Administrative & Public Law

"Members have an excellent track record, and can be found on the docket for some of the biggest trials coming down the pipeline.


The Legal 500

Fountain Court has a long history of acting in major administrative and public law cases.

Members are involved in the full spectrum of administrative and public law advice and advocacy, acting for or against public bodies, in all forums including regulatory tribunals, the Administrative Court and the appellate courts. This work includes public law disputes that arise in commercial and regulatory contexts such as within the financial and legal services, professional discipline, accountancy, aviation and insurance arenas.

Members act for and against financial services and legal regulators and trade bodies such as the Association of British Insurers. They regularly advise regulators in relation to their statutory powers and responsibilities and on important policy work. We have also represented medical and quasi-medical professional bodies and act for and against government departments. In addition, a number of members are, or have been, on the Attorney General’s panels for Government litigation.

Our work includes cases relating to:

  • Admin and public law elements of:
  • Regulatory issues including:
    • Public law duties of regulators
    • Judicial review of disciplinary proceedings
    • Public law aspects of regulatory compensation schemes
  • Human rights cases
  • Public procurement issues
  • Judicial reviews
  • Commercial public law proceedings

  • FCA v Arch & Others (the 'FCA Business Interruption Test Case'): Acting in the high-profile proceedings, including at both the High Court and 'leapfrog' Supreme Court hearings, concerning whether certain business interruption insurance policies respond to claims resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the most significant insurance dispute in recent decades, affecting around 370,000 policyholders. Nine Fountain Court members were involved, acting for various parties including the FCA, the Hiscox Action Group and QBE.
  • Jet2 v Civil Aviation Authority: Acting for Jet2 in judicial review proceedings against the CAA for alleged misuse of powers in a media campaign. This case successfully established a major point of principle in the law of privilege (dominant purpose and legal advice).
  • British Bankers Association v The Financial Services Authority: Acting for the Financial Services Authority in the British Bankers Association’s claim for judicial review of rules and guidance for handling complaints about the sale of payment protection insurance (PPI).
  • R (Kamlesh Pattni) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: Acting for the claimant, a businessman living in Kenya and Dubai, in a judicial review against the decision of the Home Secretary to exclude him from the UK and to refuse to register him as a British Citizen and issue him with a British passport.
  • Beety & Others v NMC: Acting for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the successful defence of a judicial review of a decision that the indemnity arrangement held by members of Independent Midwives UK Ltd did not provide appropriate cover for attending women in childbirth.
  • R (on the application of Kaupthing Bank HF) v HM Treasury: Acting for HM Treasury in a claim by an Icelandic bank for judicial review of the Treasury's order transferring the bank’s deposits.
  • R (on the application of Holmcroft Properties Ltd) v KPMG LLP (Barclays & The Financial Conduct Authority intervening): Acting for the Financial Conduct Authority in judicial review proceedings brought by a company in respect of KPMG's approval of Barclays' decision not to award compensation for alleged consequential losses under the redress scheme set up by Barclays in respect of the sale of interest rate hedging products.
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Administrative & Public Law Barristers

Richard Lissack QC

Richard Lissack KC

Call 1978 | Silk 1994

Timothy Dutton QC

Timothy Dutton CBE KC

Call 1979 | Silk 1998

Michael McLaren QC

Michael McLaren KC

Call 1981 | Silk 2002

Charles Bear QC

Charles Béar KC

Call 1986 | Silk 2003

Patricia Robertson QC

Patricia Robertson KC

Call 1988 | Silk 2006

Leigh-Ann Mulcahy QC

Leigh-Ann Mulcahy KC

Call 1993 | Silk 2009

Akhil Shah QC

Akhil Shah KC

Call 1990 | Silk 2010

Richard Coleman QC

Richard Coleman KC

Call 1994 | Silk 2012

Clare Sibson KC

Call 1997 | Silk 2016

Robin Barclay QC

Robin Barclay KC

Call 1999 | Silk 2020

Chloe Carpenter QC

Chloe Carpenter KC

Call 2001 | Silk 2020

Rupert Allen

Rupert Allen

Call 2005

Tetyana Nesterchuk

Tetyana Nesterchuk

Call 2011

Rebecca Loveridge

Rebecca Loveridge

Call 2011

Philip Ahlquist

Philip Ahlquist

Call 2012

Giles Robertson

Giles Robertson

Call 2012

Leonora Sagan

Leonora Sagan

Call 2012

Joseph Farmer

Joseph Farmer

Call 2013

Simon Paul

Simon Paul

Call 2013

Max Evans

Max Evans

Call 2015

Alexandra Whelan

Alexandra Whelan

Call 2016

Damien Bruneau

Damien Bruneau

Call 2016

Laurentia de Bruyn

Laurentia de Bruyn

Call 2018

Nathalie Koh

Nathalie Koh

Call 2019

Joseph Leech

Joseph Leech

Call 2020

Ian Simester

Call 2022

Charles Redmond

Call 2022

Michael Brindle QC

Michael Brindle KC

Call 1975 | Silk 1992

Philip Brook Smith QC

Philip Brook Smith KC

Call 1982 | Silk 2002

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Contact our clerks

For more information on our experience or to discuss a particular case, please contact us.

Call:    +44 (0)207 583 3335
Email: clerks@fountaincourt.co.uk

"A tour de force of brain power and commerciality."


The Legal 500

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