Areas Of Practice
Financial services (including insurance, banking and pensions), "City" regulation, disciplinary tribunals, financial and commodity markets, financial services ombudsmen and arbitrations. European law aspects of the foregoing.
Company/commercial/insolvency. Arbitrations (both as an advocate and an arbitrator).
Cases Of Interest
Clarion Ltd v National Provident Institution(fax switching, SIB principles as implied terms)([2000] 1 WLR 1888);
Tequila Cuervo v Diageo plc (2001) (English company law issues arising in Texas litigation);
Needler Financial Services v Taber (test case on pensions misselling) ([2002] 3 AER 501); Williams’ Life, Pension & Mortgage Services v FSA (2002) FIN/2002/0011 (whether variation of permission “necessary”, before FSMT);
PNC Telecom plc v Thomas [2003] BCC 202 (members’ requisition of EGM);
Eurosure Investment Services Ltd. v FSA (2003) FIN/2003/0015 (whether exercise by FSA of own-initiative power “proportionate”, before FSMT).
Evolution Beeson Gregory (2004) (before FSA Regulatory Decision Ctte) (market abuse - first market manipulation case brought by FSA)
Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency v Dresdner Bank AG (bank’s right of set-off) [2004] EWCA Civ 1074);
Pace Micro Technology (2005) (before FSA Regulatory Decisions Ctte) (breach of listing rules).
Publications
Various publications on financial services and related areas (list and copies available on request). Also co-author of Halsbury's Laws of England, 4th edition re-issue, volume on on Money. Tolley’s Company Law – chapter on Investor Protection, Companies and the FSMA. Seminars/lectures to solicitors and at conferences on financial services topics and related areas.
Overseas Qualifications
Member of the Bar of Northern Ireland.
Employment
1988-1993 Practised at the Chambers of John Rowe QC (2 Pump Crt.) at the common law bar.
1993-1996 Legal Adviser to HM Treasury, dealing with financial services, "City" regulation, European law, company/commercial law. Involved in drafting legislation (including the Public Offers of Securities Regulations 1995, Uncertificated Securities Regulations 1995 (CREST), Financial Markets and Insolvency Regulations 1996, investment advertisement exemption orders) and oversight of overseas investment exchanges doing business in London. Assisted in negotiation of directives in Brussels dealing with retail aspects of financial services.
1996 Returned to the Bar, practising in specialist areas and other areas of practice (see above).
Languages
Fluent spoken French
Academic
M.A (Oxon), M.A in Law (City), Dip. EC Law (Kings Coll. Lond.) Dip. EC Competition Law (Kings Coll. Lond.)
Professional
Member of the Commercial Bar Association, the Chancery Bar Association and the Bar European Group. Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Notes
Arbitrator for London Metal Exchange. Advising eastern & central European, central Asian and Vietnamese govts. on modernisation of legal and regulatory systems. Worked as agent temporaire at European Commission of Human Rights in 1990.