Professional practice
Alex specialises in insolvency/restructuring law, commercial dispute resolution, banking and finance (including structured finance) and offshore commercial litigation.
His recent notable instructions include the longstanding Business Mortgage Finance litigation in the High Court and Court of Appeal (most recently a committal application before Mr Justice Miles, led by Anna Dilnot Q.C.); acting for Mr Carlos Ghosn and others (led by Blair Leahy Q.C.) in B.V.I. proceedings brought by Nissan (a civil fraud/ asset recovery claim concerning a luxury yacht); and acting as sole counsel for the joint administrators of the Nortel companies in various applications before Mr Justice Snowden (as he then was). Alex is frequently instructed in litigation with multi-jurisdictional aspects. He also has a special interest in the law of cryptoassets and smart contracts and welcome the opportunity to speak on these topics to firms or at conferences.
Before coming to the Bar Alex completed a DPhil in Classics at Oxford University where he held various teaching positions in Latin and Greek language and literature, including an appointment as a lecturer at Magdalen College in 2008. In 2013 he published a critically well-received book on Bengali literature with Oxford University Press.
- What Others Say
Chambers & Partners, 2023
“Alexander quickly gets to the heart of the matter.”Legal 500, 2022
“He is a superb draftsman who really knows how to structure a skeleton argument to engage the court’s attention and to focus on the lead points that are likely to win the argument’Chambers & Partners, 2022
“Very thorough and responsive – he is particularly helpful in drilling down into the detail. He is incredibly intelligent and also has the ability to distil complex legal issues into digestible and strategic advice.”Chambers & Partners, 2021
“A very impressive junior, very bright and hard-working” - Education
- 2001 – 2005: BA Classics with Sanskrit – Magdalen College, Oxford – Double First (4th in year)
- 2005 – 2006: MSt Classics – Magdalen College, Oxford – Distinction
- 2006 – 2009: DPhil Classics – Magdalen College, Oxford – Pass (thesis published by Oxford University Press in 2013)
- 2009 – 2010: GDL – City University – Commendation
- 2009 – 2010: BPTC – BPP – Very Competent
- Select Publications / Talks
- ‘Cryptoassets, cryptoliabilities: bitcoin and insolvency’, article in South Square Digest (November 2019), pp.44-52
- R3 Rescue Recovery Renewal: “Crypto Asset Recovery 2020”: Hosting an R3 conference at South Square on the topic of cryptoasset recovery, presenting a paper on recent case law in the area
- Co-leader (led by Anna Dilnot Q.C.) of a seminar on anti-suit and anti-enforcement injunctions at the January 2022 Chancery Bar Association Conference
- Scholarships, Prizes & Awards
- Inner Temple Scholarships (Peter Taylor Scholar, 2010-11; Princess Royal Scholar, 2009- 2010)
- Serle Court Prize for Equity and Trusts, City University, 2010
- Full Doctoral Award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to write a DPhil in Classics at Oxford University (2006-09)
- Full Masters Award from the AHRC for the one-year MSt in Classics at Oxford University (2005-06)
- Demyship (undergraduate scholarship) from Magdalen College, Oxford (2003-05)
- Academic Posts
- Lecturer in Classics, Magdalen College, Oxford (Trinity Term, 2008)
- Tutor in Greek Literature, freelance across three Oxford Colleges (2006-09)
- Latin Grammar Instructor (top stream), Oxford University (2006-07)
- Chair, Graduate ‘Work-in-Progress’ Seminars, Classics faculty, Oxford (2006-07)
- Chair and Co-Founder, ‘Indology Graduate Seminar’ Series, Oxford (2007-09)
- Languages
- French (conversational)
- Spanish (good reading knowledge)
- Italian (good reading knowledge)
- Bengali (good reading knowledge)
