We provide a wide range of advocacy and advisory services in the UK and internationally. We pride ourselves on our approachable and friendly outlook and our ability to build strong relationships with clients. Our barristers have received over 40 individual rankings covering 15 practice areas across the legal directories, including in Civil Fraud, Commercial Litigation, Insolvency and Travel amongst others. We are supported by a highly experienced, friendly and responsive practice management team, headed by James Donovan.
In addition to his work as part of counsel teams in complex, high-value disputes, he regularly appears as sole counsel in trials, interim application hearings and costs and case management conferences. Despite his recent year of call, he has successfully appeared as sole counsel in the High Court on multiple occasions against opponents many years more senior.
His recent and ongoing case highlights include:
Civil Fraud & Asset Recovery
Commercial Litigation & International Arbitration
Cryptoassets & Blockchain Technology
Insolvency & Company
Public & Appeals to the Privy Council
Before joining Chambers, Nicholas taught law as a Visiting Lecturer at City, University of London, where he received the Law School’s Teaching Excellence Award. He previously studied at UCL, the University of Oxford, City University, the University of Cambridge and The Hague Academy of International Law, during which time he was awarded multiple scholarships and prizes. He was also part of the Gray’s Inn team that won the UK National Championship in the Jessup International Law Moot.
Nicholas has a broad commercial and commercial chancery practice. He has a wide range of experience both as part of a team and as sole counsel advising on commercial remedies (including equitable remedies) across various sectors such as banking and finance, insurance and reinsurance, cyber and crypto, construction and engineering, aviation and medical technology.
He has particular knowledge of complex conflict of laws questions in international commercial litigation, including jurisdiction, applicable law, anti-suit injunctions, freezing injunctions and enforcement. He has studied at The Hague Academy as a Private International Law Scholar.
In addition, he has experience of drafting contracts, including a multilateral cryptocurrency/blockchain technology contract and a share purchase agreement.
Nicholas has a particular interest in international arbitration work. He has gained experience of arbitrations under ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICSID and LMAA arbitration rules.
He has also coached teams for and participated in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
Nicholas has a busy and varied insolvency and company law practice. In addition to his led work on heavy commercial chancery disputes, he regularly appears as sole counsel before Insolvency and Companies Court judges.
He has experience of a wide range of insolvency and company law matters, including preference claims, transactions at an undervalue claims and claims for breach of directors’ duties. He is also regularly instructed to appear in winding-up and bankruptcy petitions alongside a wide range of bespoke applications under the Insolvency Act 1986.
He has recently been successful in two reported insolvency matters as sole counsel.
Nicholas has a busy civil fraud practice. He has experience of drafting pleadings and advising on complex, high-value disputes where fraud is alleged.
He has particular experience with freezing injunction applications and other forms of interim relief in support of civil fraud and asset recovery claims.
Cryptoassets & Blockchain Technology
Nicholas has a particular interest in disputes involving FinTech, particularly the law in relation to blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies, smart contracts and digital assets (including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens).
Nicholas has experience of banking and financial services disputes. He is familiar with the law surrounding syndicated loan agreements, international bond issues, derivatives and securitisation.
He also has experience of consumer finance claims involving the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Nicholas has experience of professional negligence disputes, particularly in the context of professional services.
Public & Appeals to the Privy Council
Nicholas is developing a broad public law practice. He has experience of judicial review claims and the intersection of public law and tort law.
He has extensive experience of appeals to the Privy Council from a range of jurisdictions, including Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia and Mauritius. Despite his recent call date, he recently addressed the Board on his feet in an appeal arising out of Trinidad and Tobago.
He has taught constitutional law, administrative law and human rights at City, University of London.
Nicholas has a broad property litigation practice. He has a particular interest in property matters involving commercial lease agreements. He also has experience of landlord and tenant disputes and boundary disputes.
Nicholas has experience of commercial work in the aviation industry, including leasing, insurance and reinsurance disputes.
He is also regularly instructed to advise on or appear in court in relation to claims brought under EC Regulation 261/2004 and the Montreal Convention.
Nicholas is regularly instructed in matters involving the Package Travel Regulations (1992 and 2018), the Montreal Convention and the Athens Convention. In particular, he appears in trials, interim applications and costs and case management conferences.
He has substantial experience of drafting pleadings, schedules and counter-schedules as well as advising on jurisdictional, procedural, evidential and quantum issues. He also has experience of travel insurance work.
Nicholas is keen to develop his sports law practice, drawing on his experience of general commercial and civil litigation.
Please contact us either by telephone: +44 (0)20 7415 7800 or email: clerks@3harecourt.com