Freddie Popplewell

Professional practice

Freddie acts in high-profile and high-value disputes, across commercial, employment and public law. In the Commercial Court, he frequently acts in proceedings involving civil fraud, asset recovery, freezing injunctions, energy and natural resources, and arbitration-related applications. He has considerable experience in handling heavy trials and applications. Recent highlights include a 13-week $325m civil fraud trial (Arcadia v Bosworth & Ors [2024]), a c. £100m s. 423 Insolvency Act trial relating to an arbitration award (Crescent v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835), and ENRC v Dechert & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of the Lawyer’s Top Cases of 2021. Freddie has a particular interest in state and diplomatic immunity matters and is regularly instructed by, or against, States (General Dynamics v Libya [2024] 4 WLR 37 and Infrastructure Services (Antin) v Spain [2024]). Freddie is an experienced advocate in the Commercial Court for his level of call, having acted in numerous hearings as sole counsel against senior silks and undertaken substantial trial advocacy.

His commercial employment practice consists of urgent injunctive applications in the High Court, and proceedings involving restrictive covenants, team moves, and misuse of confidential information (Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021]; Stroma v Barr & Ors [2021] EWHC 239; and Avalon v Rose & Duigou [2022]). Freddie also acts in Employment Tribunal proceedings for unfair dismissal, discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, and trade-union related matters.

Freddie’s public law and human rights practice comprises ECHR cases, domestic judicial review, as well as advisory work, including on the Russia Sanctions Regulations 2019, Global Human Rights Regulations, and diplomatic and consular immunity. He is currently instructed on several cases between Azerbaijan and Armenia before the ECtHR relating to the armed conflict in the Qarabag region. Freddie has been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel.

Recent highlights include:

Arcadia v Bosworth & Ors [2024] – a 13-week $325m civil fraud trial
Crescent v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835 – a c. £100m s. 423 Insolvency Act trial
General Dynamics v Libya [2024] 4 WLR 37 – an arbitration-related application involving issues of state immunity from execution/enforcement
ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
General Dynamics v Libya [2022] EWHC 501 (Comm) – an arbitration-related challenge relating to adjudicative state immunity
Kingdom of Sweden v Gergeo [2022] EWHC 1511 (Comm) – an application to vary a proprietary injunction in a €115m fraud claim
Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
Republic of Azerbaijan v Republic of Armenia – inter-State proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights concerning the occupation of and armed conflict in the Qarabag region
Navigator Equities v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 (Comm) – high-profile contempt of court proceedings
R (Newby Foods) v Food Standards Agency [2022] EWHC 1505 (Admin) – judicial review of product classification

Examples of Recent Cases

Arcadia v Bosworth & Ors [2024] – a 13-week $325m civil fraud trial
Crescent v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835 – a c. £100m s. 423 Insolvency Act trial
General Dynamics v Libya [2024] 4 WLR 37 – an arbitration-related application involving issues of state immunity from execution/enforcement
ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
General Dynamics v Libya [2022] EWHC 501 (Comm) – an arbitration-related challenge relating to adjudicative state immunity
Kingdom of Sweden v Gergeo [2022] EWHC 1511 (Comm) – an application to vary a proprietary injunction in a €115m fraud claim
Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
Republic of Azerbaijan v Republic of Armenia – inter-State proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights concerning the occupation of and armed conflict in the Qarabag region
Navigator Equities v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 (Comm) – high-profile contempt of court proceedings
R (Newby Foods) v Food Standards Agency [2022] EWHC 1505 (Admin) – judicial review of product classification
ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 – an application in the context of a $1.5 billion fraud

Arbitration & related court applications

An HKIAC arbitration of a US$1.5 billion claim arising out of a disputed joint venture deal
An SIAC arbitration of a c. $200m claim relating to a mining project
Crescent v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835 – trial of enforcement proceedings arising of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion
General Dynamics v Libya [2024] 4 WLR 37 – an arbitration-related application involving issues of state immunity from execution/enforcement
General Dynamics v Libya [2022] EWHC 501 – an arbitration-related challenge made on state immunity grounds

Civil fraud & asset recovery

Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors [2024] – a 13-week $325m civil fraud trial
ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, a 10-week trial and one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 – a c. $1.5 billion civil fraud claim
Navigator Equities Ltd v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 – committal proceedings;
Sweden v Serwin, Bishop, Gergeo & Ors – a €115m civil fraud claim;
A v B [2022] – an application for Bankers Trust relief and a gagging order against a cryptocurrency exchange
Blockchain v Crypton & Ors, a c. £30 million claim arising out of the alleged appropriation of a cryptocurrency trading platform.

Commercial dispute resolution

Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors [2024] – a 13-week $325m trial in the Commercial Court
Crescent v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835 – a c. £100m s. 423 Insolvency Act trial in the Commercial Court
ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138 – a 10-week trial in the Commercial Court and one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 – a c. $1.5 billion fraud claim in the Commercial Court
iNavigator Equities Ltd v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 – committal/contempt of court proceedings in the Commercial Court;
Sweden v Serwin, Bishop, Gergeo & Ors, a €115m fraud claim in the Commercial Court;
Blockchain v Crypton & Ors, a c. £30 million claim in the Chancery Division

Employment

Avalon v Rose & Duigou [2022] – a breach of employment contract claim
Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
Stroma Building Control v Barr & Others [2021] EWHC 239 (QB) – a misuse of confidential information and restrictive covenants case
A v Commonwealth – a race discrimination claim
R Patel v IBM – an unfair dismissal claim
Paulsen v Cleaners & Allied Independent Workers Union – a disability discrimination claim
Camacho Eguez v Churchil Contract Services – a trade union related unfair dismissal claim

Energy & natural resources

Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors [2024] – a 13-week $325m civil fraud trial in relation to West African oil trading
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138
ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 – a $1.5 billion fraud claim
Crescent Gas Corporation v NIOC [2024] EWHC 835 – a c. £100m s. 423 Insolvency Act trial in the Commercial Court

Insurance & reinsurance

Assisted in advising in respect of a possible claim for the total constructive loss of a vessel under the war risks clause of a marine insurance policy;
Assisted in advising insurers in respect of a potential claim for pollution liabilities caused by an oil pipeline leak, under a Bermuda Form insurance policy;
Assisted in a $30m marine insurance claim, in which the insurers made allegations of scuttling.

Media, Art, Entertainment & Sport

Instructed by a Premier League football club in relation to Profit and Sustainability Regulations
Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
Assisted in a US$10.75m claim arising out of the sale of an allegedly forged portrait by the Dutch Golden Age painter Frans Hals [Sotheby’s v Weiss Ltd];
Assisted in the preparation of a judicial review of DEFRA’s refusal to grant a retrospective import license in respect of a piece of ivory

Public & administrative law

Republic of Azerbaijan v Republic of Armenia: inter-State proceedings before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the occupation of and armed conflict of the Qarabag region.
R (Newby Foods) v Food Standards Agency [2022] EWHC 1505 (Admin) – judicial review of product classification
Assisted in a judicial review of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018, which raised issues of unlawful discrimination under Article 14 and Article 1 Protocol 1 ECHR [R oao TP& AR v SSWP]
Advised a State on issues of consular immunity and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963;
Advised a State on the Russia (Sanctions) Regulations 2019
Advised a State on the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020
Advised on the lawfulness of the impact of Universal Credit on recipients of Enhanced Disability Premium.

Public international law

Republic of Azerbaijan v Republic of Armenia: inter-State proceedings before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the occupation of and armed conflict of the Qarabag region.
General Dynamics v Libya [2024] 4 WLR 37 – an arbitration-related application involving issues of state immunity from execution/enforcement, as well as diplomatic immunity issues
General Dynamics UK Ltd v The State of Libya [2022] EWHC 501, an application to set- aside arbitration enforcement for failure of full and frank disclosure of state immunity.
Advised a State on issues of consular immunity and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963;
Advised a State on the Russia (Sanctions) Regulations 2019
Advised a State on the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020.

Shipping & admiralty

Assisted in a $30m marine insurance claim, in which the insurers made allegations of scuttling;
Assisted in advising in respect of a possible claim for the total constructive loss of a vessel under the war risks clause of a marine insurance policy.

Career

2019: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2019: High Court Judicial Assistant

2018: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers (supervised by Emily Wood)

Education

2018: BPTC, City University, Outstanding (ranked 7th in the year)

2017: GDL, City University, Commendation

2016: BA History & Politics, University of Oxford, First Class, (ranked 2nd in the year)

Awards

2018: Everard Ver Heyden Foundation Prize (City University)

2018: Buchanan Prize (Lincoln’s Inn)

2017: Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)