Clara Johnson > South Square > London, England > Barrister Profile
South Square Offices
3-4 SOUTH SQUARE, GRAY'S INN
LONDON
WC1R 5HP
England
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Clara Johnson
Position
Clara is frequently instructed to act for office holders, directors, creditors and individual debtors. Her experience extends to fraudulent and wrongful trading claims, misfeasance and breach of fiduciary duty, unlawful distributions, disputes involving trusts of land, antecedent transactions, provisional liquidations, liquidators’ remuneration, director’s disqualification proceedings and all aspects of bankruptcy.
Clara is frequently instructed on cases which have cross-border elements, or where urgent injunctive relief is required (most often, freezing or asset preservation orders, including worldwide freezing orders, where assets are located out of the jurisdiction), freezing orders against third parties under the Chabra jurisdiction, orders for disclosure in relation to the whereabouts of assets or the tracing of funds.
Clara’s civil fraud practice has particular emphasis on multijurisdictional claims, which raise issues of jurisdiction, foreign law and international sanctions. Clara recently acted for the joint liquidators in Maplecross Properties Limited, a case involving a Guernsey company whose 50% ultimate beneficial owner is the Libyan Investment Authority; and for two defendants in case where it was alleged the sale of an oil rig was in breach of EU sanctions: IOEC v Dean 8 ors [2019] 1 WLR 82.
Clara’s practice also extends to claims involving bribery, conspiracy, knowing assistance and breach of trust in a range of civil and commercial contexts. Clara was junior counsel to Aeroflot in OJSC Aeroflot v Berezovsky & Forus Group (ChD, 2017) in its application for freezing orders and for permission to enforce them in Switzerland (applying the Dadourian Guidelines); and junior counsel to the Defendants in BFS Group Limited v Ricotta (QBD, 2017) in a claim for rescission of a share purchase agreement worth £45 million on the grounds of bribery and deceit.
Clara regularly acts in shareholder and/ or company law disputes, including claims against directors, unfair prejudice petitions, winding up petitions and derivative claims. Clara was recently junior counsel to the claimant in Stubbins Marketing Limited v Stubbins Food Partnerships Limited & 6 ors (ChD, 2019) in proceedings against its former directors in relation to a management buyout.
Career
Called to the Bar in 2005
Memberships
London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association
Education
2003 UCL – Masters in Legal and Political Philosophy (Distinction)
2001 University College, Oxford, BA (Honours) Politics, Philosophy and Politics (2:1)
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Insolvency
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Clara Johnson – South Square ‘Clara has total command of her subject area, including all of its darker recesses. She uses that knowledge to produce excellent strategic insight. She has a great written style, which delights clients, since it is brisk but detailed.’
‘The number one set for restructuring and insolvency matters,‘ South Square has all of its members specialising within insolvency and restructuring law. Members, such as Mark Phillips KC have appeared in significant and high-profile insolvency cases in the UK, such as Sova Capital Ltd in which Phillips KC, alongside William Willson, put an investment broker focussing on the Russian markets into administration, which raised numerous complex issues from valuing claims to dealing with client claims, as well as how Moscow-listed assets would be handled by a UK company. ‘Extremely knowledgeable and unflappable‘ junior Charlotte Cooke has appeared in a number of high-profile insolvency and restructuring cases, including three times in the Supreme Court, while Felicity Toube KC has depth in experience includes acting in major insolvency cases such as Greensill and Liberty Steel. David Allison KC has developed a strong cross-border practice, handling insolvency cases in the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda and Hong Kong, whereas Clara Johnson is noted for her experience in bringing and defending claims brought by officer holders involving fraud and where urgent injunctive relief is required.
The English Bar Offshore > The English Bar Offshore
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3Clara Johnson – South Square ‘Calm under pressure, ability to listen and work with the clients. Strong commercial legal mind and a team player with clients and insolvency practitioners.’