Hannah Thornley

Called to the Bar 2003

Hannah is an experienced advocate and litigator. She appears regularly in the High Court and advises on domestic and international cases which are often of a complex or urgent nature. Hannah has also appeared as a junior in the Court of Appeal, the Privy Council and the House of Lords. She is a certified mediation advocate.

After her studies of company and commercial law at Cambridge University and her study of corporate insolvency law at Oxford University, Hannah has built up a wealth of expertise in disputes relating to companies and insolvencies, as well as cases which include general commercial, contractual and corporate issues during her years of practice at the Bar.

Hannah was appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (B Panel) from 2 September 2019 for five years. She was on the C panel from 2014 to 2019. As a result of her other international studies at Oxbridge and her appointment to the Attorney General’s Panel of Counsel, Hannah has advised or represented Government Ministers and the House of Commons and now also takes cases with a human rights, immigration, constitutional, administrative or international law element.

In respect of the COVID-19 outbreak and in respect of Brexit Hannah advised and acted for a number of parties on a confidential basis.

In May 2016, Hannah was appointed as a specialist legal adviser to the Work and Pensions and Business Innovation and Skills House of Commons Select Committees in relation to the BHS inquiry. In January 2018, Hannah was again appointed as a specialist legal adviser by the Business and Pensions Committees in relation to the Carillion Inquiry.

Hannah was recommended as an “up and coming” junior in Chambers & Partners 2014. She was ranked in Chambers &Partners 2015 and was described as: “a very robust advocate”. She was ranked in Chambers & Partners 2017 where it stated that she “is highly recommended for her technical aptitude and pragmatic approach”. It further states that: “Hannah clearly knows the law inside out”. Hannah is ranked again in Chambers and Partners 2018 and in 2019 where she is described as “Hugely impressive” and “Very good, knows her stuff and is easy to work with”. In 2020 Hannah is described as “Talented and a real team player”. In 2021, Hannah is described as having “excellent advocacy skills” and as “good, commercial and responsive”. She is also described as “a very able and forceful advocate – she is very effective in court”. In Chambers & Partners 2022 it is stated that: “She’s very client-focused and user-friendly”, “She is really good, deliberate, considered and easy to follow in her advocacy” and “Judges love her as she speaks with assurance.” In 2023, her write-up states that: “Hannah is exceptional on the papers” and “she is an excellent advocate”.

Hannah has advised, represented or appeared in Court for numerous UK, international and high-profile banks, companies and private individuals. Hannah has acted for or against directors, shareholders, trustees, creditors, debtors, landlords, insolvency practitioners, accountants, solicitors, barristers, insurers, politicians and celebrities. She has acted for or against the Secretary of State for Business, the Home Secretary, the Insolvency Service, the Official Receiver and HMRC on a number of occasions, including having appeared for HMRC in the winders Court many times with between 100 to 200 petitions per morning. Clients Hannah is able to mention include: The House of CommonsThe Secretary of State for Business; The Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentBail for Immigration Detainees (“BID”)The Insolvency ServiceThe administrators of Lehman Brothers; KPMG; Partners of Alixpartners; Partners of Deloitte; Lloyds TSB; HSBC; Natwest; Barclays; Bank of Ireland; Standard Chartered Bank; Abbey National; Anglo-Irish Bank; Volksbank; Commerzbank; Agricultural Development Bank of Trinidad & Tobago; Funding Circle; the Company that previously owned Manchester City Football Club; Swindon Town Football Club; Boris Becker; Johnston Press Group; British Airways Pension Trustees; Unilever; Oracle Corporation, Landlords in Games Station; Landlords in Woolworths; Landlords in AllSaints; Landlords in New Look; Suppliers of Monarch; Suppliers of House of Fraser; LK Bennett; BHS; Phones 4u; Connaught; Barratts; Birthdays; Toys R Us; Courts; Premier International Foods; Thomson Directories; the proposed administrators of the Dial-A-Cab credit union; Dawnay Day; East London Bus Group; London Mining plc; Oilexco; Assetco Group; Lemma Insurance; Independent Insurance; UIC Insurance; Brit Insurance; the National House Building Council and Highways England.

 

Company and Insolvency +
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Commercial Litigation and Arbitration +
Professional Negligence +
Trusts and Property +
Pro Bono +
Awards and Recommendations +
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