Sophie accepts instructions across all areas of commercial law. She has a broad practice ranging from civil fraud to insurance, including jurisdiction challenges and injunctions. Her recent experience includes:

• Russian Aircraft Litigation – acting for AerCap in multi-billion dollar claims against insurers in relation to aircraft and engines leased to Russian airlines, which have not been returned following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The claim under AerCap’s insurance policy was heard in a 12-week trial commencing in October 2024 and raised important legal issues and factual and expert issues relating to the cause of the detention of the aircraft and the exercise of power in Russia (with Mark Howard KC, Steven Midwinter KC and Edward Ho).
• CVS v Bonnier – acted for an investment firm, CVS, in a claim for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation (with Alec Haydon KC and Ben Woolgar).
• Acted for GLAS, the Trustee under €250m of Bonds issued by European Topsoho S.a.r.l, in a bond dispute, including in its successful application for a freezing order (with Sue Prevezer KC and Ben Woolgar).
• Azima v Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority – acted for the Claimant, Mr Azima, in a long-running dispute concerning allegations that RAKIA was responsible for hacking large quantities of Mr Azima’s data (with Tim Lord KC, Thomas Plewman KC, Hugo Leith and Frederick Wilmot-Smith)

While Sophie enjoys working as part of a larger team, she is also developing an unled commercial practice and is happy acting as sole counsel. She has advised on and acted in various claims for breach of contract and breach of warranty in both the County Court and the High Court.

Sophie accepts instructions in all types of competition law actions. Her recent experience includes:

• Which? v Qualcomm – acting for Qualcomm (the defendant, a manufacturer of chipsets for mobile phones and licensee of patents used in cellular technologies) in collective proceedings alleging abuse of dominance (with Daniel Jowell KC, Nicholas Saunders KC, David Bailey, Jonathan Scott and Charles Wall).
• Phillip Evans v Barclays Bank and Others [2023] EWCA Civ 876 – acting for Phillip Evans in his application to pursue an opt-out collective action against six banks, seeking damages in respect of unlawful practices in the FX market. Various aspects of the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s certification decision were challenged, and Sophie appeared in both the Court of Appeal and recently in the Supreme Court in relation to those points of appeal (with Victoria Wakefield KC, Aidan Robertson KC and David Bailey).
• Cousins Material House Limited v The Swatch Group AG & Ors [2024] EWHC 710 (Ch) – acted for Cousins (the claimant, a watch parts wholesaler) in defending a jurisdiction challenge brought by the Swatch Group in relation to Cousins’ claim against Swatch Group for abuse of dominance (with Robert O’Donoghue KC).
• Acted pro bono for Privacy International in its successful application to intervene, and in its subsequent written intervention, in Meta Platforms, Inc. v Competition and Markets Authority (with Sarah Love).

Sophie has a broad public law practice, with experience in judicial review claims before the High Court, appeals to the Court of Appeal and in the European Court of Human Rights. Her recent experience includes

• Which? v Qualcomm – acting for Qualcomm (the defendant, a manufacturer of chipsets for mobile phones and licensee of patents used in cellular technologies) in collective proceedings alleging abuse of dominance (with Daniel Jowell KC, Nicholas Saunders KC, David Bailey, Jonathan Scott and Charles Wall).
• Phillip Evans v Barclays Bank and Others [2023] EWCA Civ 876 – acting for Phillip Evans in his application to pursue an opt-out collective action against six banks, seeking damages in respect of unlawful practices in the FX market. Various aspects of the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s certification decision were challenged, and Sophie appeared in both the Court of Appeal and recently in the Supreme Court in relation to those points of appeal (with Victoria Wakefield KC, Aidan Robertson KC and David Bailey).
• Cousins Material House Limited v The Swatch Group AG & Ors [2024] EWHC 710 (Ch) – acted for Cousins (the claimant, a watch parts wholesaler) in defending a jurisdiction challenge brought by the Swatch Group in relation to Cousins’ claim against Swatch Group for abuse of dominance (with Robert O’Donoghue KC).
• Acted pro bono for Privacy International in its successful application to intervene, and in its subsequent written intervention, in Meta Platforms, Inc. v Competition and Markets Authority (with Sarah Love).

• Condon Inquest – acted for the Condon Family in a three week inquest into the death of their son, Ben, which raised complex medical and factual issues (with Jennifer MacLeod). The Coroner’s conclusions were extensively reported.
• Liberty v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWCA Civ 926 – acting for Liberty in a landmark challenge to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 under the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law (with Ben Jaffey KC and David Heaton).
• Wieder and Guarnieri v the United Kingdom (Application nos. 64371/16 and 64407/16) – acted for the applicants in the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the extraterritorial application of human rights in the context of the right to privacy under Article 8 of the ECHR (with Ben Jaffey KC and David Heaton).
• R (on the application of Mikhail Fridman) v HM Treasury [2023] EWHC 2657 – acted for the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (part of HM Treasury) in a novel challenge brought by Mikhail Fridman against OFSI’s refusal to licenses to make and receive payments which would otherwise be unlawful under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (with Malcolm Birdling and Aarushi Sahore).
• R (on the application of London Borough of Hillingdon & Ors) v The Mayor of London and Transport for London [2023] EWHC 1972 (Admin) – acted for Transport for London in their successful defence of a high-profile judicial review brought by five boroughs challenging the Mayor of London and Transport for London’s decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone across Greater London (with Ben Jaffey KC and David Heaton).
• CR v Director of Legal Aid Casework & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 717 – acted for the Legal Aid Agency (the respondent) in an appeal of a judicial review claim in relation to the LAA’s refusal to grant legal aid for a SEND Tribunal appeal (with Malcolm Birdling).
• Post Office Inquiry – acted for the Post Office in Phases II and III of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry (with Kate Gallafent KC).

Sophie also has a substantial pro bono practice, which has included advising and acting for individuals in relation to judicial review claims against the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, acting in written interventions on behalf of NGOs in relation to refugee and migrant rights and acting in employment tribunal claims.

Education:

2019-20: BPTC at BPP

2018-19: LLM at Harvard University

2016-18: LLB (Senior Status) at Hughes Hall, Cambridge (First)

2012-15: BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at New College, Oxford

Prizes and Scholarships:

Lincoln’s Inn – Lord Denning Scholarship

Harvard Law School – Deans Scholar Prize in Constitutional Law (First Amendment)

University of Cambridge – ECS Wade Prize for best performance in Constitutional Law

Volunteer / Pro Bono:

2019-20: legal volunteer at Islington Legal Centre (Immigration Team)

2018-19: student attorney at Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project

2018-19: student attorney at Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic