Dominic Howells

Acted in an arbitration at the CIArb in relation to a commercial vehicle rental agreement. 

Advised on jurisdiction, the enforceability of an arbitration agreement and the availability of anti-suit relief in relation to a dispute arising out of film financing arrangements (with Nick de Marco).

Appeared for the appellant hauliers in their challenge to a seizure decision by the Border Force.

Appeared for the second interested party in support of the respondent to an application for interim relief in the Administrative Court. The dispute concerned the implementation of CMP264/265 changes to regulated charges for electricity transmission.

Advice to the Trustee of the liquidation of Bernard Madoff’s New York corporation (BLMIS) and his personal estate in relation to recovery proceedings (assisting Pushpinder Saini QC and Robert Weekes).

Dispute concerning the sale by Nokia Corporation of the ‘Vertu’ luxury mobile phones business. The Claimant claimed that warranties were breached in the share purchase agreement and the principal sum claimed exceeds £100m. The Defendants counterclaimed, alleging amongst other things, a conspiracy to defraud (assisting Robert Weekes).

Acted for the successful claimant in High Court proceedings to recover a sum lent to finance a property development venture. The defendant was subject to a freezing order to prevent the dissipation of his assets.

Advised a construction firm in relation to a dispute over the termination of a property development joint venture (with Peter Head).

Substantial dispute over a joint venture in the power generation and distribution sector in Russia where the principal sum claimed is in excess of $800 million (assisting Robert Weekes).

Dispute concerning the sale by Nokia Corporation of the ‘Vertu’ luxury mobile phones business. The Claimant claimed that warranties were breached in the share purchase agreement and the principal sum claimed exceeds £100m. The Defendants counterclaimed, alleging amongst other things, a conspiracy to defraud (assisting Robert Weekes).

An application for committal for contempt of court arising out of breaches of a search order and freezing injunction (assisting Anthony Peto QC and Robert Weekes).

Advice to the Trustee of the liquidation of Bernard Madoff’s New York corporation (BLMIS) and his personal estate in relation to recovery proceedings (assisting Pushpinder Saini QC and Robert Weekes).

Acted for the successful claimant in High Court proceedings to recover a sum lent to finance a property development venture. The defendant was subject to a freezing order to prevent the dissipation of his assets.

Advised on jurisdiction, the enforceability of an arbitration agreement and the availability of anti-suit relief in relation to a dispute arising out of film financing arrangements (with Nick de Marco).

An application for an anti-suit injunction in arbitral proceedings, so as to restrain another party from bringing foreign court proceedings in breach of an arbitration agreement (assisting Robert Weekes).

Advice to a limited liability partnership in a dispute over the departure of a former partner who lived overseas. The case raised issues of conflict of laws, jurisdiction and the enforceability of an arbitration agreement in the partnership deed (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

Acted in an arbitration at the CIArb in relation to a commercial vehicle rental agreement. 

A dispute between a manager and a sportsman which was governed by the regulator’s compulsory arbitration regime (assisting Robert Weekes).

Advice to the regulator of an offshore financial centre on the interpretation of local employment regulations (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Advice to a limited liability partnership in a dispute over the departure of a former partner who lived overseas. The case raised issues of conflict of laws, jurisdiction and the enforceability of an arbitration agreement in the partnership deed (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

Acting for the employer to oppose an application for permission to appeal brought by the employee following unfair dismissal proceedings in the employment tribunal and EAT (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

A claim for damages and injunctive relief brought against a former employee and his new employer. The claim concerned the enforceability of garden leave and post-termination restrictive covenants and the effect of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (assisting Paul Goulding QC and Diya Sen Gupta).

Advised on a case involving a complex set of claims made by and against a former employee which raised contractual, breach of confidence and statutory employment issues (with Robert Howe QC).

Advice to an employer in relation to its policy on pay for employees returning from maternity leave (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

Advice in relation to unlawful competition by a number of former employees including breaches of post-termination restrictive covenants, misuse of confidential information and conspiracy.

Advice in relation to sanctions for breaches of anti-doping rules under the Word Anti-Doping Agency Code.

A dispute between a manager and a sportsman which was governed by the regulator’s compulsory arbitration regime (assisting Robert Weekes).

Seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority to work on the transfer of claims management regulation from the Ministry of Justice to the FCA.

An appeal against the dismissal of an application for judicial review. The claim was brought against a “skilled person” appointed under section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in connection with a scheme of redress for the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Response to the Secretary of State’s application under section 6 of the Justice and Security Act 2013. The application sought a declaration that closed material proceedings could be used to protect sensitive information about UK involvement in extraordinary rendition (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Advice to a charitable foundation on the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 with respect to discrimination on the grounds of religion and race (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

A claim concerning the legality of the intelligence services’ use of bulk personal datasets and bulk communications data (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

A claim under article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the blanket exclusion of GCHQ from disclosure obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Advice on the merits of a claim against a research company for breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 in the processing of sensitive personal data (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Advice on the merits of an appeal against a notice by the Secretary of State under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1986, depriving a person of British citizenship (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

An appeal to the Court of Appeal from Ofcom’s determination that BT should make repayments with interest in connection with overcharges for Ethernet services (assisting Tristan Jones).

Advice to the regulator of an offshore financial centre on the interpretation of local employment regulations (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Advice on a potential application for judicial review of the Legal Aid Agency’s failure to determine an appeal against its refusal of funding (assisting Ben Jaffey QC). 

Appeared for the second interested party in support of the respondent to an application for interim relief in the Administrative Court. The dispute concerned the implementation of CMP264/265 changes to regulated charges for electricity transmission.

Acted for EDF and SSE in an appeal to the CMA under section 173 of the Energy Act 2004. The case concerned the interpretation of an EU Regulation on charges for electricity transmission and the application of public law principles of regulatory consistency (with Kieron Beal QC).

Seconded to the Financial Conduct Authority to work on the transfer of claims management regulation from the Ministry of Justice to the FCA.

An appeal against the dismissal of an application for judicial review. The claim was brought against a “skilled person” appointed under section 166 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 in connection with a scheme of redress for the mis-selling of interest rate hedging products (assisting Ben Jaffey QC).

Appeared for the appellant hauliers in their challenge to a seizure decision by the Border Force.

An appeal to the Court of Appeal from Ofcom’s determination that BT should make repayments with interest in connection with overcharges for Ethernet services (assisting Tristan Jones).

Advice on the merits of a follow-on damages claim based on findings by the Competition and Markets Authority that market participants had entered into a restrictive arrangement (assisting Tristan Jones).

A follow-on damages claim in relation to the cartelisation of the automotive bearings market (assisting Tristan Jones).

Advice on jurisdiction issues under the Recast Brussels Regulation in relation to a pan-European competition damages claim (assisting Tristan Jones).

Advice to a limited liability partnership in a dispute over the departure of a former partner who lived overseas. The case raised issues of conflict of laws, jurisdiction and the enforceability of an arbitration agreement in the partnership deed (assisting Diya Sen Gupta).

A claim for damages relating to the setting of payment card interchange fees (assisting Tristan Jones).

An application for a collective proceedings order under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 (assisting Thomas de la Mare QC and Tristan Jones).

Advice on the merits of a damages claim in relation to anti-competitive pricing and bundling practices in a regulated industry (assisting Tristan Jones).