Hilary Heilbron QC’s Full 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.

International Arbitration

Hilary Heilbron also practices international arbitration in which she appears both as counsel and acts as arbitrator. She speaks regularly to international audiences and writes on the subject.  As counsel she also takes court related arbitral cases. She was recently lead counsel in the Supreme Court  in the very important case relating to enforcement in England of an ICC New York Convention Award rendered in Paris, (Dallah Real Estate Tourism Holding Co v Government of Pakistan [2010] UKSC 46).

Hilary Heilbron's experience as an international arbitrator is wide. She has accepted many appointments as party nominated arbitrator, institution appointed and sole arbitrator. She has chaired many tribunals of leading international arbitrators. Her appointments have been under ICC, LCIA and ICDR as well as ad hoc appointments. Many of these relate to substantial claims for many millions of US dollars. She has also recently been appointed as an emergency arbitrator by the AAA (ICDR rules) under their Article 37 procedure. She also trains arbitrators for the ICDR.

In some 50 appointments in recent years she has handled a large variety of different types of claims relating to parties from all over the world many involving foreign law.  Her recent appointments include claims relating to:

  • share purchase and subscription agreements;
  • joint ventures;
  • distributorship agreements;
  • telecommunications issues;
  • pharmaceutical issues;
  • banking issues;
  • guarantees;
  • put and call options;
  • securities issues;
  • international sale of goods cases;
  • oil exploration;
  • cargo issues;
  • geophysical services; and
  • a host of various other contractual issues.

As advocate Hilary Heilbron's recent arbitrations include: 

  • a contractual claim for Euro750 million which resolved successfully;
  • a successful appearance for a Middle Eastern company in relation to a multi-million breach of contract claim against a state;
  • a multi-million dollar claim concerning the space industry;
  • a claim for a Middle Eastern entity in relation to a US$300 million claim relating to banking interests which resolved successfully;
  • a claim for a major US utility company in an US$80 million dispute concerning an electricity pricing contract; and
  • an indemnity claim for almost US$200 million in the Far East.

Hilary Heilbron QC is the author of a book on international arbitration in London.  She appears in The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration (5th Edition) and is cited by the Legal 500 (2010) as a leading practitioner in International Arbitration.

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

International Arbitration

  • "a long-standing name in international disputes and is respected by sources for her fast turnaround of cases and thorough focus". Ranked in Band 1 Arbitration (International) Most In Demand Arbitrators (Chambers & Partners Global, 2011)
  • Ranked in Band 1 International Arbitration: Arbitrators (Chambers & Partners, 2010)
  • "her rigorous preparation and aptitude in immediately grasping the facts" leave the market particularly impressed (Chambers & Partners, 2010)
  • "fast gaining a reputation among solicitors as a strong arbitral panel member" (Chambers & Partners, 2007)
  • "highly regarded" (Legal 500 2007)
  • "combines first rate advocacy with her work as an arbitrator" (Chambers & Partners, 2004/5)

Commercial Arbitration

  • "very thorough in her preparation" (Legal 500, 2009)
  • "very much a name" (Legal 500, 2008)
  • "easy to work with" (Legal 500, 2008)

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)