Alex is a specialist in private international law with more than 45 years’ experience as a barrister and arbitrator. He now sits as an arbitrator in international commercial arbitrations both in the UK and abroad.
His practice as a barrister until 2023 consisted almost entirely of cross-border disputes over a wide range of commercial and other matters, including aspects of public international law and state immunity, appearing in courts at every level in England and in the European Court of Justice. He was admitted ad hoc to the Bars of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Alex has given expert evidence on English and European law for proceedings in Europe, Russia, Canada, Latin America and the US. He has also lectured on topics of European and international law in Britain, Europe and the US. Alex was a Visiting Fellow of New York University’s Center for Transnational Litigation and Commercial Law in 2011 and 2018. He is currently a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, where he has taught private international law for several years. Alex is also a member of the Advisory Boards of the Journal of Private International Law and Oxford University’s Institute of European and Comparative Law and a trustee of the Academy of European Law in Germany.
He was appointed an Assistant Recorder in 1998 and a Recorder in 2000, sitting in both civil and criminal jurisdictions and he sat as a Deputy High Court Judge. He is a Bencher of the Middle Temple.
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Example cases
- Conversant Wireless Licensing Sàrl v Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 38 [2018] EWHC 1216 (Ch): anti-competitive practices – EU law – fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms – forum non conveniens – infringement – justicability – mobile telephony – service out of the jurisdiction – service – standard – essential patents – striking out – third parties – transfer – undertakings.
- Eli Lilly and Co v Genentech Inc [2017] EWHC 3104 (Pat): declarations of non-infringement – European patents – forum non conveniens – jurisdiction – revocation – service out of jurisdiction – validity.
- Sabbagh v Khoury [2017] EWCA Civ 1120; [2014] EWHC 3233 (Comm): arbitration clauses – jurisdiction – misappropriation – share ownership – stay of proceedings – striking out – succession.
- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd v UCB Pharma SA [2017] EWHC 1216 (Pat): act of state – jurisdiction – jurisdiction clauses – licensing agreements – patents – pharmaceuticals – royalties – striking out – summary judgments – validity.
- Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Co Ltd v Abbvie Biotechnology Ltd [2016] EWHC 2204 (Pat): anti-suit injunctions – declarations of non-infringement – European patents – patent grant – pharmaceutical industry – revocation – service out of jurisdiction – summary judgments.
- Axa Corporate Solutions Assurance SA v Weir Services Australia Pty Ltd [2016] EWHC 904 (Comm): anti-suit injunctions – conflict of laws – forum non conveniens – global insurance – indemnities – jurisdiction – liability insurance – parallel proceedings – service out of jurisdiction.
- XL Insurance Co SE v AXA Corporate Solutions Assurance [2015] EWHC 3431 (Comm): Brussels I (Recast) regulation – allocation of jurisdiction – equitable contribution – insurance companies – payments – torts.
- Cox v Ergo Versicherung [2014] UKSC 22: applicable law – dependency claims – fatal accident claims – maintenance – measure of damages – mitigation – territorial application.
- Ocensa Pipeline Litigation [2016] EWHC 1699 (TCC): Colombia – compensatory damages – expert witnesses – foreign jurisdictions – group litigation – landowners – oil – pipelines – schedule of expenses and losses – witnesses.
- Allianz SpA v West Tankers Inc (C–185/07) EU:C:2009:69 [2009] 1 AC 1138: anti-suit injunctions – arbitration – EU law – jurisdiction.
