Mark Cullen

Mark Cullen is a leading commercial barrister specialising in complex civil fraud, cross-border and offshore litigation.

He is regularly instructed in substantial, high-value disputes involving fraud, asset tracing and complex jurisdictional issues.  A significant part of his practice involves contentious insolvency matters.  He is also frequently instructed in shareholder disputes.

Mark has been instructed in some of the largest and most complex cases before the English and offshore courts in recent years.

Examples include:

• Abraaj Investment Management Ltd (in liquidation) v KES Power Ltd & Ors: US$41 million+ commercial dispute concerning the existence and amount of a disputed debt and whether it had been assigned, raising significant issues of law (including the boundaries of estoppel by convention). Mark appeared at trial and is instructed on appeal.
• John Paul DeJoria & Anor v PLH Barbuda Ltd & Anor: acting for the claimants in a shareholder dispute relating to a significant development project in Barbuda.
• Magomedov & Ors v TPG Group Holdings & Ors: a US$14 billion conspiracy claim, involving highly contested injunction applications and a successful jurisdictional challenge.
• Vneshprombank v Bedzhamov: claims exceeding £2 billion surrounding the collapse of VPB Bank, which have involved various interlocutory hearings over several years, including in relation to freezing and search orders and the application of the UK and EU sanctions regime.

Mark’s practice is notably international. He has significant experience of litigating in the Caribbean (having also spent time on secondment in the BVI and later in the Cayman Islands), but also in various other offshore jurisdictions, including Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.  The directories note that “his knowledge of private international law is particularly useful for offshore work” and that he “has a formidable command of areas of law that are always relevant to offshore disputes.”  He is admitted in the BVI (2017), the Cayman Islands (2018) and, most recently, Antigua and Barbuda, where he was admitted as a visiting advocate in 2026.

Mark is particularly known for his ability to work successfully as part of a team, often across multiple jurisdictions, whether as sole counsel or as part of a larger counsel team.

Mark is ranked as a leading junior for Commercial Litigation, Offshore and Professional Liability work. Clients have described him as “a powerful advocate who is always attuned to the judge’s thinking”, “a brilliant junior…with a first rate intellect and unmatched knowledge of law and procedure”, and praise his ability to give clear, practical and commercially focused advice. He is often described as “unflappable” and “very calm under pressure”.

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