As 'a top class chambers in commercial litigation', Fountain Court Chambers continues to impress with its routine involvement in prominent commercial disputes. The team regularly appears before the Commercial Court, the Chancery Division, and in international commercial arbitration cases. Notably, multiple members of the set represented various parties in the longrunning Russian Aircraft litigation, regarding whether aircraft expropriated by the Russian Federation, following its invasion of Ukraine and subsequent imposition of sanctions on the country, are considered permanently lost, and whether the loss is attributable to a war risk or an all-risk insured policy. The case included David Railton KC, Simon Atrill KC, Adam Sher, Ian Bergson and others appeared for Lloyds Insurance Company, and Akhil Shah KC leading the advice to Tokio Marine and HDI. The Commercial Court ruled that the aircraft were lost on 10 March 2022, and the proximate cause of the loss was Russian Government Resolution 311, which banned the return from Russia of leased aircraft and engines to Western lessors. The ban qualified as 'restraint' and/or 'detention' within the meaning of war risks perils, meaning the loss is covered under the war risk insurance and excluded under the all-risk insurance. In March 2025, Alex Barden KC and Rupert Allen KC were appointed to silk.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Civil and commercial litigation including banking, financial services, insurance/reinsurance, civil fraud, pharmaceuticals and professional negligence. Recent cases: Russian aircraft insurance claims (for war risk insurers); Law Debenture v Ukraine (first instance, CA and Supreme Court); Times Travel (SC, economic duress); Madison Pacific v PrivatBank (Notes, illegality); Blue v Mike Ashley [2017] EWHC 1928 (Comm) (oral agreement); Group Seven v Nasir (first instance and CA: fraud); NBT v Yurov (fraud); Marme v RBS (misrepresentation); BTA Bank v Ablyazov; OFT v Abbey National (bank charges) [2010] 1 A.C. 696); Group Seven v Sultana [2014] 1 W.L.R. 735 (freezing injunctions), [2014] EWHC 2046 (Ch) (trial) and [2015] EWCA Civ 631; BAT v Windward [2014] 2 All ER (Comm) 757; interest rate swaps and PPI litigation; IBC v MAR [2010] 1 All ER (Comm) 112; ICB v Akingbola; various cases in Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and Trinidad and Tobago.
Career
Supervisor, conflict of laws and administrative law at the University of Cambridge 2004-05. Called 2005. Silk 2023.
Publications include Legal Privilege and Mandatory Disclosure under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 [2005] LMCLQ; “Choice of Law in Contract” (2004) ICLQ; several in Cambridge Law Journal.
Languages
working knowledge of French and Spanish.
Memberships
COMBAR.
Education
St Catharine’s College, Cambridge (2002 BA Law Double First); St John’s College, Oxford (2003 BCL Distinction); University of Pennsylvania, USA (LLM magna cum laude).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Alex Taylor is a legend; he is sublime in his handling of complex and urgent issues.'
- 'First class. Alex Taylor is everything you look for in a senior clerk.'
- 'Sian Huckett and Adam Collins are both excellent and down to earth.'
- 'Faultless service from the clerks' room.'
- 'Fountain Court is an impressive chambers. It is professional, business like, and provides a very high quality service.'
- 'Fountain Court is an excellent set with good strength and depth.'
- 'Fountain Court are clearly strong in this field.'
- 'First-class set.'