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 and 2025 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:
- Greensill Bank v Zurich Insurance (led by Noel Casey KC and Sarah Cowey)
- Wahaca v QIC Europe Limited [2024] EWHC 394 (Comm) (led by Peter MacDonald Eggers KC)
- the SKAT litigation (acting for a group of alleged fraud defendants, led by Keir Howie)
- the Russian Aircraft Operator Policy Claims (led by Alistair Schaff KC, Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Alexander MacDonald, Sandra Healy and Frederick Alliott)
- 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)
- Knapfield v C.A.R.S Holdings Limited [2022] EWHC 1437 (led by Jessica Sutherland)
- ABN Amro Bank v RSA [2021] EWHC 442 (Comm) (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC and Benjamin Parker)
Julia appears unled in the High Court and the County Court. She recently appeared as sole counsel in a successful application for a freezing injunction in the Commercial Court, and has acted on matters relating to business interruption insurance, solicitors’ invoices, shipping and commodities.
- Acting for the claimant in Greensill Bank v Zurich Insurance (led by Noel Casey KC and Sarah Cowey)
- 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: Wahaca v QIC Europe Limited [2024] EWHC 394 (Comm).
- The Russian Aircraft Operator Policy Claims in the Commercial Court, led by Alistair Schaff KC, Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Alexander MacDonald, Sandra Healy and Frederick Alliott.
- Acted 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.
- Acted, 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.
- 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.
- Acted, led by Jason Robinson, in the arbitration of a dispute regarding the calculation of charterparty hire rates.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Successfully applied for a freezing injunction in the Commercial Court (appearing as sole counsel).
- Knapfield v C.A.R.S Holdings Limited [2022] EWHC 1437: 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.
- Carillion v KPMG (led by Rebecca Sabben-Clare KC, Timothy Kenefick and Andrew Fenn).
‘Julia drafts beautifully. She has a very sharp mind, even by the standards of the commercial Bar. She works quickly and is unflappable. She is a go-to choice for a junior who is very highly regarded by everyone who works with her.’
Insurance and Reinsurance (Rising Star), Legal 500 2025
- 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)
‘Julia drafts beautifully. She has a very sharp mind, even by the standards of the commercial Bar. She works quickly and is unflappable. She is a go-to choice for a junior who is very highly regarded by everyone who works with her.’
Insurance and Reinsurance (Rising Star), Legal 500 2025