High Court and Appeal Court Representation
I represent clients in all types of costs and commercial litigation cases, with particular expertise in the High Court and Court of Appeal. I work both alone and as part of larger legal teams on complex, high-value commercial disputes that require specialist costs knowledge.
Costs Management
I have extensive experience helping clients manage legal costs in high-value commercial cases, including:
- Budget preparation and challenges – Working with costs budgets over £1 million
- Revision applications – Helping to change approved budgets when circumstances change
- Multi-party hearings – Managing complex cases involving multiple parties
- Strategic advice – Helping clients present budgets effectively and challenge unreasonable cost assessments
- Specialist cases – Including group litigation, international arbitration, and cases requiring substantial expert evidence
I regularly appear before costs judges and senior commercial judges on budget disputes involving new legal arguments, international evidence gathering, and costs relating to new technology.
Third-Party and Wasted Costs Claims
I represent both claimants and defendants in cases where someone other than the main parties may have to pay legal costs, including:
- Applications against litigation funders and insurers
- Claims against parent companies and directors
- Professional adviser liability – Where advisers may be responsible for costs
- Cases involving over £500,000 in potential liability
I also handle wasted costs cases where legal representatives may have to pay costs due to unreasonable conduct, including defending major law firms against multi-million pound claims.
Criminal Costs and Tribunal Work
My criminal costs practice covers:
- Crown Court and Court of Appeal cases involving serious fraud and large-scale prosecutions
- Confiscation proceedings and regulatory prosecutions
- Applications for defendants’ costs and prosecution costs
- Specialist tribunals including the Upper Tribunal and Competition Appeal Tribunal
- Costs capping and protective costs orders
Post-Trial and Appeal Work
After trials conclude, I help with:
- Consequential hearings to determine who pays what costs
- Interest calculations and interim payment applications
- Court of Appeal costs appeals and permission applications
- Complex procedural challenges involving costs orders
I have handled notable appeal cases including five separate Court of Appeal cases on qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS) and appeals about costs protection in group litigation.
Detailed Cost Assessments
I represent clients in detailed assessments in the Senior Courts Costs Office, including:
- Large assessments exceeding £2 million
- Success fee and insurance premium challenges
- Proportionality arguments in substantial commercial cases
- Novel issues arising from litigation funding arrangements
Professional Negligence Cases
I represent both claimants and defendants in substantial claims against legal professionals, particularly involving:
- Costs advice failures – Where lawyers give poor advice about likely costs
- Negligent funding strategy – Poor decisions about how to fund litigation
- Breach of fiduciary duty claims exceeding £1 million