Professional practice

Oliver completed his pupillage in September 2023. He is now developing a broad commercial litigation and arbitration practice in line with Chambers’ profile.

Notable cases with which Oliver assisted during pupillage include:

  • A sovereign debt claim involving the Republic of Cuba and Cuba’s former central bank: CRF I Limited v Banco Nacional de Cuba [2023] EWHC 774 (Comm)
  • Contempt proceedings arising out of breaches of CPR 71 orders: Heritage Travel and Tourism Ltd v Windhorst
  • Commercial Court proceedings concerning the effect of the Russian sanctions regime on litigation in this jurisdiction and, in particular, the right of access to justice: PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints [2023] EWHC 118 (Comm)
  • Mandatory anti-suit injunctive relief requiring the discontinuance of proceedings brought in an EU member state: Ebury Partners Belgium SA v Technical Touch BV [2022] EWHC 2927 (Comm)

Before coming to the Bar, Oliver obtained a PhD in English at the University of Cambridge, where he also took his undergraduate and MPhil degrees. For several years he also worked as a boxing writer, in which capacity he was the lead writer on several TV shows (including the Emmy Award-winning “All Access: Mayweather-Alvarez”).

Following his PhD, Oliver took the GDL at City, University of London, where he obtained a Distinction and received the Serle Court Prize for the joint highest mark in his year in Equity and Trusts. He was a Princess Royal Scholar at Inner Temple.

 

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

2021-2022: BVS City, University of London

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Oliver has since been instructed as Tribunal Secretary in a six-week multi-party arbitration being conducted under the LCIA Rules listed to take place in January and February 2024.

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

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, jurisdiction challenges, and post-judgment enforcement proceedings (Part 71 orders and applications for recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards).

Commercial dispute resolution

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).

Conflict of laws & private international 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.