Commercial

Our Team

Our commercial barristers advise and represent clients in the full spectrum of commercial disputes in the Business and Property Courts and in arbitrations.

We act in some of the most complex and high-profile matters, including in the Supreme Court and in cases at the forefront of the development of commercial law. Examples include the Post Office Group Litigation, leading cases in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal on parent company liability and on the enforcement of ICSID arbitration awards.

We are the Chambers of choice for a number of major multinational companies. We have recently represented Shell, BP, Unilever, Volkswagen, GSK, among others.

Our team brings particular sector acumen to the handling of complex commercial claims. This includes in insurance and re-insurance, life sciences, IT, oil and gas, banking and financial services, and in the automotive, telecoms, and transportation sectors.

A large number of our cases are international in nature. Our members are instructed in proceedings offshore, and routinely represent overseas clients in this jurisdiction.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Our team is well placed to assist with advice and representation in disputes arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact.

Clients value our extensive experience in complex disputes concerning supply chains, with respect to business interruption cover, and as to the full range of contractual issues arising such as frustration, force majeure and material adverse change.

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Contact the Commercial clerking team.

If you require help or advice please contact our clerking team.

Call - +44 (0)20 7583 9020
or email our clerks

Expertise

Civil fraud, asset tracing and enforcement
Commercial Chancery disputes, including shareholder, partnership and joint venture disputes and fiduciary liability
Complex claims involving conspiracies and other economic torts
Complex contractual disputes
Disputes arising from corporate acquisitions and reorganizations
Group actions and multi-party litigation
Injunctive relief, including worldwide freezing orders, orders for the seizure of assets or for disclosure
Insolvency
Investment disputes including the sale and purchase of shares
Multi-jurisdictional litigation, conflicts of laws and private international law
Parent company liability claims
Relief in support of foreign proceedings
Sale of goods and chains of supply

Representative cases

grid list

Liswaniso & others v Vedanta PLC & others (Supreme Court)

Leading Supreme Court judgment on jurisdiction and potential liability of parent companies in respect of alleged acts/omissions overseas.
The Post Office Group Litigation (TCC)

One of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases, Civil Litigation Brief ‘case of the year’ 2019

Representing over 500 current and former postmasters in a widely publicised Group Action against Post Office to recover business losses said to result from failures in Post Office’s Horizon electronic point of sales (EPOS) and accounting system. Widely reported: BBC, Daily Mail, FT and Joshua Rozenberg.

Leading judgment ([2019] EWHC 606) on the developing field of relational contracts and duties of good faith in commercial contracts and on range of other complex contractual and agency issues. Successful judgment following trial of IT expert issues in 2019 ([2019] EWHC 3408). Further judgment ([2019] EWHC 871) with respect to failed application by Post Office to recuse a Managing Judge in Group Litigation.
Micula v Republic of Romania (Supreme Court)

Acting for investor in one of the most significant recent cases regarding the interaction between investment treaty arbitration and EU law.

The Supreme Court ([2020] UKSC 5) unanimously allowed the investor’s cross-appeal relating to the enforcement of a £250m arbitration award, in the face of EU law objections, a matter with significant bearing upon the ICSID system.
Libyan Investment Authority v various defendants (Chancery Division)

Acting for defendants in claim by Libyan sovereign wealth fund concerning joint venture arrangements.
Google Data Breach Class Action

Google Data Breach Class Action

A representative action on behalf of approximately 5.4 million iPhone users issued against Google November 2017.
Re Stirling Mortimer Global Property Fund PCC Ltd (Commercial Court)

Acting for Guernsey registered property investment fund in proceedings in the Commercial Court for the recovery of misappropriated assets and in associated claim concerning the liability of auditors.
Chevron Corporation v Amazonia Recovery Limited (Supreme Court of Gibraltar)

Acting for litigation funders in high profile proceedings in Gibraltar brought by Chevron Corporation with respect to a US$18bn judgment for environmental liabilities in Ecuador in the Lago Agrio litigation.
Ethiopian Airlines v Honeywell (Commercial Court)