Jessica is a leading senior junior. She has a wide-ranging commercial practice including shipping (particularly shipbuilding disputes), international trade, insurance and reinsurance, professional negligence, professional regulatory work (auditors). She is also proficient in cross-border matters.
Jessica is listed as a leading junior in the 2022 Chambers & Partners UK and Global Directories, the 2022 Legal 500 Directory and Who’s Who Legal. The directories describe her as: “meticulous, thorough, easy to work with and clearly very bright” and particularly praise her “wonderful ability to distil complex matters and get to the nub of the issue really quickly.” She is particularly recommenced for her advocacy.
Jessica has been featured by The Lawyer as ‘Barrister of The Week’ due to the nature of her high-profile case load.
Current and recent work includes: various business interruption claims following the COVID-19 pandemic including PARKDEAN RESORTS UK LIMITED and others -v- AXIS MANAGING AGENCY LIMITED (due for trial in June 2022), acting as sole counsel for the Financial Reporting Counsel in relation to its investigation of Ernst & Young’s audit of Stagecoach and Virgin Trains’ East Coast Mainline franchise, instructions relating to the collapse of Thomas Cook, coverage disputes arising out of the GRENFELL TOWER disaster, a section 67 challenge to the jurisdiction of a tribunal in an ICC arbitration, and an international arbitration regarding a €100 million build project for a superyacht.
She regularly appears in Court and in International Arbitration proceedings (ICC, LCIA, LMAA, ARIAS, Bermuda Form and ad hoc arbitrations) and has been appointed as a sole arbitrator by the LCIA and in ad hoc arbitrations.
Jessica is a supporting member of the LMAA, and a member of ARIAS and the LCIA. She is willing to accept appointments as arbitrator.
Jessica has experience in matters of salvage, general average, and other aspects of admiralty law. Cases include:
Jessica is ranked as a “Tier 1” Leading Junior in the Legal 500 for Commodities work. Cases include:
Jessica appears in court on a regular basis both conducting trials and handling interlocutory matters in a wide variety of general commercial disputes. Jessica has particular experience of large-scale, complex commercial disputes.
Jessica is often instructed directly by in-house counsel at major global companies and is well regarded for her advisory work. Her clients include MACE, Serco Plc, UBS, Travelers, Thyssen Krupp, Enterprise Rent-a-Car UK, General Electric and Brit.
Cases include:
Jessica has successfully obtained freezing injunctions and anti-suit injunctions from the High Court. Cases include:
Jessica is recommended as a leading junior in this area where she is described as ‘Very bright, responsive and effective on her feet.’ Jessica has wide ranging experience including experience of Bermuda Form arbitration.
Jessica has acted as a sole arbitrator (appointed by the LCIA and in ad hoc arbitrators) and is a member of Lloyd’s Arbitration Scheme Arbitrators Panel – tiers 1 & 2 and ARIAS.
Cases include:
Jessica regularly appears International Arbitration proceedings including ship building arbitrations and Bermuda Form disputes. Cases include:
Cases include:
Jessica has particular expertise in disputes concerning insurance brokers, auditors and solicitors. Cases include:
Jessica has particular expertise in disputes concerning contracts for the carriage of goods by sea, sale of goods, contracts of insurance (both marine and non-marine) and shipbuilding. Cases include:
Jessica Sutherland named Barrister of The Week by The Lawyer
Ernst & Young fined more than £2 million by FRC in relation to Stagecoach audit failings
New appointments for the Lloyd’s Arbitration Scheme
St Maximus Shipping Co Ltd v Ap Moller-Maersk A/S
Excalibur Ventures LLC v Texas Keystone Inc & Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited
Jessica accepts arbitration appointments in relation to disputes falling within her areas of expertise, in particular insurance and reinsurance, shipping, international trade and commodities, conflicts of law and professional negligence.
She has been appointed as sole arbitrator in both insurance disputes and shipping disputes (appointed by the LCIA and in ad hoc arbitrations).
Jessica is a member of Lloyd’s Arbitration Scheme Arbitrators Panel – tiers 1 & 2, ARIAS (UK), the LCIA, and a supporting member of the LMAA.
Jessica was awarded a Queen Mother Scholarship and Harmsworth Entrance Exhibition by Middle Temple.
" Very much the junior you want to work with if you possibly can."
Legal 500