Practice Profile


Julia practises across all areas of commercial law, with a particular emphasis on insurance, jurisdiction / conflict of laws, professional negligence, shipping, civil fraud, and commodities. She has been recognised by The Legal 500 2024 as a “rising star” in the field of insurance and reinsurance. Julia accepts instructions as sole counsel and as a junior in all of 7KBW’s specialist areas.

Current and recent led work includes: Carillion v KPMG (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Tim Kenefick and Andrew Fenn); Bell v Singh [2022] EWHC 3272: representing the successful claimants in a six-day civil fraud trial, led by Jason Robinson; Compagnie des Grands Hôtels d’Afrique SA v Purdy [2021] EWHC 1031 (QB): a dispute arising from a letter of request which raised issues relating to the privilege against self-incrimination and Article 6 ECHR, led by David Edwards KC; the SKAT litigation: acting for a group of alleged fraud defendants, led by Keir Howie; Knapfield v C.A.R.S Holdings Limited [2022] EWHC 1437, led by Jessica Sutherland; a variety of insurance matters, including ABN Amro Bank v RSA [2021] EWHC 442 (Comm) (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC and Benjamin Parker) and disputes relating to aviation, professional indemnity, marine and business interruption insurance.

Julia appears on her own in the High Court and the County Court. Julia’s recent work as sole counsel includes acting on various matters relating to business interruption insurance, shipping and commodities.

Julia completed secondments with the insurance & reinsurance team at an international law firm, and at a specialist London shipping firm. She is also a member of the Government’s Junior Junior scheme.

  • Acting for defendant insurers in a business interruption insurance claim by various restaurants in respect of alleged losses arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC.
  • Acting for the claimant in a $150,000,000 marine insurance claim following the alleged detention of three vessels in Venezuela since 2019 for use as hydrocarbon deposits by the Venezuelan Ministry of Petroleum, led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC and Alexander MacDonald.
  • Acting, led by Michael Holmes KC, in relation to a dispute over the extent of a company’s responsibility for its appointed representative’s actions as an insurance intermediary.
  • Acting unled on various matters including in relation to business interruption insurance, non-appearance insurance, freight insurance and employers’ liability insurance.
  • Acted in ABN Amro Bank v RSA [2021] EWHC 442 (Comm), the Commercial Court trial of the bank’s £33.5 million claim against its marine cargo underwriters and insurance brokers (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC and Benjamin Parker).
  • Advised (while on secondment at an international law firm) on various matters, including in relation to product liability, marine, professional indemnity and property damage insurance.
  • Advised on the jurisdiction and conflict of laws rules applicable to insurance contracts following the completion of the Brexit implementation period.
  • Advised on questions of construction of professional indemnity and commercial combined insurance policies.
  • Advised on various aspects of the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) the First Interveners in the FCA Business Interruption Insurance Test Case at first instance (The Financial Conduct Authority v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd [2020] EWHC 2448 (Comm)).
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on and drafting statements of case in relation to a wide range of insurance policies, including with respect to mortgagees’ interests, war risks and marine hull risks, comprehensive credit risks, political risks and construction sector insurance.
  • Led by Jason Robinson, successfully obtained strike-out of an unfair prejudice petition, following the London Circuit Commercial Court’s finding that the petitioners had committed various fraudulent misrepresentations and non-disclosures against two of the respondents to the petition.
  • Bell v Singh [2022] EWHC 3272 (Comm): represented the successful claimants, led by Jason Robinson.
  • SKAT v Solo Capital Partners LLP acting for a group of defendants in a fraud claim by the Danish revenue authorities, valued at more than £1 billion, led by Keir Howie.
  • Advised on the jurisdiction and conflict of laws rules applicable to insurance contracts following the completion of the Brexit implementation period.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) on the defence by subrogated insurers of an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain proceedings in Russia in favour of ICC arbitration in London (Enka Insaat ve Sanayi AS v OOO Insurance Co Chubb [2019] EWHC 3568 (Comm)) which was then appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
  • Advising on and drafting arbitration submissions in relation to various shipping matters.
  • Advised (while on secondment at a specialist London shipping firm) on various arbitral disputes, including with regard to bunkers, demurrage and charterparty construction.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) on the defence by subrogated insurers of an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain proceedings in Russia in favour of ICC arbitration in London (Enka Insaat ve Sanayi AS v OOO Insurance Co Chubb [2019] EWHC 3568 (Comm)) which was then appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in an arbitration before the LMAA in relation to a bunkering dispute.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in drafting a statement of case for an LCIA arbitration relating to a comprehensive credit insurance policy.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on various matters in relation to an LCIA arbitration claim under political risks insurance.
  • Acting (led by Richard Southern KC) in relation to the recovery of sums due under an international agreement for the sale of maize, including by way of a successful worldwide asset disclosure order application.
  • Drafted a security for costs application in relation to a commodities dispute.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on an LCIA arbitration claim by a commodity trading company.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in drafting a statement of case for an LCIA arbitration by an oil trading company relating to a comprehensive credit insurance policy.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in an arbitration before the LMAA in relation to a bunkering dispute.
  • Carillion v KPMG (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Timothy Kenefick and Andrew Fenn).
  • Advised (while on secondment at an international law firm) on a dispute under a binding authority.
  • Acted as junior counsel for the successful claimant in ABN Amro Bank v RSA [2021] EWHC 442 (Comm), the Commercial Court trial of the bank’s £33.5 million claim against its marine cargo underwriters and insurance brokers (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC and Benjamin Parker).
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on a claim involving allegations of professional negligence against a solicitor and related issues as to compliance with the Solicitors Act 1974.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) on the defence by subrogated insurers of an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain proceedings in Russia in favour of ICC arbitration in London (Enka Insaat ve Sanayi AS v OOO Insurance Co Chubb [2019] EWHC 3568 (Comm)) which was then appealed to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
  • Acted in a 5-day Commercial Court trial of a dispute under the CMR, led by Jessica Sutherland.
  • Advising on and drafting arbitration submissions in relation to various shipping matters.
  • Advised (while on secondment at a specialist London shipping firm) on various arbitral disputes, including with regard to bunkers, demurrage and charterparty construction.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on a claim arising from the detention of a vessel under certain war risks and marine hull risks insurance policies.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in an arbitration before the LMAA in relation to a bunkering dispute.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in advising on an LCIA arbitration claim by a commodity trading company.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in drafting a statement of case for an LCIA arbitration by an oil trading company relating to a comprehensive credit insurance policy.
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in an arbitration before the LMAA in relation to a bunkering dispute.
  • Carillion v KPMG (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Timothy Kenefick and Andrew Fenn).
  • Assisted (as a pupil) in drafting a particulars of claim seeking an indemnity in respect of employer’s liability under a construction sector insurance policy.
    • Bar Professional Training Course, City University, London: Very Competent (2019)
    • BA Law (Senior Status), St John’s College, University of Cambridge (2018)
    • BA Classics, Magdalen College, University of Oxford: First Class (2016)

    Scholarships and Awards

    • Norman Tapp Memorial Prize for Advocacy (Gray’s Inn) (2019)
    • Finalist, Gray’s Inn Senior Moot Final (2019)
    • Winner, Landmark Chambers Property Moot (2018)
    • Uthwatt Award for the BPTC, Gray’s Inn (2018)
    • Kenneth Emsley Prize for performance in examinations, St John’s College, Cambridge (2018)
    • Gray’s Inn CPE Award (2016)
    • Demyship (academic scholarship), Magdalen College, Oxford (2014)
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