News & Events
News & Events
OTC’s award-winning Crypto Team and leading Sanctions Team comment on the ramifications of the new sanctions against cryptocurrency exchange HTX (Huobi Global S.A.) On 26 May 2026, the UK Government designated Huobi Global SA (identified as a Panama company, Folio No 155737650), under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (“the Russia Regs”). This well-known cryptocurrency exchange, also commonly known as HTX (formerly known as Huobi) or HTX Exchange (hereafter “HTX”), was one of 18 cryptocurrency exchanges, payment providers and individuals sanctioned for their role in Russia’s use of digital assets to bypass sanctions. Why was HTX sanctioned? The UK Government’s Statement of Reasons explains that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that HTX is, or has been involved in,…
Legal Blogs, News 15 Jun, 2026
In what is believed to be one of the first cases of its kind, CYK worked alongside Outer Temple Chambers, blockchain tracing experts and law enforcement to secure a full recovery under s.303Z51 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) for their client, who was the subject of a sophisticated and carefully orchestrated theft of a significant sum of cryptoassets. Of the cryptoassets stolen, a sum of ETH was traceable to a wallet held by an overseas exchange and belonging to one of the alleged perpetrators of the theft. Due to swift collaboration with law enforcement, the wallet in question was swiftly frozen by a Crypto Wallet Freezing Order (CWFO) that was obtained by law enforcement just days after…
News 15 May, 2026
Helen Pugh has been published in the April 2026 edition of Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law on “Not your key, not your coin”: the private key and ownership. Ownership, possession and control of an asset have long been intertwined in the public’s consciousness. Albeit implicitly recognising that a possessory title can be displaced by a superior legal title, the old adage “possession is nine-tenths of the law” remains a popular refrain carrying more than a grain of truth. Following a series of high-profile collapses of crypto custodians in “the crypto winter”, a digital equivalent has emerged: “not your key, not your coin”. In this article, Helen considers the private key and its role in legal analysis of…
External Publications, News 20 Apr, 2026
Elaine Palser and Helen Pugh, instructed by RPC and CMS Cameron McKenna respectively, acted successfully for the first and second trustees in bankruptcy (T-in-B) respectively in the recent High Court decision of McFadzean v Martinez [2026] EWHC 426 (Ch). A former bankrupt sought the court’s leave to sue her two former trustees in bankruptcy for alleged negligence in the sale of a substantial French property. The judgment considers the test for leave to bring a claim against a trustee pursuant to section 304 of the Insolvency Act 1986 where the proposed claim is brought by a former bankrupt and where the trustees have already had their release. Whilst the court will weigh up all the relevant factors in each case,…
News 25 Mar, 2026
Event Date: 16 Mar, 2026
We are pleased to invite you to join us on Monday 16th March 2026 for a late afternoon seminar on Trusts at the Royal Automobile Club, London. Join Outer Temple’s experts alongside esteemed guest speakers for a late afternoon seminar as they discuss Trusts over 4 panel sessions. Topics of discussion will include: Offshore trusts in divorce proceedings: jurisdictional, firewall, disclosure and valuation issues Enforcement of financial relief orders against pension scheme trusts: opportunities and pitfalls Perfecting and challenging formalities issues and potential transactions at an undervalue Trusting the blockchain: recovering digital trust assets Speakers: Nicolas Stallworthy KC, Outer Temple Chambers David E.Grant KC, Outer Temple Chambers Claire van Overdijk KC, Outer Temple Chambers Philip Stear, Outer Temple Chambers Helen…
We are delighted to host the PNLA Conference for the fourth consecutive year. Join us for ‘The Ultimate Round up III – Professional Negligence & Liability’ on Thursday 16th October here at Outer Temple Chambers, London. You are invited to join James Counsell KC and Helen Pugh who will be speaking alongside a line up of fellow professional negligence experts throughout this full-day conference, followed by networking drinks. Other speakers will include Paul Mitchell KC and Melody Hadfield (4 New Square Chambers), Piers Elliott (Henderson and Jones), Matthew Pascall (Temple Legal Protection), Thomas Pangbourne and Rachel Auld (Indemnity Law), Margaret Wright (Hawkins), Ben Leandro (Moore Kingston Smith), David Osborne (Fraser Dawbarns), Dominic Tucker (iDiscovery Solutions) and Katy Manley (PNLA President…
News 23 Sep, 2025
The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in Darby v Wang in which Helen Pugh acted for the successful appellant. The Court of Appeal once again emphasised the need to adhere to the procedural and other safeguards enjoyed by defendants in civil claims facing contempt of court proceedings. The Background The case of Wang v Darby [2021] EWHC 3054 made waves from the outset when it was taken as authority for the proposition that cryptocurrencies could constitute property subject to a trust. In this latest set of proceedings, cryptocurrencies were again the focus; this time in relation to a defendant’s duty to provide disclosure of assets ancillary to a worldwide freezing order. The claimant issued contempt proceedings on the…
News 4 Feb, 2025
Event Date: 7 Nov, 2024
We are delighted to invite you to our ‘Contempt of Court In Commercial Disputes’ Breakfast Seminar on Thursday, 7th November at The Reform Club, London. You are invited to join Outer Temple Chambers for a breakfast seminar focusing on contempt of court in commercial disputes in the Business and Property Courts. With the Law Commission Consultation Paper closing on 29 November 2024, high profile committals of Soophia Khan, Graham Darby and Tommy Robinson, and near-misses for Katie Price and Oleg Deripaska, contempt of court is an essential part of a commercial litigator’s toolkit. Members of Outer Temple’s commercial and business crime teams together with guest speakers will discuss a range of contempt matters across three panels: Panel One – ‘Caselaw…
Helen Pugh has been shortlisted in the Citywealth Powerwomen Awards 2025- International, for Woman of the Year in FinTech/ Crypto. The Citywealth Powerwomen awards spotlight individuals and companies who support caregiving responsibilities, female leadership, and celebrate diversity. The Powerwomen Awards 2025 will both recognise individuals and companies who maximise the potential of women in wealth, and will also create a platform for best practice to collectively exercise positive social influence on the sector. The international awards ceremony will take place in London on Wednesday 5th March, 2025. The results will be based on based 10% on a public vote and 90% on the judges’ votes. Helen Pugh has been shortlisted for Woman of the Year in FinTech/ Crypto. The complete…
News 6 Aug, 2024
Outer Temple’s Helen Pugh will be speaking at the Thought Leaders 4 Event: The Crypto in Disputes Forum – 3rd Annual on Tuesday, 25th June 2024 at One Whitehall Place, London. Crypto’s continued rapid, complex evolution impacting many fields of Law requires ongoing discussion and analysis. The ‘Crypto in Disputes Forum’ squares up to and tackles the hard legal questions involved in managing and litigating digital assets. The Forum will begin at 9:00am to 5:00pm with a total of nine sessions, followed by a drinks reception. Helen Pugh of Outer Temple Chambers will be speaking alongside Henry Farris of Withers and Jonas Habert of Enyo Law from 11:10am to 12:00pm on the topic of ‘Evaluating Litigation Costs in Cryptocurrency Disputes…
News 24 Jun, 2024
Outer Temple’s Helen Pugh, James Leonard KC and Charlotte Elves were instructed in Commercial Bank of Dubai SC & Ors v Al Sari. The Court of Appeal handed down judgment which clarifies the law on alternative service in contempt proceedings. The Court of Appeal have clarified the law on alternative service in contempt proceedings in an important judgment handed down in Commercial Bank of Dubai SC & Ors v Al Sari [2024] EWCA Civ 643. The Court of Appeal accepted the submission of the 1st Appellant (represented on appeal by Helen Pugh of Outer Temple Chambers) and 2nd Appellant (represented on appeal by James Leonard KC and Charlotte Elves) that an order permitting alternative service in a previous phase of…
News 13 Jun, 2024
On 22 May 2024, the Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in İşbilen v Turk [2024] EWCA Civ 568 in which James Counsell KC and Helen Pugh were instructed. James Counsell KC and Helen Pugh acted successfully for their client, Selman Turk in his appeal against the immediate custodial sentence for Contempt of Court imposed by the High Court. In this long-running, complex civil fraud case, the defendant was found in contempt of court for breaching disclosure obligations ancillary to a proprietary injunction aimed at recovering funds allegedly misappropriated from the claimant. In a judgment dated 6 March 2024, the defendant was sentenced to 12 months’ immediate imprisonment. Following a successful application for bail made, unusually, to the Court of…
News 24 May, 2024
