Best brains in ...

Either preventing clients seeing the inside of a court room, or making sure they get there as quickly as possible; whichever is in their best interests.

Highlight of your career so far?

There have been a few! Obtaining an emergency mandatory injunction to ensure the continued production of the Land Rover Discovery and employment of around 10,000 people involved in its production will always be one of my proudest moments. Leading the Wragge & Co team in the successful Chelsea Barracks litigation and recusing (removing) a judge who made inappropriate comments about our client, a Saudi national, are both up there too. On a more personal note, I loved my three years as our London office managing partner. During that time I got to work with many of our brilliant lawyers in teams other than my own.

Most challenging job you've ever done?

Land Rover/UPF because the odds were stacked so heavily against us, and the Chelsea Barracks case because of the speed at which we got to court.

What about outside the UK?

Much of my work has been outside the UK, including acting for a Russian entity where we resolved the dispute before the proceedings were even served in Russia saving the client a considerable amount in legal fees. Other highlights has been defending claims brought by an Egyptian dealer all the way through to the door of the House of Lords and finding a massive diamond as part of assets seized in the Channel Islands!

My role as a council member of the International Bar Association has given me an excellent insight into, and understanding of, the way in which different cultures in different countries affect how the law operates.

What's your definition of going the extra mile... And when have you done it?

One client was kind enough to say that I had 'an unnerving knack of knowing what he wanted before he did'. 

What's your single greatest contribution to Wragge & Co's corporate responsibility?

I have assisted in overturning a US court's decision on the jury's bias in the light of the defendant being manacled during the trial. Equally we were able to recover for Oxfam monies stolen from them by an employee on another pro bono case.

I have chaired the Birmingham branch of the National Children's Home in the past and one of the highlights of that has been gathering together local artists who will donate original paintings and sculptures for auction. The highest price reached for a painting at an auction was of the twin towers which was donated immediately before they were destroyed. The auction took place immediately afterwards and with the agreement of the NCH the proceeds of that painting went to the funds for the victims of 9/11.

What's been written or said about you that you're most proud of?

I am really proud of the fact that the directories recognise my 'completely uncompromising approach to client care' Chambers UK.