Alexander Milner
Call Date
2006
Practice Areas
Alexander Milner practises in all areas of commercial law and in particular has experience of:
- Aviation
- Banking and Financial Services
- Civil Fraud
- Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- European Law and Competition
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Private International Law
- Professional Negligence
- Sale of Goods and International Trade
Education
- BA Modern and Medieval Languages, King’s College, Cambridge (First class honours with distinction, first in university).
- CPE, City University (Distinction).
- BVC, Inns of Court School of Law (Outstanding).
Prizes & Scholarships
- Shelford Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
- Buchanan Prize for outstanding performance on the Bar Vocational Course (Lincoln’s Inn)
- Lord Mansfield Scholarship (Lincoln's Inn)
- Lord Bowen Scholarship (Lincoln's Inn)
- City University Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
- Hardwicke Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn)
- European Law Students’ Association Moot Court Competition on WTO law (representing City University): winners of final oral round, held at the headquarters of the WTO in Geneva, and of awards for best written memorials
- Mrs Claude Beddington Modern Languages Prize (Cambridge University)
- Olga Youhotsky and Catherine Matthews Russian Prize (Cambridge University)
- Scholarships (x2) (King’s College, Cambridge)
- Montague Barlow Prize for Modern Languages (King’s College, Cambridge)
- Cooke Prize (King’s College, Cambridge)
- Choral Scholarship (King’s College, Cambridge)
- 1st King’s Scholarship (Eton College)
Recent Practice
Civil Fraud
Tajik Aluminium Plant v. Ermatov
Acting (as junior to Brian Doctor QC, Paul Sinclair and Rosalind Phelps) on behalf of seven of the defendants in this US $485m claim concerning the operations of an aluminium smelting plant in Tajikistan.
Aviation
Acting (as junior to Akhil Shah) for the Light Aircraft Association in High Court proceedings arising out of a fatal gyroplane accident.
Regularly instructed to defend airlines in claims brought under the Montreal Convention 1999 and at common law.
Banking and Financial Services
Advising a foreign bank (with Simon Browne-Wilkinson QC) in connection with a restraint order affecting its accounts held with a correspondent bank in London.
Advising a major financial services company (with Patricia Robertson QC) as to whether a proposed new product would constitute a contract of insurance for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Acting for several high street banks in the ongoing litigation in the county courts concerning the lawfulness of unauthorised overdraft charges.
Regularly instructed to represent banks and lenders in matters relating to enforcement of loans and guarantees, breaches of mandate and mistaken payments, and to make applications before High Court Masters and in the County Courts for charging orders, possession orders and orders for sale.
European Law and Competition
Advising a major financial services company (with Sir Francis Jacobs QC) on the compatibility of the proposed SEPA credit cards framework with Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty.
Advising a Czech bank (with Sir Francis Jacobs QC) as to whether a restructuring plan adopted by the Czech state constituted aid applicable after accession requiring review by the Commission under Article 88 of the EC Treaty.
Insurance
Acting on behalf of a private medical facility in Cyprus seeking to enforce a travel insurance policy issued by a UK insurer.
Commercial Litigation
Regularly instructed to advise and to appear as advocate in the County Courts in relation to all kinds of contractual matters including consumer credit agreements and contracts for the sale and supply of goods and services.
Other Experience
- Secondment to the banking and finance litigation department of Matthew Arnold & Baldwin (2007)
- Attended (by invitation) World Trade Institute summer programme in international economic law (Berne, 2006)
- Representing clients pro bono before employment and social security tribunals on behalf of the Free Representation Unit
Memberships
COMBAR
Languages
Fluent Russian and French
Good working knowledge of Italian
Basic (but improving) Polish, Finnish and Turkish
Interests
Alexander is an enthusiastic musician, having formerly studied choral conducting at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St Petersburg. He frequently sings with professional London-based choirs. He also enjoys opera, theatre, literature, art, sport and travel.