Direct Access Barristers
Lay clients and members of the public can also find our direct access qualified Barristers through the direct access portal. For more information and details please access the Bar Standard Board Public Access Public Guidance for Lay Clients:
Members of the public can instruct our direct access barristers to work for them.
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
We will help you find the right direct access barrister for you.
Stage 3:
You can then discuss you problem with your barrister directly and agree the work you need doing, the cost of that work and the speed at which it needs doing.
Members of the public can instruct our direct access barristers to work for them.
León Fernando del Canto
Head of Chambers
Barrister and Spanish abogado
León Fernando Del Canto leads Del Canto Chambers International Tax & Legal team. Fernando is a tax qualified English Barrister and Spanish Abogado and he is instructed regularly by solicitors and auditors all around the world. Fernando has audience rights in Ireland under the Bar Council in Ireland.
Fernando has a broad international tax & legal experience and has represented clients in Madrid, New York, London, Doha, and Hong Kong. He advocates for private clients and their families as well as for companies with international operations.
He trained with KPMG, Deloitte and Grant Thornton before moving to private practice. In 2006 he became the first Spanish citizen to hold a double qualification as a barrister in England and Spanish Abogado and he joined The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London. He is a member of the Worshipful Association of Tax Advisers in the City of London, a liveryman of the City of London.
Advised over 500 private individuals and companies on Anglo-Spanish tax and legal matters, including acquisitions in Spain, residency, tax planning, tax investigations, and litigation, many of them for High Networth Individuals.
Advised over 500 private individuals and companies on Anglo-Spanish tax and legal matters, including acquisitions in Spain, residency, tax planning, tax investigations, and litigation, many of them for High Networth Individuals.
Tax & Legal advice and full Due Diligence on a €250m acquisition of the Brand and related Intellectual Property assets of one of the top football clubs in the Spanish La Liga by an NYSE-listed SPAC, including a Luxembourg SPV
- Tax & Legal advice and full due diligence to acquire the largest Spanish electric car company by an NYSE-listed SPAC, including a Luxembourg SPV of over €400m
- Advised the largest Spanish sports paper, AS, in a joint venture with a GCC media group.
- Advised Grupo PRISA, the largest media group in the Spanish-speaking world, to secure a €100m capital investment by a GCC sovereign fund.
- Advised on a SOCIMI acquisition of a large building in central Madrid.
- Part of the advisory team organising Sunseeker Yacht Group Restructuring and Taylor Woodrow (later known as Taylor Wimpy) in the EU.
- Advised Smart Design Worldwide on how to expand its operations into Europe and set up a Barcelona office.
- Design and implementation of the Governance Model, including policies and procedures for Q-media (Elan), a government corporation in the State of Qatar
- Part of the advisory team on a nationwide VAT inspection of a 150+ UK optical franchise group
- Advised on the establishment of GAMAG under the UNESCO framework
Advised corporations, institutions and governments on a diversity of strategic litigation and dispute resolutions with international law implications
- Advised on UK litigation and alternative dispute resolution options for the top seller of Spanish wine under the Protected Denomination of Origin rules (post-Brexit)
- Advised on a USD 100m international arbitration dispute in London, according to English arbitration rules, resulting from a commercial contractual dispute in claims for damages arising from the contractual breach on a case involving a GCC state defendant and under the Intentional Chamber of Commerce rules.
- Advised on tax and litigation aspects of contentious and non-contentious divorces in Spain for non-Spanish celebrities and HNWI with assets over €50m.
- Advised the Spanish government on jurisdictional issues in the UK, including immunity on Estate matters.
- Advised Spanish property development group on litigation and alternative dispute resolution options on a UK joint venture
- Advised on legal claims against Spanish banks and other institutions representing foreign clients.
- Advised on a contractual dispute between UN FAO and a GCC State involving international program financing
Advising authors, musicians, film directors, artists, media and production and distribution companies with international operations on several tax & legal matters
- Provided legal and tax advice for top-flight international football teams, including Tottenham Hotspur and Valencia.
- Advised on the Intellectual Property Tax and Legal strategy and business development plan in Europe for Jani King, master European franchisor, including IP holding in Jersey and Hungary SPV and drafting the EU licensing agreements model.
- Advised Huffpost to establish the Arabic version of their website.
- Advice on the acquisition of Gulf Film and Grand Cinema, the largest Arabic film distributor and theatrical operator
- Legal and IP advice on the rebranding, contractual and licensing model of Novo Cinema in the GCC
Advised international charities and foundations on corporate, tax and legal matters, from setting up to governance and compliance matters:
- Guernica 37 Foundation (California) on tax and corporate matters
- Al Sharq Forum Foundation (Geneve) setting up foundation and licencing arrangements
- Art Aids Foundation (Netherlands, Thailand and Spain) fundraising, tax and governance
- Observatorio de Habla Hispana (London) setting up in London and strategic partnerships
- SYDA Foundation (worldwide) on IP and a variety of matters
- ISKCON (worldwide) on IP and a variety of matters
- The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women – Le Droit Humain (UK) incorporation in the UK
- PRASAD project (EU) fundraising and tax matters
- Caravan of Earth (Netherlands) setting up international network
Regulary featured in:
Alex Fletcher
Barrister
Mediator and non-practicing Solicitor
Alex is a Barrister, Mediator and non-practicing Solicitor in England and Wales. He has a Master’s degree in International Law from Bristol University with special interest in International Child Abduction. He is a trustee of Two UK National charities, a part-time law lecturer at Portsmouth University and regularly teaches and tutors Mediation students.
Alex specialises in Family Law and is regularly instructed on:
Financial remedy proceedings [separation of finances in divorce]
Child law proceedings [Arrangements for children on divorce or separation]
Pre and post nuptial agreements and cohabitation agreements
Alex has worked with families, children and local authorities in his work as a family lawyer since 2007. He is well regarded as an advocate and is highly persuasive both in court and out.
