I acted for the Claimant and was successful in resisting an application for £8million security for costs in the patent case of Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

On 22 October 2021 Mr Justice Mellor handed down judgment dismissing the Defendant’s application for security for costs. He was not satisfied that the Claimant would be unable to pay the Defendant’s costs if ordered to do so. Key to the decision were the judge’s analysis of the timing of when and in what amount payments of costs might fall due in complex proceedings, and his view of the likelihood of the Claimant making a successful recovery.

The Bar Council’s Placement Scheme arranges for students from non-traditional backgrounds to spend a week in a set of chambers to experience life at the Bar. This year I hosted a fantastic student, Aisha.

Aisha wrote a blog about her experience in chambers which included an interview with me, and it won the Bar Council’s competition. It is published on the Bar Council’s website as part of its #IamtheBar campaign.

In December 2018 I was honoured to be elected a bencher of Gray’s Inn. In January 2019 I attended my first bencher’s meeting, known as “pension” and was awarded my “voice and vote”, the right to speak and take part in votes on matters of importance in the Inn.

Barristers normally object to images of gavels: they are not actually used in courts in England and Wales, but are used in news stories because people are familiar with them from American courts. However, in Gray’s Inn the Treasurer does have a gavel to use in pension meetings!

I recently helped judge a debate in HMP Pentonville between prisoners and students, run by Gray’s Inn.

I will admit to some trepidation before visiting the prison, but the experience proved fascinating and enjoyable. The debate was about whether custodial sentences of less than a year should be abolished, and there were some strongly held views!

The Vocalise scheme is clearly of huge benefit to the prisoners and demonstrates the powerful effect of education and training in prisons. I also take my hat off to the students who act as mentors to train the students how to debate. You can read more about the scheme here.

04.10.18: I have been recognised as a “Legal Influencer”  by legal website Lexology, in its legal content awards.

Apparently “the Lexology content marketing awards reward those law firms and individuals which consistently produce useful, insightful legal content for our subscribers.”

You can visit the Lexology website here.

I have an interest in wellbeing for lawyers. Practising as a lawyer can require considerable resilience and this should be recognised and supported within the profession.

I am a member of 4 New Square’s Wellbeing Committee and drafted its wellbeing policy for staff and barristers; I help organise an annual wellbeing event in Gray’s Inn; I am also Gray’s Inn’s representative on the Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group.

Its excellent website can be found here.

I assisted Nick Bacon QC in successfully acting for solicitors pursuing fees against a boxing promoter, overcoming a challenge to the assignment of Conditional Fee Agreements. I represented the solicitors successfully in the High Court on an appeal about disclosure of privileged legal advice.

I acted, with Jamie Smith QC, for a solicitor in successfully defending a claim alleging negligence in failing to contest a will. The main asset of the estate was the substantial balance of a Swiss bank account. Judgment was handed down in March 2018 by HHJ Partfitt in the Central London County Court.