Andrew practices in all areas of commercial law, particularly financial services, professional negligence, civil fraud, insurance and media and entertainment. He is a member of the Executive Committee of COMBAR and a member of the Bar Council’s Legal Services Committee from 2001 until 2017, representing the profession on the government’s Public Legal Education taskforce. He was a founder member of the Bar Council’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee. He was the Chairman of Trustees of the Tower-Hamlets based charity, Spitalfields City Farm from 2009 until 2017.

Andrew is recognised as a leading silk in the latest editions of both the leading legal directories, Chambers UK and Legal 500. His areas of practice that feature are; banking and finance, commercial litigation, financial services, civil fraud, professional discipline and regulatory and professional negligence. Recent comments include:

  • "Extremely clever, fantastic with clients and very compelling on his feet. He’s a big hitter and always great fun to work with."- Legal 500, 2023
  • "He was 100% on top of the detail of the case, as well as the wider strategy. His advocacy was excellent." -Chambers UK, 2023
  • "He is an amazing strategist and tactician." -Chambers UK, 2023

Previous comments include:

  • "He's extremely clever, very likeable and approachable." "He's extremely clever, very likeable and approachable."- Chambers UK
  • "Fantastic in this area, one of the best Silks and always a delight to deal with."- Legal 500

Experience

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Commercial

Andrew has an extensive commercial practice, regularly appearing in substantial commercial litigation before the Court. Within this field Andrew’s practice incorporates the specialist areas of Professional Negligence, Insurance and Reinsurance, Civil Fraud and Financial Services as well as more general commercial disciplines such as breach of contract, sale of goods, and conflicts of laws. 

Andrew has acted in professional negligence cases concerning surveyors, architects, solicitors, barristers, actuaries and insurance brokers. He has also acted in a number of disputes involving allegations of professional negligence against Independent Financial Advisers arising out of the mis-selling of pensions, mortgages and investment products. Andrew acted for 3 1/2 years on the high-profile fraud case arising out of multi-billion-dollar investments made by the Libyan Investment Authority with the French bank, Societe Generale.  He has regularly acted for and against regulators in the insurance and reinsurance sphere, in  disciplinary cases involving, for example,  allegations of mis-selling, accountancy fraud and actuarial negligence.

Andrew has particular experience in the field of insurance and reinsurance having been instructed for the first 8 years of his career in multi-party insurance  litigation involving an explosion in an American copper smelter. He subsequently acted as the senior counsel in FCA investigations into Equitable Life and Independent Insurance Company and has recently acted for the Financial Reporting Council in substantial investigations involving allegations of accountancy and actuarial misconduct.

Cases

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Financial Services & Banking

Andrew has considerable expertise in the areas of financial services and City regulation acting both for and against the Financial Services (now Financial Conduct) Authority (FSA) including in hearings before the Regulatory Disciplinary Committee (RDC) of the FSA. He has also acted for and against the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in disciplinary cases involving accountants and actuaries and in proceedings brought by the Takeover Panel.

Andrew appeared in the first ever RDC hearing, the first ever hearing in the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal, and the first market abuse trial to be heard by that Tribunal.  He also appeared in the first Tribunal hearing before the Qatar Financial Services Tribunal and the first substantive hearing before the Dubai Financial Services Tribunal.

Andrew has successfully defended cases before the RDC relating to alleged senior management negligence, benchmark (LIBOR) manipulation, inside dealing and retail misconduct in selling and advising.


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Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

Andrew practises extensively in civil fraud. He is currently instructed for the Claimants in a US$250m fraud claim arising out of the acquisition of a pharmaceutical company. Between 2014 and 2017 he acted for the Libyan Investment Authority in their substantial fraud and corruption claim arising out of multi-billion dollar investments made with the French bank, Societe Generale during the Gaddafi era. He has previously acted in relation to allegations of misconduct and intimidation brought by Boris Berezovsky against Roman Abramovich and conducted the successful defence of a 6-month trial involving solicitors from Collyer Bristow accused of acting dishonestly in connection with a financial promotion.

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Professional Negligence

Andrew practises extensively in professional negligence . His work has involved cases involving allegations against solicitors, barristers, architects, accountants, actuaries, surveyors, company directors and bankers. He is particularly experienced in acting in disciplinary and regulatory cases involving allegations of professional negligence, often acting for individuals and entities defending parallel regulatory and disciplinary cases brought by, for example, the Financial Conduct Authority and/or Financial Reporting Council.

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Professional Discipline

Andrew practises extensively in professional discipline, particularly in the financial sector where he regularly acts for and against regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority and Financial Reporting Council.

Andrew appeared in the first ever RDC hearing, the first ever hearing in the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal, and the first market abuse trial to be heard by that Tribunal. He is currently instructed in a number of cases acting for individuals accused of insider dealings or other forms of market abuse and in a 6-week Tribunal hearing in which the FCA seeks to impose the largest fine ever imposed on an individual.  He also appeared in the first Tribunal hearing before the Qatar Financial Services Tribunal and the first substantive hearing before the Dubai Financial Services Tribunal.

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Arbitration

Andrew has substantial arbitration experience acting in domestic and international arbitrations relating to American hurricane insurance coverage, joint venture arrangements in a luxury Caribbean holiday resort, academic publishing and multi-million pound commodity trading.

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Insurance & Reinsurance

Andrew has particular experience in the field of insurance and reinsurance having been instructed for the first 8 years of his career in multi-party insurance  litigation involving an explosion in an American copper smelter. He subsequently acted as the senior counsel in FCA investigations into Equitable Life and Independent Insurance Company and has recently acted for the Financial Reporting Council in substantial investigations involving allegations of accountancy and actuarial misconduct.

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Achievements

Other relevant information

Andrew has worked extensively in Europe and America as a speech and advocacy trainer. He was the world’s top-ranked debater in 1997 and, in 1998, he was part of the first English team to win the World Debating Championship for 10 years. 

Andrew received Gray’s Inn’s top student award in each of his three student years and, in 1997, undertook a coast-to-coast mooting tour under the captaincy of Lord Justice Mummery.

Andrew’s debut poetry collection Milk Round was shortlisted for the Live Canon First Collection Prize and was subsequently published by Live Canon in 2015.

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