Profile
Alex is a junior barrister specialising in company law, corporate insolvency and general commercial litigation. Approximately two-thirds of his practice is High Court litigation. He is an aggressive advocate who regularly appears both alone and as a junior.
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EDUCATION
BA Law, St John’s College Cambridge
First Class Honours and Top 10 in the University in all three years;
Top of the University in Company law, Constitutional law, Administrative law;
Winner of the University’s Intercollegiate Mooting Competition.
LLM, University of Pennsylvania (Thouron Scholar)
BCL, St John’s College Oxford (Distinction)
Princess Royal Scholar of the Inner Temple
SIGNIFICANT CASES AND EXPERIENCE
Insolvency
Re: Capitol Films Ltd - successfully acted for Screen Actors and Directors’ Guilds in resisting Administrator’s application to sell charged property. Successful application for Administrator to pay creditors’ costs personally and on the indemnity basis.
Re: Halliwells LLP - resisting winding-up petition presented by former partner and successful application for validation orders permitting the firm to continue to trade until its entry into administration.
VAT Fraud Cases - various claims on behalf of Insolvency Practitioners against directors and companies arising from carousel fraud.
Akai Holdings Limited - assisting Leslie Kosmin QC in relation to various claims on behalf of the liquidator in the largest ever insolvency in Hong Kong, including US$600m claim against the former auditors, claim against a Thai bank and claims against the former Chairman.
Resisting Cayman Islands winding-up petition against SPVs of an international private equity fund (with Charles Bear QC).
Numerous administration applications and applications for extension of administration.
Numerous disputed winding up petitions and applications for validation order.
Applications for examination of directors and production of documents under 236 IA 1986.
Advising and representing respondents to applications to disqualify directors.
Commercial Litigation
Re: Dianoor Jewels Ltd and Dianoor International Ltd - acting for receivers in claim against pawnbroker for conversion of goods. Successfully resisted strike-out application. (with Richard Snowden QC).
Christals Ltd v Feme Ltd - successfully acted for company in reclaiming goods and in High Court claim for damages where stock wrongfully seized by judgment creditor.
Tri-Q Ltd v API Group Plc - acted for defendant in Commercial Court claim for breach of warranty (with Richard Snowden QC and Nigel Dougherty).
Fujifilm v Pearson - won County Court trial of claim for damages against construction firm.
Re: Manaco (Dean) Ltd - successfully resisted winding-up petition and acted in Chancery Division proceedings relating to breaches of share sale agreement.
Continuing US$20m High Court claim by investment bank against bond issuer.
Claims under guarantees (in relation to solvent and insolvent defendants).
Company Law
Re Fawn Property Investment Ltd - won High Court trial of claim by executor for rectification of share register to reflect interest of the Estate.
Re NDS Plc - Scheme of Arrangement in relation to Nasdaq-listed member of News International Group (with Martin Moore QC).
Re Knightsiles Properties Ltd - Cross-border merger of English and Italian companies.
Numerous shareholder disputes ranging from small family companies to large building company and family company valued at £500m.
Assisting in preparation of expert evidence for US courts on Commonwealth company law in derivative actions and other claims (with Martin Moore QC, David Chivers QC and Professor Dan Prentice).
Re: R8 Marketing Limited - Successful application for removal of individual’s name from register of directors where his name had been included without consent.
Advice on maintenance of capital, share issues, articles of association and shareholders’ agreements.
Advice on Disclosure and Transparency Rules.
Numerous applications for rectification of register of charges.
PUBLICATIONS
"US Corporate Law Reform Post-Enron – A Significant Imposition on the Private Ordering of Corporate Governance?" (2005) Journal of Corporate Law Studies
"Legal Privilege and Mandatory Disclosure under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002" [2005] LMCLQ (with Simon Atrill)
Alex is a regular contributor of Company Law Podcasts to CPDcast.com, the online provider of professional development materials.