Professional practice

Following the completion of his pupillage in September 2024, Ben is developing a broad commercial and arbitration practice in line with Chambers’ profile.

Highlights of Ben’s pupillage include:

  • Assisting on Rogachev v Goryainov, a two-week Chancery Division trial arising out of the winding-up of a joint venture (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Sebastian Mellab).
  • Assisting his primary pupil supervisor, Tom Ford, on a wide range of fraud and commercial dispute resolution matters, including fraud matters in the context of arbitration.
  • Working on a number of freezing and anti-suit injunction applications, each involving multiple jurisdictional elements.
  • Assisting with arbitral proceedings concerning the enforceability of a litigation funding agreement (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Laurence Page).

Before starting pupillage, Ben worked as a judicial assistant to the Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, in the Court of Appeal. During that time, he worked on significant appeals across the breadth of civil law, including AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] 1 WLR 3103 (on the lawfulness of the former Government’s “Rwanda” asylum policy; upheld in the Supreme Court), Tinkler v Esken Ltd [2023] Ch 451 (on the appropriate test to set aside a judgment for fraud), and Darwall v Dartmoor National Park Authority [2024] Ch 107 (whether there is a right to wild-camp on Dartmoor).

Ben graduated with a first-class degree in Law with Hispanic Law from University College London. During his degree, he spent a year at Universidad Carlos III in Madrid, completing courses in Spanish law, economics, and politics. Ben then received the 3VB Scholarship to study the BCL, for which he achieved a distinction and received two faculty subject prizes. He was a Bedingfield scholar of Gray’s Inn.

During his studies, Ben worked as a research assistant for several academics, taught tort law at the London School of Economics, and volunteered at the UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic, a centre which offers free legal advice and representation on social welfare issues.

 

Career
  • 2024: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers
  • 2023–24: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers (supervised by Tom Ford)
  • 2022–23: Judicial assistant to the Master of the Rolls
  • 2022: Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn)
  • 2022: Guest Teacher at the London School of Economics
  • 2020–22: variously Research Assistant to Professor Paul S Davies and Professor Paul Mitchell (University College London), and Professor Sandy Steel (University of Oxford)
Education
  • 2022: BVS, City, University of London (Distinction)
  • 2021: BCL, University of Oxford (Distinction)
  • 2020: LLB Law with Hispanic Law, University College London (First Class)
  • 2019: Erasmus in Spanish Law, Universidad Carlos III, Madrid
Awards
  • 2021: Bedingfield Scholarship, Gray’s Inn
  • 2021: Residential Scholarship, Gray’s Inn
  • 2021: City Law School Academic Scholarship
  • 2021: John Gardner Prize for Philosophical Foundations of the Common Law (shared), University of Oxford
  • 2021: Law Faculty Prize in Constitutional Theory, University of Oxford
  • 2020: 3 Verulam Buildings BCL Scholarship, University of Oxford
  • 2020: Dean’s List, UCL Laws
  • 2019: Hurst Prize (highest second-year marks), UCL Laws
  • 2019: Richardson Prize (overall performance in first and second-year), UCL Laws
  • 2018: Faculty Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellence (highest marks in year in the Faculty), UCL      

 

 

 

 

Publications

“Denials, Defences and Damages-Limiting Rules in Breach of Contract” (2022) 22 OUCLJ 21

“Regulating the Robot: A Toolkit for Public Sector Automated Decision-Making” (2021) 10 OUULJ 23

Administrative & Public Law

Ben has a particular interest in public and administrative law matters. Ben is an Assistant Editor of, and headnote writer for, the European Human Rights Reports, published by Sweet & Maxwell.

As a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, Ben worked on a number of significant public and administrative law cases, including:

  • AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] 1 WLR 3103, on the lawfulness of the then UK Government’s proposed scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
  • AG (A Child) v London Borough of Barnet, and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2023] 3 WLR 249, on the compatibility of provisions in the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 with Article 3 of the ECHR, in circumstances of allegations of child abuse by foreign diplomats in the UK.
  • R (Good Law Project) Ltd v Prime Minister [2023] 1 WLR 785, on the lawfulness of the Government’s use of WhatsApp and on its policy of record retention and deletion, during Covid-19.
  • R (Friends of the Earth) v Secretary of State for International Trade, and Chancellor of the Exchequer [2023] 1 WLR 2011, on the appropriate standard of review when decision-makers take account of international law rules in reaching their conclusion. The case concerned the lawfulness of a decision by the UK Government to approve the export financing of a $1.15bn liquified natural gas project in Mozambique, and whether that financing was consistent with the UK’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.
  • R (Evileigh) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] 1 WLR 3599, whether a public survey relating to the UK Government’s proposed National Disability Strategy was a consultation at common law to which particular duties applied.
  • R (Star China Media Ltd) v Ofcom [2024] 1 WLR 248, whether a financial sanction for breaches of the broadcasting code was proportionate under Article 10 ECHR.

During his studies, Ben volunteered at the UCL Integrated Legal Advice Clinic, where he completed casework and assisted with housing, welfare, education, and community care matters. In 2021, Ben won the national Human Rights Lawyers Association Judicial Review Mooting Competition.

Arbitration & related court applications

Ben has experience of arbitrations under various institutional rules, and various arbitration-related court applications. During pupillage, Ben assisted with matters including:

  • Pre-action work in a pending arbitration in a reinsurance dispute (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Closing submissions on the affirmation or termination of an underlying contract (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • A preliminary hearing in a substantial LCIA arbitration on the enforceability of a litigation funding agreement after the Supreme Court’s decision in PACCAR [2023] 1 WLR 2594 (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Laurence Page).
  • Advice on the scope of various arbitration agreements in support of an anti-suit application.

Ben also has experience of challenges to arbitration awards, including challenges to awards under s.68 Arbitration Act 1996.

Banking & financial services

Ben has experience of cases involving banking and financial services, including:

  • Exposure (as a pupil) to appeal proceedings concerning the impact of international sanctions on payment obligations under various letters of credit (assisting James Sheehan KC).
  • Drafting (as a pupil) pleadings in a claim concerning the redemption of loan notes, alleging breach of confidence and unlawful means conspiracy.
  • Assisting (as a pupil) with preparations for a preliminary issue trial in the Supreme Court of Bermuda on the effect of fraudulently obtained letters of credit on the collateralisation requirements of a Bermudian segregated accounts company, under the Insurance Act 1978 (Bermuda) (assisting David Scorey KC).
Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing

Ben is particularly interested in civil fraud matters. During pupillage, Ben gained substantial experience in civil fraud matters, including interim hearings such as jurisdiction challenges and WFO applications, trials, consequentials hearings, appeals, contempt of court and committal proceedings, and enforcement applications. Ben also gained experience in challenges to arbitration awards for fraud, under s.68 Arbitration Act 1996.

Cases on which Ben assisted during pupillage include:

  • An appeal to the Privy Council, considering issues of contract, agency, abuse of process, and breach of fiduciary duty: Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Ltd (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • A substantial jurisdiction challenge in the context of allegations of two separate fraudulent conspiracies: Magomedov v TPG Group Holdings Ltd and Others (assisting Tom Ford and Oliver Goldstein).
  • A CMC in a fraud claim involving allegations of fraudulent misrepresentations and unlawful means conspiracy: Manek and others v IIFL Wealth (UK) Ltd (assisting Anna Dilnot KC and Joshua Crow).
  • An application for permission to disclose to Ukrainian authorities schedules to a particulars of claim in English proceedings, raising issues of data protection and issue estoppel: JSC Commercial Bank Privatbank v Kolomoisky and others [2024] EWHC 1837 (Ch) (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Christopher Lloyd).
  • A return date hearing for a WFO in a substantial fraud dispute arising out of the “OneCoin” cryptocurrency ponzi scheme, of at least $4bn: McAdam v Ignatova and others (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Edward Mordaunt).

Ben also worked on a variety of civil fraud cases as a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, including:

  • Quantum Care Ltd v Modi [2023] EWCA Civ 171: whether alleged statements about possible celebrity ambassadors for a business constituted actionable misrepresentations for the purposes of a deceit claim.
  • Tinkler v Esken Ltd (formerly Stobart Group Ltd) [2023] Ch 451: on the appropriate test to set aside a judgment for fraud.
  • Wright v McCormack [2024] KB 495: whether the claimant’s fraudulent exaggeration of their libel claim could result in only nominal damages being awarded to them.
Commercial dispute resolution

Ben has substantial experience in a variety of commercial matters in a variety of sectors, including:

  • Assisting (as a pupil) in a two-week Chancery Division trial arising out of the winding-up of a joint venture: Rogachev v Goryainov (assisting Tim Akkouh KC and Sebastian Mellab).
  • Drafting (as a pupil) pleadings in a dispute arising under a contract for design services for a $500m superyacht (assisting Tom Ford).
  • Advising (as a pupil) on the incorporation of terms, breach of a warranty of quality, and the scope of recoverable damages in a sale of goods dispute (assisting David Walsh).
  • Assisting (as a pupil) with an auditors’ negligence claim arising out of the audit of a company exposed to significant indemnity claims for environmental liabilities in the United States (assisting Ciaran Keller).
  • Drafting (as a pupil) a particulars of claim in a substantial share sale dispute, raising allegations of breach of fiduciary duty by the broker-dealers (assisting Tom Ford).

As a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, Ben worked on a variety of commercial appeals. For example:

  • Mackie Motors (Brechin) Ltd v RCI Financial Services Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 476: on the interpretation of contracts between a car dealership franchise and a finance company. The appeal also engaged issues of estoppel and the establishment of contracts by conduct.
  • CNM Estates (Tolworth Tower) Ltd v Carvill-Biggs [2023] 1 WLR 4335: whether the judge had been correct to refuse a late application to amend a particulars of claim to raise allegations of wilful misconduct and gross negligence.
  • Contra Holdings Ltd v Bamford [2023] 2 All ER (Comm) 683: whether terms which were inconsistent with a complete, written, agreement, could be implied in a contract, in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Barton v Gwyn-Jones [2023] AC 684.

As a research assistant to Professor Paul S Davies, Ben assisted in preparing the appeal to the Supreme Court in Pakistan International Airline Corp v Times Travel (UK) Ltd [2023] AC 101, concerning the bounds of lawful act duress.

Conflict of laws & private international law

During pupillage, Ben assisted on disputes raising conflict of laws issues, including:

  • Preparation for a return date hearing of a freezing order obtained in support of Cypriot conspiracy proceedings (assisting Paul Key KC and Tom Ford).
  • Advice on the prospects of an application for a non-contractual, or a quasi-contractual, anti-suit injunction from the English court to restrain two sets of foreign proceedings (assisting James Sheehan KC).
  • Research on the effect of assignment and non-exclusive jurisdiction clauses on the ability to serve a claim form out of the jurisdiction, under CPR 6.33(2B) (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Drafting a skeleton argument resisting a non-contractual anti-suit injunction application brought in the context of multi-jurisdictional fraud proceedings (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Advice on the prospects and merits of obtaining a declaration in the English court for use in Turkish court proceedings (assisting Ciaran Keller).

As a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, Ben worked on several appeals engaging conflict of laws issues, including:

  • Kwok Ho Wan v UBS AG (London Branch) [2023] 1 WLR 1984: whether the English Court had jurisdiction under Lugano II to hear a negligent misstatement claim against the London branch of a Swiss investment bank.
  • Soriano v Forensic News LLC & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 223: an appeal against the refusal to award a non-contractual anti-suit injunction on the basis (inter alia) that the US disclosure process in support of English proceedings was oppressive, vexatious or otherwise unconscionable.
  • UBS Switzerland AG v Afriquia Gaz SA [2024] KB 243: whether permission for service out of the jurisdiction was required in relation to Lugano claims which were issued before, but served after, the Brexit implementation period completion date.
Employment

Ben is interested in developing a practice in employment law. Before coming to the Bar, Ben volunteered as a Spanish interpreter for the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU). He provided freelance Spanish translations for CAIWU’s clients who were undergoing employment disputes, including tribunal proceedings.

On the BCL, Ben studied the Human Rights at Work module, and has written on the topic of modern slavery in corporate supply chains for the human rights advocacy charity René Cassin, and in the Gray’s Inn Student Law Journal.

Human rights & civil liberties

Ben is particularly interested in cases involving human rights and civil liberties. Ben is an Assistant Editor of, and headnote writer for, the European Human Rights Reports, published by Sweet & Maxwell.

As a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, Ben worked on a number of significant human rights cases, including:

  • AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] 1 WLR 3103, on the lawfulness of the then UK Government’s proposed scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
  • AG (A Child) v London Borough of Barnet, and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2023] 3 WLR 249, on the compatibility of provisions in the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 with Article 3 of the ECHR, in circumstances of allegations of child abuse by foreign diplomats in the UK.
  • Abbasi v Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NHS Foundation Trust; Haastrup v King’s College London NHS Foundation Trust [2023] 3 WLR 575, which concerned (inter alia) the relationship between Articles 8 and 10 ECHR in the context of open-ended reporting restrictions.
  • R (Star China Media Ltd) v Ofcom [2024] 1 WLR 248, whether a financial sanction for breaches of the broadcasting code was proportionate under Article 10 ECHR.

In 2021, Ben won the national Human Rights Lawyers Association Judicial Review Mooting Competition, which engaged human rights issues.

Insurance & reinsurance

Ben has experience of, and an interest in, insurance and reinsurance disputes, including:

  • Assisting (as a pupil) with consequential submissions in Gatwick Investment Ltd v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE [2024] EWHC 124 (Comm), a Covid-19 business interruption insurance case (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Assisting (as a pupil) with preparations for a preliminary issue hearing in the Supreme Court of Bermuda on the effect of fraudulently obtained letters of credit on the collateralisation requirements of segregated accounts companies under the Insurance Act 1978 (Bermuda) (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Assisting (as a pupil) with a mediation concerning the extent of insurance coverage available for gross negligence and intentional acts (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Assisting (as a pupil) with a prospective reinsurance mediation concerning the reinsurer’s right to avoid the contract ab initio for material non-disclosure (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Drafting (as a pupil) a particulars of claim in a Covid-19 business interruption insurance case which engaged issues of composite limits, premises closed in multiple jurisdictions, and rectification (assisting David Walsh).
Media, Art & Entertainment

Ben has an interest in cases involving the media, art, and entertainment industries, and assisted on a number of such cases during pupillage, including drafting pleadings in a dispute between a performer and a theatre company, and in a telecommunications broadcasting dispute.

As a judicial assistant in the Court of Appeal, Ben worked on a number of media, art and entertainment related cases, including R (Star China Media Ltd) v Ofcom [2024] 1 WLR 248 (whether a financial sanction for breaches of the broadcasting code was proportionate under Article 10 ECHR) and Wright v McCormack [2024] KB 495 (whether the claimant’s fraudulent exaggeration of their libel claim could result in only nominal damages being awarded to them).

Public international law

Ben has an interest in public international law, particularly as to the relationship between international law and domestic law, and the role of international law in the courts of England and Wales.

As a judicial assistant, Ben worked on a number of cases with an international law dimension, including:

  • AAA v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] 1 WLR 3103: on the lawfulness of the then UK Government’s proposed “Rwanda” asylum scheme. The case engaged principles of public international law in terms of the weight to be given to diplomatic MOUs and notes verbales in domestic decision-making.
  • AG (A Child) v London Borough of Barnet, and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs [2023] 3 WLR 249: on the compatibility of provisions in the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964 and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961 with Article 3 of the ECHR.

R (Friends of the Earth) v Secretary of State for International Trade, and Chancellor of the Exchequer [2023] 1 WLR 2011: on the appropriate standard of review when decision-makers take account of international law rules in reaching their conclusion. The case concerned the lawfulness of a decision by the UK Government to approve the export financing of a $1.15bn liquified natural gas project in Mozambique, and in particular whether that financing was consistent with the UK’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Sanctions

Ben has an interest in sanctions law, and has worked on a number of sanctions-related matters during pupillage, including:

  • Exposure to appeal proceedings concerning the impact of international sanctions on payment obligations under various letters of credit, and whether s.44 of SAMLA relieved the defendant of a liability to pay costs and interest (assisting James Sheehan KC).
  • Advising on the effect of sanctions on the appointment and payment of an arbitrator, and in particular whether the arbitrator needed an OFSI licence to act as an arbitrator.
Shipping & admiralty

Ben has an interest in shipping-related work, and assisted on a number of shipping cases during and before pupillage, including:

  • Advising (as a pupil) on the incorporation of terms, breach of a warranty of quality, and the scope of recoverable damages, in a sale of goods dispute arising out of the contamination of a ship’s cargo (assisting David Walsh).
  • Drafting (as a pupil) a reply and defence to counterclaim in a case alleging breach of a time voyage charterparty.

Assisting (as a judicial assistant) on an appeal concerning liability for standby charges under a contract, for a delay in a ship being able to carry out survey work: Geoquip Marine Operations AG v Tower Resources Cameroon SA [2023] EWCA Civ 304.

Unjust enrichment & restitution claims

Ben has an interest in, and an understanding of, claims involving unjust enrichment and restitution, having studied the same at UCL. Many of the cases on which Ben has worked during pupillage engage points of unjust enrichment.

During his studies, Ben worked as a research assistant to Professor Paul Mitchell, one of the editors of Goff & Jones: The Law of Unjust Enrichment (10th edn, Sweet & Maxwell 2023), assisting with the chapters on deposits, duress and frustration.