Alternative Dispute Resolution

Edward has represented clients as sole counsel, co-counsel, and as part of a large legal team in ICC and HKIAC arbitration proceedings in London and Hong Kong.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting in multi-million-dollar ICC arbitration proceedings concerning a joint venture engaged in the construction of public infrastructure in Nigeria.
• Acting in high-value ICC arbitration proceedings requiring detailed analysis of a joint operating agreement and technical geological evidence in relation to a dispute about the development of certain oilfields in central Asia.
• Acting in multi-million-dollar HKIAC mediation and arbitration proceedings concerning the breakdown in a relationship between joint venturers seeking to exploit certain television programmes in mainland China.

Civil Fraud & Asset Recovery

Edward accepts instructions in Civil Fraud & Asset Recovery matters.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting for over 200 investors who lost money in an allegedly fraudulent investment scheme in their claim against a leading firm of solicitors (led by Thomas Munby). The claim engages with the doctrines of deceit, unlawful means conspiracy, joint tortfeasorship, dishonest assistance, and resulting and constructive trusts.
• Acting in proceedings concerning the measure of damages payable for claims in deceit and dishonest assistance in relation to various classic-car transactions (led by Gregory Banner QC).  
• Acting in proceedings concerning an aborted property transaction in North-West London, involving issues relating to bribery and the law of agency (led by David Mumford QC).

Commercial Disputes

Edward has developed experience in domestic and international commercial disputes covering a wide range of business sectors.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting in expedited proceedings for certain former members of the Sex Pistols in their claim against John Lydon (also known as “Johnny Rotten”), by which they seek to ensure that the band’s music can be used in a miniseries on the band, which is currently in production and being directed by Danny Boyle (led by Edmund Cullen QC).
• Acting as sole counsel for an aircraft owner seeking to recover millions of dollars in unpaid rent from certain Chinese airlines.
• Acting for a housebuilder seeking to procure the transfer of property under an option agreement with a landowner in the face of allegations of lack of capacity on the part of the latter and unconscionable dealing (led by Thomas Grant QC).
• Advising a mining company on its claim to recover a multi-million dollar loan from various international defendants.
• Acting in proceedings relating to the fallout from a successful claim in Turkey by a Turkish creditor of a Kazakh bank that had previously sought to manage its debts through a restructuring process in Kazakhstan (led by Dominic Chambers QC).
• Acting as sole counsel for a claimant suing its IT service provider after having been the victim of a ransomware attack.

Company, Partnerships & LLPs

Edward accepts instructions in Company, Partnership & LLP matters.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting for members of Culture Club (George O’Dowd (pka Boy George), Mikey Craig, and Roy Hay) against former drummer, Jon Moss, in a partnership dispute concerning the fallout from the latter’s departure from the band (led by Edmund Cullen QC).
• Acting as sole counsel in a dispute regarding the legal and beneficial ownership of certain shareholdings in an English company.
• Assisting Paul Girolami QC on an application for permission to appeal to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in respect of a claim involving breach of directors’ duties.
• Assisting Christopher Pymont QC in relation to an application by the Ontario Securities Commission in the Supreme Court of the Bahamas.
• Assisting David Mumford QC in relation to a claim to recover allegedly unlawful dividend distributions in order to satisfy potential indemnity liabilities arising out of environmental contamination in the USA.

Prior to the UK’s departure from the European Union, Edward was also regularly instructed to act for companies seeking to complete cross-border mergers under The Companies (Cross-Border Mergers) Regulations 2007.

Insolvency & Restructuring

Edward accepts intstructions relating to Insolvency & Restructuring matters.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting as sole counsel for the liquidators of a medical equipment company on an application under s.236 of the Insolvency Act 1986 in circumstances where it was understood that millions of pounds of investors’ funds had gone astray.
• Advising a Pro14 rugby union side in relation to claims by the liquidators of a kit-supplier.
• Acting for officeholders resisting an application by former directors of a company for further information in the context of an application by the officeholders for relief under ss.212 and 238 / 239 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

Edward has also received many instructions on matters relating to winding-up and bankruptcy petitions, statutory demands, and liability orders.

Media & Entertainment

Edward is developing his Media & Entertainment practice, having recently been instructed on three cases involving high-profile music artists as set out below.

• Acting for members of Culture Club (George O’Dowd (pka Boy George), Mikey Craig, and Roy Hay) against former drummer, Jon Moss, in a partnership dispute concerning the fallout from the latter’s departure from the band (led by Edmund Cullen QC).
• Acting in expedited proceedings for certain former members of the Sex Pistols in their claim against John Lydon (also known as “Johnny Rotten”), by which they seek to ensure that the band’s music can be used in a miniseries on the band, which is currently in production and being directed by Danny Boyle (led by Edmund Cullen QC).
• Acting for Warner Chappell Music against the estate of the artist known as Prince in relation to the enforcement of an Italian copyright injunction prohibiting the use of the hit song “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (led by Edmund Cullen QC).
• Advising a UK publishing house in relation to a copyright claim brought by a photographer regarding certain images of a famous popular singing group.

Real Estate

Edward accepts instructions in Real Estate matters.

Edward’s notable cases in this area include:

• Acting for a housebuilder seeking to procure the transfer of property under an option agreement with a landowner in the face of allegations of lack of capacity on the part of the latter and unconscionable dealing (led by Thomas Grant QC).
• Advising a water company in relation to a potential claim against a homeowner whose domestic oil tank had leaked and risked polluting the local water supply.
• Advising a sports club in southwest London as to whether an occupant of property occupied as a tenant or as a licensee.

Edward has also received many instructions to act in possession and charging-order hearings