Isabelle is developing a broad practice across all of Chambers’ core areas, including commercial litigation and international arbitration.
Before joining Chambers, Isabelle spent a year working as part of a team at an international commercial law firm with expertise in the shipping and commodities sectors. She also worked as a research assistant for Sir Richard Aikens, looking at a variety of arbitration, insurance and shipping matters.
Isabelle studied Classics at Christ Church, University of Oxford. She graduated with a double first class degree and was awarded various scholarships and prizes. Isabelle then completed the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Bar Vocational Studies at City Law School, achieving distinctions in both.
Arbitration
- Assisted (as a pupil) with the drafting of pleadings in an LCIA arbitration concerning the disputed sale of an aircraft.
Civil fraud and asset tracing
- Assisted (as a pupil) with the drafting of a skeleton argument in an application for the recusal of a judge from contempt proceedings.
- Prepared an opinion (as a pupil) on the reflective loss rule in company law in a claim for unlawful means conspiracy.
Commodities and international trade
- Drafted pleadings (as a pupil) and conducted research for an LCIA arbitration representing a leading commodities trading house. The matter involved a contract for the sale of LNG cargo.
Jurisdiction, conflicts and enforcement
- Eternity Sky Investments Ltd v Zhang [2023] EWHC 1964 (Comm): assisted (as a pupil) with research and written submissions opposing a challenge to an arbitral award on grounds of public policy. The court considered a novel point about whether the enforcement of a Hong Kong arbitral award under the New York Convention could be set aside on the basis that the arbitration/applicable law clause in the underlying contract breached UK statutory consumer legislation.
- Drafted a skeleton argument (as a pupil) in a Part 11 jurisdiction challenge relating to a claim made under a reinsurance contract.
Shipping
- Fastfreight v Bulk Trident [2023] EWHC 105 (Comm): assisted (as a pupil) on an appeal under s.69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 concerning the proper interpretation of an anti-deduction clause under a time charter and the decision of Bingham J in The Lutetian [1982] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 140.
- Assisted (as a pupil) with the drafting of pleadings and written submissions in several LMAA ship sale arbitrations.
- Assisted (as a pupil) with the drafting of pleadings in LCIA arbitrations including: a force majeure dispute arising out of a government ban on coal exports; and a dispute involving a fire on board a vessel.
- Assisted (as a pupil) with the drafting of a skeleton argument to oppose an application for an extension of time under s.12 of the Arbitration Act 1996 on the grounds that the claim was time-barred.
