Expertise
Chris has practised in broad litigation for over 30 years, now specialising in shareholder, warranty and earn-out issues arising out of mergers and acquisitions, professional negligence (issues arising out of solicitors and financial services in particular), breaches of employment covenants and financial services regulatory obligations, trust disputes and contentious probate/ inheritance claims. Much of this litigation is resolved at mediation. Many cases are conducted on a fee or risk sharing agreement with clients.
Chris has acted to pursue and attend in civil proceedings and for claimants and defendants in claims in Dubai, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Africa and the USA.
Chris has in the past practised in criminal defence, personal injury (former member of a personal injury panel) and employment litigation; a collection of experience invaluable in delivery of the range and breadth of his practice and particular specialisms now.
How do you help clients?
I help with shareholder, warranty and earn-out issues arising out of mergers and acquisitions, professional negligence (issues arising out of solicitors and financial services in particular), breaches of employment covenants and financial services regulatory obligations, trust disputes and contentious probate/ inheritance claims.
Experience
- Advising on recovery at mediation in a £1.2m claim for national lender against negligent solicitors and third parties in a sovereign state. Principle issue was the inviolability from litigation of a diplomatic mission, with a very substantial confidential settlement achieved.
- Advising on recovery of agency commissions at £1.6m upon Angolan supply contract.
- Acting for the taxpayer in the leading case of Jones v Garnett (Arctic Systems Limited) 2007; HMRC’s defeat in the House of Lords which exposed HMRC to lost revenue in excess of £1bn.
- Achieving, after 9 years of a family feud, a court ordered division of £35m family estate involving divorce, agricultural property, tax, and proprietary estoppel (successfully defended in the Court of Appeal) insolvency and contract.
- Settling at mediation a division of family fraud property and trust dispute valued at £5m.