Professional practice

John-Patrick completed pupillage in September 2023 and is developing a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile. He has experience in a wide range of practice areas including arbitration, banking, civil fraud, conflict of laws, injunction applications and public international law.

Notable cases with which John-Patrick assisted during pupillage include:

  • The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd v Sunlink Energies and Resources Ltd [2023] EWHC 3135 (Comm), anti-suit injunction proceedings concerning a US$1 billion claim in the Nigerian courts (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • CRF I Ltd v Banco Nacional de Cuba, a two-day appeal in the Court of Appeal concerning a sovereign debt claim involving the Republic of Cuba and Cuba’s former central bank (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • A worldwide freezing order application in long-running civil fraud proceedings in the Commercial Court: PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints (assisting Anton Dudnikov).

Prior to coming to the Bar, John-Patrick qualified as a solicitor in Australia and worked for 18 months as a judicial assistant at the New South Wales Court of Appeal. In that role, he was involved in the hearing of several high-profile appeals and assisted with the preparation and drafting of over 80 substantive judgments, including notably Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority (t/as Seqwater) v Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 206, a 10-day appeal concerning an AU$880 million negligence class action involving over 6,500 claimants arising from the Brisbane River floods disaster.

John-Patrick graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours and the University Medal for placing top of his class, along with over 25 other university prizes. As an undergraduate, he undertook academic exchanges to St Xavier’s College, Mumbai and Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, where he completed the programme in International and Comparative Business Law. He subsequently read for the Bachelor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford, graduating with Distinction overall and obtaining distinctions in all modules.

Alongside his practice, John-Patrick maintains an active interest in academic law. Prior to coming to the Bar, John-Patrick was a Stipendiary Lecturer in Law at the University of Oxford teaching contract law at Brasenose and Worcester Colleges, a tutor, examiner and research assistant in law at the University of Sydney, and a research assistant at the University of New South Wales Law School. He is currently an editor of Zuckerman on Civil Procedure, the leading textbook on the principles of English civil procedure, and sits on the editorial board of the Butterworths Corporation Law Bulletin, a company law journal.

John-Patrick speaks fluent French, German and Spanish, and is proficient in Italian.

 

Career

2024: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2023-24: Pupillage at Essex Court Chambers

2023: Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn)

2023: Stipendiary Lecturer in Law, Brasenose and Worcester Colleges, University of Oxford (contract law)

2022-23: Research Assistant, University of New South Wales Law School (trusts and taxation law)

2020-21: Judicial Assistant, New South Wales Court of Appeal

2020-21: Sessional Academic, University of Sydney Law School (coach of the Philip C Jessup International Law Moot team – 2021 World Champions; examiner in Statutory Foundations of Negligence)

2020: Admitted as a Lawyer, Supreme Court of New South Wales

Education

2021-22: BCL (Distinction, distinctions in all modules), University of Oxford

2015-19: BA, LLB (Hons I and the University Medal, first in class), University of Sydney

Awards

2021: Peter Cameron Scholarship (to support study on the BCL)

2021: J B Watt Travelling Scholarship (to support study on the BCL)

2019: The University Medal and Joye Prize in Law, University of Sydney (first overall in Law class)

2019: John George Dalley Prize, University of Sydney (first overall in final year of Law)

2019: Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation, University of Sydney (awarded to the top five graduating students in Law class)

2019: Ian Joye Prize in Law, University of Sydney (first overall in second and third years of Law)

2019: Zoe Hall Scholarship, University of Sydney (for merit and contribution to the University, Law School and the wider community)

2019: Vice-Chancellor’s Global Mobility Scholarship (to support study on exchange at Bucerius Law School, Germany)

2019: Walter Reid Memorial Prize, University of Sydney

2015-19: University of Sydney Outstanding Achievement Scholarship

2015-19: Dean’s List of Excellence in Academic Performance, University of Sydney

2018: Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property, University of Sydney

2018: Australian National Champion and Best Oralist, International Advanced Rounds Finalist, Philip C Jessup International Law Moot

2017: Konrad Adenauer Prize, University of Sydney (first overall in the European Studies Major)

2016: Herbert Smith Freehills Prize in Contracts, University of Sydney

2016: LexisNexis Book Prize No. 2, University of Sydney (first overall in second year Law)

2016: New Colombo Plan Scholarship Mobility Grant (to support study at St Xavier’s College, Mumbai)

2016: Salting Exhibition, University of Sydney

2015: Academic Merit Prize, University of Sydney

Publications

John-Patrick Asimakis, Sir Rupert Jackson and Juliet Wells, ‘Dispute Management and Party Compliance’ in Adrian Zuckerman, Zuckerman on Civil Procedure (5th ed) (2025, forthcoming)

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘Separate Entity, But Equal Immunity: The Immunity of Separate Entities of Foreign States in Australian Corporate Winding Up Proceedings’ (2024) 7 Corporation Law Bulletin (forthcoming)

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘Not Kicking the Bucket, But Still Kicking: Corporate Beneficiaries and the Use of Reimbursement Agreements’ (2023) 6 Corporation Law Bulletin 5

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘Somewhere Short of Actual Clarity: Directors’ Duty to Have Regard to Creditors’ Interests in Situations Short of Actual Insolvency’ (2023) 1 Corporation Law Bulletin 4

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘Broadening the Idea and Unfreezing the Law of Freezing Injunctions: Broad Idea International Ltd v Convoy Collateral Ltd [2021] UKPC 24’ (2022) 41(3) Civil Justice Quarterly 203

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘Still Lagging Behind: Diagnosing Judicial Approaches to “Bodily Injury” Claims for Psychiatric Injury under the Montreal Convention of 1999’ (2021) 44(4) University of New South Wales Law Journal 1281

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘“Always Speaking” Statutes’ (2021) 95(11) Australian Law Journal 869

John-Patrick Asimakis, ‘The Corporate “We”: Representations in Notices to Lenders Signed by Corporate Employees’ (2021) 7&8 Corporation Law Bulletin 7

Arbitration & related court applications

During pupillage, John-Patrick assisted with several arbitrations and related court applications, including:

  • A high-value commercial arbitration under the ICC Rules concerning a breach of contract claim.
  • A final anti-suit injunction application restraining proceedings for US$1 billion brought in Nigeria in breach of an arbitration agreement: The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd v Sunlink Energies and Resources Ltd (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • An interim anti-suit injunction application restraining foreign proceedings brought in breach of arbitration agreements contained in insurance policies on the Bermuda form (assisting David Walsh).
  • A jurisdiction challenge and stay application in an LMAA arbitration (assisting David Walsh).
Banking & financial services

During pupillage, John-Patrick gained experience of banking disputes, including:

  • An appeal involving issues as to the required place and method of performance of international payment obligations.
  • A dispute involving a foreign state and raising the issue of the autonomous nature of obligations under letters of credit.
Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing

 John-Patrick has experience working on high-value civil fraud matters. Matters on which he assisted during pupillage include:

  • Responding to an application for leave to appeal to the Privy Council in high-value offshore civil fraud litigation: Credit Suisse Life (Bermuda) Ltd v Ivanishvili (assisting Louise Hutton KC).
  • A major civil fraud claim between Russian parties (assisting Tom Ford).
  • An application on notice for a freezing injunction made in long-running civil fraud proceedings: PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • A matter involving allegations of money laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

John-Patrick also gained experience drafting a substantial advice on the merits of a high-value claim raising issues of unlawful means conspiracy and unjust enrichment.

Commercial dispute resolution

During pupillage John-Patrick assisted with a number of commercial disputes, including:

  • A major appeal in proceedings brought against Cuba and the National Bank of Cuba to recover sovereign debts: CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba.
  • A major Russian dispute involving allegations of unlawful means conspiracy.
  • A high-value commercial arbitration under the ICC Rules concerning a substantial breach of contract claim.
  • Advising on issues of assignment, agency, and damages in the context of an overseas land development agreement.
  • A high-value professional negligence claim for breach of auditors’ duties.

John-Patrick also gained experience of various kinds of interim application in the Commercial Court (including worldwide freezing orders and anti-suit injunctions), contempt of court and committal proceedings, jurisdiction challenges, obtaining relief under the Anton Piller, Norwich Pharmacal, Chabra and Bankers Trust jurisdictions, post-judgment ancillary and enforcement proceedings (including Part 71 orders and receivership orders), security for costs applications and costs disputes.

He also gained experience drafting advice on the merits of a damages claim for breach of a commodities sale and purchase agreement raising issues of contract formation, interpretation and quantum, a claim for breach of warranties in a business share and asset sale and purchase agreement, and potential claims in contract and tort arising out of a commercial aviation supply agreement.

Company & Insolvency Law

John-Patrick has particular interest in company and insolvency law. During pupillage, John-Patrick assisted with a matter concerning proceedings brought by liquidators against company directors in an offshore jurisdiction for insolvent trading and breach of directors’ duties, and with drafting advice on the English law consequences of the dissolution of an offshore company.

He has published two articles on insolvency and is an editor of the Butterworths Corporation Law Bulletin, an Australian law journal which regularly comments and publishes on corporate insolvency and winding up issues. As a research assistant at the University of Sydney Law School, John-Patrick worked for several months on a project evaluating the mechanisms for company shareholders to influence corporate policies on environmental, social and governance issues, and assisted in the preparation of a substantial research report on the topic for the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors.

 

Conflict of laws & private international law

John-Patrick has significant experience and expertise in private international law and the conflict of laws. During pupillage, he assisted with:

  • CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba, an appeal raising various conflict of laws issues and involving the application of Cuban law (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • A high-value arbitration under the ICC Rules raising issues of the application of foreign law (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Advising on English law conflicts issues arising from the assignment of contractual rights (assisting Anton Dudnikov).
  • Advising on the merits of potential claims arising out of excess reinsurance policies on the Bermuda Form, involving the application of New York law (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Issues of delay and the application of s. 24 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act in an anti-suit injunction application in large-scale civil fraud proceedings (assisting Tom Ford).
  • An interim anti-suit injunction application raising issues of implied choice of law governing arbitration agreements (assisting David Walsh).
  • An anti-suit injunction application raising complex issues of service.

During pupillage, John-Patrick also gained experience on a major appeal concerning Russian sanctions legislation, the place of performance of international banking obligations and the application of the rule in Ralli Bros: Celestial Aviation Services Ltd v Unicredit Bank Gmbh, London Branch [2024] EWCA Civ 628.

As a judicial assistant at the New South Wales Court of Appeal, John-Patrick worked on a high-profile appeal involving the application of various aspects of Queensland law in a negligence class action brought in the New South Wales courts: Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority t/as Seqwater v Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd.

John-Patrick placed first in his class in Australian private international law as an undergraduate at the University of Sydney, and went on to study private international law of the European Union at Bucerius Law School, Germany and the Conflict of Laws on the BCL at the University of Oxford, obtaining first-class results in both modules. He has published on private international law in the context of damages claims in cases of international civil aviation accidents.

European law & competition

John-Patrick has a particular interest in European Union law and competition. John-Patrick majored in European Studies in his Bachelor of Arts degree, placing first overall in his cohort, and as an undergraduate law student undertook a half-year academic exchange to Bucerius Law School, Hamburg, where he studied European Union law, German law and European capital markets law, obtaining first class results in all modules. As a postgraduate at the University of Oxford, John-Patrick studied EU and UK competition law, obtaining a distinction.

Human rights & civil liberties

John-Patrick has interest and experience in human rights law. During pupillage, he assisted on a matter involving an application for an interim injunction in circumstances where the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the ECHR was engaged. Prior to coming to the Bar, as a judicial assistant at the New South Wales Court of Appeal John-Patrick worked on a significant appeal regarding interpretation of deeming provisions in Australian anti-terrorism legislation, raising constitutional issues of freedom of political communication: Cheema v New South Wales [2020] NSWCA 190. As a research assistant at the University of Sydney Law School, John-Patrick also worked for several months on the creation of the Financial Services Human Rights Benchmark, a three-year project assessing the human rights performance of publicly listed companies which resulted in the publication of ‘The 2020 Financial Services Human Rights Benchmark Report: A study of the human rights performance of 22 ASX Listed Financial Services Entities’ (Sydney Law School, December 2020).

At the University of Oxford, John-Patrick obtained a distinction in Private Law and Fundamental Rights, a module focusing on the interaction between the Human Rights Act and English private law.

Insurance & reinsurance

 John-Patrick gained significant experience of insurance and reinsurance matters during pupillage. In particular, he assisted with:

  • An advice on a business interruption claim arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic involving a hotel business in a major Asian market and parallel proceedings, raising issues of construction and causation (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • An advice on the merits of an arbitration claim arising out of an excess of loss reinsurance agreement (assisting David Scorey KC).
  • Advising on the merits of potential claims arising out of excess reinsurance policies on the Bermuda Form, involving the application of New York law (assisting David Scorey KC).

 

Public & administrative law

John-Patrick has particular interest in public law. He gained experience as a judicial assistant at the New South Wales Court of Appeal working on several appeals raising issues of constitutional, public and administrative law, including: Public Services Association v Industrial Relations Secretary [2021] NSWCA 64, an appeal regarding an administrative law challenge to ministerial decisions setting public sector pay across the State of New South Wales; DRJ v Commissioner of Victims’ Rights [2020] NSWCA 242, an appeal regarding the extraterritorial effect of domestic victims’ compensation legislation; and Gaynor v Attorney General of New South Wales [2020] NSWCA 48, a matter concerning the constitutional validity of State legislation. Further, John-Patrick worked on a matter involving a public interest immunity claim relating to federal Cabinet documents, raising issues of procedural fairness and national security: In the matter of Timor Sea Oil & Gas Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) [2020] NSWSC 1832.

Public international law

John-Patrick has particular interest and experience in public international law. During pupillage, John-Patrick worked on a major appeal in proceedings involving issues of state immunity (CRF I v Banco Nacional de Cuba), and also gained experience of matters involving issues of enforcement against foreign states and separate entities.

He has published on treaty interpretation under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and under English law, and also on the immunity of separate entities of foreign states in domestic corporate winding up proceedings. As a sessional academic at the University of Sydney Law School, he coached the 2021 world championship winning team in the Philip C Jessup International Law Moot, having himself been Australian national champion and best oralist in the same moot three years earlier.

Revenue Law

John-Patrick has interest and experience in revenue and taxation law. As a Judicial Assistant at the New South Wales Court of Appeal, John-Patrick worked on a significant revenue appeal regarding the liability to duty of transactions effected through a declaration of trust: Commissioner of State Revenue v Benidorm Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 285.

As a research assistant at the University of New South Wales Law School, John-Patrick worked for several months on research projects assessing the taxation implications of trust structures and the effect of Australian taxation legislation. He has also published on the tax implications of employing trust structures involving corporate beneficiaries.

Shipping & admiralty

During pupillage, John-Patrick assisted with a variety of shipping matters, including:

  • A jurisdiction challenge and stay application in an LMAA arbitration (assisting David Walsh).
  • An advice on the proper construction of war and piracy clauses in a shipping contract (assisting David Walsh).