Biography
Claire is a Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution Team. She trained with the firm and qualified in 2011.
Claire has developed particular expertise in representing both claimants and defendants in civil fraud claims, acting for both corporate clients and individuals on disputes including allegations of:
- Misrepresentation
- Deceit
- Unlawful means conspiracy
- Unjust enrichment
- Dishonest assistance
- Knowing receipt
- Breach of trust
- Breach of contract
- Breach of fiduciary duty
Claire is an experienced litigator, who acts in the High Court, who, in addition to her civil fraud specialism, advises a range of clients in relation to a variety of commercial disputes, contractual disputes, shareholder disputes (including unfair prejudice petitions, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of directors’ duties, derivative claims and breach of joint venture and shareholders’ agreements), partnership disputes and high value debt recovery.
Claire is able to advise and support clients through all stages of litigation and often successfully settles disputes through ADR, mainly mediation.
Claire is known for her ability to get to the crux of any dispute quickly, and for her creative approach to delivering positive outcomes for clients.
In 2014, Claire completed a four-month full-time secondment to the litigation team of Post Office Limited in London. In 2016, Claire completed a short placement in the litigation team of a commercial firm in Perth, Australia.
Relevant experience
- Commercial client: Advising and representing a hugely successful company in investigating and pursuing claims with a value of over £40 million against several of the company directors and third party individuals who received excessive sums from the company to which they were not entitled, or facilitated or authorised excessive sums to be paid out from the company to the detriment of the companies’ shareholders. A number of civil fraud heads of claim were pursued against multiple defendants including breach of directors duties breach of fiduciary duties, breach of trust, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, unjust enrichment and unlawful means conspiracy.
- Commercial client: Advising and representing a local manufacturing company in pursuing a claim for £7 mil against a popular soft drink provider over an alleged breach of a manufacturing agreement. The case settled shortly after mediation.
- Commercial and Director client: Advising and representing two companies and its Director in defending a £4.2 million claim in which there were allegations of misrepresentation, unlawful means conspiracy and deceit. This was a complex multiparty dispute which settled shortly after mediation.
- Director and Shareholder client: representing the director/shareholder in bringing Part 8 proceedings which concerned an application to rectify the company's register pursuant to s.1096 of the Companies Act 2006 against an individual, following that individual making false filings on the company's register without authority of the company. An injunction was also obtained against the individual, preventing them from taking any further action, as purported director or shareholder of the company.
- Commercial client: Advising and representing a local company engaged in the business of the sale of new and used bakery and food processing equipment in defending a proposed breach of contract claim by a third-party company in the sum of circa £400,000. The case settled in the pre-action stage for £80,000 inclusive of costs and including return of the equipment in dispute which had a re-sale value of more than £80,000.
- Director and Majority Shareholder client: Representing majority shareholder in engineering company, in relation to matters concerning claims of unfair prejudice, breach of director’s duties, recompense for alleged unlawful dividends and purchase of interest at fair value. Settled by negotiation outside of Court.
