A most enjoyable evening at the inaugural Diversity Network Awards Awards hosted by Dawn Butler MP. At a time when firms are making cuts to their diversity initiatives it is even more important that achievements of those who are working to fight discrimination and raise awareness are recognised.
Congratulations to all of the nominees and in particular to the Fertility Network Centrica , winners of the DeNovo | Legal Costs Experts Outstanding Wellness Network of the Year, presented by our director Afqar Dean.
A great speech from Diane Abbott recalling the many struggles she faced and continues to face. As always a big thank you to Linda Riley and Fiona Marshall and the team for the work that they put into these events.
A most enjoyable evening at the inaugural Diversity Network Awards Awards hosted by Dawn Butler MP. At a time when firms are making cuts to their diversity initiatives it is even more important that achievements of those who are working to fight discrimination and raise awareness are recognised.
Congratulations to all of the nominees and in particular to the Fertility Network Centrica , winners of the DeNovo | Legal Costs Experts Outstanding Wellness Network of the Year, presented by our director Afqar Dean.
A great speech from Diane Abbott recalling the many struggles she faced and continues to face. As always a big thank you to Linda Riley and Fiona Marshall and the team for the work that they put into these events.
Afqar Dean is a leading legal costs specialist with over 30 years’ experience advising on high-value and complex disputes across multiple jurisdictions, including England and Wales, the Dubai International Financial Centre, Jersey, and British Overseas Territories.
He has acted on some of the UK’s most significant commercial litigation cases, representing and advising an extraordinary range of clients — from multinational corporations and major law firms to high-profile individuals, including political figures, members of royal families, sports stars, and entertainers.
Afqar’s expertise covers all aspects of contentious costs, including costs budgeting, assessments, solicitor–client disputes, professional negligence claims, and costs issues in international arbitration. He is also highly experienced in auditing legal costs, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and financial transparency for clients.
Among the first practitioners to qualify as a regulated Costs Lawyer, Afqar holds full rights of audience in costs proceedings. He is also a training provider, delivering bespoke seminars and education programmes for law firms and legal teams. A strong advocate for diversity and social mobility within the profession, Afqar is committed to widening access and opportunity in legal practice.
Education/admissions
Afqar is involved in the firm's diversity initiatives and a keen advocate for social mobility and opportunities for all.
Afqar was amongst the first in our profession become a regulated Costs Lawyer. He enjoys rights of audience in relation all costs proceedings.
Afqar is also an accredited training provider.
Michael Heslin is a Costs Draftsman with over 25 years’ experience acting in some of the most substantial and complex costs disputes in the UK. He co-founded DeNovo in 2004 and has since built it into one of the country’s leading independent costs consultancies, trusted by top UK and international law firms, insurers, and private clients.
Michael has personally prepared or defended more than 100 multi-million-pound costs claims, including several of the largest to come before the Senior Courts Costs Office. His experience spans high-value commercial litigation, intellectual property disputes, clinical negligence claims, and solicitor-client assessments. Notable projects include preparing Kuwait Airways’ £40M+ costs claim following the longest-running case in the history of the Commercial Courts, major pharma and telecoms patent litigation costs cases involving household-name multinationals, and acting in the Excalibur Ventures case — which included a landmark decision on costs and litigation funding.
Alongside his fee-earning practice, Michael has extensive management and mentoring experience. At DeNovo he has trained and led teams of costs lawyers and consultants, overseeing projects of prodigious scale. He has also provided seminars and training to leading law firms, blogged extensively on developments in costs law, and acted as an expert witness in costs litigation
Michael’s academic credentials are exceptional within the profession. He holds an LL.B (Hons), an LL.M (Distinction) focused on commercial litigation, and a PhD in Law from the University of East Anglia, awarded in 2024 for a thesis on responsibility theory and enterprise liability. He is also currently undertaking further postgraduate study in Competition and Regulatory Policy at the internationally renowned Centre for Competition Policy, reflecting his ongoing commitment to advanced legal and policy research.
Clients value Michael for his combination of technical precision, strategic insight, and clear communication. Whether working on behalf of paying or receiving parties, he brings authority, creativity, and a results-driven approach to the resolution of costs disputes.
Experience and notable cases
Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) –v- Iraqi Airways Company (IAC) – Following the longest running commercial case in the history of the English courts I prepared KAC’s massive costs claim, one the largest ever to reach the doors of the Senior Courts Costs Office. Legal costs claim of >£40M.
Pharma patent litigation – I was instructed by a leading global law firm on behalf of the successful parties in patent infringement and revocation proceedings involving some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Legal costs claim of >£5M.
Telecoms patent litigation – I was instructed by a top tier specialist firm of patent litigators to prepare various complex costs statements following trials and appeals involving some of the world’s largest technology corporations. Legal costs claim of >£10M.
High-profile costs claim following failed £100M civil recovery proceedings – instructed by a market leading international litigation team acting for a foreign citizen whose worldwide assets were subject of a civil recovery claim brought by the National Crime Agency (NCA). My team and I prepared a number of high value interrelated claims for costs on behalf of the successful party . Legal costs claim of >£5M.
Excalibur Ventures v Texas Keystone – The case generated several decisions of wider importance in the legal costs field (relating to security for costs, indemnity costs, and the availability of a non-party costs order against professional funders – a point on which the Association of Litigation Funders also intervened). I prepared the successful party's costs breakdowns and provided witness statements in support of its security for costs applications. Following the conclusion of the substantive litigation I prepared the defendant’s £20M> costs breakdown.
Challenge to remuneration and expenses of joint administrators – instructed by a market leading international litigation team: I was instructed to prepare a detailed challenge to the charges of a global financial consultancy and their advisers (including two high-profile international law firms), in connection with the administration of a UK energy supplier. The application for assessment of fees and expenses of >£5M under the Insolvency Act 1986 was the first significant challenge of its kind in 20 years.
Education
LLB (Hons) – University of London (1994)
LLM (Distinction) – University of East Anglia (2018)
PhD (law) - University of East Anglia (2024)
Professional and research interests: Costs law and practice, litigation funding, responsibility theory, vicarious liability, products liability, litigation practice, philosophical foundations of tort law. My doctoral thesis examined relationships between (pre-moral, pre-legal) outcome responsibility and strict tortious obligations of repair. Time permitting, future research output will address aspects of costs law and practice, third party litigation funding, as well as approaches to responsibility for harm caused by intelligent products (for ‘algorithmic accidents’).
