Zoe O'Sullivan > Serle Court > London, England > Barrister Profile
Serle Court Offices
6 NEW SQUARE, LINCOLN'S INN
LONDON
WC2A 3QS
England
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Zoe O'Sullivan
Work Department
Arbitration, Banking, Financial Services, Civil Fraud, Commercial Litigation, Insurance and Reinsurance, Telecommunications and Company.
Position
Zoe O’Sullivan QC is a robust and experienced advocate who thrives on the challenges of oral advocacy and cross-examination. She is described in Chambers UK as “very easy to work with and very hands-on”, “very technically able” and “formidably bright”. Zoe’s commercial/Chancery practice spans a broad range including IT and outsourcing disputes, shareholder disputes/joint ventures, directors’ duties, banking and finance, commercial fraud, commodities and shipbuilding. She acts principally for large multinationals and high net worth individuals and is highly experienced in jurisdiction issues and key interim applications including freezing orders, anti-suit injunctions and applications under section 44 of the Arbitration Act 1996. Zoe is equally comfortable acting in court proceedings and in arbitration, and sits regularly as an arbitrator under the LCIA and ICC rules.
Career
Call 1993. Silk 2015.
Languages
Zoe has a working knowledge of French and Spanish.
Memberships
COMBAR, Chancery Bar Association, Society for Computers and Law, Arbitral Women
Education
Educated at Oxford University (1991 Congratulatory First in English, 3 University prizes), City University (1992 Distinction, Arbitrators’ Prize) and Inns of Court School of Law (1993 Very Competent).
Leisure
Interests: Classical Music, Argentine Tango, Medieval History, Ski-Ing. Fellow of Westminister Abbey Institute.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > International arbitration: counsel
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4London Bar > Banking and finance (including consumer credit)
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 3Zoe O’Sullivan KC – Serle Court ‘Zoe possesses a profound understanding of civil litigation and commercial disputes.’
Serle Court continues to be instructed on high-profile and complex banking and finance cases, both in the domestic courts and international courts. One such example was the case of Eternity Sky Investments Limited v Zhang, in which Philip Marshall KC and James Mather were instructed in relation to a claim brought by Huarong Banking Group, which raised issues on public policy and illegality regarding enforcement of guarantees and Hong Kong arbitration awards. David Blayney KC has been involved in large banking cases including the RBS Rights Issue Litigation arising out of the insolvency of Lehman Brothers, while Rupert Reed KC is noted for his cross-border banking practice in the Middle East and London, with significant experience of cases involving Islamic finance. Zoe O’Sullivan KC has a broad commercial and Chancery practice and is a recognised practitioner in the DIFC courts.
London Bar > Commercial litigation
(Leading Silks)Ranked: Tier 4Zoe O’Sullivan KC –Serle Court ‘Zoe is a leading commercial litigation silk. She is passionate about her cases and communicates 100% conviction within the most difficult arguments. A tenacious and highly effective cross-examiner.’
Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial
(Leading silks)Ranked: Tier 1Zoe O’Sullivan KC – Serle Court ‘Zoe is an excellent advocate. She gets up to speed quickly and is persuasive, cuts to the chase and is practical. The lay client is always really impressed with her work.’
Serle Court ‘deservedly has an excellent reputation for DIFC cases’ and has an equally strong presence in the Middle Eastern arbitration space, acting as both counsel and arbitrators. Zoe O’Sullivan KC led Gregor Hogan when successfully acting for the respondent in Al Buhaira National Insurance Co v Horizon Energy, with the DIFC Court of Appeal’s judgement establishing that anti-suit injunctions will only be granted exceptionally to restrain proceedings in another Emirate. As the SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd v Renish Petrochem FZE and Prime Energy FZE case continues on, James Weale appeared at the sanctions hearing in June 2023. Rupert Reed KC remains extremely active throughout the region in disputes concerning commercial, banking, civil fraud and property issues.