Speaker details

Biography

I’m a Barrister and International Arbitration and Trade lead at UK top 100 law firm Michelmores. I joined from commercial chambers Twenty Essex, bringing years of experience as lead/first-chair advocate and trusted adviser to develop the firm’s offering in international arbitration, cross-border litigation and global trade and investment work. My practice focuses on complex disputes involving Governments and State-owned entities, handling contract, public law and investment treaty claims. I also act in commercial disputes in regulated sectors such as energy and financial services. My team and I advise public sector and commercial organisations businesses on business and human rights issues and global trade and investment flows. My covers hot topics such as intra-EU investment claims, sovereign enforcement, sanctions, climate change policies, and UK-EU relations. I collaborate closely with lawyers in other jurisdictions including Asia, Africa and the EU. I’m a Fellow of the CIArb and accept arbitral appointments ad hoc and under the rules of the major institutions. I also accept other kinds of appointment as neutral including as mediator (accredited by CEDR). My career began as a commercial litigation solicitor. I practised public international law at the Council of Europe and served as UK Parliamentary Counsel before moving to the bar. As well as being a qualified as a barrister in England & Wales I am called to the Bar of Ireland. I’m a foreign member of the Dutch-speaking Brussels Bar – though my professional foreign language is French. I’m also a Registered Foreign Lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court. Recent cases include:  Acting for the successful respondent in a “stranded assets” claim by an oil and gas operator for alleged breach of an onshore exploration and development licence: Coastal Oil & Gas Limited and others v. The Welsh Government (award 2025 – partially in the public domain)  Acting for the claimant in R (AIMS) v. Food Standards Agency [2026] EWHC 1327 (Admin) – excessive charges levied on UK slaughterhouse operators under assimilated EU law quashed by the English High Court in judicial review proceedings  Supporting the local legal team on a high-value expropriation claim against a national Government in the Asia-PAC region  Acting for national health authorities on a series of claims relating to supply of defective Covid-19 PPE in breach of contractual standards and EU product requirements  Acting in current and recent arbitral and English Commercial Court proceedings affected by impacts of EU and UK Russia sanctions on cross-border contracts