Professional practice

Grace is developing a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice in line with Chambers’ profile. Key highlights include:

  • Munícipio de Mariana and Ors v BHP Group Plc and BHP Group Ltd (ongoing) – acting for 700,000 claimants (including municipalities, businesses, utility companies, individuals, religious entities and Indigenous peoples) in the largest opt-in class action lawsuit in English legal history worth up to £36 billion relating to the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in Minas Gerais, Brazil, which caused the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history.
  • The Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse International & Ors (ongoing) – instructed to advise on matters requiring expertise in Portuguese in claims worth up to US$5 billion arising out of the “tuna bond” hidden-debt scandal in Mozambique.
  • A claim against the Designated Manager of a close-ended investment fund in Guernsey in connection with losses resulting from the failure of the fund (with Tim Akkouh KC).
  • During Grace’s pupillage, she assisted in various matters of commercial litigation and arbitration including an LCIA arbitration on the proper construction of the standard form contract used in the non-household retail water market (with Emily Wood KC) and an appeal before the Privy Council arising out of an enforcement challenge (with Emily Wood KC).
  • During Grace’s pupillage, she assisted with Sanctions-related matters including an advice on whether an aircraft leasing contract was frustrated by Russian sanctions (with Anton Dudnikov); an advice on the application of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to certain breaches of The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and ISL and LST v NCA: a crucial test case for the UK sanctions a regime (with Tim Akkouh KC).

Grace graduated with a BA in History and Portuguese from St. John’s College, Oxford in 2014, where she was a Casberd Scholar. During her year abroad in Brazil, Grace worked at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. After she graduated, Grace was an Associate at JP Morgan, and later worked as an independent consultant to other City banks.

Grace then received a full tuition fee scholarship to complete an accelerated law degree at the University of Oxford, where she won several college and university prizes, including the Gibbs Prize for best performance in private law and subject prizes in contract, tort and criminal law. She subsequently taught contract and tort law at the University of Oxford.

Grace is a David Karmel, Bedingfield and Atkin Scholar of Gray’s Inn (the Inn’s top scholarships each year).

Grace is fluent in (Brazilian) Portuguese and is able to take instructions in Portuguese.

 

Career

2022 Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2021-2022 Pupil at Essex Court Chambers (with Emily Wood KC)

2021 Called to the Bar (Gray’s Inn)

2019-2020 Contract and Tort tutor – University of Oxford

2016-2020 Consultant – HSBC Private Bank (2016), Wells Fargo (2016-2017), JP Morgan (2019-2020)

2014-2016 Associate – JP Morgan

2013 Commercial Analyst – British Consulate, São Paulo

Education

2020-2021 The Inns of Court College of Advocacy, PGDip in Bar Practice

2017-2019 Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, BA Jurisprudence, First Class (ranked 6th in year)

2010-2014 St John’s College, University of Oxford, BA History and Portuguese, 2.1 with Distinction in the colloquial use of Portuguese

Awards

2022 Atkin Scholar (Gray’s Inn)

2021 Bedingfield Scholar (Gray’s Inn)

2019

Gibbs Prize (Oxford University) for best aggregate performance in Trusts, Land, Contract and Tort law

Slaughter and May Prize (Oxford University) for joint best performance in Contract Law

Wronker Prize (Oxford University) for best performance in Tort Law

Law Faculty Prize (Oxford University) for best performance in Criminal Law

D’Souza Prize (Oxford University) for best performance on the Senior Status BA

2018

Ashtiany Prizes (Harris Manchester College) for first class results in internal examinations in Trusts, Land and Jurisprudence

Rowlinson Prize (Harris Manchester College) for Excellent Achievement

Best Oralist Prize (The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot) for best performance out of 100 competitors

Winner (Blackstone University of Oxford Human Rights Moot)

2017

David Karmel Scholar (Gray’s Inn)

Second Undergraduate Degree Scholarship (Harris Manchester College)

Best Oralist prize (University of Oxford 7KBW Commercial Law Moot 2017)

2011 Casberd Academic Scholarship (St. John’s College)

Arbitration & related court applications
  • Assisted with drafting and preparing argument in an LCIA arbitration concerning a dispute about the proper construction of the standard form contract used in the non-household retail water market and the duty of good faith.
  • Assisted with drafting and preparing argument in an appeal before the Privy Council arising out of an enforcement challenge on the application and interpretation of Articles V.1(a)-(c) and V.2(b) of the New York Convention.
  • Assisted with an ICC arbitration involving claims for breaches of exclusivity obligations and restrictive  covenants in an international cement contract.
  • Assisted with drafting and preparing argument in response to a jurisdiction challenge under s.67 of the Arbitration Act 1996.
  • Assisted with drafting and preparing argument in response to an application to set aside an order for the enforcement of an arbitral award under s.66 of the Arbitration Act 1996 on the basis that the order would serve no useful purpose.
  • Assisted with resisting a claim for an anti-suit injunction on the basis of undue delay.
  • Assisted with an appeal arising out of a claim for an anti-suit injunction as to the proper approach to be taken to two conflicting jurisdiction clauses.
  • Assisted with an advice on proper forum in a standard form contract with both an exclusive jurisdiction clause and an arbitration clause incorporated by agreement.
Banking & financial services
  • Assisted with an advice on whether a private credit firm was entitled to appoint receivers over rights to amounts payable under various trade credit insurance policies.
  • Assisted with an advice on the law applicable to claims arising out of allegations of financial market manipulation.
  • Assisted with an application for reverse summary judgment or to strike out a claimant bank’s claims to enforce UAE judgments against various assets on the grounds of retention of beneficial ownership and as transactions defrauding creditors under s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986  on the basis that they did not raise a serious issue to be tried.
  • Assisted with an advice in connection with the unauthorised release of security pledged by the claimant bank in return for commodities financing.
Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing
  • Instructed for the Republic of Mozambique in The Republic of Mozambique v Credit Suisse International & Ors to advise on matters requiring expertise in Portuguese in claims worth up to US$5 billion arising out of the “tuna bond” hidden-debt scandal in Mozambique.
  • Assisted with a dispute about interests in an international fishing business involving allegations of misappropriation and unlawful means conspiracy.
  • Assisted with claim for misrepresentation in connection with the sale of a group of residential care homes.
  • Assisted with an advice on potential claims and associated jurisdictional issues arising out of a significant cross-border fraud.
  • Assisted with an advice on the law applicable to a claim for fraudulent misrepresentation in connection with the alleged manipulation of financial markets.
Commercial chancery disputes
  • Instructed in a claim against the Designated Manager of a close-ended investment fund in Guernsey in connection with losses resulting from the failure of the fund (with Tim Akkouh KC).
  • Assisted with an advice on whether a Deed of Assignment permitted creditors to appoint receivers to enforce their rights to amounts payable under certain trade credit insurance policies.
  • Assisted with an advice on potential claims and associated jurisdictional issues arising out of a cross-border fraud.
  • Assisted with a probate claim concerning interests in the multi-million pound estate of Russian businessman.
  • Assisted with a Part 71 cross examination of an officer of a judgment debtor.
Commercial dispute resolution
  • Munícipio de Mariana and Ors v BHP Group Plc and BHP Group Ltd (ongoing) – acting for 700,000 claimants (including municipalities, businesses, utility companies, individuals, religious entities and Indigenous peoples) in the largest opt-in class action lawsuit in English legal history worth up to £36 billion relating to the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in Minas Gerais, Brazil, which caused the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history.
  • Assisted with a dispute as to the proper application of the Civil Liability Contribution Act 1978 to a Part 20 claim in a dispute about interests in an international fishing business.
  • Assisted with a dispute between a high speed railway operator and a multinational conglomerate in connection with alleged breaches of a trademark licensing agreement.
  • Assisted with a dispute between a sports streaming service and a telecommunications provider in connection with alleged breaches of a distribution partnership agreement.
  • Assisted with a claim for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation in connection with the sale of a group of residential care homes.
  • Assisted with an advice on the merits of claims for breach of contract and negligence in connection with the unauthorised release of security by a provider of collateral management services.
  • Assisted with an advice on whether an aircraft leasing contract was frustrated by EU sanctions against  Russia.
  • Assisted with a claim for wrongful termination of an aircraft leasing contract.
  • Assisted with an application for reverse summary judgment or to strike out claims challenging transfers of assets on the grounds of retention of beneficial ownership and as transactions defrauding.
  • Assisted with an advice on the contractual rights and obligations between a sporting body and a third party.
Conflict of laws & private international law
  • Assisted with an appeal before the Privy Council arising out of a challenge to a Brazilian arbitral award involving questions of proof of foreign law and issue estoppel.
  • Assisted with an advice as to the law applicable to the question of whether the assignment of an insurance policy was prohibited in circumstances where the contract of assignment and the insurance policy were governed by different laws.
  • Assisted with a jurisdiction challenge in the Chancery Division involving applications to stay proceedings  under Article 34 of the Brussels Regulation and on forum non conveniens grounds.
  • Assisted with an advice as to the jurisdictional basis for a foreign intervener in multi-party proceedings to bring a counterclaim against a foreign claimant
  • Assisted with an advice on the law applicable to claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and breaches of competition law in connection with alleged financial market manipulation.
  • Assisted with a question as to the law applicable to a contract to stream sporting events in Italy for the purposes of determining whether s.27 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 applied.
  •  Assisted with an advice on the law applicable to a claim in negligence arising out of the unauthorised  release of security in Ghana.
  •  Assisted with a question as to whether a jurisdiction clause with a floating law can be saved by applying Article 7 of the Rome Regulation to determine applicable law.
Employment

During pupillage, Grace assisted a Member of Chambers in an unfair dismissal claim which raised questions about the proper scope of Royal Mail Group Ltd (Respondent) v Jhuti (Appellant) [2019] UKSC 55 and the extent to which dismissal due to third-party pressure could amount to substantive unfairness where that pressure was itself based on unlawful discrimination.

Human rights & civil liberties

Grace has a particular interest in Human Rights & Civil Liberties having engaged in a variety of human rights-related extracurricular activities during her studies. Grace won the University of Oxford Blackstone Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2018 and won Best Oralist prize at The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2018 out of 100 participants. Both competitions centred on international human rights law issues.

Additionally, Grace participated in the Bonavero Institute’s “Gateways to Human Rights Research and Practice” programme “Research Training on Police Use of Force Legislation & Jurisprudence” which culminated in the publication of her academic review on Police Use of Force Legislation & Jurisprudence in Brazil, see: https://www.policinglaw.info/country/brazil.

Insurance & reinsurance
  • Assisted with advice on whether certain insurance policies prohibited the assignment of rights to amounts payable thereunder.
  • Assisted with an appeal as to the proper approach to two conflicting jurisdiction clauses in a tower of insurance policies.
  • Assisted with an advice on the proper construction of an excess of loss insurance policy.
  • Assisted with an advice on whether an insurer could retrospectively reallocate losses under a tower of excess of loss contracts of reinsurance so as to increase its recoveries from a particular layer.
International Trade & Transport

Grace has a particular interest in International Trade and Transport having previously worked in the Department for UK Trade and Investment at the British Consulate in Brazil. Grace worked in the Mass Transport and Infrastructure department advising British businesses interested in entering the Brazilian market. During pupillage, Grace assisted Members of Chambers in the following International Trade & Transport matters:

  • A dispute between two businesses engaged in the international trade of cement involving claims for breaches of exclusivity obligations and restrictive covenants.
  • A dispute before the Commercial Court between a highspeed rail operator and a multinational conglomerate in connection with alleged breaches of a trademark license agreement.
  • An advice as to whether an aircraft leasing contract was frustrated by EU sanctions against Russia.
  • A claim for wrongful termination of an aircraft leasing contract.
Public & administrative law

During pupillage, Grace assisted a Member of Chambers in drafting grounds in an application for the judicial review of a decision by the Westminster Magistrates Court to vary an Account Freezing Order issued under s.303Z1 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 against companies associated with a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

Public international law

Grace has a particular interest in Public International Law owing to her previous experience working at the British Consulate in São Paulo and her engagement in various international human rights law extracurriculars during her degree, including The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2018, for which she won Best Oralist prize.

Grace also has a particular interest in sanctions law, having previously worked in Anti-Financial Crime in the banking industry. Grace has assisted Members of Chambers in the following sanctions matters:

  • A confidential matter concerning the application of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to certain breaches of The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. An advice as to whether an aircraft leasing contract was frustrated by EU sanctions against Russia.
  • A crucial test case for the UK-Russia sanctions regime involving (a) an application by companies associated with a sanctioned Russian oligarch to vary Account Freezing Orders issued under s.303Z1 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 following suspicions that said companies had breached UK sanctions and (b) an application to judicially review the decision of the Westminster Magistrates Court to vary said AFOs.
Revenue law (including VAT, IPT, duties & excise)

During pupillage, Grace assisted a Member of Chambers in connection with an appeal against two HMRC decisions which determined that the appellant’s supplies of fund management services to certain collective investment funds were not VAT exempt because the funds were not subject to specific State supervision within the meaning of EU law.