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Areas of expertise

Professional information

  • 2019: Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
  • 2005: Advocate
  • 2000: Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
Professional experience

Chris specialises in insolvency, company and general commercial litigation. With 15 years’ experience, Chris has appeared in the Inner and Outer House and sheriff courts throughout Scotland. He has represented clients including insolvency practitioners, banks, directors, local authorities and commercial enterprises.

Notable cases

Chris is best known for his work in insolvency and company litigation. He also has experience in professional liability and regulation work and many areas of commercial litigation.

Company law

  • ICU (Europe) Ltd v Ibrahim and ICU Secure Ltd. Derivative action concerned breach of fiduciary duty and involving novel questions of piercing the corporate veil and whether an accounting may be required of persons other than defenders to the action
  • Various petitions under section 994 of the Companies Act 2006
  • Solvent scheme of arrangement for insurance company
  • Various director disqualification applications.

Insolvency

  • Springfield Retail Ltd v Chester and West Cheshire Borough Council. Rent as an expense of administrations
  • Action for recovery of wrongly paid VAT by the customer, rather than the insolvent supplier who had accounted for it.
  • Action for the recovery of offshore assets claimed by a company in liquidation
  • Various administrative applications to the court for such matters as directions, retrospective appointments, authority to make distributions.

Commercial litigation

  • Morrison v Morrison & The Wards Estate Trustees Ltd. Setting aside of a trust
  • Construction dispute arising from the construction of a bridge from defective concrete
  • OMI v Bellhill. Dispute as to the value of work performed at a hotel.