Professional practice

Freddie acts in some of the most high-profile and high-value disputes, across commercial, public and employment law. He frequently appears in complex Commercial Court proceedings, often involving civil fraud and asset recovery, freezing injunctions, energy and natural resources, and arbitration-related applications. He has a particular interest in state immunity matters and is regularly instructed by, or against, states.

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 European Court of Human Rights relating to the occupation of and armed conflict in the Qarabag region. Freddie has been appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Counsel.

His employment practice consists of urgent injunctive applications in the High Court (restrictive covenants, team moves, misuse of confidential information etc), as well as Employment Tribunal proceedings for unfair dismissal, discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, and trade-union related matters.

Freddie regularly appears as sole advocate, including against advocates considerably senior to him. He was previously a Judicial Assistant in the Commercial Court and Admin Court.

Recent highlights include:

  • ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
  • Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
  • General Dynamics v Libya [2022] EWHC 501 (Comm) – an arbitration-related challenge made on state immunity grounds
  • 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 in the Qarabag region
  • Crescent Gas Corporation v National Iranian Oil Company – ongoing enforcement proceedings arising out of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion
  • Kingdom of Sweden v Gergeo [2022] EWHC 1511 (Comm) – sole counsel in relation to a €115m fraud claim
  • R (Newby Foods) v Food Standards Agency [2022] EWHC 1505 (Admin) – judicial review of product classification
  • Navigator Equities v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 (Comm) – high-profile contempt of court proceedings
  • Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors – an ongoing $350m fraud claim
  • A v Commonwealth Secretariat – an ongoing race discrimination claim

 

 

Examples of Recent Cases
  • ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
  • 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 Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the occupation of and armed conflict of the Qarabag region
  • General Dynamics v Libya [2022] EWHC 501 (Comm) – an arbitration-related challenge made on state immunity grounds
  • Crescent Gas Corporation v National Iranian Oil Company – ongoing enforcement proceedings arising out of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion
  • Kingdom of Sweden v Gergeo [2022] EWHC 1511 (Comm) – sole counsel in relation to a €115m fraud claim
  • R (Newby Foods) v Food Standards Agency [2022] EWHC 1505 (Admin) – judicial review of product classification
  • Navigator Equities v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 (Comm) – high-profile contempt of court proceedings
  • Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors – an ongoing $350m fraud claim
  • A v Commonwealth Secretariat – an ongoing race discrimination claim
  • ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 a $1.5 billion fraud claim.
Arbitration & related court applications
  • An HKIAC arbitration of a US$1.5 billion claim arising out of a disputed joint venture deal (led by Jern-Fei Ng KC);
  • General Dynamics UK Ltd v The State of Libya [2022] EWHC 501 – an arbitration-related challenge made on state immunity grounds
  • Crescent Gas Corporation v National Iranian Oil Company – ongoing enforcement proceedings arising of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion
  • An SIAC arbitration of a c. $400m claim arising out of a natural resources dispute
  • A c $300 million ship-building arbitration.
Civil fraud & asset recovery
  • ENRC v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
  • Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors – an ongoing $350m fraud claim
  • ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 a c. $1.5 billion fraud claim
  • Navigator Equities Ltd v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 committal proceedings;
  • The Kingdom of Sweden v Serwin, Bishop, Gergeo & Ors (sole counsel), a €115m fraud claim;
  • A v B [2022] (sole counsel), 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
  • ENRC v Dechert & Serious Fraud Office, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
  • Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors – an ongoing $350m fraud claim
  • ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 a c. $1.5 billion fraud claim
  • Navigator Equities Ltd v Deripaska [2020] EWHC 1798 (led by Nathan Pillow KC), committal proceedings;
  • The Kingdom of Sweden v Serwin, Bishop, Gergeo & Ors (sole counsel), a €115m fraud claim;
  • A v B [2022] (sole counsel), 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
  • Crescent Gas Corporation v National Iranian Oil Company – ongoing enforcement proceedings arising of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion.
Employment
  • 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 v Commonwealth – an ongoing race discrimination claim
  • R Patel v IBM – an unfair dismissal claim
  • Paulsen v Cleaners & Allied Independent Workers Union – an ongoing disability discrimination claim
  • Camacho Eguez v Churchil Contract Services – trade union related unfair dismissal claim
Energy & natural resources
  • Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation v Gerrard, Dechert, & SFO [2022] EWHC 1138, one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases of 2021
  • ArcelorMittal USA v Ruia & Others [2020] EWHC 3349 a $1.5 billion fraud claim;
  • Arcadia v Bosworth, Hurley, & Ors – an ongoing $350m West African oil fraud claim
  • Crescent Gas Corporation v National Iranian Oil Company – ongoing enforcement proceedings arising of an arbitration award of c. $2 billion.
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
  • 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];
  • Red Bull F1 Racing v Fallows [2021] – employment dispute with an F1 Aerodynamics Chief Engineer
  • 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 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)

2017: Hardwicke Entrance Award (Lincoln’s Inn)

2017: Public Law Essay Prize (11 King’s Bench Walk)

2017: Postgraduate Law School Scholarship (City University)

2016: Lord Haldane Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)

2016: Gibbs Prize for Politics (University of Oxford)

2016: Final Honours Examinations Prize (New College, University of Oxford)

2014: Academic Scholarship (New College, University of Oxford)

Publications

“How to freeze a cryptocurrency”, Journal of International Banking & Finance Law, 2020, Issue 2