Stephen Nathan KC has a broad practice including many areas of commercial and company law whether it is litigation, advisory or acting as an arbitrator or counsel in domestic and international arbitrations. Civil Fraud and Media & Entertainment are other key areas of his practice. Stephen's extensive knowledge of business practice is brought to bear in his mediation work and he is a qualified CEDR Mediator.

Stephen was named The Lawyer's 'Barrister of the Week' in July 2020. Recently, he has advised the Government extensively in relation to Defamation and Data Protection issues.

Stephen has given evidence as an expert on English commercial law and company in an action in Denver, Colorado, over control of a corporation and claims of fraud against a director/shareholder.

Experience

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Arbitration

Stephen has acted as Counsel and arbitrator in ad hoc and institutional commercial arbitrations, under (inter alia) ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, LMAA and LME rules and has been involved in English High Court litigation under the Arbitration Act 1996. In 2009, he was a guest speaker at the Inaugural Brunei International Arbitration Conference; in 2012 he was a guest speaker at the RAIF Conference on International Arbitration, Bali. In 2017 and 2018, he was a guest speaker at the IPBA Annual Conference.

Cases

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Commercial

Stephen has a diverse practice covering many areas of commercial and company litigation, including private and public international law, arbitration work both as counsel and as arbitrator. His clients range from individuals to large multi-national corporations, as well as the UK and foreign governments. He acts as a litigator as well as in an advisory role. The issues covered by his practice also engage a wide range of human rights and EU law.

Stephen was Counsel for the Iraqi Government in the longest-running case in the English Commercial Court (Kuwait Airways v Iraqi Airways).

As an indication of the breadth of Stephen’s practice, set out below is some of the litigation in which he has acted:

Cases

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Media & Entertainment

Landmark case: Stephen acted for Imperial Tobacco in the landmark decision in the House of Lords in Imperial Tobacco v Attorney General over the issue as to what constitutes a lawful lottery and competition.

Since then, he has regularly advised in respect of a very large number of lotteries, gaming and promotional schemes Stephen’s clients have come from both sides of “the street”, i.e. the Lottery Commission (previously the Director of Lotteries) as well as numerous major UK corporations.

Stephen acted as a libel reader for the Observer newspaper for 15 years.

Recently, he has advised the Government extensively in relation to Defamation and Data Protection issues.

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Mediation

Stephen has been able to bring his extensive knowledge of business practices in the commercial sphere to the disputes in which he has mediated. These have involved banking and commodity contracts, professional services, shipping and partnership disputes and resolution of media disputes.

He understands the process of mediation from both points of view as he has also acted as Counsel assisting/advising one of the parties in various mediations.

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Construction Law

Stephen has considerable experience acting in construction law disputes.

Stephen acted as Counsel for the UK Government over several years in respect of a number of claims concerning the design and construction of hospitals.

He has also acted as the defendants’ Counsel for a number of UK insurers in various architects’ negligence claims and arbitrations.

Stephen is currently acting as Counsel in relation to two arbitrations concerning major international construction work in South East Asia.

His advisory work has included:

  • Advising the owners of a South East Asian power station over their contractual rights under an international coal-supply contract
  • Advising a leading UK car dealer over its dealership and service-agency contract with the car manufacturer/distributor.
  • Advising a foreign insurance company on the negligence of its solicitors.
  • Advising a bank on the terms of its mortgage and guarantee contracts.
  • Advising a UK statutory body on a major commercial contract.
  • Advising the Organised Crime Division of the CPS on aspects of money-laundering applications.
  • Advising HMRC on excise-duty issues arising from the fraudulent diversion of consignments of duty-suspended spirts and beer.
  • Advising a foreign government on cross-border insolvency in Europe.
  • Advising a firm of solicitors in respect of their rights to membership of UK Mortgage Lenders Solicitors’ Panels.
  • Advising a hedge fund partnership on its contract terms for its public offering.
  • Advising the Royal Library of Denmark on its claims against auction houses and thieves over the theft of £1m-worth of books.
  • Stephen has acted for, and advised, a number of Arabic banks over various banking activities and contracts (including Habib Bank, Saudi American Bank, Banque du Caire and HSBC Bank of the Middle East. Trade Bank of Iraq, Rafidain Bank and Al Rasheed Bank).

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Civil Fraud, Asset Recovery & Injunctive Relief

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Achievements

Education

Scholarship

  • Astbury Scholarship (Middle Temple)

Publications

  • Stephen is one of the co-authors of ‘Employee Competition’, Oxford University Press (3rd Ed 2016). 
  • ‘Interest on Costs’ published by Solicitors' Journal 

Appointments

  • Bencher of Middle Temple (July 2005 to date).
  • Chairman of the London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association 2010 and 2011.
  • Council member of the Bar Council of England and Wales 2010 and 2011.
  • Formerly a part-time Crown Court Recorder for 15 years.

Memberships

  • International Council for Commercial Arbitration
  • London Court of International Arbitration
  • Inter Pacific Bar Association
  • Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • London Common Law and Commercial Law Bar Association
  • Bar Council of England and Wales
  • COMBAR
  • Bar European Group
  • CEDR Exchange

Other Professional Experience

  • Stephen is a qualified CEDR Mediator

Other Commercial cases include:

  • Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation v Wall Street Journal (Europe)
  • Castlecare Group Ltd v MacKenzie and Others
  • Daura v HMRC
  • Tri-Q Group v Learoyd Group and API Group
  • Iraqi Mine Action Services & Humanitarian Consultancy Co. Limited (Jordan) v Bactec International Limited
  • Al Hashemite Corp. (Iraq) v NMS Sec-Com Limited
  • Oxus Gold plc v Templeton Insurance Ltd and Knox D’Arcy Investment Management Ltd
  • Al Fayed v Emanouel Antiques
  • Mohammed v Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East
  • HS Weavers Ltd v Drivers and others
  • Trendtex Trading Corporation v Credit Suisse

Other Civil Fraud cases include:

  • Anselm v Anselm
  • HS Weavers v Drivers and others
  • Cross v Wordplex
  • Brennan v Alpert
  • Littlewoods Organisation v Virage Ltd and Leese
  • Iraq v Al-Shawi

Mediation and ADR

Stephen has been able to bring his extensive knowledge of business practices in the commercial sphere to the disputes in which he has mediated. These have involved banking and commodity contracts, professional services, shipping and partnership disputes and resolution of media disputes.

He understands the process of mediation from both points of view as he has also acted as Counsel assisting/advising one of the parties in various mediations.

Other relevant experience

Publications:

  • Stephen is one of the co-authors of ‘Employee Competition’, Oxford University Press (3rd Ed 2016).

VAT registration number: 244207193

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+44 (0)207 5831770

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