Maria is developing a broad commercial practice across all of Chambers’ practice areas with a particular focus on fraud, insolvency and international arbitration. Since coming to the Bar, she has appeared in the High Court, County Court and in arbitral proceedings.
She speaks fluent Russian and has lived and worked in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Before coming to the Bar, Maria was a qualified solicitor-advocate. She spent five years working at a top international law firm, where she specialised in commercial litigation, arbitration and regulatory investigations. During this time, she gained first-hand experience in oral and written advocacy. She also spent six months in the firm’s Singapore office and worked on cases in Russia, Norway and Zambia.
Maria has a first class degree in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge.
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Example cases
Since becoming a tenant, Maria has:
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in a complex high profile bankruptcy proceedings on the recovery of assets and potential claims against third parties.
- Provided ongoing advice in respect of cryptocurrency fraud, including entitlement to tracing.
- Provided advice to the UK Department of Trade on the impact of Brexit on EU-derived legislation.
- Provided ongoing representation to a bank in respect of consumer credit claims.
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in respect of a potential transaction defrauding creditors (with Tony Beswetherick).
- Represented the claimant in High Court proceedings in respect of unlawful means conspiracy, breach of confidence and intellectual property claims, including an application for alternative means of service (with Lawrence Akka QC and Josephine Davies).
- Represented claimants in LCIA arbitration proceedings concerning the rectification of a settlement agreement (with Lawrence Akka QC and Josephine Davies).
- Represented a major shipyard in a series of disputes arising out of the termination of shipbuilding contracts with the owners, including on the basis of insolvency (with Duncan Matthews QC).
- Represented the claimants in an application to set aside default judgment (with Paul Lowenstein QC).
She is also in a pool of barristers engaged to provide advice to the Department of Trade relating to ongoing trade negotiations and their implementation into English law.
During pupillage, Maria has:
- Prepared advice regarding conspiracy to commit various wrongs in the context of a large-scale cryptocurrency theft.
- Prepared an application for strike out of a committal application in the context of large-scale fraud proceedings.
- Responded to an application for permission to serve out of the jurisdiction made by a liquidator in respect of a preference claim.
- Prepared an application to appeal to the Supreme Court on points of jurisdiction arising out of proceedings for the enforcement of a receivership order.
- Drafted pleadings in a claim relating to the contamination of cargo.
- Prepared advice on securing a non-contractual anti-suit injunction, including considering various conflicts of laws issues.
- Drafted pleadings in respect of a breach of international trade agreements.
- Prepared advice in various insurance related matters, including advice to insurers on coverage and to the insured on duties of disclosure.
