Robert is a disputes lawyer with extensive experience advising businesses and individuals on disputes arising from commercial relationships, corporate transactions and other rights and obligations in a business context.
His clients include business owners, investors, directors, management teams and in-house lawyers across a wide range of industries.
Robert’s work often involves advising in the early stages of a contractual relationship breaking down, with a view to avoiding a dispute arising. He advises on dispute resolution strategies, formal processes (such as litigation, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution) and associated compliance and risk management issues. Much of his work has an international element.
Expertise
- Commercial disputes
- Litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of ADR
- Professional negligence claims
- Director and shareholder disputes
- Contentious issues in corporate transactions
- Financial services disputes
- Disputed debt recovery
Experience
Commercial Disputes
- Advised a wholesale supplier of hand sanitiser on contractual claims following the rejection of stock and termination of contract by major customer, settled at mediation
- Acted for a law firm in a substantial claim relating to its occupation of its office premises
- Acted for a multi-site audiology practice in contractual and restitutionary claims made by insurer of private medical services
- Advised a museum on issues arising on the termination of the contract for its outsourced catering services
- Advised a multinational life sciences company on contractual claims made against it by an employment agency
- Acted for a HNW individual corporate finance adviser in a claim for bonus commission
- Advised a multinational food manufacturer on quality issues in its supply chain
- Represented a global disaster-response company in a dispute with its customer, a rail network operator
- Advised a national charitable organisation on issues arising with its members and industry bodies in operating a food supply certification scheme
- Acted for a heating appliance manufacturer in claims relating to quality issues in goods supplied by an overseas supplier
- Advised a multinational supplier of scaffolding on its rights to recover goods under a “retention of title” clause on the subsequent insolvency of the customer
- Acted for a local authority in claims made against the overseas supplier of a large number of defective refuse trucks
- Represented the manufacturer of an industrial washing machine in its claims against a Russian purchaser
- Advised a college on recovering sums due from the hirer of its premises
- Advised a food importer/distributor on claims against its overseas supplier which could not meet contracted volumes of supply
- Acted for a college on extracting itself from burdensome photocopier contracts
- Advised a logistics business on issues with the quality of service provided to it by its supplier
- Represented farm owners in claims made against them by a consultant engaged to assist them with developing their property, including relying on the defence of “undue influence”
- Advised a concession at an airport on claims against the airport operator based on misrepresentations made pre-contract
- Acted for a prestigious jewellery retailer in recovering items not paid for by an UHNW individual
- Represented a high-end furniture seller in resisting claims for trademark infringement and passing off
Director and Shareholder Disputes
Financial Services
- Acted for the appointed representative in a multi-party dispute relating to the rectification of a pension scheme leading to the approval of a court-sanctioned compromise
- Acted for an overseas private bank in court proceedings concerning contractual and regulatory aspects of a claim against it for repayment of historical funds
- Advised an FCA-authorised IFA network on its responsibilities in respect of its “appointed representative” allegedly having defrauded customers
- Represented a company providing factoring and invoice discounting financing in making recoveries from its defaulting client, its client’s debtors, and its client’s directors
- Advised on whether certain activities constitute FCA-regulated business
- Represented clients in responding to enforcement action taken by the FCA
- Advised a school trust with a large investment property portfolio on claims under a policy of “title insurance”
- Advised a broker of performance bonds on claims made by the beneficiary of the bond (provided by way of insurance) that the bond was defective and unenforceable
- Acted for the seller of equipment alleged to have caused fire, in a coverage dispute against the client’s insurers and a negligence claim against the client’s insurance brokers
- Advised a professional footballer on claims against a financial adviser for poor advice
- Acted as “independent legal adviser” to a senior employee of a banking institution giving evidence on claims relating to LIBOR manipulation
Contentious Corporate Transactions
- Advised on numerous cases in which the purchaser has made claims under the warranty and/or indemnity provisions of a share purchase agreement, considering the notification requirements, the scope of the warranties/indemnities (and disclosure made), and the contractual and other limitations on claims and damages
- Advised on various court-approved transactions and Companies Act processes, such as: a public takeover by way of a scheme of arrangement; a FSMA Part VII transfer of a book of insurance business; court approval of a settlement in a representative action relating to the rectification of pension scheme documents; reduction of capital; an application to remove a director’s personal address from the records at Companies House
Professional Negligence
- Advised an estate agency business on claims of negligence relating to the sale of property and the funding of sale/purchase
- Advised an on-line retailer on a claim against its tax adviser following claims made by HMRC
- Advised an individual director/shareholder on claims of professional negligence against his accountants in relation to advice provided about the lawfulness of making dividends, in the context of the client facing court proceedings brought by a liquidator to recover the allegedly unlawful dividends
- Acted for a bank on claims against its surveyors for having failed to protect the bank’s interests on the compulsory purchase of one of the bank’s branches
- Acted for the representative beneficiary of a pension scheme in rectification proceedings brought by the company, in the context of claims made by the company against the scheme actuary for negligently having failed to draft the scheme documentation properly
- Advised a property developer on claims against its architect for negligently preparing drawings, in the context of the transfer of the properties
- Acted for a school trust with a large investment property portfolio on claims against its solicitors who handled a property transaction, in the context of claims made against the underwriter of title insurance
- Advised the supplier of a heating appliance on claims against its insurance brokers, in the context of claims made against the client by the owners of property damaged by a fire allegedly caused by the appliance
- Advised a retailer on negligence claims against the supplier of the system which administered its customs warehousing, in the context of claims made against the client by HMRC for unpaid customs duty
Technology
- Advised a managed network provider on contractual issues arising with customer
- Advised a start-up banking business on issues arising in the context of the IT supplier ceasing to perform
- Advised an “alternative data” platform on contractual issues relating to incorporation of licence terms by reference
- Acted for a telecoms equipment reseller in claims against its supplier when the supplier ceased to perform
- Advised a global law firm on claims made by a software vendor arising on expiry/renewal of licences
Media, Music and Sport
- Advised an advertising media agency on various contractual issues arising with its clients
- Represented a musician on terminating the agreement with her manager
- Advised a musician on claims made by a historic manager for expenses incurred
- Advised the estate of a musician on possible claims for royalties and on the PRS having paid royalties to the wrong party
- Represented a professional footballer in claims made in the FA tribunal on the wrongful termination of his contract and claims for loss of earnings
- Advised a professional footballer on claims against a financial adviser for poor advice
- Advised a former professional cricketer on alleged breaches of intellectual property rights in a sports drink product
- Advised on claims available to an individual musician who had been ejected from well-known pop group
International
- Advised FTSE 100 company on claims arising from purchase of business with parallel proceedings in Spain (civil and criminal) and California
- Advised the defendant in proceedings in England to unwind summary judgment in relation to claims in overseas insolvency, by challenging service and jurisdiction
- Represented a Netherlands travel company on the alleged misuse of trademarks on its website
- Advised an Italian landscape garden business on a claim under an English-law contract in relation to a prestigious landscaping project in Azerbaijan
- Advised a heating appliance retailer on possible claims against its Danish supplier (contract either expressly subject to Danish law or no governing law agreed)
- Represented a borrower in unwinding enforcement action taken by the lender which had obtained security over property in France by interlocutory proceedings in France
- Advised a witness on deposition proceedings held in England in aid of proceedings in the US and challenging the scope of the proceedings in England
- Represented the supplier of body armour to an overseas State-owned customer in overseas appellate courts following arbitration
- Acted for the parent (in Abu Dhabi) in proceedings brought against it in England under a guarantee (under English law) provided by it to support the obligations of its subsidiary, in the context of the underlying claims against the subsidiary being pursued by way of arbitration (in Bahrain)
- Advised on the court aspects of a takeover, by way of a court-approved scheme of arrangement, of a PLC which was dual-listed in London and South Africa
- Advised an FCA-authorised IFA network on its responsibilities in respect of its “appointed representative” having defrauded customers in Italy
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by the Legal 500 2025 for Commercial litigation
“incredibly switched-on”
Chambers & Partners 2016
“has impressive experience”
The Legal 500 2016
“very analytical, very bright, very methodical and excellent with clients”
Chambers & Partners 2017
“inspires confidence”
The Legal 500 2018
Career
Robert qualified as a barrister in 1996 and as a solicitor in 2002. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2020, he worked at the following firms:
- Irwin Mitchell LLP
- Slaughter and May