Natasha Bennett
Call date
2009
Practice Areas
Natasha is developing a broad commercial and civil practice in line with Chambers’ profile. She is particularly interested in the following areas:
- Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- Banking and Financial Services
- Conflict of Laws and Jurisdiction
- Civil Fraud
- Insurance and Reinsurance
- Aviation
- Professional Negligence
- Regulation and Professional Discipline
- Sale of Goods and International Trade
Education
- BA (Law), Trinity College, Cambridge (Starred Double First, Second highest mark in university)
- 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 and regularly appears in both the County Courts and the High Court. Natasha has appeared as sole advocate in a number of fast-track trials and interlocutory applications.
Professional Negligence/Financial Services Regulation
- Natasha is currently instructed 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.
- 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.
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, breach of mandate claims and consumer credit work.
- Natasha has recently represented a major retail bank in a mediation concerning a claim by a customer for recovery of payments in excess of £18,000 allegedly made by the Bank in breach of mandate.
- 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 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.
Insurance
- Advising as to coverage under a Legal Expenses Insurance Policy in relation to costs liabilities and disbursements incurred prior to the date of the inception of the Policy.
- 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.
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).
Other Experience