Robin Knowles CBE QC

 

Date of birth:

7th April 1960

Contact details:

                           3-4 South Square, Gray’s Inn, London WC1R 5HP (Chambers of Michael Crystal QC).

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

Education:

Sir Roger Manwood’s Grammar School

                           Trinity College, Cambridge (MA (Cantab) in Law)

                                    Jameson Award, Middle Temple (1983)

 

Professional career and associations:

Called to the Bar 1982 (Middle Temple; also a member of Gray’s Inn)

Appointed QC 1999

Recorder of the Crown Court.

Bencher of Middle Temple

Awarded CBE in 2006 for services to pro bono legal services

 

Chairman of the Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)

Chairman of the Bar Pro Bono Unit (and of Bar in the Community)

Trustee of the Solicitors Pro Bono Group

Trustee of the Royal Courts of Justice CAB

 

Member of the Chancery Bar Association

Member of the South Eastern Circuit

Member (ex officio) of the Bar Council

Member of a range of Bar committees and working groups

Advocacy trainer for Middle Temple and the South Eastern Circuit

 

Main areas of practice:

Commercial law, business law and financial law disputes and advice, with a particular emphasis on the following areas: banking and financial services, professional negligence, regulation, commercial fraud, corporate insolvency and reconstruction, corporate and partnership disputes, insurance and reinsurance.

 

Litigation: examples include:

                           Rose v Lynx Express Ltd [2004] EWCA Civ 447 (instructed by Travers Smith) [construction of articles]

 

                                    Crown Dilmun v Sutton [2004] 1 BCLC 52 (instructed by Ferguson) [directors’ fiduciary duties; diversion of corporate opportunity]

 

                                    Syndicate 1242 at Lloyd’s [2001] EWHC Comm (instructed by the Society of Lloyd’s) [intervention by  market institution]

 

                                    Consignia plc v Hays plc New Law Online 11 December 2001 (Ch.D) (instructed by Clifford Chance) [statutory interpretation, privilege and duty].

                                   

                                    O’Donnell v HSBC [2001] EWCA Civ 2108 (instructed by Eversheds) [construction of bank security documentation].

                                   

                                    Bermuda International Securities Ltd v KPMG [2001] Lloyd’s Rep PN 392 (CA) (instructed by Stephenson Harwood) [pre-action disclosure in professional negligence cases].

 

                                    Re Drake Insurance plc [2001] Lloyd’s Rep IR 643 (instructed by Norton Rose) [refund of premium on insurance policy cancellation].

 

                                    Clark v Nomura International plc [2000] IRLR 766 (instructed by Ferguson) [proprietary trading and performance bonuses in City-based employment; review of contractual discretion].

 

                                    Hillsbridge Investments Ltd v Moresfield Ltd [2000] 2 BCLC 241 (instructed by Travers Smith Braithwaite) [expert determination clauses].

 

                                    Grupo Torras SA v Sheikh Fahad Mohammed Al-Sabah [1999] CLC 1469 (instructed by Nicholson Graham & Jones) [commercial fraud and conflict of laws].

 

                                    Tager v Westpac Banking Corporation [1997] 1 BCLC 313 (instructed by Clifford Chance] [voluntary arrangements with creditors].

 

                                    Re Schuppan [1996] 2 All ER 664 (instructed by Travers Smith Braithwaite) [solicitors and conflicts of interest]

 

                                    Socomex Ltd v. Banque Bruxelles Lambert SA [1996] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 156 (instructed by Linklaters) [banking and commodity trading]

                                   

                                    Gomba Holdings (UK) Ltd v. Minories Finance Ltd [1993] ch 171 (CA) (instructed by Freshfields) [receivership costs]

 

                                    British & Commonwealth Holdings plc (Nos.1 and 2) [1992] Ch 342 (CA) and (as British & Commonwealth v. Spicer & Oppenheim) [1993] AC 426 (HL) (instructed by Linklaters) [compulsion of disclosure on insolvency].

 

Alternative Dispute Resolution:

                                    experience includes mediation advocacy in more than 30 mediations.

 

Advisory work:

has included work on a range of regulatory, institutional and professional issues.