Tamara Oppenheimer
Call Date
2002
Practice Areas
Tamara Oppenheimer has a broad commercial and civil practice (including all aspects of commercial litigation), specialising in the following areas:
- Professional Negligence
- Banking & Finance
- Insurance & Reinsurance;
- Conflicts of law & Private International Law
- Civil Fraud; and
- General Commercial Litigation
Summary of Practice
Tamara Oppenheimer is a barrister with experience in a number of different areas of commercial and civil law. She practises in the following areas: banking & finance, professional negligence, insurance & reinsurance, all aspects of commercial litigation, conflicts of law & private international law, arbitration and judicial review/regulatory. Recent examples of her practice are set out below.
Education
BCL, Christ Church, Oxford (distinction)
Diploma in Law, City University (distinction)
BA (Hons) Philosophy Politics and Economics, Merton College, Oxford (first class)
Prizes & Scholarships
Exhibition (Merton College, Oxford)
Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Scholarship (Inner Temple)
Appointments
Junior Counsel to the Crown (C Panel)
Other Qualifications
Former solicitor
Professional Experience
Tamara Oppenheimer is a barrister with experience in a number of different areas of commercial and civil law. She practises in the following areas: professional negligence, banking & finance, insurance & reinsurance, all aspects of commercial litigation, conflicts of law & private international law, civil fraud, arbitration and judicial review/regulatory. Recent examples of her practice are set out below.
Recent Practice
Professional Negligence
- Acting for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (with David Railton QC and Richard Handyside) in Financial Services Compensation Scheme v Abbey National Treasury Services and NDF Ltd, a negligence/breach of statutory duty claim relating to the mis-selling of structured capital at risk products to retail investors.
- Also acting for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (with Richard Handyside) in Financial Services Compensation Scheme v GE Life, arising out of similar facts.
- Acted for Christie’s (with Jonathan Sumption QC and Andrew Onslow QC) in Thomson v Christie Manson & Woods Limited and others [2005] PNLR 38, concerning duties of care of auctioneers. Also acted for Christie’s (with Andrew Onslow QC) at first instance: [2004] PNLR 42.
- Acting for/advising a fund manager (with Timothy Howe QC) in connection with professional negligence claims by one of its clients arising out of the “credit crunch”.
- Advising insurers (with Mark Simpson QC) in connection with claims against financial advisers arising out of the mis-selling of financial products.
- Acting (with Mark Simpson QC) for claimants in a professional negligence claim against solicitors.
- Acting for executor claimants in a professional negligence/fraud claim against a firm of solicitors.
- Acted for a construction company in a negligence claim concerning defective construction.
- Acted for solicitors and claimants in various professional negligence claims against solicitors.
Banking & Finance
Acted for banks (both retail and investment) and provided advice in a wide variety of disputes and matters, including the following:
- Acting (with Timothy Howe QC) for a foreign telecommunications company in connection with breach of contract claims brought by two major investment banks.
- Acting for/advising a fund manager (with Timothy Howe QC) in connection with claims arising out of the “credit crunch”.
- Acting for a major investment bank in connection with a guarantee claim.
- Acted (with the late Christopher Carr QC) for a major investment bank in connection with a derivatives dispute.
- Acted for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (with Timothy Howe) in a claim relating to its investment in a textiles project in Central Asia.
- Acted for a major UK bank in a claim brought by a number of solicitors concerning the misappropriation of funds by a partner.
- Advised a major investment bank (with Bankim Thanki QC) in connection with the capacity of certain entities to enter into derivatives transactions.
- Extensive experience of acting for lenders in mortgage repossession actions.
- Advising banks on cases involving cheques, mistaken payments and guarantees.
Insurance & Reinsurance
- Acted (with Timothy Howe QC) for reinsurers in Carvill America Incorporated and another v Camperdown UK Ltd and others [2005] 2 Lloyds Rep 457, concerning a claim brought by reinsurance brokers relating to the payment of brokerage fees.
- Acted (with Mark Simpson QC) in 2006/7 for a major insurer in arbitration proceedings in connection with a 10 million pound business interruption claim. The insurer successfully defeated the entire claim.
- Advising insurers (with Bankim Thanki QC) in relation to policy coverage issues.
- Advising insurers (with Mark Simpson QC) in connection with claims against financial advisers arising out of the mis-selling of financial products.
- Advised in connection with an income protection policy and successfully achieved a settlement for the insured.
- Advised on insurance coverage issues relating to professional indemnity insurance
Commercial Litigation
Acted and advised in connection with a large variety of commercial contractual disputes.
- Acting for a company providing logistical services in relation to a £750,000 breach of contract claim.
- Acting for an artist in connection with a claim made against her by her gallery/promoter
- Acted for a retail company in a claim concerning the breach of a share sale and purchase agreement.
- Acted for a company in relation to the breach of a sponsorship agreement.
- Advised in relation to a breach of copyright claim and resisted an injunction sought in connection with the claim.
- Acted for a company in connection with breach of an agreement to provide catering and other services.
- Acted for Italian company in connection with a breach of an agreement to supply textile materials.
- Acted for an individual in connection with an alleged breach of a franchise agreement.
- Acted for a major investment bank in connection with a dispute with a former employee.
- Acted for a company in connection with an application for security for costs.
Conflict of laws & Private International Law
- Acting (with Timothy Howe QC) for a foreign telecommunications company in connection with breach of contract claims brought by two major investment banks; including acting in connection with the defendant company’s jurisdiction challenge.
- Acted for reinsurers (with Timothy Howe QC) in Carvill America Incorporated and another v Camperdown UK Ltd and others [2005] 2 Lloyd Rep 457.
- Acted for the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (with Timothy Howe QC) in connection with various jurisdiction applications
- Acted for Cricket Sri Lanka (with Timothy Howe QC) in connection with multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration concerning TV rights in respect of Sri Lanka international cricket matches; included resisting enforcement of an arbitration award in the UK.
- Acted for a Belgian company in connection with an application to resist jurisdiction of the English Court.
- Acted (with the late Christopher Carr QC) for a major investment in connection with an application to resist jurisdiction.
Arbitration
- Acted (with Mark Simpson QC) in 2006/7 in arbitration proceedings for major insurer in connection with 10 million pound claim under a business interruption policy. The insurer successfully defeated the entire claim.
- Acted (with Timothy Howe QC) for Cricket Sri Lanka in connection with multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration concerning TV rights in respect of Sri Lanka international cricket matches.
- Acted for a construction company in a negligence claim concerning defective construction.
Financial Services
- Acting for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (with David Railton QC and Richard Handyside) in Financial Services Compensation Scheme v Abbey National Treasury Services and NDF Ltd, a negligence/breach of statutory duty claim relating to the mis-selling of structured capital at risk products to retail investors.
- Also acting for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (with Richard Handyside) in Financial Services Compensation Scheme v GE Life, arising out of similar facts.
Civil Fraud
- Acted with Brian Doctor QC, Patrick Goodall, Paul Sinclair and Rosalind Phelps in Tajik Aluminium Plant v Ermatov and others, a multi million dollar claim involving allegations of fraud and conspiracy relating to the aluminium industry in Tajikistan.
- Acting for executor claimants in a professional negligence/fraud claim against a firm of solicitors.
Administrative & Public Law
- Acted for regulators in judicial review proceedings.
- Acted for the Law Society in various claims.
Reported Cases
Thomson v Christie Manson & Woods Limited and others [2005] PNLR 38 (and at first instance: [2004] PNLR 42).
Carvill America Incorporated and another v Camperdown UK Ltd and others [2005] 2 Lloyds Rep 457
Publications
Co-author of The Law of Privilege (ed. Thanki) (2006, Oxford University Press)
Other Experience
Former solicitor at Allen & Overy: trainee and subsequently assistant in the Litigation Department (Banking and Finance Group) (1998-2001)
Judicial Assistant to Lord Woolf (Master of the Rolls and subsequently Lord Chief Justice) (2000)
Legal assistant at the Treasury Solicitor (Judicial Review division) (1997/1998)
Legal assistant in Italian law firm, Tonon e Associati, Rome (1997)
Languages
Italian (fluent)
Russian (fluent conversational)