Bridget Lucas
Call Date
1989
Practice Areas
Bridget Lucas practises in the areas of commercial and chancery litigation, and arbitration. She has been instructed in a broad range of disputes including insurance, reinsurance, company (including shareholder disputes, quasi partnership, misfeasance proceedings, directors’ duties and disqualification proceedings), insolvency (including receivership, winding up and asset recovery), financial services, issues of contractual construction and civil fraud.
Recommendations (Practitioners' Guides)
Legal 500 for Company, Insolvency and Commercial Arbitration ("first rate")
Education
Gordonstoun School, Elgin
Worcester College, Oxford
BA Jurisprudence (First Class Honours)
Prizes & Scholarships
Henry S Q Henriques Prize
Other Qualifications
CEDR Accredited Mediator
Member of ComBar, Chancery Bar Association, and British Insurance Lawyers Association.
Professional Experience
Bridget Lucas has considerable court and trial experience in hostile litigation and arbitration in which effective cross-examination and forceful advocacy are required. She also advises in the context of ADR, with a view to achieving practical and cost-effective resolution of disputes. She has provided advice on complex questions of contractual construction, for example, in the context of project finance and restructuring arrangements, and asset financing.
Recent Practice
Bridget has a broad commercial practice both contentious and non-contentious, which spans both commercial and more traditional chancery work. So far as her contentious practice is concerned, by way of example, she recently acted in ING Lease (UK) Limited v Philip Ross Harwood [2008] 1 All ER Comm 1150: a case raising questions of contractual construction, implied terms, collateral contract and estoppel in the context of a bank guarantee claim. She also acted in SES Contracting Limited v UK Coal Plc [2007] EWHC 161: a contentious application for pre-action disclosure. She has been involved in applications for injunctions both pre and post judgment. She has also recently been instructed in connection with a substantial joint venture dispute involving private equity funds, and in litigation arising from the exercise of loan stock conversion rights (Scottish Equitable Plc v Quintain estates and Development Plc).
Insurance & Reinsurance
Bridget has been involved in a number of insurance matters, mainly subject to arbitration. The issues arising in these cases include complicated questions of foreign law and coverage. She has advised on various matters arising on, D&O policies and on the Bermuda form. She has also acted in cases relating to substantial product liability claims in the US. And recently she was instructed (with Stephen Moriarty QC) to advise on coverage in a number of claims arising out of the collapse of Enron.
Arbitration
Bridget has advised and appeared in substantial international arbitrations in particular in the context of insurance disputes. Recently, in the domestic context, she has been advising a number of farmers in their compensation claims against DEFRA arising out of the cessation of mink farming in the UK.
Company Law
Bridget has advised in a number of disputes involving minority shareholders, and she is regularly instructed in cases which raise allegations of breach of fiduciary duty. She has, for example, been involved in disputes arising out of Formula 1 Motor Racing. She also acted in the litigation between KPN Mobile NV –v- Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. This dispute arose out of a joint venture agreement and involved proceedings in both the Commercial Court and the Companies Court. It proceeded at great speed, and involved acquiring detailed knowledge of the workings of the mobile telecommunications industry. She also provides advice on the valuation of family companies in the context of high value divorces.
Insolvency
She has advised officeholders and claimants in connection with competing claims to assets, and for example advised a major bank in relation to claims arising out of the collapse of the Mayflower Group of companies. She has advised in relation to the exercise of investigatory powers and was counsel in Official Receiver v Hay [2001] 1 WLR 730; [2002] 2 WLR 20. She has appeared in bankruptcy proceedings winding up petitions (including public interest petitions [Re NorthWest Holdings Plc [1999] 1 BCLC 425 CA; Secretary of State for Trade and Industry v Backhouse [2001] BCLC 468 CA] and involving foreign companies) and disqualification proceedings. As a former member of the Attorney General’s panel, she has acted for the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Official Receiver. More recently, she has advised directors and companies against whom proceedings have been commenced.
Asset Recovery/ Fraud
She has been instructed to advise on asset recovery and enforcement exercises in the context of both insolvency and fraud. Her work in this area often involves considering complex questions of restitution, and seeking urgent interim relief.
Financial Services
She has advised in regulatory proceedings commenced by the Financial Services Authority, and, for example, acted in FSA –v- Hogarth Underwriting Agencies Limited which raised issues of the conduct of unauthorised insurance business, and aspects of Greek company and insurance law.
Costs
Bridget has appeared in applications for costs against non parties and advised on CFAs.
Non-Contentious
She has advised on complex questions of contractual and statutory construction and interpretation in substantial project finance, refinancing, restructuring and asset finance arrangements.
Other Experience
Bridget has presented a number of lectures and seminars on a range of subjects connected with her practice including the FSMA, investigatory powers, directors duties, developments in company law, the construction of guarantees, arbitration, and commercial practice and procedure.
She is one of the editorial panel for the Encyclopaedia of Insurance Law, and contributes to the regulatory section.
Encyclopaedia of Insurance Law
Interests
Bridget spends much of her spare time riding, competing and following her event horses around the country. In the winter, if not riding, she can be found on skis.