Joanna accepts instructions across all areas of commercial law including civil fraud and general commercial disputes, and is developing a practice in international arbitration.

Her recent experience includes:

• Acting in a high-value arbitration relating to the termination of a partnership agreement in connection with a London-based private equity fund (LCIA Rules, London seat) (led by Fionn Pilbrow KC).
• Defending a leading tax and advisory firm against a multi-million negligence claim arising out of an allegedly deficient audit (led by Tony Singla KC).
• Acting for a Caribbean Government in its dispute with the concession holder of a freeport zone (UNCITRAL Rules, Nassau seat) (led by Harry Matovu KC, Richard Eschwege KC, Emilie Gonin).
• Acting for a defendant seeking to discharge a worldwide freezing and ancillary orders imposed in the context of group litigation relating to a global crypto-currency scheme (on secondment with Enyo Law).
• Acting for a party seeking the production of documents from Respondents in England and Wales in the context of a Norwich Order issued by the Canadian Courts in foreign fraud proceedings (led by Jasbir Dhillon KC).
• Acting for a claimant in respect of an alleged multi-decade fraud including claims of bribery, breach of fiduciary duty, dishonest assistance/knowing receipt, and conspiracy (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).
• Acting for an Irish commodity trader in a dispute arising out of one party's failure to make payments under back-to-back sale and purchase contracts of thermal coal on the basis of the alleged applicability of sanctions (LCIA Rules, London seat) (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).
• Defending a leading tax and advisory firm in proceedings alleging fraud and professional negligence in respect of statutory audits (as a pupil, assisting Edward Harrison, on a team led by Thomas Plewman KC).
• Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation v (1) David Neil Gerrard (2) Dechert LLP (Comm): Defending a claim of professional negligence and malpractice brought by mining conglomerate the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (as a pupil assisting Edward Harrison).
• Acting for a defendant resisting a WWFO application (with notice). The application raised novel questions regarding the tribunal’s alleged jurisdiction to grant the relief sought (LCIA Arbitration, London seat) (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).
• Acting for an applicant seeking an anti-suit injunction and associated orders (ex parte) (as a pupil, assisting Edward Harrison, on a team led by Harry Matovu KC).

Unled:

• Shakespeare Monofilament v Eurosaf SRL: acting for the Claimant in a £1 million+ commercial debt claim in relation to a contract for the provision of monofilament products (unled, Circuit Commercial Court).

Before coming to the bar, Joanna taught Public Law at London School of Economics, and worked for several years in human rights litigation focussed on online speech and digital privacy. She had conduct of cases before a range of international courts and tribunals and was appointed to assist the UN Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights in respect of surveillance technologies.   

Her recent experience includes:

• Advising a leading NGO in respect of the UK Government’s revised definition of “extremism” including consideration of relevant human rights and domestic data protections (led by Paul Bowen KC and Zahra Al-Rikabi).
• Acting for the Lord Chancellor defending a challenge to the lawfulness of the legal aid scheme implemented in respect of immigration detainees held in prison (as a pupil, assisting Malcolm Birdling).
• Acting for the National Union of Farmers in an appeal concerning the proper construction of The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 (as a pupil, assisting Malcolm Birdling).
• Advising an individual in respect of the prospects of judicial review of a Parole Board release decision (as a pupil, assisting Jennifer MacLeod).

Joanna has specific experience in respect of sanctions compliance issues, including delisting challenges and licensing issues:

• Advising an individual in respect of compliance with sanctions regarding trust services and advice provided to brokerage clients (led by Richard Blakeley KC).
• Acting for various sanctioned persons and companies challenging their designation under UK and European sanctions laws and regulations (as a pupil, assisting Malcolm Birdling on teams led by Maya Lester KC), including SAMLA challenges brought pursuant to the Russian, Syria, and Belarussian sanctions regulations.
• Acting in a dispute arising out of a counter-party’s failure to make payments under back-to-back sale and purchase contracts of thermal coal on the basis of the alleged applicability of sanctions (LCIA Arbitration, London seat) (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).

Prior to coming to the bar, Joanna also spent a year working in refugee and asylum law, including six months on a designated hot spot processing island in Greece, and six months at the UN Refugee Agency in London.

Prior to coming to the bar, Joanna acted in cases before the European Court of Human Rights, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and various UN Working Groups and Special Mandates. She is continuing to develop an international practice and has experience with cross border litigation and questions of international law.  

Recent experience includes:

• Acting for a claimant seeking the production of documents from Respondents in England and Wales in the context of a Norwich Order issued by the Canadian Courts in foreign fraud proceedings (led by Jasbir Dhillon KC).
• Acting for a defendant seeking to discharge of a WWFO and challenge orders to serve out and for alternative service in the context of large-scale group litigation (on secondment with Enyo Law).
• Acting for a defendant resisting a WWFO application (with notice). The application raised a novel question regarding the tribunal’s alleged jurisdiction to grant the relief sought (LCIA Arbitration, London seat) (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).
• Acting for the applicant seeking an anti-suit injunction and associated orders without notice (as a pupil, assisting Edward Harrison, on a team led by Harry Matovu KC).
• Advising in respect of an English jurisdiction and choice of law clause in the context of threatened foreign proceedings (as a pupil, assisting Richard Blakeley KC).

Master of Law (First Class), University of Cambridge | 2023

Bachelor of Law (First Class) and Bachelor of Arts (History) (First Class), University of Sydney | 2016

Professional Experience

Tutor (Public Law), London School of Economics | 2023

Research assistant in commercial and common law, Law Commission of England and Wales (Digital assets) | 2023

Visiting Scholar (University of Minnesota) assisting the UN Special Rapporteur on counter terrorism and human rights | 2022

Legal Officer, Media Defence | 2019-2021

Legal Adviser, Samos Refugee Law Clinic; and the UN Refugee Agency | 2018

Judicial Assistant to the Hon Justice A Meagher, Court of Appeal (New South Wales, Australia) | 2017

Professional Qualifications

2023: Called to the bar of England & Wales

2017: Qualified as a solicitor in New South Wales, Australia

Scholarships and Prizes

John and Sophie Laws Scholarship (Bar European Group)

WM Tapp Studentship in Law (Gonville & Caius Collage, Cambridge)

University Medal in History (ranking first overall) (University of Sydney)

Outstanding Academic Achievement Scholarship (University of Sydney)

University Blue in Debating (University of Sydney)

Joanna Connolly, ‘The right to erasure: comparative perspectives on an emerging privacy right’, (2020) 46 ALJ 1.