Our People

The Minds Behind Every Victory

Our firm's greatest strength is its people. Over 120 legal professionals across seven global offices — united by a shared commitment to excellence, integrity, and decisive client outcomes.

120+
Legal Professionals
7
Global Offices
34
Partners & QCs
18
Nationalities Represented
Senior Leadership

Founding & Senior Partners

Our founding partners bring a combined eight decades of legal experience, shaping not only our firm but the legal landscape across multiple jurisdictions.

Sir Clifford Raeburn QC
Senior Partner & Founder
London Headquarters
Sir Clifford Raeburn QC
Senior Partner & Founder

Called to the Bar of England & Wales in 1987, Sir Richard founded the firm with a singular vision: to build a law practice that serves global clients with the precision of a London silk and the commercial acumen of a seasoned dealmaker. With over 37 years of practice, he remains the firm's leading voice in international energy arbitration and complex cross-border litigation before the LCIA and ICC.

QC · England & Wales LLM · Cambridge LCIA Arbitrator ICSID Panel
in
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Ms. Catherine Hargreaves
Managing Partner
New York · United States
Ms. Catherine Hargreaves
Managing Partner

A member of the New York Bar and one of America's most formidable transactional litigators, Catherine oversees the firm's North American strategy and manages the New York office. She previously served as Deputy General Counsel at the US Securities and Exchange Commission and has led landmark regulatory enforcement actions and securities class actions across three continents. Her expertise in corporate governance and financial regulation is recognised across the Atlantic.

NY Bar · USA JD · Yale Law Securities Specialist Former SEC Counsel
in
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Practice Partners

Our Partners

Each of our partners leads a dedicated practice group, bringing deep specialisation and a track record of landmark matters.

Mr. Jonathan Pemberton
London
Mr. Jonathan Pemberton
Head of Corporate Practice
M&A Joint Ventures Cross-Border Deals

LLM Oxford. Jonathan has led over 80 major M&A transactions across Europe, Asia, and North America, including several landmark deals in excess of £500M. He chairs the firm's UK corporate practice from the London headquarters and is widely regarded as one of the City's foremost dealmakers.

Dr. Eleanor Whitmore
London
Dr. Eleanor Whitmore
Head of Energy Practice
Oil & Gas PSC Negotiations ICSID Arbitration

PhD Energy Law, University of Aberdeen. Former legal counsel at BP plc. Eleanor advises sovereign governments and IOCs on production sharing contracts, upstream licensing, and international energy arbitration before the LCIA and ICSID.

Mr. Bradley Thornton
New York
Mr. Bradley Thornton
Head of Litigation
Commercial Litigation ICC Arbitration Class Actions

JD Harvard Law School. Bradley leads the firm's global litigation group from New York, with a commanding record in US federal courts, ICC arbitration, and cross-border enforcement of international awards across seven jurisdictions.

Ms. Melissa Crawford
New York
Ms. Melissa Crawford
Head of Banking & Finance
Project Finance Capital Markets Fintech Regulation

JD Columbia Law School, LLM LSE. Melissa advises leading US and European banks, private equity funds, and fintech platforms on complex financing transactions, SEC regulatory compliance, and cross-border capital markets mandates.

Mr. Andrew Gallagher
Sydney
Mr. Andrew Gallagher
Head of Real Estate Practice
Commercial Property Infrastructure PPP Frameworks

LLB University of Sydney, called to the NSW Bar 2001. Andrew leads the firm's Asia-Pacific real estate team, advising on landmark Australian commercial developments, REIT structuring, and cross-border property transactions across the region.

Ms. Fiona Mackintosh
Melbourne
Ms. Fiona Mackintosh
Head of Employment Law
Executive Compensation Workforce Restructuring Industrial Disputes

LLB University of Melbourne, called to the Victorian Bar 2005. Fiona advises ASX-listed companies and multinationals on executive remuneration, Fair Work Act compliance, and complex industrial tribunal proceedings across Australia and New Zealand.

Associates & Solicitors

Our Associates

The next generation of exceptional legal talent, trained to our exacting standards and developing rapidly under partner mentorship.

Mr. Kofi Mensah
Mr. Kofi Mensah
Senior Associate

Corporate M&A · Ghana Bar · LLM King's College London

London
Ms. Priya Nair
Ms. Priya Nair
Senior Associate

Technology & Data Privacy · GDPR · Indian & Singapore Bars

Singapore
Mr. Lucas Brennan
Mr. Lucas Brennan
Associate

International Arbitration · NY Bar · Columbia Law JD

New York
Ms. Aisha Musa
Ms. Aisha Musa
Senior Associate

Energy & Resources · LLM Aberdeen

Lagos
Mr. Marcus Williams
Mr. Marcus Williams
Associate

Banking & Finance · Ontario Bar · Osgoode Hall LLB

Toronto
Ms. Emma Clarke
Ms. Emma Clarke
Associate

Real Estate & Property · NSW Bar · University of Sydney

Sydney
Mr. Ravi Sharma
Mr. Ravi Sharma
Senior Associate

Corporate Governance · NZ Law Society · Victoria University

Auckland
Ms. Yemi Adebola
Ms. Yemi Adebola
Associate

Litigation & Dispute Resolution · England Bars

London
Practice Groups

Our Departments

Each practice group is led by a dedicated partner and supported by specialist associates, ensuring deep expertise at every level of your matter.

🏛️
Corporate & Commercial
Led by Jonathan Pemberton — London

Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate restructuring, and regulatory compliance across 7 jurisdictions. Specialist knowledge of English, Singaporean, and Canadian corporate law.

22 lawyers · 6 offices
Energy & Natural Resources
Led by Dr. Eleanor Whitmore — London

Upstream and downstream oil & gas, renewable energy, mining, and infrastructure projects. Extensive experience before the ICSID, LCIA, and national energy regulatory bodies.

18 lawyers · 4 offices
📋
Litigation & Arbitration
Led by Bradley Thornton — New York

Commercial litigation, international arbitration (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, UNCITRAL), mediation, and cross-border enforcement of awards. Consistent success in disputes exceeding £100M.

26 lawyers · 5 offices
🏢
Real Estate & Property
Led by Andrew Gallagher — Sydney

Commercial real estate, infrastructure PPP, construction law, FIDIC contracts, and property dispute resolution across the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

14 lawyers · 3 offices
💼
Banking & Finance
Led by Melissa Crawford — New York

Project finance, syndicated lending, capital markets, securities regulation, and fintech advisory. Deep regulatory expertise across FCA, MAS, SEC, OSFI, and APRA frameworks.

20 lawyers · 4 offices
🛡️
Employment & Labour
Led by Fiona Mackintosh — Melbourne

Executive employment, workforce restructuring, industrial relations, whistleblowing, and C-suite compensation across all seven of our jurisdictions.

12 lawyers · 3 offices
Client Voices

What Clients Say About Our Team

"

The calibre of the team at Classic Legal Chambers is unlike anything I have encountered in over 20 years of working with law firms. Jonathan Pemberton's grasp of cross-border deal structure saved our Frankfurt acquisition from collapse at the eleventh hour.

GH
Geoffrey Hartley
Group CEO, Meridian Capital Partners plc
"

Dr. Eleanor Whitmore and her energy team are simply the best in the business for upstream licensing and PSC negotiations in the North Sea. Their understanding of the regulatory environment and commercial realities is extraordinary.

SW
Stephen Wainwright
Director, North Atlantic Energy Ventures
"

Bradley Thornton's litigation team took on our $50M SEC enforcement matter and delivered a result our previous advisors told us was impossible. Their determination and legal creativity set them apart from any firm we have worked with.

LF
Lauren Fitzpatrick
MD, Broadstone Financial Group
Careers

Join a Firm That Invests in You

We are always seeking exceptional legal talent — from newly-qualified solicitors to experienced practitioners. A career at Classic legal chambers means genuine mentorship, international exposure, and work that matters.

Apply to Join Our Team
Get In Touch

Contact Our Team

For legal enquiries, new instructions, or to arrange a confidential consultation, reach out to us directly at any of our seven offices.

🇬🇧
London Headquarters
1 King's Bench Walk, Temple
London EC4Y 7DB, United Kingdom
📞
Telephone
+44 (20) 7936 4000
+44 (20) 7936 4001 (24hr)
✉️
Email
clifford.raeburn@classiclegalchambers.com
info@classiclegalchambers.com
🕐
Office Hours
Monday–Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM GMT
24-hour emergency line available
🌏
International Offices
Singapore · New York · Toronto
Auckland · Sydney · Lagos
Send a Message