Alec Haydon’s Full CV

Alec Haydon is one of the set's senior juniors who regularly features among those barristers recommended by the legal directories for any kind of commercial litigation and he enjoys a varied practice. In the last 12 months or so, he has been involved in a number of high profile, high value cases including Alfa Petroleum Holdings v. BP International Ltd, Atrium v. Julius Meinl, Hicks & Gillet v. Kop Football Limited and Rawlinson & Hunter Trustees v. Kaupthing.

He is also involved in share sale disputes (including Electrobel v. Teesside Power Holdings Limited) and previously acted in Sir Michael Bishop v. Lufthansa. He enjoys professional negligence cases and the analytical challenges of complicated contractual disputes and has received praise for his attention to detail, particularly in complicated fraud cases (BSkyB v EDS and HSBC v. Brown).

Solid, reliable, and amiable, Alec is a good team-player while quite able to work alone. He has developed a reputation for fearless and well-judged advocacy.

In 2007 - 2008, Alec assisted Mr Justice (now Lord Justice) Aikens and Mrs Justice Gloster as a member of the Commercial Court Long Trials Working Party. He is a current member of the COMBAR Executive Committee.

Alec is also a member of the New York Bar, and has a masters degree from Harvard Law School.

He has enjoyed working with US lawyers, having spent a short while at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering's offices in Washington DC.

Experience/Areas of Practice

  • Commercial Law
  • Fraud
  • Energy Disputes
  • Professional Negligence
  • Banking
  • Insurance and Reinsurance

Important Cases

  • Alfa Petroleum Holding Limited v. BP International Limited - Acting for BP in a dispute concerning the construction of a Joint Venture agreement with Russian companies and seeking to set aside an injunction restraining BP from pursuing an opportunity to explore the Arctic for oil under a new Joint Venture with Rosneft.
  • Atrium v. Meinl Bank - Acting for Atrium in responding to an Application made by Julius Meinl and others challenging the jurisdiction of the English Court.
  • Berezovsky v. Patarkatsishvilli - Acting for a Russian oligarch in a dispute concerning the existence and extent of an oral partnership agreement with his deceased business partner.
  • Sir Michael Bishop v. Lufthansa - acting for Lufthansa in resisting the exercise of a Put Option by Sir Michael Bishop requiring Lufthansa to purchase his shares in British Midland Plc.
  • BSKYB -v- EDS - Acting for BSKYB in very large value Computer Software Warranty Claim in the TCC brought by SKY concerning the implementation of CRM system. Led by Mark Howard QC.
  • CJ Mander v. Commercial Union Assurance Co - Commercial Court  - Case concerning retrocession, P&I Risks, Open Covers, Validity of Declarations and Avoidance Issues.
  • CNA Insurance Company v. Servico Essex - dispute concerning the validity to declarations made to a line slip for motor insurance.
  • Electrobel International Holdings BV v. Teesside Power Holdings Limited - Acting for the sellers of shares in the company owning Teesside Power Station defending allegations of breach of warranty.
  • John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance - acting in various arbitrations concerning the reinsurance of books of business and spiral losses.
  • HSBC v. Fifth Avenue - Acting for the bank in the early stages of a fraud claim against Mr Brown and others, obtaining urgent Freezing and Search Orders.
  • Law Debenture Trust Corporation v. Lexington Insurance - Acting for defendant insurer challenging avoidance of policy for reinsurance of film finance risks.
  • MJ Harrington Syndicate 2000 v. Axa Oyaksigorta AS - Successfully defeating application for summary judgment based on allegations of breach of conditions precedent on a contract of reinsurance of bankers blanket bond risks.
  • SAB Miller Africa BV v. East African Breweries Ltd - Responding to an Injunction preventing East African Breweries from entering into a new distribution agreement.

Alec Haydon's Directory Quotes

  • "Alec Haydon is a "fiery advocate" who has also acted in some of the most significant cases brought before the commercial courts, including BSkyB v EDS and Berezovsky v Estate of Patarkatsishvili. Commentators reserve particular praise for his "excellent numeracy skills." " (Chambers UK 2012)
  • "According to sources, he constitutes "an excellent choice due to his great talent and well-directed aggression in court." " (Chambers UK 2012)
  • "Alec Haydon is an impressive junior with a widely admired advocacy style. He is "a punchy advocate who gives it his all," (Chambers & Partners 2011)
  • "a perfect junior who is hard-working, thorough and willing and able to take responsibility." (Chambers & Partners 2011)
  • "A rising star of the Commercial Fraud Bar, Haydon is singled out as a "hard-hitting advocate who really cares about his cases." (Chambers & Partners, 2010)
  • "seems to have something of a Sumption about him."; "ability to make a point directly and the courage to see his case through." (Chambers & Partners, 2009)

Education

1993-94 Harvard Law School Cambridge, U.S.A. LL.M.
1989-92 Cambridge University (St. John's College)
1981-88 Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, a Grammar School in Rochester, Kent

Scholarships

1997 - Pegasus Scholarship, Combined Inns of Court
1994 - Arden Scholarship, Gray's Inn
1993 - Knox Fellowship, Harvard University; Fulbright Scholarship, Fulbright Commission (UK)
1992 - Prince of Wales Scholarship, Gray's Inn
1991 - Whytehead Scholarship, St. John's College
1990 - Rebecca Flower, Squire Scholarship, Cambridge
1989 - Whytehead Scholarship, St. John's College

Prizes

1995 Best Oralist, North-East Regional Round of the United States' National Jessup International Law Moot Court competition
1995 First Prize, Hilary Term Moots, Gray's Inn
1993 Lee Essay Competition Prize-winner, Gray's Inn; Churchill Award, Gray's Inn; BEST Award, B.U.N.A.C.
1992 McMahon Award, St. John's College
1990 Winfield Prize for Law, St. John's College

Degree

Cambridge University B.A. (Hons), MA
Harvard University, LLM

Career

1995 - Tenant Brick Court Chambers
1995 - Admitted to the New York Bar, April 1995
1994-95 - Pupil, Brick Court Chambers, London
1993 - Called to Bar of England & Wales, October 1993; A member of the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn
1992-93 - The Inns of Court School of Law, London; Very Competent, July 1993

Further Information

1997 - Awarded Pegasus Scholarship, to work with Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington DC and with Conyers Dill & Pearman in Bermuda
1994 - 1995 Stood in for Malcolm Clarke as undergraduate supervisor of Contract Law at St. John's College, Cambridge.
1994 - Represented Harvard Law School and the United States in the International Finals of the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition.
1991 - 1992 President, Winfield Law School, St. John's College.
1991 - International Summer Clerk at Baker & McKenzie with placements in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Cited as Leading Junior in the area of Commercial Litigation by the Legal 500 2003-2010 and by Chambers & Partners 2006 - 2011, and in the area of Fraud:Civil by Chambers & Partners 2007 - 2011.

Other Interests

Alec generally enjoys watching and participating in sports. He has supported England's football team around the world and regularly attends high profile tennis matches. He runs competitively to keep fit and has completed both the New York marathon in 2011 and the London marathon in 2012. In his spare time he enjoys the cinema and musical performances of all genres but is also competing in the Caterham Academy motor racing championship in 2012. When he takes a holiday he prefers to travel to exotic locations.