Professional practice

Following the completion of her pupillage in September 2023, Ellen is developing a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice in line with Chambers’ profile. During pupillage, Ellen acquired experience in a wide range of practice areas including commercial litigation and arbitration, banking and financial services, civil fraud and insurance work.

Key highlights include:

  • High Court proceedings concerning the impact of UK, EU and US sanctions on payment obligations under multiple standby letters of credit, currently under appeal: Celestial Aviation Services Ltd v UniCredit Bank AG (London Branch) [2023] EWHC 663 (Comm) (assisting James Sheehan).
  • Arbitral proceedings concerning the proper construction of a payment obligation as part of a sponsored research agreement (assisting James Sheehan).
  • A High Court challenge to an award under s. 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 on the ground of a failure by the tribunal to comply with its duty under s. 33 of the 1996 Act: Cipla Limited v Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc [2023] EWHC 910 (Comm) (assisting Siddharth Dhar KC).

Ellen graduated with a first class degree in Law with German Law from St John’s College, Oxford in 2018, where she was a Casberd scholar. As part of her degree, she studied German law at the University of Konstanz, completing legal exams and writing a seminar paper in German. Ellen then received the South Square Scholarship to study the BCL, in which she achieved a distinction and ranked joint first in the year in Principles of Civil Procedure.

Before coming to the Bar, Ellen gained experience both as judicial assistant to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (The Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon) in the Court of Appeal and as research assistant at Brick Court Chambers.

As a judicial assistant, Ellen worked on some of the most prominent public and criminal law appeals at the time, including Miller (No 2) [2019] EWHC 2381 (QB) (determining the lawfulness of the Prime Minister’s advice to prorogue Parliament in 2019), TT v YY [2020] EWCA Civ 559 (concerning the right of a transgender man to be registered as ‘mother’ on his son’s birth certificate) and R v Barton & Booth [2020] EWCA Crim 575 (confirming the test for dishonesty under English law). Ellen also assisted the Lord Chief Justice with Gerard Adam’s appeal against conviction, which was heard in the Supreme Court (R v Adams [2020] UKSC 19).

As a research assistant, Ellen principally acquired experience in public and competition matters. Most notably, Ellen worked on a $50 million investor-treaty arbitration under the Netherlands-Panama BIT: Buse v Republic of Panama (ICSID). Ellen also assisted with public law matters, including a judicial review on the administration of an energy company and the high-profile challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy of removing asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda: AAA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department; with competition matters, including a high value landmark collective action in the Competition Appeal Tribunal; and with a number of sanctions matters.

 

Career
  • 2023: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers
  • 2022-2023: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers
  • 2022: Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn)
  • 2021-2022: Research assistant at Brick Court Chambers
  • 2019-2020: Judicial assistant to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales (The Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon) in the Court of Appeal
Education
  • 2020-2021: BPTC, City University of London (Outstanding)
  • 2018-2019: BCL, University of Oxford (Distinction)
  • 2016-2017: Erasmus in German Law, University of Konstanz
  • 2014-2018: BA Jurisprudence (English Law with Law Studies in Europe – German Law), University of Oxford (Distinction)
Awards
  • 2020: Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn
  • 2019: Clifford Chance Prize for best performance in Principles of Civil Procedure, BCL
  • 2018: South Square Scholarship, BCL
  • 2018: Casberd Scholarship, St John’s College Oxford
  • 2016: Sweet and Maxwell Prize for best performance in Law Moderations, St John’s College Oxford
Administrative and Public Law

Ellen has a particular interest and experience in administrative and public law matters.

As a research assistant at Brick Court Chambers, Ellen worked on a number of administrative and public law matters including:

  • The high-profile challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy of removing asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda: AAA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department.
  • A judicial review concerning the administration of an energy company.

Ellen worked on a broad range of administrative and public law appeals as the judicial assistant to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. Most significantly, Ellen assisted on the landmark constitutional case of Miller (No 2) [2019] EWHC 2381 (QB). Furter, Ellen assisted on Gerard Adams’ appeal against conviction in the Supreme Court, which turned on a public law issue – namely whether an interim custody order made by the Minister of State, and not considered personally by the Secretary of State, was invalid: R v Adams [2020] UKSC 19.

Ellen has assisted with the chapter on European Union Law as part of the latest edition of Supperstone, Goudie & Walker on Judicial Review.

Arbitration & related court applications

During her pupillage, Ellen worked on a challenge to an award under s. 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 on the ground of a failure by the tribunal to comply with its duty under s. 33 of the 1996 Act: Cipla Limited v Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc [2023] EWHC 910 (Comm) (assisting Siddharth Dhar KC).

Banking & financial services

During her pupillage, Ellen assisted on a number of matters involving banking and financial services, including:

  • Advice on a prospective claim under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 and/or for breach of mandate (assisting James Sheehan).
  • Advice on conflict of laws matters arising in the banking and financial services context (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
Civil fraud & asset recovery

During her pupillage, Ellen has assisted on a number of matters involving civil fraud claims, including:

  • Advice in connection with the compulsory acquisition of minority shareholdings by the exercise of a drag-along option (assisting James Sheehan).
  • Advice on conflict of laws aspects of certain civil fraud claims (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
Commercial dispute resolution

During her pupillage, Ellen has assisted on a broad range of commercial disputes, including:

  • Strategic advice in connection with a claim in respect of legal advice and/or legal services allegedly provided in breach of contract and/or negligently (assisting James Sheehan).
  • A mediation in relation to a breach of contract claim in the renewable energy sector (assisting James Sheehan).
  • Advice on the proper construction of a payment obligation as part of a sponsored research agreement (assisting James Sheehan).
  • Advice on the proper construction of a contractual mechanism for the calculation of a payment amount (assisting Siddharth Dhar KC).
  • Advice on the availability of equitable and/or monetary relief in respect of breach of contract and tortious claims in procuring breach of contract, misrepresentation and the tort of conspiracy in respect of underlying commercial interests in energy and natural resources (assisting James Willan KC).
  • Advice on whether a damp lease agreement was frustrated by reason of the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Advice on the impact of a settlement agreement by one defendant on the liability of the other in circumstances where the defendants are jointly liable to the claimant.
  • Advice on the contractual rights and obligations between a sporting body and a third party.

Ellen also has experience assisting on interim and ancillary matters within commercial disputes, such as: applications for delivery up of the client file under s. 68 of the Solicitors Act 1974; obtaining relief under the Norwich Pharmacal and/or Bankers Trust jurisdictions; freezing orders; anti-suit relief; and the admissibility of hearsay evidence.

Competition

Ellen has a particular interest in competition matters, having studied the subject on the BCL at the University of Oxford.

As research assistant at Brick Court Chambers, Ellen assisted with a number of competition matters. Most notably, she worked on a high value landmark collective action in the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Conflict of laws & private international law

Ellen has a particular interest in conflict of laws issues, having studied the subject on the BCL at the University of Oxford.

During her pupillage, Ellen assisted on a number of cases involving issues of private international law, including:

  • Advice on the application of various jurisdictional gateways and the applicable law to tortious claims in procuring breach of contract, misrepresentation and the tort of conspiracy in respect of underlying commercial interests in energy and natural resources (assisting James Willan KC).
  • Advice on an application for service out of claims under the Insolvency Act 1986 and claims for breach of duty under the Companies Act 2006, breach of contract, and unlawful means conspiracy and/or dishonest assistance (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • Advice on an application for service out against the background of interlinked banking contracts and other governing terms and conditions (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • Advice on the prospects of an application for an anti-suit injunction from the English court seeking to restrain foreign proceedings.
Employment

Ellen volunteered for the Free Representation Unit before coming to the Bar. She represented a client in an unfair dismissal hearing in the London (South) Employment Tribunal, appearing against an employer represented by a barrister many years her senior.

Human rights & civil liberties

Ellen has a particular interest in cases involving human rights and civil liberties issues.

As research assistant at Brick Court Chambers, Ellen assisted the team acting for the lead group of Claimants (which includes Detention Action, Care4Calais and the Public and Commercial Services Union) in their high profile challenge to the Home Secretary’s policy of removing asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda: AAA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

As judicial assistant to the Lord Chief Justice, Ellen worked on a number of significant appeals in the field of human rights and civil liberties, including:

  • TT v YY [2020] EWCA Civ 559, an appeal concerning whether a transgender man was entitled to be registered as the ‘father’ or ‘parent’ of his son, to whom he gave birth.
  • The Queen (on the application of Muriel Maguire) v Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde [2020] EWCA Civ 738, an appeal concerning whether the death of a disabled woman who was deprived of her liberty engaged the state’s obligation to protect life under article 2 of the ECHR, therefore requiring an inquest jury to make findings regarding the circumstances by which the death occurred.
Insurance & reinsurance

During pupillage, Ellen assisted on insurance and reinsurance disputes, including:

  • Advice on the proper construction of the particular wording of an aggregation provision as part of a professional indemnity insurance policy (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • The defence of a claim under an excess blended management liability insurance policy (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • An arbitration brought in respect of an alternative risk transfer insurance arrangement (assisting James Sheehan).
Investment treaty disputes

As research assistant at Brick Court Chambers, Ellen worked on a $50 million investor-treaty arbitration under the Netherlands-Panama BIT:Buse v Republic of Panama (ICSID) (assisting Emilie Gonin and Allan Cerim).

Sanctions

During her pupillage, Ellen assisted with High Court proceedings concerning the impact of UK, EU and US sanctions on payment obligations under multiple standby letters of credit: Celestial Aviation Services Ltd v UniCredit Bank AG (London Branch) [2023] EWHC 663 (Comm) (assisting James Sheehan).

As research assistant at Brick Court Chambers, Ellen also assisted on a number of sanctions matters.

Sport, media, art and entertainment

During her pupillage, Ellen assisted a Member of Chambers with advice in respect of the scope of the regulatory powers of a sports governing body. She also drafted a statement of case in connection with a dispute as to the legal and beneficial ownership of the guitar of a famous musician.