Patricia advises and acts in a wide range of commercial disputes, from substantial and complex trials with leaders to smaller matters appearing alone. She has secured several urgent interim injunctions in the Commercial Court acting alone. She has been instructed in a number of cases arising out of the global economic downturn, including as junior counsel in an arbitration raising issues of frustration and force majeure in this context.
Many of her cases raise both complex legal questions and technical factual and financial issues. In 2009, she was junior counsel in a two week LCIA arbitration arising out of a share sale agreement in respect of a Russian company. The principal dispute turned on detailed reports by expert accountants concerning the value of the company.
More recently, she acted in a substantial trial of an off-shore oil drilling dispute, arising under a farm-in agreement and related production sharing contracts and joint operating agreements. The case raised novel issues of quantum and required extensive scientific expert evidence. (Case settled at court.)
Patricia has considerable experience of working with experts in a diverse range of foreign laws, including Thai, Nigerian and Dutch law. She also accepts instructions to act abroad. Recently, she settled an application for a freezing injunction and ancillary orders in the DIFC Courts relating to property in Dubai. In 2005, she worked on secondment in a US law firm in Portland, Oregon, where she was involved in a broad spectrum of commercial litigation and mediation.
Other cases include Berezovsky & ors v Edmiston & ors, 30 March 2010 (Teare J), which considered the grounds for adding parties under CPR r.19.2, and Stephen York v Hammonds Direct, 24 February 2010, an application to set aside a statutory demand for sums claimed on dissolution of a partnership.
