Dispute resolution

• Litigating before the various divisions of the High Court in London, in particular the Commercial Court. My cases often require emergency applications for injunctive relief and attendance at court on short notice.
• Making effective use of ADR to achieve client objectives. I am a CEDR qualified mediator and regularly guide clients through mediations and arbitrations.
• Resolving claims over post-transaction issues, including breach of warranty and indemnity clauses, claims against directors for breach of duty, shareholder disputes and investor claims, IT disputes regarding code performance and software development, partnership disputes, unpaid commission and fee claims, professional negligence claims, trust disputes, civil fraud, and bailment and conversion claims.

Insolvency

• Acting for and against insolvency practitioners in contentious matters including in relation to unlawful distribution, antecedent transactions, misfeasance, wrongful trading and ROT/complex lien claims, as well as other claims against directors.
• Working with colleagues in our Corporate practice group, alongside insolvency practitioners, to advise distressed businesses. I help companies and directors to manage insolvency risk and to protect assets, sometimes with assistance from the Court.
• Advising extensively on counterparty insolvency and regularly devising strategies with clients to limit damage and/or minimise risk.

Advertising & marketing

• Working alongside a number of our creative clients for almost 25 years, helping to protect their interests and manage risk.
• Advising on a wide range of agreements and issues, including disputes over service levels and performance, issues with talent, clients and sub-contractors, fee recovery, failed campaigns and events, and termination issues.
• Simplifying complex legal issues: my cases often involve multiple parties (often international) with conflicting rights and interests. My objective is always to provide clear and practical advice which best serves the client's commercial objectives.

Case examples

• Acting for a major household brand in a dispute over contractual obligations regarding multimillion-dollar orders of appliances. Issues included minimum purchase obligations, interpretation issues concerning payment duties, ownership of design rights and tooling and entitlement to royalties on future sales.
• Defending various claims for compensation and indemnity arising under the Commercial Agents Regulations (sectors include automotive, energy and sports).
• Acting for a company in a multimillion-pound dispute with a former shareholder and his service company. The case involved breaches of a consultancy agreement by the shareholder, claims under the Articles of Association, and a dispute over marketing rights.
• Acting for the majority shareholder in an unfair prejudice claim concerning House of Fraser.
• Acting in a substantial claim for breach of warranty involving allegations of fraud and issues of material adverse change arising out of the share purchase of an international group of companies headquartered in the UK.
• Acting for a hotelier in litigation before the Commercial Court with insurers over coverage following a substantial fire, with an analysis of hot works conditions written in the policy: Britannia Hotels No 2 Limited -v- Aviva Insurance Limited (2022)
• Acting for Ayanda Capital as an interested party in judicial review proceedings relating to the procurement of PPE by the UK during the pandemic: The Queen on the application of Good Law Project Limited and another -v– The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care [2022] EWHC 46 (TCC)
• Acting in an international joint venture dispute involving issues of breach of good faith between the participants, tortious interference, defamation, breach of duty, breach of confidence and breach of contract. Litigating to enforce the settlement terms: Medical Associates of Northern Virginia Inc., Profit Sharing Plan v Steward Malta Ltd [2020] EWHC 1995 (Comm)
• Acting in an international dispute between an insurer and broker with issues of jurisdiction, applicable law, breach of trust and an anti-arbitration injunction: AmTrust Europe Limited –v- Trust Risk Group SpA [2014] EWHC 3912 (Comm), [2014] 4169 (Comm); [2015] EWCA Civ 437; [2015] EWHC 1927 (Comm); [2015] EWHC 3918 (Comm)
• Acting for a charity in its capacity as a third-party beneficiary under a trust in a high-profile divorce. The wife claimed a share in trust assets alleged to be worth cUS$70 million: Quan –v- Bray and Others [2014] EWHC 3340 (Fam) and [2015] EWCA Civ 1253.
• Defending a c€70 million claim for breach of warranty and under indemnities in a Share Purchase Agreement. Losses said to arise from malfunctioning video lottery terminals in Italy. The claim alleged a fault in computer code which was said to have given rise to approximately 240 jackpot "wins": Global Draw Ltd –v- IGT-UK Group Ltd and another [2014] EWHC 2973 (Comm).