Samuel McNeil

Samuel has been instructed in a wide range of commercial disputes, in trials and interlocutory hearings, both as sole and junior counsel. Samuel’s recent work has included:

• Acting as sole Counsel for the Claimant in a claim by a synagogue against a former Rabbi for breach of a mortgage agreement. Samuel successfully resisted attempts by the Defendant to have the dispute arbitrated by a Beth Din, rather than an English court.
• Acting as Junior Counsel in a successful claim for breach of contract and misrepresentation for recovery of a £560,000 pension from an employer who had inadvertently breached the rules of its own pension scheme by entering the Claimant into the scheme. The Decision was upheld on appeal.
• Acting as sole counsel in a claim for breach of contract and negligence against a broker that had caused losses to a company by failing to meet its obligations under a services agreement.
• Acting as sole counsel for the Defendant in a claim by a Dental Practice against a large global medical device company for sums claimed under a purchase agreement. The claim was successfully struck out.
• Acting as junior counsel acting for a Claimant property company bringing a £750,000 claim in breach of contract and misrepresentation against another company and former provider of services.
• Acting as sole counsel representing a Defendant building contractor against a leading UK builders’ merchant and supplier.
• Acting as junior counsel for the Claimant in a £750,000 claim against guarantors under a property financing facility agreement
• Acting as sole counsel representing a Defendant building contractor against a former client who fired the Defendant on the spot as work was commencing, following a heated argument.
• Acting as junior counsel for the Claimant in a claim for damages and injunctive relief against a company for breach of a profit-sharing agreement and unlawful use of confidential information
• Acting as junior counsel acting for the Claimant in a claim seeking a declaration that a mortgage agreement was not binding due to the Claimant’s lack of capacity.
• Acting as junior counsel for the Claimant in a claim for unpaid remuneration contingent on an employer’s profitability.
• Acting as junior counsel for the Claimant in a negligence claim brought by a business for negligent tax advice by a former professional advisor.
• Acting as sole counsel representing the Defendant in a £50,000 claim in respect of an alleged oral contract for the sale of goods made in a David Lloyd changing room.

Samuel has a growing traditional chancery practice, including both conventional cases and cases involving unusual fact-patterns engaging esoteric legal principles. By way of example, Samuel has:

• Acted as sole counsel for the Claimants in an application for leasehold enfranchisement in respect of a property owned by the Crown via escheat, after its former freeholder, a Sechelles Company, ceased to exist.
• Acted as sole counsel for a beneficiary challenging the validity of a will, and propounding the validity of a previous will.
• Acted as junior counsel advising in respect of an order declaring that a gift of £1.2m was made on the basis of a mistake, following negligent professional advice.
• Acted as Junior Counsel for the Claimant in a claim for breach of fiduciary duties against the trustee of a bare trust.
• Acted as sole counsel in a Part 8 claim for an order to dissolve an unincorporated association, founded in 1896, and distribute its £300,000 in assets.