Hilary Heilbron QC’s Commercial Law CV

Qualifications

M.A. (Oxon)

Practice Profile

In over 30 years of practice and 20 years as a Queen's Counsel, Hilary Heilbron has appeared as an advocate in numerous court cases for a wide range of national and international commercial clients including as leading counsel in the House of Lords and Privy Council. She has also appeared as counsel in a large number of international arbitrations and regularly sits as an international arbitrator in very substantial disputes. She is also a qualified mediator (CEDR accredited) and Deputy High Court Judge.

Litigation

Hilary Heilbron has wide experience in a range of areas of law, with particular emphasis on commercial litigation, both international and domestic. She has considerable knowledge of international conflicts, jurisdictional and similar issues, and has spoken and written about this on many occasions. Her experience ranges from various contractual disputes to insurance, international trade, banking, financial services, professional negligence and defamation law as well as other areas of law. In the commercial field her clients have included international conglomerates, utility companies, key financial regulators, FTSE 100 companies, governments as well as many foreign and national public and private companies. She has appeared as counsel in professional disciplinary hearings and appeals. She also has the relatively rare experience of having been a Department of Trade and Industry Inspector in a DTI inquiry into a major public company. She has also conducted an insider dealing inquiry. She has advised and represented international celebrities and other well known people in defamation cases.

Cases of note include

  • SulAmerica Cia Nacional de Seguros & 5 others -v- (1) Enesa Engenharia S.A - Enesa (2) Energia Sustentavel do Brasil - ESBR (3) Construcoes e Comerica Camargo Correa [2012] EWHC 42 (Comm)
  • Dallah Real Estate Tourism Holding Co v Government of Pakistan [2010] UKSC 46
  • Marjorie Ilma Knox v John Vere Evelyn Dean and Others [2005] UKPC 25
  • Zockoll Group Limited v Mercury Communications Ltd
  • R v SS for National Heritage ex parte J. Paul Getty Trust
  • Giles v Thompson (H.L.)
  • Re: Bank of Credit and Commerce International SA (No 10)
  • Else (1982) Ltd v Parkland Holdings Ltd
  • Nigel Zoan v Beatrice Rouamba
  • Re Pharmedica GmbH's International Application No 649830
  • Ketley v Gilbert
  • Lakah Group v Al Jazeera Satellite Channel (Court of Appeal)

Publications

  • "A Practical Guide to International Arbitration in London"
  • A chapter on "Assessing Damages in International Arbitration" in the second edition of "The Leading Arbitrators' Guide to International Arbitration"

Legal Directory Comments

Commercial Litigation

  • "When it really counts, she is first - class and a fantastic advocate" (Chambers & Partners, 2005/6)

Further Information

Hilary Heilbron QC is also an accredited CEDR Mediator

Current positions held

  • Deputy High Court Judge
  • Vice Chair of the International Litigation Committee of the ABA section of International Law
  • Bencher of Gray's Inn
  • She is on the panel of arbitrators at HKIAC, SIAC, the Court of Arbitration to the Polish Chamber of Commerce, and is a registered ICDR arbitrator.
  • She is a member of the ABA, IBA, LCIA, and ASA.
  • She is a regular speaker at both arbitration and international litigation conferences and has contributed articles to various journals on both subjects
  • Admitted as a Legal Practitioner in New South Wales, Australia. Member of the New South Wales Bar Association
  • Vice President of the Association of Lancastrians in London
  • Registered advocate of the DIFC
  • Fellow of ACICA, Sydney, Australia

Previous positions held

  • Chairman City Disputes Panel ( 2006 - 2007)
  • Vice Chairman IBA International Litigation Committee (2003-04)
  • Member of the CEDR Advisory Panel (1996 - 2002)
  • Member of the Civil Justice Council (1998 - 2002)
  • Member of the Bar Council (1991-99)
  • Former Chair of the International Practice Committee of the Bar Council
  • Vice-Chairman of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission (1998-2002)
  • Chairman of the London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (1991-93)
  • Chairman of the independent working party into Civil Justice set up jointly by General Council of the
  • Bar and the Law Society (1993).
  • Department of Trade and Industry Inspector into Blue Arrow plc (1989-91)