Banking & Business

Areas of expertise

• Asset recovery and white collar crime
• Civil fraud
• Company advice and litigation
• Contract
• Directors’ duties
• Employment & shareholder disputes
• Insolvency
• International trade
• Investor compensation
• Partnership disputes
• Pension fund theft
• Personal insolvency
• Sale of goods and agency
• Shareholders’ rights
• Unfair prejudice claims & derivative actions
• VAT

For further information, contact:

David Smith, Senior Clerk, 020 7353 6381

Track record and prominent cases

• ICC International Commercial Arbitration (London) – Acting for an outsourced logistics supplier of a global car manufacturer in a claim for damages in excess of US$350m.
• Foot and mouth disease cases – A series of cases brought by DEFRA’s former contractors for damages in excess of £35m involving issues of privilege in mediations, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and in an action to set aside a mediated settlement with the government on the grounds of economic duress.
• Acting in the Commercial Court for a state-owned oil and gas company disputing the UK Court's jurisdiction in a dispute over oil supplied in a ship-to-ship transfer in international waters.
• LCIA International Commercial Arbitration – Acting for a Middle East company in a banking dispute over foreign exchange transactions.
• Acting in the Commercial Court in proceedings for a director of a hedge fund, joined to the proceedings as a third party, in a claim brought by the fund against its bankers for breach of mandate, breach of contract and negligence, and in related proceedings against the fund's former legal advisers for negligence.
• ICC International Commercial Arbitration (London) - Acting for a logistics company in a multi-million dollar dispute with an international wine grower and seller
• Acting for shareholders in an unfair prejudice claim in the Dubai International Financial Centre against a DFSA-registered company
• Acting in the Chancery Division for an Estonian Company in obtaining a freezing injunction against a Dubai FZE in respect of EUAs (carbon credits) wrongly-transferred to the UK Registry.

Our clients

We work with all types of business from many different sectors, including banking, finance, technology, construction, logistics and manufacturing.

We also act for receivers and administrators in insolvency proceedings.

What the directories say

At Outer Temple Chambers, Michael Bowes QC is "always calm and in control" and has an excellent reputation for his handling of criminal investigations and prosecutions. He is "highly skilled" at insider dealing cases, recently appearing for the FSA in R v McFall, Rimmington & King. Fellow silk Richard Lissack QC also specialises in the criminal aspects of financial services work, proving "a very strong, persuasive and excellent advocate." He represented Andrew Rimmington in the insider dealing case brought by the FSA, which led to an acquittal. At the same chambers, the "highly diligent" Oliver Assersohn was Lissack's junior in the Rimmington case and has appeared for and against the FSA in a wide range of criminal and civil investigations and enforcement actions. Having been seconded to the Regulatory Decisions Committee of the FSA, he "understands how the regulator lives and breathes."Chambers & Partners 2011
 

Outer Temple Chambers is particularly recommended for its regulatory expertise. Michael Bowes QC is highly recommended for financial services and regulatory issues and was recently instructed by the FSA on its first criminal prosecution for insider dealing, R v McQuoid and Melbourne. Richard Lissack QC is valued for his ‘very practical advice and strong regulatory nous’. Among the juniors, the ‘very user-friendly’ Nicholas Medcroft has ‘a thorough appreciation of both criminal law and procedure and also how banks work’. Oliver Assersohn has an ‘invaluable knowledge of the FSA disciplinary process’. Legal 500 2011
 

Memberships and involvement

A number of our barristers are fellows of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, COMBAR, Financial Services Lawyers Association and the Chancery Bar Association.