Edward Sawyer

Commercial CV

Edward has a wide experience of commercial disputes, often on a large scale or with an international element.  He is recommended in The Legal 500 for commercial litigation and in Chambers & Partners for civil fraud. 

His cases range from purely contractual disputes to complex disputes involving issues of asset tracing, equitable remedies, financial services, fraud and conflicts of laws. Edward has considerable experience of document-heavy and intensive litigation. Cases include:

• Acting as junior counsel for the main defendants during the five month Chancery Division trial in Langbar International v Rybak, a case concerning allegedly forged Certificates of Deposit of over US$600 million (see The Lawyer (24 September 2007) and [2007] All ER (D) 178 (Aug)).
  
  
• Acting as junior counsel for the banks involved in Re Manx Electricity Authority, a dispute about £120 million loan finance for the Isle of Man's new power station (see The Guardian, 30 June 2005).
  
  
• Acting as junior counsel for a one of the defendant directors in Hampton Trust v Jackson, a case involving allegations of financial assistance and breach of directors' duties.
  
  
• Acting as counsel for the applicants in DGT v Cubitt Building and Interiors [2008] Bus LR 132, an important case on the development of the jurisdiction to stay court proceedings in favour of alternative dispute resolution (in which the judgment praised the excellence of counsel's written and oral submissions).
  
  
• Appearing in the Court of Appeal for the successful respondent in Vickbar v David Freud [2006] All ER (D) 411 (Nov), a case on the interpretation of a contract arising out of an unfair prejudice petition in the Companies Court.
  
  
• Acting as junior counsel for a number of local authorities in commercial disputes with their contractors, including a claim against a London borough for rectification of a major advertising lease and two substantial claims by district councils against their waste contractors.
  
  
• Acting as junior counsel in a claim by one of the largest UK universities to terminate a contract to accredit the degree courses of an American university in the UK.