Anna Lancy

Anna Lancy has a civil practice comprising commercial law, civil fraud, international arbitration, insolvency, banking and financial services, public law and appeals to the Privy Council.

Anna frequently appears in trials, interim applications and preliminary hearings, in addition to managing a busy paperwork practice. Her practice has both a domestic and an international dimension. Anna is a CEDR accredited and CMC registered Mediator.

Before joining the English Bar, Anna practised for over 5 years as a solicitor, in Melbourne and London. Her practice focused on commercial law, civil fraud and human rights. Whilst at KPMG Law, Anna advised on a range of high-profile and complex disputes for governments and leading corporates including LafargeHolcim and Chevron. Anna remains an Australian Legal Practitioner.

Alongside her work, Anna has undertaken a variety of pro bono legal work, including collaborating with the with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on an advocacy piece in favour of the Kenyan government shifting its refugee policy. She also supported a former interpreter to the British Army relocate his family from Kabul to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme.

Expertise

Commercial

Anna has a broad practice encompassing all aspects of commercial litigation and advisory work. She regularly appears in the County Court and Business and Property Courts on a range of general commercial trials, including fast / multi track trials, interim applications, and costs and case management conferences. Anna advises on a range of general commercial disputes involving breach of contract, frustration and the enforceability of termination clauses.

Notable cases and highlights include:

Represented a UK distribution company against an Austrian manufacturing company and a UK wholesaling company in relation to the breach of an exclusive distribution agreement and a procuring a breach of contract claim. From this case Anna published the article “What is ‘reasonable notice’?” in the New Law Journal.
Advised on a complex area of insurance law as to whether the Property Insurance contract was an indemnity contract or a different type of contract, in which there was an obligation on the Defendant to reinstate the Claimant’s property. This advice considered the legal doctrine of election (led by Peter Knox KC).
Advised on the most effective mechanism the Trustee of a Bare Trust could ensure a non-beneficiary of the Bare Trust could use the trust property taking into account the terms of the Bare Trust Deed and law of trusts (led by Tom Poole KC).
Advised on a compliance matter relating to the Australian Regime for Financial Services as to whether a company which provided claim handling and settling services for a large insurer through their Broker, had to comply with the AFS Licence obligations.
Challenged the decision of the Financial Ombudsman Service under the Pre-Action Protocol for Judicial Review.

Arbitration

Anna is currently acting on behalf of a large European shipping company against a Middle Eastern company in relation to a security and defence contract. The Contract is valued at approximately £60 million (led by James Gale).

Anna recently acted on behalf of a Swiss steel company in relation to challenging an arbitral Award valued at approximately £60 million (led by Richard Samuel).

As a solicitor Anna advised an English mining company in Kosovo in a potential arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules.

Civil Fraud

Anna is currently acting as Junior Junior Counsel representing HMRC in a high profile tax misrepresentation/fraud case (since January 2023).

Prior to joining the Bar, Anna was a solicitor and represented a high net worth individual with significant assets in the UK as part of a broader class action for allegedly engaging in fraudulent share transactions on the NASDAQ.

Represented shareholders of a Kazakh company in relation to allegations of fraud, corruption and embezzlement.

Insolvency

Anna has a broad practice encompassing all aspects of company and insolvency litigation and advisory work. Anna is regularly instructed to appear for winding up and bankruptcy petitions.

Supported Simon Davenport KC and Philip Judd in a high value bankruptcy action arising from disputed judgments obtained in Russia.
In preparation for trial, prepared an advice for on a complex area of insolvency law considering whether a trustee in bankruptcy / liquidator of a company can reclaim an intellectual property asset held by the bankrupt individual / liquidated company in circumstances where the bankrupt individual / liquidated company failed to disclose possession of the intellectual property asset (led by Simon Davenport KC).
Anna published an article on the latest cases considering the Cross Border Insolvency Regulation 2006 in Chambers’ Travel and Aviation Quarterly – Application of the Cross Border Insolvency Regulations 2006: Astora Women’s Health LLC, Re [2022] EWHC 2412 (ChD) (link to article).

Public Law and Appeals to the Privy Council

Anna has experience of a range of public law matters and is particularly interested in cases involving a civil fraud/human rights element. She is a member of the Government Legal Department’s “Junior Junior” scheme.

Anna is developing significant expertise in matters originating from the Commonwealth Caribbean and in appellate work before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Her interest and experience in this area of practice encompasses constitutional law, human rights, judicial review, commercial law, general common law and criminal appeals.

Recent notable work includes:

Anna is currently acting as Junior Junior Counsel in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry from (since January 2023).
Supported Katherine Deal KC in an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. This appeal concerned a cross-border clinical negligence action.
Drafted submissions to defeat the Appellant’s claim that the Appellant was entitled to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as of right. The matter arose in the Bahamas (led by Tom Poole KC).
Advised on a possible appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in relation to a criminal appeal in which the Appellant was convicted of money laundering offences in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (led by Robert Strang).
Anna is currently acting as Junior Junior Counsel representing HMRC in a high profile tax misrepresentation/fraud case (since January 2023).

Banking and Financial Services

Anna has a growing banking and finance practice. Recent cases include:

Advised the shareholders of a blockchain company on corporate governance matters and drafted the shareholders agreement (led by James Gale).
Acted in a £1billion fraudulent misrepresentation/LIBOR rigging claim.

Prior to joining the Bar, Anna was a solicitor and represented high-net worth individuals in financial securities and banking fraud litigation.

Notable cases:

Represented a high net worth individual with significant assets in the US as part of a broader class action for allegedly engaging in fraudulent share transactions on the NASDAQ.
Represented shareholders of a Kazakh company following allegations that these principals used the company’s indirect or controlling shareholding in one of the largest banks in Kazakhstan to defraud the bank.

Digital Assets/ Blockchain

Anna has a growing digital assets/blockchain practice. Recent cases include:

Advised shareholders of cryptocurrency-based payment platform company on corporate governance matters (such as in relation to the grant of tokens) and drafted related partnership and shareholder agreements (led by James Gale).

Mediation

Anna is a CEDR accredited and CMC registered Mediator. She accepts instructions in all of her practice areas.

Examples of relevant mediations include:

Commercial debt claims.
Breach of contract claims.
Trusts, Wills & Probate disputes.
Public sector disputes (including Special Education Needs & Disability (SEND)).

Expertise

Appeals to the Privy Council

Arbitration

Banking & Financial Services

Derivatives & Financial Product Litigation

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple
London Common Law & Commercial Bar Association

Education

Admitted to practise as an Australian Legal Practitioner in the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of the State of Victoria
Master of Laws (LLM) (Juris Doctor), Monash University, Australia (First Class)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) (Global), Monash University, Australia (First Class)
Bar Transfer Test, BPP University, London

Awards

Recipient of the Australian Higher Education Award for Masters of Laws (Juris Doctor) (2014)
Grant from Monash University to study at Monash University’s Prato Campus in Tuscany, Italy (2013)
Paid internship at the United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization (2011)
Grant from Monash University to study at Miami University in Florida, USA (2010)

Qualification

CEDR-Accredited Mediator

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