Nick specialises in the resolution of complex commercial disputes often with a significant international element, representing clients in both High Court litigation and arbitration (LCIA, ICC, AAA, LME, WIPO) as well as in ADR processes including mediation and early neutral evaluation.
Nick is fluent in German and French.
Expertise
- High Court commercial litigation
- International commercial arbitration (LCIA, ICC, AAA)
- Direct and indirect tax litigation
- Shareholder, partnership and directors disputes
- Founders disputes
- IT disputes
- Joint venture disputes
- Crypto and blockchain disputes
- Data protection
- Financial services
- Sanctions
- Bribery Act
- ADR
Experience
General
- Represented a CEO accused of inducing a breach of a $66m joint venture agreement.
- Represented a disruptive tech startup accused of inducing breach of contract.
- Advised on a multimillion-pound blockchain healthcare startup founders dispute.
- Represented a political party in high-profile ICO investigation (Operation Cederberg) into political parties’ use of data analytics and potential breaches of the Data Protection Act.
- Represented the Labour Party in relation to a challenge to the suspension of Chris Williamson MP from the Labour Party: [2019] EWHC 2639 (QB).
- Advised on a £50 million dispute with HMRC in relation to recovery of unpaid capital allowances.
- Advised on various mediated settlements with HMRC.
- Advised on a $16 million arbitration relating to a repudiatory breach claim against a private equity owner of a number of shopping centres.
- Advised on a shareholder dispute for Edwardian Hotel Group.
- Advised on an LLP dispute for an AI-driven hedge fund.
- Advised on various matters arising out of the insolvency of Gable Insurance AG.
Energy & Natural Resources
- Advised on a $1.67 billion oil and gas dispute relating to ownership of oilfields in Kurdistan: Excalibur v Texas Keystone & Others [2013] EWHC 2767 (Comm).
- Advised on a $12 million LCIA arbitration against a major listed oil and gas company.
- Advised on a breach of directors’ duties claim against an AIM listed oil and gas company.
- Advised on an unfair prejudice claim for a minority shareholder in a gold trading company.
- Advised on a $1 billion LCIA arbitration JOA dispute relating to non-payment of cash calls and potential forfeiture of interests in a number of Algerian oil and gas fields. Settled on confidential terms.
Financial Services
- Advised on a confidential dispute between a fund management group and their seed investor as to whether a revenue sharing payment hurdle had been met.
- Acted for Central European Financial Services group on the enforcement of non-performing loans.
- Advised various clients both corporate and individual on claims for the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products.
- Advised on a confidential dispute relating to failure to execute Swiss Franc stop loss orders when Swiss Central Bank removed euro currency peg.
- Advised on a claim for reimbursement of settlement monies paid out by a bank to Izodia, a software company defrauded by Dr Gerald Smith.
- Advised on a claim by a high-profile industry executive for a repudiatory breach of service contract for failure to confirm and pay bonus entitlement within parameters of the bonus scheme and claim for accelerated payment of sums due under a long term incentive plan (“LTIP”).
Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets
- Advised on a multimillion-pound dispute between the founders of a blockchain healthcare startup.
- Advised on the recovery of a significant cryptocurrency fraud.
- Advised on a cryptocurrency push payment fraud.
- Advised on a dispute surrounding NFT in game purchases.
Germany
- Acted on successful resolution of Commercial Agents Regulations dispute for Mittelstand exporter of high tech manufacturing machinery
- Acted for significant German automotive parts manufacturer on various supply chain disputes including force majeure issues arising out of Covid 19
- Acted for German manufacturing company on resolution of software ransom preventing operation of a production line
- Advised hedge fund on claim against German bank in relation to losses arising out of alleged failure by the bank to exercise a stop loss order
- Advised fund management group on dispute with seed investor as to whether revenue sharing payment hurdle met
- Acted for Austrian bank RZB on fraudulent misrepresentation claim against RBS in relation to a syndicated loan to Enron: Raiffeisen Bank v RBS [2010] EWHC 1392 Comm.
- Acted on the successful resolution of a Commercial Agents Regulations dispute for Mittelstand exporter of high-tech manufacturing machinery.
- Acted for a significant German automotive parts manufacturer on various supply chain disputes including force majeure issues arising out of Covid-19.
- Acted for a German manufacturing company on resolution of a software ransom preventing operation of a production line.
- Advised a hedge fund on a claim against a German bank in relation to losses arising out of alleged failure by the bank to exercise a stop loss order.
- Advised a fund management group on a dispute with a seed investor as to whether a revenue-sharing payment hurdle was met.
- Acted for Austrian bank RZB on a fraudulent misrepresentation claim against RBS in relation to a syndicated loan to Enron: Raiffeisen Bank v RBS [2010] EWHC 1392 Comm.
Africa
- Acted for an African diamond mining company in a claim for wrongful death of an English employee further to an attack on a diamond mine in Angola.
- Acted for a listed oil and gas exploration company in a $1 billion joint operating agreement dispute relating to North African oil and gas assets.
- Advised foreign shareholders in a nationalised African bank on possible claims against the relevant African government.
- Acted for a listed junior mining company in a dispute relating to threatened termination of its mining licence in a Southern African state.
- Acted for a listed oil and gas exploration company in an LCIA arbitration pertaining to a failed seismic survey.
- Drafted anti-bribery and corruption policies for various junior mining, and oil and gas, exploration and production companies.
India
- Acted for the directors of a significant Indian-owned hotel chain in relation to a shareholder dispute amongst the owner family.
- Acted for a minority shareholder in an unfair prejudice claim pertaining to corporate ownership of a high-value UK property portfolio.
- Acted for the directors of a significant Indian-owned hotel chain on a trust dispute pertaining to ownership of a foreign hotel portfolio.
- Acted for an ultra-high-net-worth Indian businessman on recovery of funds from a failed investment scheme.
- Advised an Indian pharmaceutical company on recovery of funds further to an advanced push payment fraud.
Recognition
Recognised by the Legal 500 2024 for Dispute Resolution
Leading member of the Legal Business Dispute Resolution Team of the Year 2014 for a $1.65 billion oil and gas claim
Leading member of The Lawyer Litigation Team of the Year 2014 for a $1.65 billion oil and gas claim
“Nick is an extremely good litigation strategist, has an agile mind and is supremely effective at batting away opponent solicitors’ correspondence.” The Legal 500
Career
Nick qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law, he worked at the following firms:
- Blaser Mills
- Greenwoods GRM
- Memery Crystal
- McGrigors (now part of Pinsent Masons)
- SJ Berwin