Professional practice
Sebastian is developing a broad commercial practice in line with Chambers’ profile. During pupillage, he gained experience in a wide range of practice areas including commercial litigation, arbitration and related proceedings, conflict of laws, civil fraud and energy work.
Recent highlights include:
- Assisting Tom Ford with advice and drafting in a dispute concerning share options granted in relation to the sale of a major telecommunications group (Kinsella v Emasan AG).
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with drafting pleadings in an ICC commodities arbitration.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice on the merits of potential claims in negligence and misrepresentation against a bank arising out of an alleged advisory duty.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers in respect of an appeal against a Bermuda judgment involving claims in negligence and fraud against a bank.
Prior to coming to the Bar, Sebastian read undergraduate law at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated fourth in his year and obtained top-of-class prizes in conflict of laws and commercial law. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law with Distinction from the University of Oxford and an LLM from Harvard Law School.
Sebastian speaks fluent French and Dutch.
- Career
2022: Tenant at Essex Court Chambers
2021-2022: Pupil at Essex Court Chambers (supervised by Tom Ford)
2021: Called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn
- Education
2019-2020: LLM, Harvard Law School
2018-2019: Bachelor of Civil Law (Distinction), University of Oxford
2016-2017: Erasmus, Universiteit Utrecht
2014-2018: Bachelor of Arts in Law (First Class, 4th in year), University of Cambridge
- Awards
2020: Lord Denning Scholar
2019: Belgian American Education Foundation Fellow
2019: Monckton Chambers Prize for highest mark in Competition Law
2018: Fountain Court Chambers Scholar
2018: Herbert Smith Freehills Prize for highest mark in Conflict of Laws
2018: Norton Rose Fulbright Prize for highest mark in Commercial Law
2018: Bateman Scholar
- Arbitration & related court applications
Sebastian has experience of matters relating to commercial arbitrations and related court applications, including challenges to awards under sections 67 and 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996. During pupilage, he assisted a Member of Chambers in respect of an international commercial arbitration under ICC rules.
- Banking & financial services
Sebastian has experienced a number of banking and financial services disputes:
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice on the merits of potential claims in negligence and misrepresentation against a bank arising out an alleged advisory duty.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers in respect of an appeal against a Bermuda judgment involving claims in negligence and fraud against a bank.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice in respect of the scope and effect of a non-assignment clause in the context of disposals of distressed debt.
- Civil Fraud & Asset Tracing
During pupillage, Sebastian assisted in a number of civil fraud matters:
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with drafting amendments to statements of case and resisting summary judgement in a bribery claim.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice in respect of the postponement of limitation under section 32 of the Limitations Act 1980 in the context of a dishonest assistance claim.
He also drafted statements of case in a misrepresentation claim arising out of fraudulent invoicing.
- Company & Insolvency Law
During pupillage, Sebastian assisted a Member of Chambers with advice in respect of the scope of the rule against reflective loss.
- Conflict of laws & private international law
Sebastian has an interest in private international law. During pupillage, he worked on a number of cases raising jurisdictional and choice of law issues. Examples include:
- Assisting a Member of Chambers in respect of an application for an anti-arbitration injunction.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice as to the scope of the jurisdiction to stay proceedings under Brussels I Recast.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with initial advice regarding parallel proceedings in the United States for a declaration of non-liability and the merits of a potential anti-suit injunction.
- Assisting Tom Ford in respect of a dispute concerning share options granted in relation to the sale of a major telecommunications group raising issues of Swiss law (Kinsella v Emasan AG).
- European law & competition
Sebastian has an interest in EU and competition law. He came top of his year in competition law at the University of Oxford. During pupillage, Sebastian assisted Members of Chambers with advice on various EU conflict of laws instruments.
- International Trade & Transport
During pupillage, Sebastian assisted a Member of Chambers with drafting pleadings in a commodities arbitration.
- Offshore litigation
During pupillage, Sebastian was exposed to various offshore litigation matters. He worked on cases based in, and involving the laws of, Gibraltar and Bermuda.
- Professional negligence
During pupillage, Sebastian was exposed to various professional negligence matters. Examples include:
- Assisting a Member of Chambers with advice on the merits of potential claims in negligence and misrepresentation against a bank arising out an alleged advisory duty.
- Assisting a Member of Chambers in respect of an appeal against a Bermuda judgment involving claims in negligence and fraud against a bank.
He also drafted statements of case in a claim involving allegations of negligence on the part of legal advisors.
- Public international law
Sebastian has an interest in public international law, which featured strongly in his academic training. At the University of Oxford, he studied the international law of the sea and the use of force. He competed in the Telders International Law Moot in The Hague, where his team ranked second place for the applicant. Sebastian is interested in developing a practice in investor-state arbitration.
- Sport, Media, Art & Entertainment
During pupillage, Sebastian assisted a Member of Chambers with advice in respect of the scope of the regulatory powers of a sports governing body. He also drafted statements of case involving an allegation of breach of contract on the part of a professional singer.
