Professional practice

Oliver is developing a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile.

Oliver’s current and recent work includes:

  • Magomedov v TPG & ors: acting for PJSC Transneft in its successful jurisdiction challenge in respect of a $14bn conspiracy claim brought in the Commercial Court. Oliver was also involved in numerous interlocutories, including in relation to fortification provided under a notification injunction, anti-anti-suit injunctive relief, amendments and security for costs.
  • Beograd Innovation Ltd v Somovidis: acting for the defendant in a Commercial Court dispute over the enforcement of a Russian judgment, involving a jurisdiction challenge raising issues of cross-border insolvency and Russian law.
  • Bourlakova v Bourlakov & ors: acting for the principal defendant/counterclaimant in Chancery Court proceedings, part of a multi-jurisdictional dispute concerning assets worth in excess of US$1 billion.

Before coming to the Bar, Oliver read for a PhD in English at Cambridge. He then took the GDL at City, University of London. For several years he also worked as a boxing writer, and was the lead writer on several documentaries (including the Emmy-winning “All Access: Mayweather-Alvarez”).

 

Career

2023: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers

2022-23: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers

2022: Called to the Bar (Inner Temple)

2017-20: Undergraduate supervisor in English at various colleges at the University of Cambridge

2013-19: Boxing writer in various media

2014-15: English teacher, Haberdashers’ Boys’ School

Education

2011-2014: BA English, Trinity Hall, Cambridge (Double First, including a Starred First and 2nd highest mark in year at Part I (2013))

2015-2016: MPhil English (Criticism and Culture), Robinson College, Cambridge (Distinction, 2nd highest mark in year)

2016-2020: PhD English, Trinity Hall, Cambridge (passed without corrections)

2020-2021: GDL City, University of London (Distinction)

2021-2022: BVS City, University of London

Awards

2021: Princess Royal Scholar, Inner Temple

2021: City, University of London Postgraduate Scholarship

2021: Serle Court Prize for Joint Highest Mark in Equity and Trusts

2020: Exhibition Scholar, Inner Temple

2020: City, University of London Postgraduate Scholarship  

2019: Research Fellowship at the Huntington Library, Pasadena

2016: Trinity Hall Scholarship, PhD

2015: University of Cambridge Newton Trust Scholarship, MPhil

2014: Emmy Award, Outstanding Edited Sports Event Coverage

2014: E.G. Harwood Prize for English, Trinity Hall

2013: Jonas Cressingham Prize for English, Trinity Hall

Arbitration & related court applications

Oliver acted as the tribunal secretary in an arbitration under the LCIA Rules, which settled shortly before trial following multiple interlocutories. He has advised in relation to the enforcement of an arbitral award and the scope of an arbitration clause.

During pupillage Oliver assisted with:

  • An application for recognition and enforcement of a New York convention award arising out an investor-state treaty, with state immunity issues;
  • Various pieces of advice regarding proceedings being brought in arbitration, including, for example, advice as to the proper interpretation of a tiered arbitration clause.
Banking & financial services

During pupillage Oliver assisted with CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba, a sovereign debt claim involving the Republic of Cuba and Cuba’s former central bank which raised questions of both English and Cuban law concerning the assignment of the underlying debt.

Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing

Oliver’s recent instructions include:

  • Magomedov v TPG & ors. Acting for PJSC Transneft (with Graham Dunning KC and Tom Ford) in its successful jurisdiction challenge in respect of a US$14bn conspiracy claim. Other interlocutory issues included fortification provided under a notification injunction, anti-anti-suit injunctive relief, amendments and security for costs.
  • Bourlakova v Bourlakov & ors. Acting for the principal defendants/counterclaimants (with Alan Gourgey KC, Anton Dudnikov KC and Josh Crow) in a multi-jurisdictional dispute involving multiple allegations of fraud relating to the ownership of assets worth in excess of US$1 billion.

Oliver is also acting (with James Sheehan KC) in Beograd Innovation Ltd v Somovidis, a Commercial Court dispute over the enforcement of a Russian judgment, and he has advised on issues relating to the enforcement of judgments obtained in Russia.

During pupillage Oliver assisted with several issues arising in the context of civil fraud claims, including cases such as:

  • PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints
  • Gorbachev v Guriev
  • Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC v Al Sari
  • Invest Bank v El-Husseini
  • Okuashvili v Ivanishvili
  • Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Plc v Vallis Commodites Limited

Oliver also gained experience of various kinds of ancillary proceeding in the Commercial Court commonly arising in this context, including WFOs, contempt of court and committal proceedings (Heritage Travel v Windhorst), jurisdiction challenges (CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba; Okuashvili v Ivanishvili) and post-judgment ancillary and enforcement proceedings (Part 71 orders and applications for recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards).

Commercial dispute resolution

Oliver’s current and recent cases include:

  • Magomedov v TPG & ors. Dispute in the Commercial Court relating to a US$14bn conspiracy claim. Oliver acts for PJSC Transneft whose jurisdiction challenge was upheld in January 2025: see [2025] EWHC 59 (Comm). Other interlocutory issues included fortification provided under a notification injunction, anti-anti-suit injunctive relief, amendments and security for costs.
  • Beograd Innovation Ltd v Somovidis. Commercial Court dispute over the enforcement of a Russian judgment, involving a jurisdiction challenge raising issues of cross-border insolvency.
  • Bourlakova v Bourlakov & ors. Chancery Court proceedings in a multi-jurisdictional dispute involving multiple allegations of fraud relating to the ownership of assets worth in excess of US$1 billion.
  • Advising in relation to the enforcement of a Russian judgment in England.
  • Advising in relation to the enforcement of an arbitral award and the scope of an arbitration clause.
  • Various Covid-19 BI insurance claims.

During pupillage Oliver assisted with a number of commercial disputes, including:

  • CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba
  • PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints
  • Gorbachev v Guriev
  • Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC v Al Sari
  • Invest Bank v El-Husseini
  • Okuashvili v Ivanishvili
  • Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Plc v Vallis Commodities Limited
  • Advising on a potential claim for breach of an obligation to issue shares, where Russian sanctions were said to have prevented performance

Oliver also gained experience of various kinds of interim application in the Commercial Court (including WFOs and anti-suit injunctions), contempt of court and committal proceedings (Heritage Travel v Windhorst), jurisdiction challenges (CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba; Okuashvili v Ivanishvili) and post-judgment ancillary and enforcement proceedings (Part 71 orders and applications for recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards).

Company & Insolvency Law

Oliver acts in Beograd Innovation Ltd v Somovidis, a Commercial Court dispute over the enforcement of a Russian judgment involving a jurisdiction challenge raising issues of cross-border insolvency.

Conflict of laws & private international law

Oliver has worked in a number of cases involving issues of private international law and the application of foreign law, including:

  • Beograd Innovation Ltd v Somovidis, involving a jurisdiction challenge concerning issues of cross-border insolvency and Russian bankruptcy law.
  • Magomedov v TPG & ors. Oliver appeared in PJSC Transneft’s jurisdiction challenge, which raised various issues of Russian law and the conflict of laws. Oliver also appeared in an anti-anti-suit injunction application raising issues concerning Article 248.2 of the Arbitrazh Procedural Code.
  • Bourlakova v Bourlakov & ors, involving various issues of foreign law (including Russian law, Panamanian law and Monegasque law).

During pupillage Oliver assisted with several cases involving issues of private international law, including:

  • CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba, a jurisdiction challenge raising various issues of the English conflict of laws and involving the application of Cuban law
  • Ebury Partners Belgium SA v Technical Touch BV, an application for mandatory anti-suit injunctive relief seeking the discontinuance of proceedings brought in breach of contract in an EU member state
  • Invest Bank v El-Husseini (enforceability of judgments obtained in the UAE)
  • Okuashvili v Ivanisvhili (jurisdiction challenge)
Employment

Before pupillage Oliver volunteered for FRU and RCJ Citizens Advice, in which capacity he advised on claims of unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal and appeared remotely before the Employment Tribunal in a preliminary hearing.

Energy & natural resources

During pupillage Oliver assisted with a number of commercial disputes in this area, including an advice regarding a dispute over pre-emption rights in the context of a major transnational pipeline and an advice regarding cross-default provisions in contracts for the transportation of oil.