Practice

Honor will join Chambers in October 2023 following the completion of her pupillage under the supervision of Alexander Cook KC, Tiran Nersessian, Donald Lilly and James Knott. She will accept instructions across the full spectrum of work undertaken by Chambers, including commercial litigation, company law, insolvency, banking & financial services, and civil fraud.

Before coming to the Bar, Honor read English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford, where she won several awards. She also completed internships with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Allen & Overy, and worked as a Research Assistant to members of Brick Court Chambers. In that role, she assisted on a variety of commercial and public law cases, including the high-profile challenge on behalf of asylum seekers to their deportation to Rwanda.

Honor will accept instructions as sole counsel or as part of a team, and is comfortable acting in cases across Chambers’ specialisms, including in both the High Court and County Courts.

Notable cases on which she worked as a pupil include:

  • Civil fraud: Byers v Saudi National Bank: Honor assisted James Knott (led by Jonathan Crow KC) in drafting the skeleton argument for the Supreme Court appeal of a claim for knowing receipt of shares worth $318m at the date of transfer. Judgment is awaited and is likely to become the leading authority on knowing receipt.
  • Commercial dispute resolution: Sian Participation Corp & Ors v Domidias Limited & Ors: Honor assisted Donald Lilly (led by Blair Leahy KC) in drafting advice on the appropriate forum for a conspiracy claim brought in the BVI, in connection with a contract claim in England. Both proceedings concern the alleged breach of option agreements over shares in a large Russian shipping company.
  • Company law: Gill v Thind: Honor assisted Donald Lilly in drafting the appellant’s skeleton argument and grounds of appeal for the upcoming Court of Appeal hearing, in an unfair prejudice petition concerning the beneficial ownership of shares in three companies.
  • Insolvency & restructuring: Re CGL Realisations Ltd (formerly Comet Group Ltd) (In Liquidation): Honor assisted Tiran Nersessian (led by Andreas Gledhill KC) in the upcoming appeal of a £100m+ preference claim arising out of the collapse of Comet, the electrical retailer.

Practice areas

Commercial dispute resolution

Honor’s experience as a pupil included the following:

  • Sian Participation Corp & Ors v Domidias Limited & Ors: Drafting advice on the appropriate forum for a conspiracy claim brought in the BVI, in connection with a contract claim in England. Both proceedings concern the alleged breach of option agreements over shares in a large Russian shipping company. (Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Blair Leahy KC).)
  • Drafting an application for a freezing injunction including the skeleton argument, application notice and draft order, in connection with a claim for unlawful means conspiracy. (Assisting James Knott (led by Andrew de Mestre KC).)
  • PJSC National Bank Trust v Mints: Assisting James Knott (led by John Machell KC) in his representation of the corporate trustee of a Cayman STAR trust, at the hearing of an application for a stay arising from the effect of Russian sanctions on conspiracy claims brought by two Russian banks. This included drafting a consent order to effect the substitution of parties.
  • Eli Lilly & Co v Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited: Drafted the skeleton argument for the defendant company’s successful resistance of a preliminary issue trial in connection with an international patent dispute. (Assisting James Knott (led by Richard Millett KC).)
Company law

Honor’s experience during pupillage covered a wide range of matters, including the following:

  • Davies v Ford: Assisting Alexander Cook KC (leading Daniel Kessler) in their successful resistance of the Respondent’s application to appeal to the Supreme Court, which involved drafting a security for costs application and the associated witness evidence. This arose from a c.£4m+ equitable compensation and dishonest breach of fiduciary duty claim concerning the diversion of a waste recycling business heard before the Court of Appeal.
  • Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy v James: Assisting Tiran Nersessian in his successful defence of the respondent director to proceedings brought by the Secretary of State under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, drafting the trial skeleton argument and cross-examination material.
  • Haider v Delma Engineering Projects Company LLC & Ors: Drafting a Part 18 Request for Further Information in relation to the second stage hearing of the claimant’s derivative claim application pursuant to s. 262 of the Companies Act 2006. This arose from an alleged trade finance fraud worth c. £242m. (Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Robert Thomas KC).)
  • Working on a number of unfair prejudice petitions brought under s. 994 of the Companies Act 2006 during her pupillage. Specific experience has included:
    • Gill v Thind: Drafting the appellant’s skeleton argument and grounds of appeal for the upcoming Court of Appeal hearing, in an unfair prejudice petition concerning the beneficial ownership of shares in three companies. (Assisting Donald Lilly).
    • Drafting an unfair prejudice petition on behalf of a founding shareholder of a sports betting company (assisting James Knott).
    • Drafting a Part 18 Request for Further Information on behalf of the defendants to an unfair prejudice petition brought by a former business partner (assisting Alexander Cook KC).
    • Assisting James Knott (led by George Bompas KC) in the defence to an unfair prejudice petition arising out of alleged breaches of a Shareholders’ Agreement.
    • Advising a prospective petitioner in connection with an international real estate business (assisting Alexander Cook KC).
  • Drafting advice on the interpretation of a pre-emption provision contained in a DIFC company’s Articles of Association and Shareholders’ Agreement. (Assisting Richard Hill KC.)
  • Assisting Albert Sampson in drafting the skeleton argument on behalf of HMRC, for the trial of a claim concerning alleged unlawful distributions of capital. This involved close analysis of the company’s accounts to resolve whether or not profits were available to make the distributions.
  • Assisting Lara Hassell-Hart in defending a claim concerning the proper ownership of company shares and alleged breaches of directors’ duties. Honor provided key assistance in the preparation for trial, including in relation to cross-examination, the trial skeleton argument, and important questions of evidence.
Fraud – civil

During pupillage, Honor has had exposure to a number of matters involving civil fraud elements, including:

  • Byers v Saudi National Bank: Drafting the skeleton argument for the Supreme Court appeal in a claim for knowing receipt of shares worth $318m at the date of transfer. Judgment is awaited and is likely to become the leading authority on knowing receipt. (Assisting James Knott (led by Jonathan Crow KC).)
  • Von Der Heydt Invest S.A. v MultiBank FX International Corporation: Assisting Alexander Cook KC (leading Guy Olliff-Cooper) in several interlocutory applications before the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, arising from a €36m claim to set aside a consent order said to have been obtained by fraud.
  • Haider v Delma Engineering Projects Company LLC & Ors: Drafting a Part 18 Request for Further Information for the Fifth Defendant in relation to an alleged trade finance fraud worth c. £242m. (Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Robert Thomas KC).)
Insolvency & restructuring

Honor has a strong grounding in insolvency matters. Her experience as a pupil included the following:

  • Re CGL Realisations Limited (in liquidation); Carton-Kelly v Darty Holdings SAS: Assisting Tiran Nersessian (led by Andreas Gledhill KC) in preparing the liquidator’s response in the upcoming appeal of a £100m+ preference claim arising out of the collapse of Comet, the electrical retailer. This included drafting a speaking note for the appeal.
  • Drafting advice as to the scope of “property” under s. 436 of the Insolvency Act 1986, for the purposes of proposed ex gratia payments to bankrupted individuals in connection with the ongoing Post Office scandal. (Assisting Tiran Nersessian.)
  • Drafting advice on the interaction between s. 125 of the Building Safety Act 2022, legislation enacted in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and the pari passu principle under the Insolvency Act 1986. (Assisting Tiran Nersessian.)
  • Drafting winding-up petitions on behalf of the petitioning creditor, relating to a c. $200m luxury property development in Bermuda. (Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Barry Isaacs KC).)
  • Assisting Alexander Cook KC in an insolvent company’s application to remove a liquidator pursuant to s. 171(2)(b) of the Insolvency Act 1986.
  • Assisting Donald Lilly in drafting advice on the proper procedure for bringing a bankruptcy petition before the court where it was not possible to effect personal service of the relevant statutory demand.
Offshore litigation

Honor’s experience as a pupil contained a number of offshore elements, including the following:

  • Von Der Heydt Invest S.A. v MultiBank FX International Corporation: Assisting Alexander Cook KC (leading Guy Olliff-Cooper) in several interlocutory applications before the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, arising from a €36m claim to set aside a consent order said to have been obtained by fraud.
  • Sian Participation Corp & Ors v Domidias Limited & Ors: Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Blair Leahy KC) in drafting advice on the appropriate forum for a conspiracy claim brought in the BVI, in connection with a contract claim in England. Both proceedings concern the alleged breach of option agreements over shares in a large Russian shipping company.
  • Drafting advice on the interpretation of a pre-emption provision contained in a DIFC company’s Articles of Association and Shareholders’ Agreement. (Assisting Richard Hill KC.)
  • Drafting winding-up petitions on behalf of the petitioning creditor, relating to a c. $200m luxury property development in Bermuda. (Assisting Donald Lilly (led by Barry Isaacs KC).)
POCA work & asset forfeiture

Honor’s experience as a pupil included the following:

  • SFO v Karimova: Drafting witness evidence as part of the Serious Fraud Office’s application for a management receivership order over a £22m property portfolio alleged to represent the proceeds of millions of dollars in bribes. (Assisting Alexander Cook KC (led by Andrew Sutcliffe KC).)
  • Assisting Alexander Cook KC in his preparation for the trial of an application brought under s. 298 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA), in which HMRC sought the forfeiture of £200,000 in cash.
  • Drafting advice on the application of s. 32(1) of the Limitation Act 1980 to civil recovery proceedings brought under Part V of POCA. (Assisting Alexander Cook KC.)
  • Drafting the skeleton argument for a disclosure order application under s. 357 of POCA. (Assisting Alexander Cook KC (leading Elizabeth Walsh).)

Additional info

Education & Awards

Education
BVS, City Law School (Merit) (2022)
GDL, City Law School (Distinction) (2021)
BA English Language and Literature, Christ Church, Oxford (First Class) (2020)

Scholarships and Prizes
Scholarship for Academic Excellence, City Law School (2021)
Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2021)
Winner, Inner Temple Inter-Varsity Moot (2021)
Lord Haldane Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2020)
Final Honours School Book Prize, Christ Church, Oxford (2020)
E.T. Warner Prize, Christ Church, Oxford (2019)
Academic Exhibition, Christ Church, Oxford (2019)

Memberships
Chancery Bar Association
COMBAR

Publications

Dr Chintan Chandrachud and Honor Brocklebank-Fowler, ‘Reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement’ in Shashank Garg (ed), Arbitrator’s Handbook (LexisNexis 2022)