Daniel Bayfield

 

 

 

Contact details:

 

3-4 South Square, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5HP. 

Telephone +44 (0)20 7696 9900.  Fax +44 (0)20 7696 9911.  LDE 338 (Chancery Lane).
Email: danielbayfield@southsquare.com. Web: www.southsquare.com

 

Education:

 

MA (Cantab) (Magdalene College)

Called to the Bar 1998 (Inner Temple)

 

Awards & scholarships:

 

Inner Temple Major Scholarship - 1997/8

Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Award - 1997/8

 

Areas of practice:

 

Insolvency and restructuring

General Commercial and Chancery litigation

Professional negligence

Sports law

 

Publications:                         

 

Contributor to Lightman & Moss: “The Law of Receivers and Administrators of Companies

Contributor to Moss, Isaacs and Fletcher: “The EC Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings

 

Recommendations:

 

Chambers & Partners:  Recommended in “Insolvency / Corporate Recovery” and “Chancery: Commercial”

Legal 500: Recommended in “Insolvency”

Legal Experts: Recommended in “Insolvency and corporate recovery”

 

Comments include:

 

[O]utstanding newcomer Daniel Bayfield has distinguished himself with his “pleasant manner and meticulous preparation”.  Senior peers acknowledged him as “one who handles the toughest of cases very well”.  (Chambers UK, Chancery: Commercial, 2007)

 

“Bright and sparkyDaniel Bayfield recently appeared in Re British American Racing (Holdings) Ltd. On the schemes of arrangement side, he has been involved in Re British Aviation Insurance and Re DAP Holding NV.  (Chambers UK, Insolvency, 2007)

 

The up-and-coming Daniel Bayfield provides a “fantastic level of service” and is “very shrewd, but friendly with it”.  (Legal 500, Insolvency, 2005)

 

Daniel Bayfield deserves mention for inspiring the confidence and approbation of a wide pool of solicitors.  (Legal 500, Insolvency, 2007)

 

Experience:

 

Insolvency

 

Acted for Interested Party D on an application for directions made by the receivers of the SIV Cheyne Finance plc as to the meaning of “Insolvency Event” within the meaning of a security trust deed.  The judgment is authority for the proposition that the test of commercial or cash flow insolvency to be found in section 123(1)(e) of the Insolvency Act 1986 does not exclude consideration of prospective or future debts.

(Re Cheyne Finance plc [2008] 2 All ER 987, [2008] BCC 182)

 

Acted for a group of landlords which successfully obtained a declaration that a CVA purportedly approved by the creditors of an insolvent retailer unfairly prejudiced the interests of those of the company’s landlords which had obtained guarantees from the company’s solvent parent which were purportedly released under the terms of the CVA.

(Prudential Assurance Co Ltd and others v PRG Powerhouse Ltd and others [2007] BCC 500, [2008] 1 BCLC 289)

 

Acted for the Chapter 11 Asbestos Creditors’ Committee and the Chapter 11 Future Claimants’ Representative in relation to the restructuring of the Federal Mogul group.

(Re T&N Limited and others [2006] 1 WLR 1728, [2006] 3 All ER 697, [2006] 2 BCLC 374)

 

Acted for fixed charge receivers: (i) successfully defending numerous underselling claims in front of Patten J. in a trial lasting several months; and subsequently (ii) successfully resisting an appeal against Patten J.’s judgment.  The decision of the CA is a leading authority on the scope of a receiver’s duties to a borrower.

(Silven Properties Limited v Royal Bank of Scotland PLC [2003] BPIR 171 (Patten J.), [2004] 1 WLR 997, [2004] 4 All ER 484, [2004] 1 BCLC 359 (CA))

 

Acted for a company within the British American Tobacco group on its application for an administration order to be made against the holding company which then owned the BAR Formula 1 racing team.  An administration order was made after a 4 day contested application before Evans-Lombe J.  The Applicant was the company’s largest creditor and also its majority shareholder and the application was opposed by a minority shareholder which alleged, inter alia, that the application was an abuse of process made for the improper purpose of excluding the minority from being involved in the owning and running of the racing team. 

(Re British American Racing (Holdings) Ltd [2005] BCC 110, [2005] 2 BCLC 234)

 

Acted for a trustee in bankruptcy in successfully resisting an appeal to the Court of Appeal against the decision of the judge to make an order annulling a bankruptcy order conditional upon the bankrupt paying the trustee in bankruptcy's fees and disbursements notwithstanding that the bankruptcy order should never have been made. The delay in bringing to the court's attention the factor leading to the annulment had been the fault of the bankrupt or his former solicitors.

(Thornhill v Atherton [2005] BPIR 437 (CA))

 

Acted for the joint administrators of O.T. Computers Ltd, the company which traded as Tiny Computers.  I advised and appeared on numerous occasions for the Joint Administrators (and later the Joint Liquidators) of the Jersey registered company which previously traded as Tiny Computers.  This included advising on a proposed scheme of arrangement, successfully resisting an application to restrain a presentation of a winding-up petition against Time Group Limited ([2003] EWHC 1119 (Sir Andrew Morritt V-C) see LexisNexis), and advising in relation to, and securing, the discharge of the administration order and the going into voluntary liquidation of the company pursuant to a Letter of Request from the Royal Court of Jersey and pursuant to the EC Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings.

 

Acted for the joint provisional liquidators, and later joint administrators, of the Cenargo group of companies.  For further details see Global Turnaround May 2003 (issue 40).

 

Acted (for the office holders) on various aspects of the TXU, MG Rover and Enron administrations and the Independent Insurance provisional liquidation. 

 

 

Schemes of arrangement

 

Advised on numerous schemes of arrangement, both solvent and insolvent, in many (but not all) cases for insurers. 

 

Acting for the solvent companies in the WFUM Pools scheme of arrangement.

(Re Sovereign Marine & General Insurance Company Limited and others [2006] BCC 774; [2007] 1 BCLC 228)

 

Appeared for 18 Dutch companies (17 solvent insurers and 1 insolvent former insurer) and secured the sanction of schemes in relation to their pool business.

(Re DAP Holding N.V. and others [2006] BCC 48)

 

Appeared for the applicant company on the first fully contested solvent insurance scheme.

(Re The British Aviation Insurance Company Ltd [2006] BCC 14)

 

 

Commercial litigation

 

Acted for a Polish shipping company in relation to consolidated Commercial Court claims listed for a 3 week trial commencing July 2004 which settled in May 2004.  This involved interviewing expert witnesses in Warsaw and extensive drafting and advice.  (Euroafrica Shipping Lines Limited v Zegluga Polska S.A)

 

Acted for defendants in relation to a substantial breach of warranty claim in the Chancery Division.  The relevant warranty was contained in the Sale and Purchase Agreement of a company purchased by an MBO team together with a leading venture capital house.  The trial was (on day 6 of an estimated 25 day trial) adjourned pending an appeal to the CA by the Claimant of Peter Smith J.’s determination of the preliminary issues.  The claim was compromised on the eve of the appeal. 

(SGI Holdings Limited v InterserveFM Limited)

 

Acted for many of the Applicants claiming damages against the Secretary of State for Transport as a result of the enactment of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988

(R v Secretary of Transport, ex parte Factortame).

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Sport and entertainment

 

Advised Sunderland A.F.C. in relation to a compensation claim brought by the club against Manchester United F.C. following the signing by United of the former Sunderland forward, David Bellion.  The claim, which was due to be heard by the Football League Appeals Committee, was settled on the basis that United would pay Sunderland compensation of £2m (rising to £3m depending on appearances) together with a sell-on clause. 

 

Acted for Arsenal F.C., Patrick Vieira, Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, Ray Parlour, Lauren and Jens Lehmann in relation to charges brought against the Club and the players following Manchester United v Arsenal, 21 September 2003.

 

Represented Patrick Vieira (twice), Martin Keown and Thierry Henry before F.A. Disciplinary Commissions on earlier charges of violent and/or improper conduct. The charges were brought in relation to the following matches: Vieira – Leeds v Arsenal, 26 November 2000 and Arsenal v Chelsea, 26 December 2001; Keown – Arsenal v Leeds, 5 May 2001; and Henry – Arsenal v Newcastle, 18 December 2001.

 

Represented Arsène Wenger on his appeal (before the Football Association Appeal Board) against a decision of an F.A. Disciplinary Commission to ban M. Wenger from the touchline for 12 games and to fine him, the Commission having found proved a charge that M. Wenger had used violent and improper behaviour after the match between Sunderland and Arsenal on 23 August 2000.  The Appeal Board overturned the ban and substantially reduced the fine.

 

Represented Gary Kemp in the Court of Appeal towards the conclusion of the Spandau Ballet litigation (Hadley v Kemp).

 

 

Other cases

 

Re a Company [2002] All ER (D) 36 (Nov)

Re Henry Charles Ltd  [2003] All ER (D) 432 (Feb)

Re a Company [2003] All ER (D) 95 (May)

Re a Debtor [2003] All ER (D) 392 (Oct)

Turnstem Ltd v Bhanderi [2004] All ER (D) 269 (May)

Smith v Official Receiver [2004] All ER (D) 397 (Jul)

Re Foden [2005] All ER (D) 190 (Jul)

Re Hydroserve Ltd [2008] BCC 175