Hermione Williams > New Square Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Hermione Williams

Position

Hermione has a multi-faceted chancery commercial practice. Her areas of practice comprise commercial litigation, trusts and estates, company, insolvency and property law. As few cases fall neatly under one category, clients find her experience across this spectrum of areas invaluable from a practical as well as strategic perspective.

Hermione’s domestic practice has been enhanced by her international experience. She has worked in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Hong Kong and Guernsey, doing cross-border litigation. In the BVI and Hong Kong, the cases she worked on typically involved shareholder disputes, claims against directors, cross-border fraud and asset-tracing claims; whereas in Guernsey the matters were trust focused.

Such experience at the “coal face” and moreover working in-house as part of a team, ensures that Hermione is a well-rounded litigator who genuinely adds value.

Hermione has an excellent eye for detail and has a strategic, meticulous and sensitive approach to the detail of a case. She is described as an articulate and effective advocate who is able to present her arguments cogently and think on her feet. As a natural problem solver, Hermione systematically identifies solutions for the benefit and for the protection of her client’s best interests in order to secure their objectives. Though able to work alone, she thoroughly enjoys working hard as part of a team to do this.

Hermione’s six years at the commercial and chancery Bar in England, combined with her time offshore, equips her to offer clients a high level of technical expertise. This experience, in conjunction with her instinctive commercial acumen, commitment and tenacity, enables Hermione to deliver legal advice that instils confidence in and loyalty from her clients.

Career

Called to the Bar 2008; Heathcoat Trust Bursary (Merit-based award in East Devon locality for university tuition); Benefactors Scholarship, Middle Temple.

Hermione’s commercial litigation practice includes contractual disputes, professional negligence, civil fraud and asset-tracing claims, shareholder disputes, claims brought both by and against directors, enforcement of foreign judgments and the associated freezing, disclosure and Norwich Pharmacal orders, set aside and summary judgment applications.

She works with law firms, banks and fiduciary service providers throughout the world with respect to large multijurisdictional transactions and disputes. Hermione is instructed to appear in both the High Court and County Court whether as both sole or junior counsel, whether to obtain interlocutory relief (ex and inter partes) or as part of substantive proceedings.

Prior to joining New Square Chambers in November 2017, Hermione worked for offshore firms in both the BVI and Hong Kong, having already spent six years at the English Bar. She is equipped to offer clients the highest level of technical expertise, and is keen to get involved in a case early, and where required provide the initial merits assessment. Hermione therefore enjoys a busy advisory and drafting practice and prides herself on delivering a quality service that instils both loyalty and confidence from her client base.

Hermione’s Company law practice includes shareholder disputes, derivative actions, unfair prejudice petitions, claims against directors for breach of fiduciary or statutory duty, director’s disqualification and partnership disputes.

Her insolvency expertise ensures she is adept at handling how these two areas overlap and she is experienced at handing shareholder disputes where both unfair prejudice petitions and applications to wind up a company on the just and equitable ground are being pursued.

Hermione’s insolvency practice is both domestic and international, having spent three years working offshore in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. She is particularly interested cross-border insolvency and assistance proceedings.

Property litigation has always been an integral part of Hermione’s practice on account of her pupillage taking place at a specialist planning, housing and local government law chambers. Hermione is particularly interested in cases involving an insolvent or bankrupt estate and is experienced in assisting office holders trace, realise and distribute estate property. She is also familiar with matters which have a trust element, including offshore trusts.

Hermione’s trusts and estates experience is both domestic and international, on account of her spending three years working offshore in first Hong Kong and then the British Virgin Islands.

Hermione is well-placed to accept instructions in offshore matters having acquired first-hand experience at the “coal face” by working for offshore firms in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. She was admitted as a Barrister of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the Territory of the Virgin Islands in October 2014 and returned to the English Bar in November 2017. She appeared in the Commercial Court as both sole and junior counsel.

Hermione’s practice covers commercial litigation, arbitration, insolvency, corporate law and trusts, with a focus on shareholder disputes, claims against directors, cross-border fraud and asset-tracing claims.

The fused nature of the legal profession in the BVI meant she both appeared in Court as well as carried out all other tasks associated with working in a litigation team. Hermione is unfazed by the challenge and complexity that cross-border matters present. She offers clients not only technical expertise but also an insight into how the process in the BVI may have a bearing on the strength of their claim and/or application. Hermione is a valuable junior for leaders and enjoys working hard as part of a legal team.

Hermione is an articulate speaker and was one of only two solo speakers at the five day International Arbitration Conference in the BVI, where she gave a presentation on the clash in policy between the enforcement of arbitral awards and the doctrine of sovereign immunity.

Memberships

Chancery Bar Association; International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation ; INSOL; COMBAR; Inter-pacific Bar Association; Attendee at various C5 Fraud and Asset Tracing Recovery forums.

Education

Caribbean Supreme Court of the Territory of the Virgin Islands (2014); Called to the Bar of England and Wales (Middle Temple) (2008); Middle Temple Scholar; College of Law, London – Bar Vocational Course, Very competent; University College London – LLB in Law with Advanced Studies degree (2:1).