LONDON & SINGAPORE Bridget Lucas QC Call Date: 1989 Silk Date: 2018 Bridget has a broad chancery and commercial practice with a particular emphasis on civil fraud, company, and insolvency law. She is regularly retained in boardroom, shareholder, joint venture and limited liability partnership disputes. She also acts in litigation arising from investments including breach of warranty and misrepresentation claims, and actions against investment managers and custodians. She acts in relation to various financial services and solicitors regulatory proceedings, including in particular insolvent law firms. Her practice also includes cross-border merger applications, and insurance business transfer schemes. She has considerable experience of both written and oral advocacy, including recently acting as lead Counsel successfully defending the AwalCos, one of three groups of Defendant companies in Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi and Brothers Company v Saad Investments Company Ltd. T his case is the longest civil fraud trial ever litigated in the Cayman Islands. It lasted over a year and occupied 129 days of Court time. It involved discovery of over 2.5 million documents, complex forensic accounting evidence, and required cross-examination via video link to Saudi Arabia via interpreters. She has an established offshore practice, and regularly advises clients in jurisdictions including the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey and Jersey. AREAS O F EXPERT ISE Banking & finance Commercial dispute resolution Company Energy & natural resources Financial services Fraud: civil International arbitration Media, entertainment & sport Restructuring/insolvency REC O MMENDAT IO NS Bridget is recommended in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 in the following areas:
Commercial Litigation Company Law Insolvency and Restructuring Comments in recent years include: Extremely thorough and tells it like it is. Charming and unflappable. Good grasp of the knotty parts of the case. Very user friendly and practical. A team player and experienced advocate. REC ENT PRAC T IC E She has recently represented the Defendants in a multi-million dispute proceeding in Jersey relating to the alleged mismanagement of a trade finance fund (Tradinvest Fund Limited v Standard Bank Fund Administration Jersey Limited). She is also acting for Defendants in litigation in Guernsey relating to allegations made against the custodian of an offshore investment fund (Puritan International Fund PCC Limited (in liquidation) v Kleinwort Benson (Guernsey) Limited). She is presently involved in the Cayman Islands litigation between Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi and Brothers Company v Al Sanea (and others) advising a number of companies in liquidation in connection with various claims made against them arising out of an alleged US$9.2 billion fraud. She regularly advises in relation to interlocutory applications, including injunctions, third party and preaction disclosure, and recently represented Defendants in a dispute as to jurisdiction (Eventus Capital Partners Limited v Centum Capital Partners Phoenix West II LLC). Commercial disput e resolut ion Bridget has represented clients in a wide range of commercial disputes: frequently with an international dimension. For example, she has advised in a substantial dispute between Russian entities relating to a share option and management agreement concerning African mining entities. She was involved in litigation relating to the quality of animation in the production of the Mr Bean series. She was also retained in connection with a multi-million pound dispute arising out of completion accounts prepared following the acquisition of a substantial telecoms business. She is recommended in Legal 500 2018 for her work in this area and is described as doing a good job in difficult circumstances. Company law
Bridget has advised in a number of joint venture and minority shareholder disputes. She acted in the litigation between KPN Mobile NV v- Hutchison Whampoa Ltd (a dispute involving proceedings in both the Commercial and Companies Court arising in connection with a substantial joint venture involving private equity funds facing deadlock). She has also advised in the context of joint venture disputes between the participants in various energy projects. She is regularly instructed in cases raising allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, and has recently been involved in a number of offshore cases raising these issues (AHAB v Al Sanea; Tradinvest Fund Limited v Standard Bank Fund Administration jersey Limited; Puritan International Fund PCC Limited (in liquidation) v Kleinwort Benson (Guernsey) Limited). She also advises on applications under the Companies (Cross Border Mergers) Regulations. Bridget is recommended in Chambers & Partners 2019 and Legal 500 2018 for her work in this area and is described as: User friendly and fights her client s corner well. Energy & nat ural resources Bridget has provided advice in a number of cases relating to the construction and interpretation of various agreements common in the industry, and in the context of joint venture deadlock. She recently acted in an arbitration arising out of the conduct of drilling operations and the application of various default provisions. Bridget is recommended in the energy section of Legal 500. Financial services Bridget has advised in relation to a number of FSA matters including regulatory proceedings commenced by the Financial Services Authority. She has also represented various applicants in business transfer schemes under Part VII FSMA including the Scottish Provident Fund reorganisation, the Hamilton Scheme, the M&S Life/ HSBC Life Scheme, and the Royal Scottish Assurance/ NatWest Life Assurance Scheme. Insurance Bridget has been involved in a number of substantial insurance matters, mainly subject to arbitration. T he issues arising in these cases include complicated questions of foreign law. She has advised on various matters arising on D&O policies, in particular in the context of US SEC investigations, and on the Bermuda form. She has also acted in cases relating to substantial product liability claims in the US. She was also instructed to advise on coverage in a number of substantial claims arising out of the collapse of Enron. Int ernat ional arbit rat ion Bridget has advised and appeared in substantial international arbitrations in particular in the context of insurance and energy disputes. In the domestic context, she advised a number of farmers in their compensation claims against DEFRA arising out of the cessation of mink farming in the UK. She has also acted on applications for interim relief under section 44 of the Arbitration Act 1996
Bridget has been recommended as first rate for her arbitration work. Rest ruct uring/insolvency Bridget has been retained in various complex disputes arising from competing claims to assets in the context of restructuring, and following corporate collapse. By way of example, she advised various entities in the wake of the Icelandic Bank collapse. She also acted in the Clydesdale Financial Services Limited v Jiva litigation concerning pre-pack administrations in the context of Limited Liability Partnerships. She is presently advising in connection with various proprietary and tracing claims made in the Cayman Islands litigation between AHAB v Al Sanea against companies in liquidation alleged to have received part of the proceeds of an alleged US$9.2 billion fraud. She provided advice during the restructuring of British Energy Plc, and advised a major bank in relation to its claims arising out of the collapse of the Mayflower Group of companies. She has also advised in relation to the exercise of investigatory powers and was counsel in Official Receiver v Hay [2001] 1 WLR 730; [2002] 2 WLR 20 CA. She has appeared in a number of disqualification proceedings and winding up petitions (including public interest petitions) involving complicated structures and foreign companies [Re NorthWest Holdings Plc [1999] 1 BCLC 425 CA;Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Backhouse [2001] BCLC 468 CA]. She is recommended in Legal 500 2018 for her work in this area, and has been described as impressive, team player and experienced advocate and a skilled advocate. O T HER EXPERIENC E Bridget has presented a number of lectures and seminars on a range of subjects connected with her practice. EDUC AT IO N Gordonstoun School, Elgin Worcester College, Oxford, BA Jurisprudence (First Class Honours), Henry SQ Henriques Prize. APPO INT MENT S, MEMBERSHIPS, PRIZES CEDR Accredited Mediator T he Chancery Bar Association COMBAR BILA
LO NDO N Fountain Court Chambers Fountain Court, T emple London EC4Y 9DH chambers@ fountaincourt.co.uk T el: +44 (0 )20 7583 3335 Fax: +44 (0 )20 7353 0 329 DX: 5 LDE SING APO RE 10 Collyer Quay Ocean Financial Centre #40-38 Sing apore 0 49315 T el: +65 680 8 6611