Biography
Chris advises across the full spectrum of complex commercial disputes (including disputes before the English courts and under the rules of major international arbitral institutions), principally arising out of breaches of contract, fraud, shareholder/partnership issues and tax matters.
Chris has successfully represented clients across a wide range of industry sectors, but is particularly experienced at advising in relation to contested claims and financial disputes arising in the context of complex cross-border insolvencies and restructurings. He also frequently advises private equity investors and their portfolio companies in relation to contentious issues.
In addition to advising in connection with ongoing proceedings, Chris often advises clients in relation to pre-dispute strategy. He regularly acts for clients engaged in alternative methods of dispute resolution, including mediation and complex settlement discussions, and also advises in relation to internal and regulatory investigations.
Chris advises in relation to cross-border trade regulation and sanctions issues, especially in a transactional context, and previously spent time working in the sanctions compliance team of a major bank.
Representative matters include acting for:
- The joint official liquidators of ABRAAJ Investment Management Limited in connection with claims arising in the liquidation of the Abraaj Group
- Littlewoods, in its £1.25 billion claim in respect of compound interest on overpaid tax before the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court
- The Special Administrators of MF Global UK Limited in connection with a number of disputes arising out of the special administration of MFGUK
- Lehman Brothers Special Financing Inc in multimillion dollar Financial List proceedings against PSALM (a Phillipine state-owned entity) concerning the Close-out provisions of the 2002 ISDA Master Agreement
- Ingenious Media in a £1bn+ appeal against amendments made by HMRC to the tax returns of a number of film production partnerships
- Petropavlovsk Plc, on a variety of contentious matters
- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and various of its subsidiaries in connection with the unwinding of their structured finance, structured product and derivatives portfolio, including a number of disputes before the English, New York and Cayman Islands courts and LCIA arbitration proceedings in London
- A private equity firm in connection with a High Court dispute concerning the allocation of profit and ownership interests between certain of its founding partners
- A Turkish entrepreneur as claimant in an ICC arbitration in London relating to disputes arising under a non-compete agreement, worth in excess of US$300 million
- A global hospitality company in relation to various disputes arising out of development projects in Europe and Central Asia