Natasha Bennett
Call date
2009
Practice Areas
Natasha has a broad commercial and civil practice in line with Chambers’ profile with experience in the following areas:
- Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- Banking and Financial Services
- Conflict of Laws and Jurisdiction
- Civil Fraud
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Professional Negligence
- Company law
Recommendations
In 2012, Natasha was named by Legal Week as one of ten “Stars at the Bar”.
Comments include as follows:
“clearly has an impressive future ahead of her” Legal Week 2012
“extremely bright and user-friendly” Legal Week 2012
“grasped the detail of the dispute quickly, and did a good job on her feet.” Legal Week 2012
“incredibly efficient, a great team player and a pleasure to work with” Legal Week 2012
"wisdom beyond her years" Legal Week 2012
Education
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BA (Law), Trinity College, Cambridge (Starred Double First, Second highest mark in university)
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BCL, Merton College, Oxford (Distinction, Highest mark in university)
Prizes and Scholarships
- Vinerian Scholarship for best overall performance on the BCL (Oxford University, 2008)
- Lord Denning Scholarship (Lincoln’s Inn, 2008)
- Hardwicke Entrance Award (Lincoln’s Inn, 2008)
- Norton Rose Prize for Commercial Law for highest mark in university (Cambridge University, 2007)
- Herbert Smith Prize for Conflicts of Laws for highest mark in university (Cambridge University, 2007)
- Clifford Chance Prize for EU Law for highest mark in university (Cambridge University, 2007)
- Lizette Bentwich Prize for academic excellence (Trinity College, Cambridge, 2005, 2006, 2007)
- Senior Scholar (Trinity College, Cambridge, 2006-2007)
- Whittacker Scholarship (Trinity College, Cambridge 2007)
Recent Practice
Natasha is instructed in relation to a wide range of commercial matters. Her financial services, banking, insurance and professional negligence experience has seen both onshore and offshore use, being frequently led by Fountain Court’s senior silks, as well as appearing unled.A summary of her recent practice is set out below:
Professional Negligence/Financial Services Regulation
Natasha has acted for and against a wide range of disciplines including banks, fund managers, solicitors and surveyors. For example:
- Natasha is currently instructed (with Richard Coleman QC) in a multi-million pound claim against a bank in relation to the alleged mis-selling of interest rate swaps.
- Natasha is currently instructed (with Richard Coleman QC and Giles Wheeler) in substantial ongoing litigation by a Guernsey incorporated cell against an investment manager concerning the negligent management of investments valued in excess of US$150 million.
- Basma Al Sulaiman v Credit Suisse and Plurimi Capital LLP: acting (with Guy Philipps QC) on a multi-million pound claim against an investment bank and an investment advisory firm for alleged negligence and breach of regulatory duties in connection with the mis-selling of structured products.
- Natasha has recently advised individual investors in a Guernsey-based company scheme with exposure to the UK commercial property market, as to possible claims against those managing and administering the scheme, in light of the substantial losses suffered on their investments.
- Garnet Investments Ltd v BNP Paribas SA (Royal Court of Guernsey): acting (with Timothy Howe QC and James McClelland) for a corporate investor claiming against a number of international financial institutions for alleged negligence in the management of >£65 million equity investment portfolios and FX trades.
- Natasha acted in a claim against a solicitor in relation to allegedly negligent advice on settlement.
Insurance and reinsurance
Natasha has been instructed by domestic and international clients in relation to a broad range of insurance/reinsurance disputes. For example:
- Natasha is currently instructed (with David Railton QC and Patrick Goodall) on a reinsurance dispute relating to Korean shipbuilding advance payment guarantees.
- Natasha was instructed (with Mark Simpson QC and James Cutress) for solicitors’ primary layer insurers in relation to aggregation issues arising out of the Innovator litigation.
- Appearing (as sole counsel in the Commercial Court) on a summary judgment application as to the correct construction of a Legal Expenses Insurance Policy and the interplay with the provisions relating to the assessment of solicitors’ bills under the Solicitors Act 1974.
- Advising (with Mark Simpson QC) on the reliability of expert reports obtained on fire reinstatement costs and the quantum of a claim under the Council’s insurance policy, in the context of a claim by a local Council against its insurance brokers for failing to make sure that it was fully insured against fire.
Banking and Finance
- Natasha regularly appears on behalf of major banks in relation to a wide range of matters including the enforcement of loans and guarantees, mistaken payments, merchant acquiring services, breach of mandate claims and consumer credit work.
- Natasha was seconded to Barclays’ Global Retail Bank Litigation department in September 2010, during which she gained experience in a wide range of banking disputes.
Commercial Litigation
- Natasha has experience in issues arising out of commercial contracts and regularly advises as to construction and rectification in respect of such contracts.
- Natasha spent 3 months on secondment to Addleshaw Goddard (October 2010 to December 2010) during which she assisted with the disclosure exercise and the preparation of witness statements in a multi-billion pound claim brought by Boris Berezovsky against Roman Abramovich in relation to the ownership of Russian oil and aluminium assets.
Conflicts of Law and jurisdiction
- Natasha specialised in Conflicts of Laws in her graduate studies. She has recently advised on jurisdiction under Article 5(1)b of the Brussels Regulation in relation to a claim for >£2 million brought against a Greek company. The claim involved a telecommunications contract for the supply of capacity on a fiberoptic submarine cable which crossed many countries in Europe.
- HSBC Canada Limited v Roberts; acting for an individual resisting the enforcement under the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act 1933 of a judgment of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in England.
Company Law
- Natasha acted (with Michael Green QC and Marcus Smith QC) for a company and its directors in relation to an unfair prejudice petition brought by a minority shareholder.
- Natasha was recently instructed (with Timothy Dutton QC) in relation to an urgent application for an injunction to prevent the presentation of a winding-up petition against a firm of solicitors following the service of a statutory demand by a creditor.
Other Experience
Volunteer Legal Advisor at Bethnal Green Law Centre (2010 to 2011)
Accredited Free Representation Unit Volunteer appearing in Employment Tribunals (2009 to present)
Tutor in law, Kings College, London (2008-2009)
Represented Lincoln’s Inn at the Wilhelm C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Vienna (2009).