Brick Court Chambers

Paul Wright

Paul Wright

YEAR OF CALL: 1990

"applies a thoroughness to his cases that wins the support of market authorities", "a shrewd judge of legal issues"
Chambers & Partners
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Paul Wright acts as an advocate, arbitrator, expert witness and an expert in expert determinations

Paul has a broad-based practice, involving all the main areas of commercial work and administrative law.  He is regularly involved in international commercial arbitrations, including under the LCIA and ICC rules, as advocate and arbitrator.

Paul has considerable experience of advising on the implications of the sanctions legislation in the UK and the UK’s overseas territories. His cases include advising various English and EU companies on the sanctions implications for proposed SPAs, advising on the sanctions implications for a company’s Russian subsidiaries, advising an investor on the effect of sanctions on a proposed receivables purchase agreement, and advising various English and EU companies on the implications for divestment of their Russian assets. He has also advised a number of solicitors firms on the effects of sanctions on aspects of their practices.

Given his extensive and varied experience, he is highly sought after for his advocacy and case management expertise in both the High Court and Arbitration forums, often acting along with lawyers from other jurisdictions for international clients. He has been instructed by Austrian lawyers as the lead advocate in a heavy LCIA arbitration   acting for insurers, which involved cross examining experts on complicated technical matters and which has been commended as being “stylish and effective”. He has also worked with Canadian lawyers in a heavy ICC arbitration for a large Chinese company.

He has recently acted for insurers on English law questions relating to claims in the Swiss courts and has a strong background in Insurance matters generally, both advisory and litigious.

He has significant experience in civil fraud and asset tracing which have involved High Court litigation as sole counsel. Paul also has experience of anti-suit injunctions, both in relation to arbitrations and court proceedings.

Paul has considerable experience of acting in proceedings in many jurisdictions, including Jersey, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland and the Isle of Man. In particular he has been heavily involved in enforcement actions in offshore jurisdictions against trusts set up by judgment debtors. He is also a member of the Cayman Islands Bar.

He also has experience in Russian-related litigation, including fraud claims. Furthermore, Paul has acted in three high-profile cases before the European Court of Human Rights in claims brought by Yukos, Georgia and Ukraine.

He has advised on and acted in relation to a number of banking and financial services matters, including advising on securitisation schemes and private equity disputes so is well placed to handle disputes involving complex financial instruments.

Paul also has considerable expertise in large-scale IT cases, acting for a number of large corporate clients.

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  • Commercial M
    Some notable cases:
    • ICC Arbitration (2021) Acting for Defendant in 3-week commercial dispute.
    • Nigerian AGIP Exploration Ltd v GEC Petroleum Development Co Ltd [2021] EWHC 1412 (Comm)
    • LCIA Arbitration (2020): 15 day Arbitration acting for insurers in a commercial dispute.
    • JSC Bank of Moscow v Kekhman [2015] EWHC 3073 (Comm)
    • Re SMP Trustees [2012] EWHC 772 (Ch) and [2013] EWHC 3678 (Ch)
    • Georgia v Russia (II) (case no. 38263/08), (European Court of Human Rights. Whether the court should admit the inter-state complaint made by Georgia against Russia arising out of the military conflict in 2008.
    • OAO Neftyanaya Kompaniya Yukos v Russia (14902/04) (European Court of Human Rights), a US$98bn claim brought by Yukos in the ECHR.
    • R. (on the application of Reckless) v Kent Police Authority (Court of Appeal)
    • Yugraneft v Abramovich (Commercial Court)
    • Grupo Torras v Sheikh Fahad and Ors (Commercial Court) and (Court of Appeal). Jurisdictional disputes. A leading case on the Brussels Convention.
    • Grupo Torras S.A. v. Al-Sabah, (Commercial Court). A 4-month civil trial involving over 50 Defendants. The sums claimed were in excess of US$450 million.
    • Grupo Torras v Khaled Al-Sabah and Folchi (Court of Appeal). A leading case on dishonest assistance.
    • In the Matter of the Esteem Settlement (Royal Court of Jersey). The case involved tracing, proprietary claims, Pauline claims (the Jersey equivalent of S423 of the UK Insolvency Act 1986) and restitution.
    • Grupo Torras v Khaled Al-Sabah (QBD). Conditional fee agreements.
    • In the Matter of the Esteem Settlement (Jersey Royal Court). This is a leading case on the ability of a judgment creditor to enforce his judgment debt against a trust set up by the judgment debtor prior to his frauds. The judgment considers questions of sham, lifting the veil and remedial constructive trust.
    • Al Sabah and another v Grupo Torras. Junior counsel for the Claimants before the Privy Council on appeal from the Court of Appeal of the Cayman Islands. The case concerned the ability of the Cayman Court to provide assistance in bankruptcy proceedings in the Bahamas arising out of Grupo Torras' judgment in the fraud action in England against Sheikh Fahad.
    • Sarrio v KIA (House of Lords). A leading case on the Judgment Regulation.
    • GMA v Storebrand (Commercial Court) Insurance dispute.
    • Grovewood Holdings v James Capel (Chancery Division). Acted as junior counsel for the Defendants at the trial. The Case concerned a claim of professional negligence against the financial advisers to a takeover.
    • Salvage Association v Cap Financial Services. Software development dispute; the trial lasted 3 months.
    • Patel v Bank of India (Commercial Court), margin trading case.
    • Leeds Cricket Football and Athletic Co Ltd v Craven Gilpin (QBD). Acted for the Claimants in one of the few cases in which an interlocutory injunction has been granted to prevent the wrongful termination of a joint venture.
  • Qualifications & Further Information M

    Qualifications and prizes

    LLB Law - Class 1 (top of year)

    Inner Temple - Major Scholar

    Pegasus Scholarship - Inner Temple

    Seminars

    He has spoken at seminars on a number of topics, including trust busting, gross negligence in commercial contracts, civil fraud claims, tracing, IT disputes, the Data Protection Act and the Financial Services Act.

    Further information

    Languages: Spanish

    Called to the Cayman Islands Bar

  • Directory Quotes M
    • "applies a thoroughness to his cases that wins the support of market authorities" (Chambers & Partners)
    • "always approachable," "a shrewd judge of legal issues" "makes himself available despite a heavy workload" (Chambers & Partners)