Rowan regularly appears in the London High Court, Insolvency and Companies Court, arbitral tribunals and appeal courts, as well as advising and appearing in cases from offshore jurisdictions (including Gibraltar) and several Caribbean territories. Rowan practises in London and as a permanent member of the Gibraltar Bar. Much of his work involves international elements including questions of jurisdiction, conflicts, recognition and enforcement.
Rowan’s work includes general insolvency (breach of fiduciary duty, preference claims, TUVs and so on) as well as specialist expertise in cross-border recognition and assistance (both incoming and enforcement and assistance overseas pursuant to UNCITRAL / CBIR, common law, EIR (where it applies) and other regional schemes).
His commercial practice includes contracts disputes, trade and shipping, civil fraud (including investment and development), and insurance. He has specialist commercial arbitration experience both under the traditional schemes (LCIA, ICC) and under regional and national schemes including in the Caribbean (having dealt with arbitrations, amongst other places, from Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, The Bahamas, BVI and Cayman Islands). He has experience in development and construction disputes (including FIDIC, and JCT) and investor-state arbitration (ICSID in particular).
Rowan deals with all aspects of the case, including interim relief applications such as interim injunctions and freezing injunctions including in support of proceedings overseas under section 25 of the CJJA, search orders, anti-suit injunctions and asset protection orders. He has secured, for clients, multi-million-pound freezing orders on both the traditional and Chabra bases as well as a variety of other orders including on an urgent basis.
Rowan’s international work includes dealing with appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. He has many years of specialist expertise in this area, having appeared in over 35 full appeals to the Privy Council / Supreme Court. Many of these in recent years have been as sole or leading counsel.
Rowan is ranked as Leading Junior in Commercial Litigation (Offshore) and Insurance and Reinsurance in the Legal 500 2026 guides.
£200m plus ICC Arbitration (London), concerning diversion of business assets in breach of contract /breach of trust (energy sector –partial state funded JV geothermal project in Africa).
High value ICC Arbitration (London seat), concerning in state-supply contract dispute in the aluminum fluoride sector (public/private issues of public policy, enforceability and cross-border recognition –acting for the claimant).
£67m Commercial Arbitration (LCIA, London), involving allegations of State corruption and breach of contract in relation to off-shore development and investment scheme in the Caribbean (public/private law issues combined –acting for the State).
Acting for the claimants in £27m renewable energy arbitration (LCIA, London) (on-shore run of the river facility in Africa –payment dispute / breach of warranty / output performance).
Rule K sports arbitrations/ CAS appeals, including FIFA/FA sanctions work –both domestic and overseas (improper conduct, match fixing, side-betting –for individuals and the relevant association).
Loudmila Bourlakova & ors v. Oleg Bourlakov (BL-2020-001050) (ongoing – 2023) High Court (Ch/Bus)
Acting for 4 Panamanian company defendants in alleged conspiracy /multi-jurisdictional fraud claim.
Pentacle Disputes Ltd v MoneyPlus Legal (LM-2020-000216) (ongoing - 2023)
Commercial Court claim – fees dispute concerning large scale bank miss-selling claims.
Gattaz Property Limited and Fortimat Properties S.A. v Versant Homes & Developments Limited and others (CL-2019-000662) (ongoing - 2023)
Commercial Court claim (led) – claim arising out of a series of failed development projects, claims including breach of trust/ fraud, negligence. (Interim judgments include: [2023] EWHC 110 (Comm), and [2021] EWHC 3657 (Comm)).
Rowan has a busy and varied insolvency and company law practice. He regularly appears as sole counsel before Insolvency and Companies Court judges and on heavy commercial chancery application and trials. Much of his work includes international elements including cross-border recognition and enforcement (UNCITRAL, common law, Treaty based), and requests for assistance (incoming under s. 426 and outgoing).
He has experience of a wide range of insolvency and company law proceedings including preference claims, transactions at an undervalue and claims for breach of directors’ duties, as well as more traditional chancery claims for breach of trust, seeking equitable proprietary relief.
Rowan has significant experience of interim relief including proprietary injunctions, freezing orders (including worldwide, ex parte and on notice), related asset preservation orders, search orders and Norwich Pharmacal relief.
He is a bold and tenacious advocate with the means to create and advance complex, technical and innovative lines of argument to achieve the client’s goals.
Jones, Re [2026] EWHC 319 (Ch)
2nd detailed judgment in this matter, concerning the scope of s. 282 of the IA 1986 and whether it can be used to annul a bankruptcy made by way of adjudication, where the grounds of annulment are discretionary only. Absent authority the judge held that the statutory power could be used to annul on discretionary grounds, even though the adjudication regime involves no discretion and the bases for the bankruptcy order now remains the same as when it was first made. The case also concerns the impact of Brexit and inability to cross-border enforce in the EU and the “immovables rule” concerning realty overseas. Being appealed on both points.
Jones, Re [2025] EWHC 2652 (Ch)
1st judgment in this matter concerning the duties of a bankrupt under s. 312 of the IA 1986 and whether enforceable overseas; the scope and limits of those duties where the bankruptcy order itself is not recognised overseas. Fair trial issues also raised and the subject of an appeal. The case also confirmed the right of a trustee to seek annulment (though very rare).
Gable Insurance AG v Dewsall [2025] EWHC 3399 (Ch)
Claim for cross-border equitable proprietary relief (alleged breach of duties in Lichenstein, cross-border recognition of the same in England, and a tracing claim off-the-back of that), seeking to trace into reality and repayment of a mortgage in England. Most recent judgment concerns consequential relief proceedings following success at trial, defending an application for £5m in costs relating to a search order at Weald Hall (large property in England) and a worldwide freezing injunction. The case concerns related conduct, including an investigative report into assets, in the BVI and Cayman Islands. Multi-million-pound insolvency /cross-border action.
Gable Insurance AG v Dewsall [2025] EWCA Civ 884
Appeal to the Court of Appeal concerning the proper scope and limits of the Chabra injunction relief, cross-border enforcement, and the ordinary living expenses exception in the context of proprietary interim relief.
MCE Insurance v Edwards
Recent judgment: Richard Smith J, High Court, Chancery, 6 October 2025, Case No: BL-2025-001131. Secured £34m freezing injunction in England, in support of a claim in Gibraltar brought by the liquidators of a collapsed insurance company. Relief granted under the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act, s. 25 (support of foreign proceedings) and included extended disclosure orders in support of equitable proprietary relief claim (extraction of funds from overseas company).
Henry Construction Projects Limited (In Administration) v Henry Group Holdings Limited (In Liquidation) and Others (BL-2024-001406, BL-2025-000353, BL-2025-000501) (Ch)
Representing defendants in three separate, multi-party claims collectively worth over £30 million with allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, knowing receipt and transactions defrauding creditors. Leading Nicholas Leah.
Fonds Rusnano Capital S.A v Kennedy and Others (CR-2024-006534, CR-2024-006535, CR-2024-006536, CR-2024-006537) (Ch)
Instructing /advising on case concerning rescission of orders made under paragraph 71 of schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 involving intellectual property rights subject to fixed charges once valued around £400 million.
Enterprise Insurance v EIG et al
Acting, first, for the finance director then further directors in the claim and on appeal. Complex claim (£54m) by liquidators of insurance company for breach of fiduciary duty, financial assistance, and negligence.
MCE Insurance Ltd
Acting in various respects for the joint administrators of insolvent insurance company (private examinations, fiduciary duties, reserving practice, SCR and solvency issues).
McPhee v Colina Insurance Ltd Privy Council (Bahamas) [2023] UKPC 8
Appeal concerning the correct interpretation and application of premium-linked renewal clauses, and the question of burden of proof in missing clause cases.
R v Pierre (Rodriguez) [2023] UKPC 15
Appeal from The Bahamas concerning the correct approach to applications to extend time to appeal against conviction or sentence.
Responsible Development for Abaco (RDA) Ltd v Christie & Ors (Bahamas) [2023] UKPC 2
Appeal from The Bahamas, supported by intervenors, challenging the courts’ approach to security for costs in environmental judicial review challenges.
Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago v Charles Privy Council (Trinidad and Tobago) [2023] 1 WLR 177
Constitutional claim concerning the award of vindicatory damages for breach of the right to “protection of the law” (delay caused by promotion of the judge without completing cases).
Deonarine v Ramcharan Privy Council (Trinidad and Tobago) [2022] UKPC 57
Appeal concerning the Court of Appeal’s failure to determine a pleading of fraud raised in the context of a claim for declaratory relief as to the validity of a compromise agreement.
Carriacou Devcor Ltd v Corion Privy Council (Grenada) [2023] UKPC 1
Appeal concerning delineation of the boundaries of a grand estate in Grenada.
Commissioner of Prisons v Seepersad Privy Council (Trinidad and Tobago) [2021] 1 WLR
Declaratory relief that the executive was in breach of the right to protection of the law in detaining minors in an adult prisons.
Grant of a Crown lease did not amount impliedly to a grant of development permission in respect of a private residential and marine development.
Dass v Marchand Privy Council (Trinidad and Tobago) [2021] 1 WLR 1788
Appeal concerning the Board’s approach to concurrent finding of fact including in the context of a fraud claim.
Appeal from Trinidad and Tobago concerning the correct approach to be followed by the Court of Appeal where parties fail to file submissions in breach of directions, including appropriate use of strike out powers.
Rowan is a Public Access trained barrister and available for instruction on that basis (also known as direct access). This means that he can receive instructions, in appropriate cases, directly from members of the public or on behalf of companies, partnerships or other entities. Please speak with our practice managers for further information.
For guidance on Public Access please visit the Bar Council website.
Please contact us either by telephone: +44 (0)20 7415 7800 or email: clerks@3harecourt.com
