Professional practice

Edward has a broad practice specialising in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. He has particular experience in civil fraud disputes and the conflict of laws issues that such cases raise. Since completing pupillage in October 2022, Edward has also built a growing shipping and commercial employment practice.

Before coming to the Bar, Edward won several prizes and scholarships for his academic performance including the Vinerian Scholarship from the University of Oxford for coming first in his year on the BCL with distinctions in all four papers and two faculty subject prizes. Prior to the BCL, Edward had converted across to law at City, University of London, where he was invited back as a Visiting Lecturer to teach public law based on his results; he also received top scholarships from Gray’s Inn.

Edward has appeared unled in both the High Court (KBD and ChD) and in high value arbitrations. Recent cases include:

  • McAdam & ors v Ignatova & ors. Acting for a defendant of an alleged cryptocurrency fraud known as ‘OneCoin’, in particular involving group litigation, worldwide freezing order and jurisdictional issues.
  • Gatwick Investment Ltd (t/a Crowne Plaza London Gatwick Airport) & ors v Liberty Mutual Insurance SE. Acting for defendant insurers before the Court of Appeal in this ‘business interruption’ insurance coverage dispute arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Tumpuan Megah Development Sdn. Bhd. vs ING Bank N.V. & O.W. Bunker Far East (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. [2024] EWHC 2350 (Comm). Acting for a claimant Malaysian bunkers supplier in a dispute concerning parallel London and Malaysian arbitral proceedings and involving consideration of ss.9, 58, 66, and 73 of the Arbitration Act 1996.
  • Advanced Multi-Technology for Medical Industry & ors v Uniserve Limited & ors [2024] EWHC 1725 (Ch). Acting for a defendant logistics company in a 2-week ChD trial, concerning a c. US$40m claim for alleged non-acceptance of facemasks during the Covid-19 pandemic and unpaid commission.
  • A v B (SIAC arbitration). Acting as sole counsel for the former owner of a multi-million-dollar yacht against a mortgagee bank in relation to breaches of an equitable duty  to obtain a fair value for the yacht on its sale.

 

Career

2022: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2021-22: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers

2021: Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn)

2020-21: Visiting Lecturer, City University of London

Education

2021: BCL, University of Oxford (Distinction, ranked 1st in the year)

2020: BPTC, City University of London (Very Competent)

2019: GDL, City University of London (Distinction)

2018: BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Durham University (First Class, ranked 2nd in the year)

2007-14: Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe

Awards

2021: Vinerian Scholarship, University of Oxford (ranked first in the year in BCL exams)

2021: Oxford Law Faculty prize (ranked first) for Modern Legal History

2021: Oxford Law Faculty prize (ranked first) for Legal Concepts in Environmental Law

2020: Residential Scholarship, Gray’s Inn

2020: Prince of Wales, Gray’s Inn

2019: David Karmel Scholarship, Gray’s Inn

2019: City University of London Postgraduate Scholarship

2019: Law Reform Essay Competition, Bar Council, Runner-up, GDL entry

2018: School of Government, Durham University, prize for Best Dissertation

Publications

E Mordaunt “Modern Claims Against Auction Houses: Sotheby’s v Mark Weiss Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1570 noted & analysed” (2021) The Cambridge Journal of Issues in Law, Politics and Art pp.8-12.

Arbitration & related court applications

Edward is building a strong arbitration and related court applications practice. Recent instructions include:

  • Acting as sole counsel for the former owner of a multi-million-dollar yacht against a mortgagee bank (SIAC arbitration).
  • Acting as sole counsel in an ad hoc arbitration (worth over 1.4 million euros) concerning the transhipment of oil cargo in Greece.
  • Acting (led by Roderick Cordara KC) for the former employee of a global consulting firm in an LCIA arbitration resisting applications for interim injunctions.
  • Acting (part of a team) for a Singapore shipyard in an ad hoc arbitration concerning a semi-submersible oil rig purchased for c. USD$425 million.
  • Tumpuan Megah Development Sdn. Bhd. vs ING Bank N.V. & O.W. Bunker Far East (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. [2024] EWHC 2350 (Comm). Acting (led by Roderick Cordara KC) for a claimant Malaysian bunkers supplier in a dispute concerning parallel London and Malaysian arbitral proceedings and involving consideration of ss.9, 58, 66, and 73 of the Arbitration Act 1996.

During pupillage Edward also worked on the following cases:

  • Recognition and enforcement of New York Convention awards (especially concerning article V): Gol Linhas Aereas SA v MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Partners (Cayman) II LP and others [2022] UKPC 21 (assisting Emily Wood KC).
  • Challenges to awards over US$50 million relating to litigation funding contracts under ss.67 and 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996: Hays v Bloomfield [2022] EWHC 1648 (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • A v B: assisting a Member of Chambers by drafting court documents for an anti-arbitration injunction.
  • C v D: assisting a Member of Chambers by researching points of applicable law for an arbitration memorial.

He is also familiar with a variety of arbitral rules, including ICC, SIAC and LCIA.

Art & auction houses

Edward has a particular interest in art law, stemming from his undergraduate studies in Aesthetics (the philosophy of art).

He has published an article surveying the last three decades worth of English case law involving auction houses:  E Mordaunt “Modern Claims Against Auction Houses: Sotheby’s v Mark Weiss Ltd [2020] EWCA Civ 1570 noted & analysed” (2021) The Cambridge Journal of Issues in Law, Politics and Art, pp.8-12.

Edward’s article was chosen by the editors of CJILPA to be placed second, next to Lady Arden’s, out of over 100 contributors (who also included Lord Sumption).

Banking & finance

During pupillage Edward worked on the following cases:

  • Application of the Quincecare duty: Stanford Investment Bank Ltd (in liquidation) v HSBC plc [2021] EWCA Civ 535 on appeal to the UKSC (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • A v B: contractual claim arising from currency futures services (assisting Anton Dudnikov)
  • Sovereign debt recovery proceedings involving the Republic of Cuba and Cuba’s former central bank: CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba litigation (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments (here UAE) obtained by a bank: Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini [2022] EWHC 894 (Comm) (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • C v D:  advising on fraudulent conspiracy issues involving one of Ukraine’s largest private banks (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • E v F: assisting a Member of Chambers on the proper law analysis of misrepresentation claims in a financial services context.

Edward has a great interest in banking and financial services following his academic studies of economics during his undergraduate degree, and feels at home with more mathematical issues.

 

 

Civil Fraud

Edward’s recent instructions include:

  • McAdam & ors v Ignatova & ors. Acting for a defendant of an alleged cryptocurrency fraud known as ‘OneCoin’, in particular involving group litigation, worldwide freezing order and jurisdictional issues.
  • PIFSS v Al Rajaan. Acting for PIFSS on disclosure related issues. One of The Lawyer’s “Top 20” cases of 2020 and concerning allegations of substantial bribery.
  • Supporting research for a member of chambers in the Magomedov litigation, concerning an alleged US$14bn conspiracy and asset stripping in Russia.

During pupillage Edward helped with the following civil fraud and asset tracing cases:

  • Sovereign debt recovery proceedings involving the Republic of Cuba and Cuba’s former central bank: CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba.
  • Bourlakova v Bourlakov litigation: a multi-jurisdictional dispute relating to the ownership of assets in excess of US$1 billion.
  • Seeking orders ancillary to freezing injunctions granted in claims seeking over US$4 billion by a fraudulent lending scheme allegedly orchestrated by the bank’s former owners: JSC Commercial Bank Privatbank v Kolomoisky & Ors [2022] EWHC 1445 (Ch).
  • Resolving issues of delay when seeking an anti-suit injunction in a US$2 billion lending dispute: Africa Finance Corp (AFC) v Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Ltd[2022] EWHC 768 (Comm).
  • Bidzina Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse: assisting Louise Hutton KC with matters relating to a $500 million+ fraud claim against the Bermudian financial services provided by CS.
  • A v B: advising on fraudulent conspiracy issues involving one of Ukraine’s largest private banks.
  • C v D: fraudulent misrepresentation claim against a former care home purchaser.
  • E v F: assisting a Member of Chambers on the proper law analysis of misrepresentation claims in a financial services context.
Company Law & Insolvency

On the BCL, Edward received a Distinction (and came first in the year) for his legal history paper where he specialised in 18-19th century insolvency and company law, and also received a further Distinction in his commercial remedies paper where he specialised in the remedies for breach of trust/fiduciary duties including taking an account of profits.

Edward’s recent instructions include:

  • A v B (Chancery Division). Acting as sole counsel in a Part 8 trusts final hearing in the Chancery Division relating to a joint venture running the Dover Citadel in Kent.
  • C v D (Isle of Man). Acting for the former liquidator of an Isle of Man company in an application for permission to appeal from a decision to remove the court-appointed liquidator.
  • Advising on the relevant applicable law rule to the issue of reflective loss in a case before the Court of Appeal.

During pupillage Edward also worked on:

  • Stanford Investment Bank Ltd (in liquidation) v HSBC plc [2021] EWCA Civ 535 on appeal to UKSC (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • Issues arising out of s.423 transactions allegedly defrauding creditors: Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini [2022] EWHC 894 (Comm) (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • A v B: pleading issues arising from principles of fraudulent/negligent breach of trust under the law of Singapore (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • C v D: assisting a client seeking delivery up of their file from former professional advisers (assisting Anton Dudnikov).

Prior to his academic studies of law Edward spent three years intermittently in a firm of solicitors working on Chancery matters including wills, probate and deputyship disputes.

Conflict of laws

Edward has particular expertise in conflicts of laws issues having received a Distinction for his BCL paper in the subject while at Oxford. During pupillage he assisted with:

  • Conflicting choice of law agreements within single policies of excess of loss reinsurance: AIG Europe SA & Ors v John Wood Group Plc & Anor [2022] EWCA Civ 781 (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • A v B: interim anti-suit injunction application relating to breach of an exclusive choice of court agreement (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Issues of delay when seeking an anti-suit injunction in a US$2 billion financing dispute: Africa Finance Corp v Aiteo (assisting Tom Ford).
  • Recognition and enforcement of a UAE judgment valued at c.£20 million: Invest Bank PSC v El-Husseini [2022] EWHC 894 (Comm) (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • The applicable conflicts rules for the actions of alleged former central banks and recognised sovereign states: CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba litigation (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Researching and advising on a variety of applicable law issues, including the content and proof of foreign law. For example, Bidzina Ivanishvili v Credit Suisse (Supreme Court of Bermuda): assisting Louise Hutton KC with matters of Bermudian, Swiss and Georgian law.
  • C v D: assisting a Member of Chambers by drafting court documents for an anti-arbitration injunction.
Employment

Edward has significant experience in commercial employment cases; he has particular expertise in the case law on restrictive covenants, restraint of trade, confidential information, and team moves.

Edward has appeared unled at a contested hearing against a top directory ranked silk in the King’s Bench Division in relation to an interim employment injunction.

Edward also appeared unled in a 4-day employment tribunal in July 2024 acting for the former employee in various claims including indirect discrimination and victimisation against a top London university.

Edward also has extensive experience where restrictive covenant cases arise in the context of arbitration agreements. He has acted (led by Roderick Cordara KC) for the former employee of a global consulting firm in an LCIA arbitration resisting applications for interim injunctions.

Energy, natural resources and environmental law

On the BCL, Edward received a Distinction (and came first in the year) for his paper on Legal Concepts in Environmental Law where he specialised in the intersection between private law and the conflict of laws with environmental issues.

Edward’s recent instructions include A v B, a c. £20m dispute concerning the decommissioning of a coal mine in Yorkshire and related methane rights under the Petroleum Act 1998 (led by Sid Dhar KC).

Several of the civil fraud disputes Edward assisted with on during pupillage involved underlying commercial interests in energy and natural resources businesses.

Insurance & reinsurance

Edward is building his insurance and reinsurance practice. Recent instructions include:

  • Gatwick Investment Ltd (t/a Crowne Plaza London Gatwick Airport) & ors v Liberty Mutual Insurance SE. Acting for defendant insurers in this high profile ‘business interruption’ insurance coverage dispute arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Acting for insurers in the London Circuit Commercial Court in relation to a marine insurance open cover policy dispute.

During pupillage Edward worked on:

  • Conflicting choice of court clauses within policies of excess of loss reinsurance: AIG Europe SA & Ors v John Wood Group Plc & Anor [2022] EWCA Civ 781 (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • A v B: advising on regulator’s oversight of underwriter’s services, including Solvency II requirements (assisting David Scorey KC).
Public & administrative law

Edward has particular expertise in public and administrative law having taught the same for almost two years at City, University of London.

Revenue law (including VAT, IPT, duties & excise)

Edward is happy to act and advise regarding tax matters. His experience during pupillage includes:

Z v HMRC: advising on issues of VAT exemptions, fiscal neutrality for special investment funds under the Principal VAT Directive, and expert evidence issues in the First Tier Tribunal (assisting David Scorey KC).

Shipping & shipbuilding

Edward is developing a substantial shipping practice and is regularly instructed by owners, charterers, and related cargo interests. Edward’s current instructions include:

  • Acting as sole counsel in an ad hoc arbitration (worth over 1.4 million euros) concerning the transhipment of oil cargo in Greece.
  • Acting (part of a team) for a Singapore shipyard in a dispute concerning a semi-submersible oil rig purchased for c. USD$425 million. Edward has developed a considerable degree of knowledge involving technical and scientific engineering disputes and working closely on expert evidence.
  • Acting as sole counsel for a yacht surveyor in relation to claims of a negligently produced pre-purchase survey.

Edward has also given talks on maritime related issues, such as the availability of anti-suit injunctions from the English Commercial Court for third parties of charterparties or marine insurance contracts.