Practice overview

Jamie is a commercial chancery practitioner with specialist expertise in corporate and personal insolvency, trusts and probate, civil fraud (with extensive experience of freezing injunctions and other forms of interim relief) and commercial work (including international and London-based arbitrations). He is ranked in The Legal 500 2024 as a leading junior in civil fraud, and has been ranked as a “Rising star” for both commercial and offshore work.

Jamie acts and advises as sole counsel, appearing primarily in the Chancery Division, Commercial Court or Insolvency & Companies Court. He also enjoys working as part of a team, leading other juniors and/or acting as a junior in more complex and high-value cases. Jamie has significant experience of offshore work and of international and domestic arbitration. His cases often involve an international element or a combination of his specialist practice areas.

Jamie is Chambers’ junior equality and diversity officer and is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion at the Bar and to modernising and improving the working practices of the profession.

Commercial disputes

Jamie has a broad commercial practice. He is ranked in the Legal 500 2024 as a leading junior in civil fraud and has been ranked as a “Rising Star” for both commercial and offshore work. His cases often involve substantial and complex disputes, many of which will draw on a cross-over with his other specialist practice areas in civil fraud, corporate and personal insolvency and/or trusts and probate.

Jamie has significant experience of obtaining or resisting applications for injunctive or other interim relief, both as sole counsel and as a junior in more complex and high-value cases.

Jamie also enjoys advisory work in writing or over the phone, including on issues of drafting or the interpretation of commercial documents.

His cases often involve an international element, and recent instructions include matters before the Courts of or concerning the laws of the BVI, Cayman Islands (two wins in the Court of Appeal), Gibraltar (appeal before the Court of Appeal in 2023), Guernsey, Jersey, the Marshall Islands and Malta.

Notable work as a junior includes:

  • Appearing with Tim Penny KC before Andrew Baker J in a 4-week trial in Newcastle in the Circuit Commercial Court in October-November 2023, assisted by Ram Lakshman. The trial concerned a number of claims and cross-claims arising out of a 10-year sale and leaseback agreement for transportable MRI and CT scanners. Judgment is at [2023] EWHC 3007 (Comm), by which the clients succeeded in several substantial damages claims and obtained a final injunction as regards competitive conduct.
  • Two wins in the Cayman Court of Appeal in 2021-2022 upholding two €153m worldwide freezing and notification injunctions and resisting a jurisdiction challenge, acting for the plaintiff in on-going civil fraud proceedings in the Cayman Islands in Raiffeisen v. Scully Royalty (Jamie acts as the middle junior with Tim Penny KC and Caspar Bartscherer). Obtained an anti-suit injunction in 2020 and a joinder and amendment application succeeded in June 2023. A recusal application is listed for 2024.
  • Acting in strike out/summary judgment hearings before the Chief Justice of Gibraltar in 2022 and then an appeal to the Court of Appeal of Gibraltar in March 2023, turning primarily on the fraud exception to limitation, in multimillion-pound dishonest assistance proceedings in Gibraltar (with Andrew Mold KC).
  • Successfully obtaining permission in 2022 to bring a double derivative claim concerning multimillion-pound constructive trust and breach of fiduciary duty claims against the directors of a family business, in on-going proceedings in the Chancery Division, including a related unfair-prejudice petition (with Clare Stanley KC). An application for a Wallersteiner costs indemnity was heard in July 2023. Trial is listed for 2025.
  • Acting for the defendants in €65m civil fraud proceedings in KMG v. Chen & CMLin the Commercial Court alleging liability under foreign tort law concerning the enforcement of a US$200m NAI arbitration award, which settled ahead of a 3-week trial in July 2020 (with Jonathan Crow KC and Graeme Halkerston). This involved a number of heavily-contested interlocutory hearings including: (a) [2020] Bus. L.R. 133; (b) [2019] EWHC 3634 (Comm); and (c) [2020] EWHC 1203 (Comm).
  • Acting for appellants to the Privy Council of a decision of the Court of Appeal of Trinidad & Tobago concerning title to land in Tobago and counter-allegations of fraud, which settled in 2019 (with Martin Hutchings KC).
  • Acting for the successful claimants at trial in Summer 2019 in confidential multimillion-US$ LME arbitration proceedings in London, concerning the supply of copper concentrate in China and SOGA, s51 (with Alan Gourgey KC and Bobby Friedman).
  • Acting for the successful claimants in an 8-day trial in Spring 2018 in ICC arbitration proceedings in Singapore of claims for breach of contract as to a petrochemical plant in Southeast Asia; award for over US$40m (with Graeme Halkerston).

Notable work as sole counsel includes:

  • Acting for the defendant/counterclaimant in a dispute between two former business associates, concerning the arrangements between them as to a US business, and which of them owes what (if any) sums to the other. Trial is listed for January 2024.
  • Assisting a bank in Guernsey proceedings alleging the negligent valuation of security.
  • Obtaining a £2.5m freezing order against an employee of a supplier company, alleging an over £13m procurement/invoicing fraud, and allegation of breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy and dishonest assistance/knowing receipt.
  • Acting for the petitioners in an unfair prejudice petition concerning the shares in a property development company holding a site worth £2.5-8.75m, and allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, shadow or de facto directorship and transfers at an undervalue.
  • Acting for the respondent to a jurisdiction challenge to proceedings in England, concerning companies in Bermuda and Monaco, alleged issues of Bermuda law, and previous proceedings in Monaco. Appearing against the former Attorney General of the Turks & Caicos Islands. Settled before hearing in 2023.
  • Acting for a potential claimant seeking a number of forms of interim relief (including freezing orders and interim mandatory injunctions) concerning the diversion of one online business to another (settled before issue).
  • Acting for the claimant in breach of contract/negligence claims concerning an investment in a Cayman fund in the process of being wound up and dissolved.
  • Acting in a jurisdiction challenge to a VIAC arbitration for damages said to arise out of a contract to supply engines for specialist military equipment, with a counterclaim seeking damages for breach of a jurisdiction clause.
  • Advising and acting for a Saudi princess seeking s1782 relief in a US state.
  • Succeeding at trial on behalf of a defendant managing agent of a large residential estate as to its duties under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
  • Succeeding at trial on behalf of a claimant manufacturer of cold rolled steel in a ‘battle of the forms’ case.

Download Commercial disputes CV

  • Quote symbolJamie is exceptionally bright and endlessly hardworking. Tactically astute, he is always three moves ahead.

    The Legal 500 2024

  • Quote symbolA supremely bright junior.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExceptionally hard working and a real pleasure to work with, highly responsive and astute, and tactically very good.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolVery commercial in dealing with clients.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExtends his thinking to the next level.

    The Legal 500 2022

Commercial disputes insights & events View all thought leadership View all events

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Fraud, Trusts & Asset Recovery Conference 2023

    Wednesday 8th November 2023 | 12.45pm - 5.30pm, followed by drinks
    Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London

    £120 + VAT | 3.5 CPD

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Fraud, Trusts & Asset Recovery Conference 2022

    Tuesday 8 November 2022 | 1pm - 5pm followed by drinks reception
    The Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London, EC1V 9LL

    £120 + VAT | 2.5 CPD

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Insolvency Conference 2022

    Wednesday 13 July 2022 | 12.20pm - 6pm, followed by drinks
    Convene (and online via Zoom), 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ

    £120 + VAT | 4.0 CPD

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    Recent Cases

    Raiffeisen Bank part 2: Cayman Court of Appeal dismisses two jurisdiction challenges, providing guidance as to the Cayman FDA

    Commercial disputes, Banking and financial services, Civil fraud and asset recovery, Insolvency, International / offshore

    John Wardell KC | Tim Penny KC | Jamie Holmes | Caspar Bartscherer | Jia Wei Lee
    Monday 13 June 2022

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Jamie's expertise

Download Insolvency CV

Insolvency

Jamie’s insolvency practice is primarily in contentious work (disputes) before the Insolvency & Companies Court Judges in the High Court, and related drafting and advisory work. He has a broadly equal balance of work in personal and corporate insolvency.

His cases often involve substantial and complex disputes, many of which will draw on a cross-over with his other specialist practice areas in civil fraud (or concerning allegations of dishonesty or breaches of fiduciary duty), commercial work and/or trusts and probate.

Jamie has significant experience of obtaining or resisting applications for injunctive or other interim relief, both as sole counsel and as a junior in more complex and high-value cases.

Jamie also enjoys advisory work in writing or over the phone, including on issues of drafting or the interpretation of commercial or trust documents.

He has worked on a number of restructuring matters in recent years, primarily concerning schemes of arrangement or restructuring plans.

Work as sole counsel includes:

  • Acting for a Respondent to s341 and s423 claims brought by a trustee in bankruptcy alleging the bankrupt (a former Premier League footballer) perpetrated a £16m Ponzi scheme. The judgment of ICCJ Jones clarified and made new law as limitation, submission to the jurisdiction and the Insolvency Rules: re Rufus [2021] B.P.I.R. 1594.
  • Acting for the receivers of an LLP in successfully seeking directions as to the scope of their powers, the winding up of the LLP on an expedited basis, and the determination of their remuneration; against the backdrop of a highly contentious dispute between the two members, and freezing injunctions obtained as part of that dispute.
  • Successfully obtaining an order at less than 24 hours’ notice to cure a defect in the appointment of joint administrators by the holder of a qualifying floating charge.
  • Acting at short notice against a silk for one of the respondents and a third-party to an application for freezing orders within bankruptcy proceedings.
  • Advising at short notice on the impact of the insolvency / proposed restructuring of my client’s joint venture partner, a well-known private equity firm.
  • Advising a well-known insurance association on the standard terms of its trust deeds in the event of the insolvency of a scheme member.
  • More generally, acting on behalf of petitioning creditors and debtors in bankruptcy and/or corporate insolvency proceedings, including (a) acting on behalf of a well-known 2 Michelin star chef, concerning a £19.5m petition debt; (b) obtaining a bankruptcy order upon a c. £4.5m petition, and another c. £3.5m petition; (c) annulment applications; (d) IPO applications; (e) applications for service out. Jamie is particularly familiar with (alleged) disputes in this context concerning guarantees.
  • Again more generally, regularly appearing on behalf of administrators seeking directions such as for extensions of their term of office, permission to make distributions, as to exit from administration and/or settlement of their remuneration.
  • Acting for the former corporate trustee of a Jersey trust disputing debts stat demanded by a former trustee, including on the basis of a cross claim concerning the trust’s shareholding in a BVI company and overseas proceedings.
  • Acting in a series of hearings concerning the validity of a second charge granted after bankruptcy, defended on the basis that the lender did not have notice pursuant to LRA 2002, s86, and seeking specific disclosure in the same (settled before trial).
  • Successfully acting in a number of applications as to the pre-cross border merger requirements in the Companies (Cross-Border Mergers) Regulations 2007.
  • Acting in a series of hearings on behalf of the trustee in bankruptcy of a civil fraudster; including obtaining orders for s366 examination of the bankrupt’s father as the administrator of the bankrupt’s mother’s intestate estate.
  • Obtaining an Insolvency Administration Order over a bankrupt estate.

Notable work as a junior includes:

  • Acting for the successful applicant beneficiaries of a trust in obtaining an ex parte injunction to restrain advertisement of a petition to wind up a BVI company that held the trust assets, raising a number of points on standing. Jamie acted in the underlying civil fraud and insolvency proceedings in the Insolvency and Companies Court with Lexa Hilliard KC.
  • Acting in a number restructurings concerning a scheme of arrangement and/or restructuring plan: (a) for the scheme company with Daniel Lewis; (b) for bondholders with Stuart Isaacs KC; (c) for the scheme company with Lexa Hilliard KC.
  • Acting for the defendant to £13m civil fraud proceedings in the Companies Court involving allegations of fraudulent and wrongful trading, preferences and de facto/shadow directorship (with Marcia Shekerdemian KC). Settled before trial.

Download Insolvency CV

  • Quote symbolJamie is exceptionally bright and endlessly hardworking. Tactically astute, he is always three moves ahead.

    The Legal 500 2024

  • Quote symbolA supremely bright junior.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExceptionally hard working and a real pleasure to work with, highly responsive and astute, and tactically very good.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolVery commercial in dealing with clients.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExtends his thinking to the next level.

    The Legal 500 2022

Insolvency insights & events View all thought leadership View all events

  1. Placeholder

    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Fraud, Trusts & Asset Recovery Conference 2023

    Wednesday 8th November 2023 | 12.45pm - 5.30pm, followed by drinks
    Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London

    £120 + VAT | 3.5 CPD

    View more
  2. Placeholder

    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Insolvency Conference 2022

    Wednesday 13 July 2022 | 12.20pm - 6pm, followed by drinks
    Convene (and online via Zoom), 22 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4BQ

    £120 + VAT | 4.0 CPD

    View more
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    Recent Cases

    Raiffeisen Bank part 2: Cayman Court of Appeal dismisses two jurisdiction challenges, providing guidance as to the Cayman FDA

    Commercial disputes, Banking and financial services, Civil fraud and asset recovery, Insolvency, International / offshore

    John Wardell KC | Tim Penny KC | Jamie Holmes | Caspar Bartscherer | Jia Wei Lee
    Monday 13 June 2022

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    Recent Cases

    Raiffeisen Bank part 1: Cayman Court of Appeal upholds €153m worldwide freezing injunctions

    Commercial disputes, Banking and financial services, Civil fraud and asset recovery, Insolvency, International / offshore

    Tim Penny KC | John Wardell KC | Jamie Holmes | Jia Wei Lee | Caspar Bartscherer
    Thursday 9 June 2022

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Trusts, probate and estates: contentious

Jamie’s trusts and estates practice is primarily in contentious work (disputes), or non-contentious applications in the Chancery Division, and related drafting and advisory work.

His cases often involve substantial and complex estates, and many of his instructions will draw on a cross-over with his other specialist practice areas in insolvency, civil fraud (or concerning allegations of dishonesty or breaches of fiduciary duty) and/or commercial work.

Jamie also enjoys advisory work in writing or over the phone, including on issues of drafting or the interpretation of trust or testamentary documents.

Jamie’s cases often involve an international element, and he has been ranked in The Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” for offshore work.

Notable work as a junior includes:

  • Acting as part of a team advising the trustees of a number of inter-related family trusts on a potential blessing and s57 application, with significant tax considerations, and a further s57/remuneration application (with Michael Furness KC).
  • Acting for the claimants in Morina v. Scherbakova in (amongst other things) a probate claim as to the multimillion-pound estate of a Russian businessman, concerning the validity and alleged revocation of a will, and a complex dispute as to domicile and residence, with a number of conflict of laws issues (Jamie acted as part of a team with Elspeth Talbot Rice KC, Tim Akkouh KC, Ben Faulkner and Sparsh Garg).
  • Acting for the claimant taxpayer in a professional negligence claim against accountants who advised on a failed tax arrangement (with Clare Stanley KC).
  • Acting for claimant trustees in a professional negligence claim against the solicitors who drafted the trust, concerning Guernsey proceedings (with Clare Stanley KC). This settled following a successful mediation in April 2023.
  • Acting for the trustees in a pensions regulatory action, including the judicial review proceedings Grace Bay II Holdings Sarl v. The Pensions Regulator[2017] Pens L.R. 7 (with Monica Carss-Frisk KC, Fraser Campbell and Jonathan Hilliard KC).

Work as sole counsel includes:

  • Advising and assisting trustees in an application to the Supreme Court of Gibraltar for directions in circumstances in which rival claims had been made as to who the beneficiaries (now) are, with one set of claims alleging a fraud.
  • Advising on whether a proposed novel business venture could constitute a charitable trust or a valid purpose trust, and related tax considerations.
  • Advising on the perpetuities and accumulations consequences of the variation of a Jersey trust; and drafting amendments accordingly.
  • Acting for a beneficiary-respondent in a Beddoe application brought by the Interim Administrators of the estate of a Russian businessman.
  • Advising as to and drafting deeds transferring the assets of two discretionary family trusts to a new trust, in addition to a number of distributions.
  • Advising as to and settling deeds of indemnity. Advising as to the impact of and procedural steps as to claims intimated against the trust.
  • Acting for the estate of a businessman (who had recently passed away) which was seeking to bring an unfair prejudice petition concerning their having been frozen out of the quasi-partnership arrangement following the deceased’s untimely death.
  • Settling pleadings and advising as to proceedings alleging professional liability on the part of financial advisors concerning IHT payable by an estate.
  • Acting as sole counsel in proceedings in the Court of Protection on behalf of the Deputy for a significantly disabled man, concerning the assets settled on his behalf, seeking and obtaining an order for sale and reinvestment.

Download Trusts, probate and estates: contentious CV

  • Quote symbolJamie is exceptionally bright and endlessly hardworking. Tactically astute, he is always three moves ahead.

    The Legal 500 2024

  • Quote symbolA supremely bright junior.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExceptionally hard working and a real pleasure to work with, highly responsive and astute, and tactically very good.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolVery commercial in dealing with clients.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExtends his thinking to the next level.

    The Legal 500 2022

Trusts, probate and estates: contentious insights & events View all thought leadership View all events

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    Articles

    Tracing and cherrypicking: the decision in Lapome v Kemp and wider, recent trends

    Article by Jamie Holmes, 19th March 2024 To read or download this article as a PDF, please click here.  The decision of Master Brightwell in Lapome v. Kemp & Ors on 29 June 2023 (reported in summary at [2024] 1... Read more

    By Jamie Holmes
    Thursday 28 March 2024

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Fraud, Trusts & Asset Recovery Conference 2023

    Wednesday 8th November 2023 | 12.45pm - 5.30pm, followed by drinks
    Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London

    £120 + VAT | 3.5 CPD

    View more
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    Articles

    Trends in recent decisions on forum and overseas jurisdiction in trusts and estates disputes

    To read and download this piece as a pdf, please click here. Commentary by Jamie Holmes. 1. Introduction and summary Trusts and estates disputes often involve an international element. This paper[1] will focus on two ways in which such questions commonly arise: a... Read more

    By Jamie Holmes
    Monday 30 January 2023

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Trusts Litigation Day 2023

    Monday 23 January 2023 | 9am - 5.45pm followed by drinks and dinner
    InterContinental Hotel (and online via Zoom), InterContinental Hotel, One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1J 7QY

    £360 + VAT/£299 + VAT | 6.0 CPD

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International arbitration

Jamie has acted in a number of high value arbitrations both internationally and with their seat in London. He has experience of advising on all stages of the arbitration process, and in working day-to-day in teams based in multiple jurisdictions around the world.

Although the details are confidential, the type of work Jamie has been involved in includes:

  • Acting for the successful claimants in an 8-day trial in ICC international arbitration proceedings in Singapore, concerning claims for breach of contract in relation to a petrochemical plant located in Southeast Asia; with an award of over US$40m.
  • Acting for the successful claimants at trial in confidential multimillion-US$ LME arbitration proceedings in London, concerning non-delivery of goods and SOGA, s51; with an award of the full sum sought by the claimant as its primary relief.
  • Acting as sole counsel in a jurisdiction challenge to VIAC proceedings claiming over half a million pounds for damages said to arise out of a contract to supply engines for specialist military equipment.
  • Advising claimants in UNCITRAL arbitration proceedings in HKIAC concerning alleged trade mark breaches in China.
  • Acting for claimants in a 2-day hearing in ICC proceedings on the preliminary issue of whether there had been an unreasonable withholding of consent to an assignment of the claims (settled shortly before trial).
  • Acting for the claimant in LME proceedings in successfully resisting a strike out application at a hearing concerning Attorney General v Blake.
  • Acting in various other procedural or related disputes in ICC proceedings, including (a) acting for claimants resisting a jurisdiction challenge, (b) advising on the appointment/removal of an arbitrator, (c) acting for party seeking to join further parties to extant proceedings, (d) advising on the ability of a party to disclose the existence of arbitration proceedings to a third-party as part of share sale negotiations, and (e) acting in various costs dispute hearings, including as to the jurisdiction of the tribunal to order that costs in one arbitration be assessed only following the conclusion of related arbitration proceedings.

Download International arbitration CV

  • Quote symbolJamie is exceptionally bright and endlessly hardworking. Tactically astute, he is always three moves ahead.

    The Legal 500 2024

  • Quote symbolA supremely bright junior.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExceptionally hard working and a real pleasure to work with, highly responsive and astute, and tactically very good.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolVery commercial in dealing with clients.

    The Legal 500 2022

  • Quote symbolExtends his thinking to the next level.

    The Legal 500 2022

International arbitration insights & events View all thought leadership View all events

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    Events / Webinars

    WATCH: Arbitration Breakfast Briefing: Conflicts, bias and disclosure duties – where are we now?

    Thursday 11 March 2021 | 9am - 10am UK time
    Online, Zoom

    1.0 CPD

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Jamie's Details

BSB/VAT information

Registered name: Mr Jamie William Edward Holmes
VAT number: 239687552

Privacy Notice pdf

Qualifications and Appointments

  • BCL, Balliol College, Oxford (awarded a scholarship by the Oxford Law Faculty)
  • LLB, King’s College London (1st Class, joint top of university) (awarded a scholarship by the King’s Law Faculty)
  • AKC, King’s College London
  • Awarded a number of university prizes including top overall marks in university in: second year LLB examinations, Property law, Tort law, IP law and Russian law
  • Taught the law of trusts and wills at University College London
  • Lincoln’s Inn, Denning Scholar
  • Baker McKenzie Moot Competition, 1st place, King’s (2011) – judged by Lord Clarke JSC

Memberships

  • Commercial Bar Association
  • Chancery Bar Association
  • ConTrA
  • Full member of the ILA
  • Full member of R3

Publications

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