Leona has been practising at the bar since 2000. She acts in a very wide variety of commercial cases, with particular expertise in fraud and asset recovery. She has very extensive experience of search orders, freezing orders and other pre-emptive injunctive relief. Her practice also includes general commercial work, in particular large contractual disputes, commodities disputes and professional negligence claims. She appears regularly in the Chancery Division, Commercial Court, Queen’s Bench Division and in commercial arbitrations. Leona is Junior Counsel to the Crown (B Panel).

Leona is recognised as a leading junior in the latest editions of both the legal directories, Chambers UK and Legal 500, for her expertise in commercial litigation and civil fraud. Recent comments include:

  • "Leona is an exceptional barrister – her advocacy work is terrific, her drafting is first class, she works brilliantly with solicitor teams, and is a barrister of choice for any civil fraud dispute."- Legal 500, 2023
  • "Leona is effortlessly brilliant."- Chambers UK, 2023

Previous comments include:

  • "A sophisticated performer."- Chambers UK
  • "Quite simply fantastic – I have never come across a better senior junior in the civil fraud arena."- Legal 500

Experience

Shortlist

Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

Leona is well recognised as a leading commercial fraud junior. She has very extensive experience of obtaining freezing and search orders, and of dealing with other without notice applications, and she is experienced in managing fraud actions and trials. She also has wide experience of dealing with data theft and recovery cases.

Leona’s clients frequently include banks and large insurers. She is regularly instructed in cases involving large scale and complex mortgage frauds, bribery and corruption, employee and supplier frauds, and breach of fiduciary duty. She is recognised by Chambers UK as a leading junior in civil fraud and commercial litigation.

Cases

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Commercial

Leona has an extensive Commercial Court practice. Throughout 2015 she acted for American Sugar Holdings in a $50m contractual dispute relating to its purchase of Tate & Lyle’s European sugar business in 2010. Throughout 2012 she acted as junior counsel in Michael Cherney v Oleg Deripaska (a multi $ billion claim relating to a disputed shareholding in Rusal), as well as various other commercial cases.

Leona has also acted as counsel in confidential commercial arbitrations, in particular in relation to commodities disputes. She has experience of UNCITRAL, ICC,  LCIA and DIFC-LCIA arbitrations. She has also acted as an arbitrator in relation to two UNCITRAL arbitrations.

Leona also has extensive experience of professional negligence actions and trials, involving accountants, auditors, financial advisers, solicitors, barristers, insurance brokers and construction professionals. She is recognised by the Legal 500 as a leading professional negligence junior.

Cases

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Arbitration

Leona has extensive international commercial arbitration experience and has appeared and acted in several UNCITRAL, ICC,  LCIA, DIFC-LCIA and ad hoc arbitrations. She has particular expertise in relation to commodities disputes and has also acted as an arbitrator in relation to two UNCITRAL arbitrations. 

Cases

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Achievements

Education

MA Oxon

Appointments

Junior Counsel to the Crown (B Panel).

Memberships

  • COMBAR
  • PNLA

Selected earlier reported cases

Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

  • RCPO v (1) R (2) Lloyds TSB Plc (Admin) [2007] EWHC 2393 
  • K Limited v National Westminster Bank [2007] 1 WLR 311; [2006] 4 All ER 907; [2006] 2 Lloyd's Rep 569 
  • EFT v SS for Home Department & ors [2006] 1 WLR 1316; [2006] 4 All ER 285; [2006] ACD 8 

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