involving financial complexity—reflecting his specialisation in accounting; finance; and derivatives at university. This background provides a solid analytical foundation for understanding commercial transactions; risk allocation; and valuation issues, particularly in high-value or technical disputes.

Suleman’s practice encompasses contractual disputes; joint ventures; agency and distribution agreements; shareholder arrangements; and cross-border transactions. Many of his cases involve financial services; investment structures; or the interpretation of complex commercial instruments, where his technical fluency adds particular value.

Suleman accepts instructions in cases in all divisions of the High Court, often in proceedings involving allegations of breach of contract; misrepresentation; economic torts; or unjust enrichment. He is also experienced in obtaining and resisting interim relief, including freezing injunctions, and injunctions in support of commercial claims.

Featured cases

• Advised an International Airline in its appeal to the High Court (foreign) against the decision of the Insurance Tribunal to strike-out the Airline’s claim against the reinsurer where it found that there was no privity of contract between the Airline and the reinsurer. In doing so, the tribunal failed to have regard to the “cut-through” agreement in the reinsurance contract.
• Acted for a client who had contracted the construction of a modular MRI scanning unit to a third party, and where the contactor repudiated the contract but refused to deliver-up the part-built unit notwithstanding that the amended JCT Contract clearly stated that the construction materials belonged to the client. A delivery-up order was granted by the High Court.
• Represented an international airline in a claim against its impecunious corporate sales agent who had misappropriated the airline’s assets (proceeds of ticket sales) it was holding on trust. The directors were therefore also pursued for dishonest assistance. The agent sought to rely on an arbitration clause and equitable set-off for an amount lower than that claimed by the airline. It was successfully contended that set-off did not apply against trust assets, and that in any event and on the defendant’s own case, the amount being set-off was substantially lower than the amount claimed by the airline. A winding-up petition was issued against the company to address the arbitration clause, and so that the directors could be sued in their personal capacity.
• Advised a guarantor on his claim for contribution against a co-guarantor where the guarantor had made payment to the lender to discharge the guaranteed debt.
• Advised an assignee in relation to his rights to enforce the power of sale in respect of an encumbered property where the assignee had taken assignment of all securities held by the creditor.
• Successfully resisted a number of strike out and summary judgment applications, including one where it was alleged that the Claimant’s claim for negative declaratory relief was an abuse of process as it was intended to frustrate presentation of the Defendant’s winding-up petition.

Company & partnerships

Suleman accepts instructions in a wide range of company law disputes including unfair prejudice petitions; breach of directors’ duties; shareholder disputes; and derivative claims. His finance background (academic) proves to be very useful when cross-examining experts on appropriate valuation methods etc, as well as to engage fluently with complex financial statements and capital structures. Suleman also has experience of advising on partnership matters, including LLP disputes and the dissolution and winding-up of traditional and professional partnerships.

Featured cases

• Advised clients in a shareholder dispute where it was being alleged that the petitioner had been subjected to unfair prejudice by virtue of being excluded from the management of the business notwithstanding that there was a quasi-partnership, and that as a result the other shareholders be ordered to buy the petitioner’s shares at pro-rata value. It was contended that the petitioner had unilaterally declared a breakdown of trust and confidence, and that he was seeking a non-fault divorce. Accordingly, that he was not entitled to the relief.
• Acted for a company and trusts in a multi-million-pound claim against a former director for breaches of fiduciary duties where the director diverted funds amounting to more than the company’s profits over a six-year period to a charity of which he was trustee, and where the director also removed the company’s documents to his home. A freezing injunction and search order (to obtain the documents) have been granted by the High Court.
• Advised in relation to several partnership and shareholder disputes, and the sale or acquisition of.
• A particular interest in partnership-related work arising from private equity (including limited partnerships); professional practices; and work in the agricultural and equine sector.

Insolvency & restructuring

Suleman brings a strong commercial and technical foundation to insolvency and restructuring matters, underpinned by a degree in accounting and finance (amongst others), and having specialised in derivatives. This background allows him to engage fluently with complex financial statements; capital structures; and valuation issues, and to provide clear, strategic advice in financially distressed situations.

Suleman accepts instructions from officeholders; creditors; debtors; and other stakeholders in both corporate and personal insolvency proceedings. He has experience in applications to set aside transactions; directors’ misfeasance claims; cross-border insolvency issues; and restructuring plans.

Suleman also advises on restructuring plans; schemes of arrangement; and CVAs, and is well placed to deal with cases involving financial instruments; derivatives; and structured products within an insolvency context. He has particular experience where insolvency intersects with taxation; fraud; or regulatory obligations, and is frequently instructed in matters involving overlapping jurisdictions or concurrent proceedings.

Featured cases

• Acting for a client in the medical sector in a claim against a debtor (in liquidation) for the set-aside of a floating charge where the debtor sought to grant a floating charge to a company—whose sole shareholder is a related person—over its assets weeks before going into liquidation.
• Representing an international airline in a claim against its sales agent where the impecunious corporate sales agent had misappropriated the airline’s assets it was holding on trust. The directors were therefore also pursued for dishonest assistance. The agent sought to rely on an arbitration clause and equitable set-off for an amount lower than that claimed by the airline. It was successfully contended that set-off did not apply against trust assets, and that in any event and on the defendant’s own case, the amount being set-off was substantially lower than the amount claimed by the airline. A winding-up petition was issued against the company to address the arbitration clause, and so that the directors could be sued in their personal capacity.
• Acting for a client in resisting a claim by liquidators that the c.£1.5m income he received net of tax, by virtue of his employment, were a series of transactions at an undervalue, or transactions to defraud creditors as they were alleged to be significantly higher than what an employee in a similar position would otherwise receive at arm’s length.

International Arbitration

Suleman accepts instructions in international commercial and investment treaty arbitrations under ICC; LCIA; UNCITRAL; ICSID; ad hoc; and other institutions’ rules. He has experience in disputes relating to energy and natural resources; shareholder agreements; finance; joint-ventures; and BIT claims. Suleman also advises on the enforcement and challenge of arbitral awards in domestic courts and regularly works alongside foreign counsel and experts in complex cross-border disputes.

Featured cases

• Advising a number of large clients in the oil and gas sector in relation to arbitration proceedings under bilateral investment treaties arising from a Host State’s breach of a representation to the clients at the time of investment that the total tax levied throughout the investment period would not exceed a certain percentage of profits.
• Advising a number of international clients in relation to disputes under bilateral investment treaties arising from Host States’ failures to make tax refunds, which have been due for over a decade. The cumulative value of the claims exceeds £0.75bn.
• Advising (as part of a team) a Tanzanian power company in ICSID arbitration proceedings, where the power company had borrowed from a Malaysian Bank, with the loan guaranteed by the Tanzanian Government, and where the loan was novated to a Hong Kong Bank, which tried to claim against the Government under the guarantee.
• Advising in relation to the challenge of an arbitral award obtained under a bilateral investment treaty, on the grounds of state immunity.

Professional negligence

Suleman acts in professional negligence claims against accountants; tax advisors; lawyers; and fiduciaries. Suleman is particularly well placed to handle claims involving complex financial or tax matters, drawing on his specialist expertise across revenue law; finance; and commercial litigation. He also accepts instructions in claims involving professional conduct and regulatory obligations.

Featured cases

• Advising on potential professional negligence claims against accountants; solicitors; tax advisers; and IFAs.

Public International Law

Suleman brings a distinctive perspective to public international law, informed by reading International Relations at Cambridge, where he developed a deep understanding of the legal, political, and institutional dimensions of international affairs. This academic grounding enhances his ability to navigate complex issues of state conduct; treaty interpretation; and the strategic considerations that frequently arise in this area of practice. Combined with his academic background in accounting and finance and specialisation in derivatives, he is particularly well placed to advise on public international law issues involving financial and economic complexities, including sovereign debt.

Suleman is able to advise sovereign states; international organisations; and private entities on a wide range of matters including state and diplomatic immunity; the law of treaties; jurisdictional immunities; the use of force; and issues of recognition and statehood. Suleman’s expertise also encompasses foreign investment protection; sanctions; human rights claims; and the application of international law in domestic proceedings.

With a strong academic foundation in finance, Suleman has a particular interest in disputes involving sovereign debt restructuring; state responsibility for financial obligations; and questions of odious or illegitimate debt. This financial literacy allows him to engage with both the legal and economic dimensions of sovereign default and debt enforcement proceedings, often in cases involving bondholders; multilateral lenders; or state-owned entities. Suleman is accordingly well placed to act in politically sensitive disputes at the intersection of law; economics; and diplomacy.

Featured cases

• Advising on matters pertaining to consular and diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention with regards to the enforcement of judgments and awards.
• Advising in relation to disputes arising from the repudiation of international treaties.
• Advising in relation to the powers of the International Criminal Court to prosecute cases of aggression.
• Advising numerous companies on the recognition of foreign sanctions under UK law and the legality of proposed transactions. In particular, whether US sanctions were recognised under UK law and its public international law implications.
• Advising on the prospects of success of a claim at the International Court of Justice against a State on the grounds of an “armed attack”.
• Advising in relation to the challenge of an arbitral award obtained under a bilateral investment treaty, on the grounds of state immunity.
• Advising a number of large clients in the oil and gas sector in relation to arbitration proceedings under bilateral investment treaties arising from a Host State’s breach of a representation to the clients at the time of investment that the total tax levied throughout the investment period would not exceed a certain percentage of profits.
• Advising a number of international clients in relation to disputes under bilateral investment treaties arising from Host States’ failures to make tax refunds, which have been due for over a decade. The cumulative value of the claims exceeds £0.75bn.
• Advising in relation to the challenge of an arbitral award obtained under a bilateral investment treaty, on the grounds of state immunity.

Tax

Suleman possesses a versatile practice in Revenue law, encompassing all facets of Chambers’ areas of specialisation in both indirect and direct taxes, both at a national and international level. He accepts instructions to appear in the Tax Tribunals; High Court; and Appellate Courts. Suleman advises and represents a diverse clientele on tax-related issues, and also acts in cases at the intersection of tax and other areas, including insolvency; public law; and international law. Suleman has experience of advising on cross-border tax planning and disputes involving double tax treaties; he also handles domestic and cross-border chancery and commercial litigation.

Featured cases

• Advising a number of large clients in the oil and gas sector in relation to arbitration proceedings under bilateral investment treaties arising from a Host State’s breach of a representation to the clients at the time of investment that the total tax levied throughout the investment period would not exceed a certain percentage of profits.
• Advising a number of international clients in relation to disputes under bilateral investment treaties arising from Host States’ failures to make tax refunds, which have been due for over a decade. The cumulative value of the claims exceeds £0.75bn.
• Advised partnerships on the implications of the mixed partnership rules.
• Advised on international tax issues arising under various double tax conventions.
• Acted for a client in resisting a claim by liquidators that the c.£1.5m income he received net of tax, by virtue of his employment, were a series of transactions at an undervalue, or transactions to defraud creditors as they were alleged to be significantly higher than what an employee in a similar position would otherwise receive at arm’s length. It was alleged that the employers (payroll companies) were engaged in defrauding HMRC.
• Advising on partnership restructuring, and group reorganisations.
• Advising on VAT disputes arising in the recruitment and other sectors, which has resulted in resisting the grant of freezing injunctions and defending claims under insolvency legislation.
• Advising non-resident UHNW clients on their UK tax obligations.
• Challenging of Schedule 36 Notices.
• Advising on employee benefits and EBTs.
• Advising on issues arising from failed film schemes.
• Advising on the availability of various agricultural and similar reliefs.

Education

• MSt Real Estate – Downing College, University of Cambridge;
• MSt Entrepreneurship – Judge Business School, University of Cambridge;
• MSt International Relations – Robinson College, University of Cambridge;
• MSc Taxation – Christ Church, University of Oxford;
• LLM Corporate & Securities Law – The London School of Economics & Political Science;
• PG Diploma in Law – BPP University, London;
• PG Certificate – International Dispute Resolution (Arbitration) – Queen Mary, University of London;
• MSc Law & Accounting – The London School of Economics & Political Science;
• LLM Tax Law – King’s College, London;
• Graduate Diploma in Law – Bristol Institute of Legal Practice;
• LLM Commercial Law – University of Cardiff;
• BSc (Hons) Economics; and
• BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance

This is the Privacy Policy for:

Barrister: Suleman Ahmed

Address: 1EC Barristers, 3 King’s Bench Walk North, Inner Temple, London, EC4Y 7HR

The Purposes for which Personal Data is Processed:

Personal data will be processed in order to enable the provision of legal services, ie:

1. advice;
2. representation in court;
3. the drafting of legal documents.

It may also be necessary to retain personal data for conflict-checking purposes or for use in the defense of potential complaints, legal proceedings or fee disputes.

The Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data

In some cases the subject of the personal data will have given consent to the processing of his or her personal data. Where explicit consent has not been given, personal data will be processed only when:

1. it is necessary for the performance of a contract with the person whose personal data is processed (or prior to entering such contract, in order to take steps at the request of the person whose personal data is processed); or when
2. it is necessary for the purposes of providing legal services.

Special Categories of Personal Data

It may be necessary to process personal data which constitute particularly sensitive special categories, ie personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Such data will only be processed where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

Who will receive Personal Data

The recipients of the personal data processed will be:

1. instructing solicitors and clients;
2. courts and other tribunals to which documents are presented;
3. witnesses and potential witnesses, including expert witnesses;
4. other barristers, pupil barristers and other legal representatives;
5. regulatory authorities.

Retention Periods for Personal Data

Personal data in case files will generally be kept at least the end of one year after the maximum relevant limitation period has expired. The limitation period will be measured from the latest date it is possible to bring any appeal.

The retention period will be reviewed when the work has been completed. The retention period may be adjusted at that time.

International Data Transfers

In cases involving international disputes, it may be necessary to transfer personal data to countries outside the European Economic Area which have different data protection standards to those which apply in the European Economic Area. This will only be done for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. In the event this is necessary, appropriate safeguards will be in place to protect personal data, such as European Commission approved standard contractual clauses or the EU-US Privacy Shield. You have a right to ask for a copy of the relevant safeguard.

Individual’s Rights

If your personal data has been processed or held, you have a right to request access to (and rectification or erasure of) personal data; or to request restriction of processing concerning the data subject; or to object to processing; as well as the right to data portability. These rights may be limited where there is a legal requirement, or other legitimate grounds, to process your data.

If you wish to exercise these rights, please use the contact details above.

If you have unresolved concerns you also have the right to complain to data protection authorities.