Henry Byam-Cook

BA (Oxon) and Diploma in Law (City University)

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Henry Byam-Cook practises in a range of commercial disputes including general commercial, arbitration, shipping, commodities, information technology, private international law, insurance/reinsurance and banking. Since joining Chambers in 2001, he has appeared in the House of Lords, Court of Appeal, High Court and County Court (including the Mercantile List) and has represented clients in a variety of international and trade arbitrations (including ICC, LCIA, LMAA, GAFTA, FOSFA and IGPA).

He has been recommended by Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 as a leading junior in the fields of Commercial Dispute Resolution and Shipping and has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including The "Golden Victory" and The "CMA Djakarta". His recent cases include The "Kos" (a case dealing with the recoverability of the costs of security as legal costs) and a multi-million dollar DIFC-LCIA arbitration dispute over the construction of two oil platforms.

Specialisations: 

  • General Commercial
  • Arbitration
  • Shipping
  • Commodities
  • Information Technology
  • Private International Law
  • Insurance / Reinsurance
  • Banking

Principal Cases: 

General Commercial

Nippon Yusen Kubishika Kaisha -v- Golden Strait Corp (The "Golden Victory") [2007] 2 AC 353 - assessment of damages for repudiatory breach by charterer of long term time charter - claim based on market rate for vessel at date of breach - entitlement of court to look at events occurring between date of breach and trial as part of its assessment (Commercial Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords).

Gulf Agri Trade FZCO -v- Aston Agro Industrial AG [2008] 2 Lloyd's Rep 376 - section 69 arbitration appeal considering whether or not the premature service by a party of a notice of "default" under the GAFTA default clause mechanism amounted to a repudiatory breach/renunciation of the sale contract (Commercial Court).

ICC arbitration - representing a party in a dispute over the winding down of a long term container line joint venture agreement.

Aerospace Publishing Ltd -v- Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2007] Bus LR 726 - addresses the circumstances in which a claimant may recover damages assessed by reference to the cost of reinstating damaged chattels when that amount is higher than the diminution in their sale value and, in particular, what a claimant must prove in such circumstances. In addition, the judgment considers the period in respect of which interest should be awarded in such cases and the recoverability of staff costs (Court of Appeal).

ICC arbitration (December 2004) - claim for post termination indemnity by a commercial agent under the Commercial Agents Directive.

United Co. for Industrial Metals -v- Easy Trade Limited and Others - worldwide freezing injunction - breach of contract - inducing a breach of contract - tortious conspiracy (Commercial Court).

Arbitration

Mahgoub Sons (Trading) Co -v- Aston Agro Industrial AG [2008] EWHC 723 (Comm) - successfully resisted a section 68 challenge to a GAFTA Appeal Board arbitration award brought on the basis that the tribunal had failed in their duties under section 33 of the 1996 Act and/or failed to deal with the issues before them (Commercial Court).

Agrimex Ltd -v- Tradigrain SA [2003] 2 Lloyd's Rep 537 - appeal against an arbitration award and a dispute under section 28 of the Arbitration Act 1996 over the proportionality of the costs claimed for a solicitor to draft the award (Commercial Court).

ICC hearing - application to challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal to consider various claims - questions concerning the inter-relationship of two separate contracts between the same parties and the scope of the relevant arbitration clause (March 2004).

Shipping

Nippon Yusen Kubishika Kaisha -v- Golden Strait Corp (The "Golden Victory") [2007] 2 AC 353 - assessment of damages for repudiatory breach by charterer of long term time charter - claim based on market rate for vessel at date of breach - entitlement of court to look at events occurring between date of breach and trial as part of its assessment (Commercial Court, Court of Appeal and House of Lords).

CMA CGM SA -v- Classica Shipping Co Ltd (The "CMA Djakarta") [2004] 1 Lloyd's Rep 460 - Limitation of Liability - Shipowners claiming against time-charterers for damages and an indemnity in respect of an explosion and fire on a vessel caused by time-charterers' breach of charter in shipping dangerous cargo - whether time-charterers entitled under the 1976 Limitation Convention to limit their liability to shipowners in principle and, if so, in respect of which liabilities.

ENE Kos 1 -v- Petroleo Brasileiro SA [2009] EWHC 1843 (Comm) - owner's claim for remuneration for period after vessel withdrawn for non-payment of hire and recoverability of the costs of putting up security for a claim as legal costs in a subsequent court action.

Golden President Shipping Corp -v- Bocimar NV (The "Channel Alliance") [2008] 1 Lloyd's Rep 428 - section 69 arbitration appeal dealing with the proper construction of a profit sharing agreement under a long term time charter, a point on which about US$15 million turned (Commercial Court).

The "Laemthong Glory" (No2) [2005] 1 Lloyd's Rep 688 - preliminary issue concerning a shipowner's right to enforce a letter of indemnity granted to the charterer by a cargo receiver via The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (Commercial Court and Court of Appeal).

Laemthong International Lines Co Ltd -v- Artis [2005] All ER (D) 157 (May) - 3 day trial in Commercial Court concerning damages recoverable for detention of vessel and issues of Yemeni law on the proper nature of the defendant company.

Nippon Yusen Kubishika Kaisha -v- Golden Strait Corp [2003] 2 Lloyd's Rep 592 - construction of an option to "charter back" a vessel to the owners' parent company under a time charter (Commercial Court).

Commodities

Gulf Agri Trade FZCO -v- Aston Agro Industrial AG [2008] 2 Lloyd's Rep 376 - section 69 arbitration appeal considering whether or not the premature service by a party of a notice of "default" under the GAFTA default clause mechanism amounted to a repudiatory breach / renunciation of the sale contract (Commercial Court).

Liberty Commodities Limited -v- Trans-World (Steel) Limited - 4 day trial concerning the formation of contracts for the sale of steel and the proper quantification of the claimant's losses under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (Central London County Court, Mercantile List).

Petroval S.A -v- Neo Investments Inc - 2 day trial whether a contract for the sale of gasoil contained a price escalation clause (Central London County Court, Mercantile List).

Information Technology

Atos Consulting Ltd -v- Avis Europe Plc - dispute over the termination of a master services agreement for the pan European implementation of an ERP financial software package and Shared Service Centre. Case raised issues of fraudulent misrepresentation and expert points relating to repudiation (9 week trial in TCC which settled during hearing).

Peregrine Systems Ltd -v- Steria Ltd [2004] All ER (D) 447 (Feb) - helpdesk outsourcing - software development and implementation contract - termination clause and common law termination - misrepresentation - meaning of "remediable" breach - documentation and training requirements - ITIL compliance - construction of Claimant's Part 36 offer letter (8 day trial in Technology and Construction Court and 2 day appeal in Court of Appeal).

Private International Law

Ace Insurance SA - NV (formerly Cigna) -v- Zurich Insurance Company - appeal to the House of Lords - Brussels and Lugano Conventions - section 49 of the CJJA 1982 - compatibility of the discretionary power of forum non conveniens with the Conventions.

Polskie Ratownictwo Okretowe -v- Rallo Vito & C. SNC [2009] EWHC 2249 (Comm) - jurisdictional challenge dealing with Article 23 of the Brussels Regulation and issues over the incorporation of a standard form contract into a fixture recap.

Navigators Insurance Company -v- Marwan Shipping and Trading Company LLC - Commercial Court application to set aside service by an alternative method (under former CPR 6.8) and service on an agent within the jurisdiction (under former CPR 6.16).

Insurance/Re-insurance

Navigators Insurance Company -v- Marwan Shipping and Trading Company LLC - case concerning a Protection & Indemnity insurance policy - insurers seeking to avoid liability relying on grounds of breach of warranty, misrepresentation and non-disclosure (Commercial Court).

Education and Career: 

1994/1998 read Classics at Lincoln College, Oxford and was awarded the Old Members' Scholarship.

1998/1999 attended City University, London where he won the Inner Temple/City University Scholarship and was awarded a Diploma in Law.

1999/2000 Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law, London and received the Everard Ver Heyden Foundation prize.

Called to the Bar in October 2000.

Appointments and Society Memberships: 

  • Supporting Member of the LMAA
  • COMBAR
  • LCLCBA
  • The Society for Computers and Law

Quotes: 

"clever and calm" (Legal 500 2009)

"highly promising junior" (Chambers & Partners 2008)

"his expertise runs the full gamut of commercial litigation" (Chambers & Partners 2008)

"making ripples in the market place" and "extremely able" (Chambers & Partners 2007)

"firm in cross-examination and always stands up for his client" (Chambers & Partners 2006)

Members with similar specialisations...

Many other members specialise in similar fields. A selection is below.

Queen's Counsel

Junior Counsel