Baruch Baigel
Baruch Baigel leads the Dispute Resolution team at Asserson. Baruch is widely recognised as a go-to name for complex, high-value and cross-border litigation and arbitration.
Ranked in the directories as a Leading Individual, he is described by Chambers 2025 as “an exceptional leader with a real passion and ability for strategy and finding the optimal outcome for his clients”.
A graduate of both Cambridge and Harvard, Baruch is a UK-qualified solicitor-advocate and an accomplished international arbitrator, known for his clarity, strategic insight, and focus on outcomes.
Baruch specialises in civil fraud, asset recovery and major commercial disputes. His cases have featured three times in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases of the Year” — including litigation stemming from the Madoff fraud, a solar subsidy compensation claim against the UK Government, and a £200 million professional negligence action against a global law firm.
He currently acts for one of the defendants in the $2 billion Bourlakov litigation before the English High Court — a multi-jurisdictional fraud claim involving assets and related claims in Monaco, Switzerland, Russia, and the United States and listed for a 15 week trial in 2027.
In 2019 Baruch led the successful defence of Beny Steinmetz in Vale SA v Steinmetz, defeating a USD 2 billion fraud claim brought by one of the world’s largest mining conglomerates
Alongside his litigation work, Baruch helps clients navigate high value international arbitrations, his recent cases ranging from infrastructure disputes in Africa to construction projects in China.
Baruch sits as arbitrator, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute and is a member of the ICC task force addressing corruption in arbitration. He also sits on the panels of leading institutions including VIAC, SIAC, GIAC and AIAC.
In Who’s Who Legal 2025, Baruch is recognised by clients and peers as “an amazing practitioner who sees through the core issues immediately,” “a joy to work with, as he loves what he does and thrives on complex matters,” and “diligent, able to see the wider picture and [with] a strategic outlook.” In 2022, he was included in Legal500’s exclusive Private Practice Powerlist for Arbitration in the UK.
Experience highlights:
International arbitration
- Acting for Claimants in an ad hoc arbitration regarding the breakdown of a partnership in respect of finance and infrastructure projects in Angola – valued in excess of $200m.
- Acting for Israel’s largest engineering company regarding termination and breach of contract in an ICC arbitration.
- Acting for listed Hong King entertainment company in LCIA arbitration regarding the construction of theatres in mainland China – valued in excess of €100m.
- Acting for a major Chinese construction company against an Israel based contractor in ICC arbitration worth $50m.
- Acting for a global mining group in relation to substantial mining rights in West Africa in LCIA arbitration worth in excess of $1 billion.
- Acting for an international hotel group against a European leisure company in LCIA arbitration valued at c.$20m.
- Acting for a global retail and real estate group against a Russian bank in an LCIA arbitration valued over $5m.
High Court litigation
- Acting for and successfully defending the primary defendants in the UK Madoff litigation in a claim worth in excess of $90 million
Madoff Securities International Ltd v Raven [2013] EWHC 3147 (Comm)
- Acting for a group of solar energy companies in proceedings against the then Department of Energy and Climate Change in judicial review proceedings followed by compensation claims worth in excess of £200 million under the Human Rights Act.
R. (on the application of Homesun Holdings Ltd) v Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change [2011] EWHC 3575 (Admin) (High Court); Breyer Group Plc v Department of Energy and Climate Change [2015] EWCA Civ 408 (Court of Appeal)
- Acting for and successfully defending a group of defendants in a major civil recovery claim brought by the UK’s National Crime Agency with value in excess of £100m, followed by a rare compensation claim brought against the NCA under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Serious Organised Crime Agency v Perry [2012] UKSC 35 (Supreme Court) National Crime Agency v Perry [2014] EWHC 3759 (QB)
- Acting for and successfully defending Beny Steinmetz in a claim against Vale regarding the sale of mining licences in Guinea, valued at $1.5 billion.
Vale SA v Steinmetz [2022] EWHC 343 (Comm); Vale SA v Steinmetz [2021] EWCA Civ 1087 (Court of Appeal)
- Acting for one of the principal defendants in the Bourlakov litigation, a multi-jurisdictional fraud claim valued at c.$2 billion.
Bourlakova v Bourlakov [2024] EWHC 765 (Ch); [2025] EWHC 1792 (Ch)