Maria has a busy and wide-ranging commercial practice with a particular focus on large-scale fraud, insolvency, jurisdiction, insurance, cryptocurrency and international arbitration. She has been described in the directories as “bright, strategic and tenacious” and is ranked in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
Maria often appears both as sole counsel and with a team in complex and high-profile litigation. She is currently instructed on a USD 6 billion claim against the Bank of Baroda (among others) in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Court and in the asset recovery matters arising out of the Gerald Smith fraud in the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division.
Maria speaks Russian, Ukrainian and German. She has used her languages in in various sanctions, fraud and insurance related cases arising out of the Ukraine war.
Before coming to the Bar, Maria spent five years working at a top international law firm. During this time, she spent six months in the firm’s Singapore office and worked on cases in Russia, Norway and Zambia.
She has a double first class degree in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge and is admitted to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, British Virgin Islands.
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Example cases
- Represented the Bank of Baroda in USD 6 billion fraud proceedings in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Court (“ADGM”), the ADGM Court of Appeal and the English Commercial Court (with Harish Salve KC and Victoria Windle KC).
- Represented applicants in relation to international enforcement proceedings arising out of a large-scale fraud, including making enforcement related applications and conducting hearings in the British Virgin Islands (with John Machell KC).
- Represented an energy company in a commercial arbitration arising out of the Ukraine war, including advising on issues of fraud and the application of sanctions (with David Lewis KC).
- Obtained urgent non-publication and privacy related injunctions in confidential proceedings arising out of various cryptocurrency frauds (both as sole counsel and led).
- Represented court appointed receivers in respect of ongoing enforcement proceedings arising from the Gerald Smith litigation, including in relation to contempt proceedings and various asset recovery applications (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Represented shipowners in insurance litigation arising out of the Ukraine war (with Oliver Caplin KC).
- Represented claimant in dispute arising out of the breakdown of a partnership, including in fraud and conspiracy claims (sole counsel).
- Represented one of the defendants in the Steinmetz fraud litigation (with a large team).
- Provided sanctions advice and obtained injunctions and summary judgment following the impact of the Ukraine war: Havila Kystruten AS v STLC Europe Twenty Three Leasing Limited, STLC Europe Thirty Four Leasing Limited [2022] EWHC 3166 (Comm).
- Represented the claimant in High Court proceedings in respect of unlawful means conspiracy, breach of confidence and intellectual property claims (with Laurence Akka KC and Josephine Davies KC).
- Represented defendants to international fraud claims, including making challenges to jurisdiction and service (with Paul Lowenstein KC).
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in complex high-profile bankruptcy proceedings on the recovery of assets and potential claims against third parties (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in respect of a potential transaction defrauding creditors (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Represented claimants in LCIA arbitration proceedings concerning the rectification of a settlement agreement (with Laurence Akka KC and Josephine Davies KC).
- Provided advice to the UK Department of Trade on the impact of Brexit on EU-derived legislation (sole counsel).
- 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.
Fraud
- Represented the Bank of Baroda in USD 6 billion fraud proceedings in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets Court (“ADGM”), the ADGM Court of Appeal and the English Commercial Court (with Harish Salve KC and Victoria Windle KC).
- Represented applicants in relation to international enforcement proceedings arising out of a large-scale fraud, including making enforcement related applications and conducting hearings in the British Virgin Islands (with John Machell KC).
- Represented claimant in dispute arising out of the breakdown of a partnership, including in fraud and conspiracy claims (sole counsel).
- Represented an energy company in a commercial arbitration arising out of the Ukraine war, including advising on issues of fraud and the application of sanctions (with David Lewis KC).
- Obtained urgent non-publication and privacy related injunctions in confidential proceedings arising out of various cryptocurrency frauds (both as sole counsel and led).
- Represented court appointed receivers in respect of ongoing enforcement proceedings arising from the Gerald Smith litigation, including in relation to contempt proceedings and various asset recovery applications (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Represented one of the defendants in the Steinmetz fraud litigation (with a large team).
- Represented the claimant in High Court proceedings in respect of unlawful means conspiracy, breach of confidence and intellectual property claims (with Laurence Akka KC and Josephine Davies KC).
- Represented defendants to international fraud claims, including making challenges to jurisdiction and service (with Paul Lowenstein KC).
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in respect of a potential transaction defrauding creditors (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
Insurance
- Represented shipowners in insurance litigation arising out of the Ukraine war (with Oliver Caplin KC).
Jurisdiction and service
- Successfully making jurisdiction and service related applications in various large scale commercial disputes (both as sole counsel and led).
- Representing defendants in various jurisdiction and service challenges (with Paul Lowenstein KC).
Insolvency and asset recovery
- Represented the Bank of Baroda in USD 6 billion fraud proceedings (including defending fraudulent trading claims and considering various bankruptcy related matters) in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (“ADGM”) Court, the ADGM Court of Appeal and the English Commercial Court (with Harish Salve KC and Victoria Windle KC).
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in a complex high-profile bankruptcy proceedings on the recovery of assets and potential claims against third parties (sole counsel).
- Represented court appointed receivers in respect of ongoing enforcement proceedings arising from the Gerald Smith litigation, including in relation to contempt proceedings and various asset recovery applications (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Represented applicants in relation to international enforcement proceedings arising out of a large-scale fraud (including making enforcement related applications and conducting hearings in the British Virgin Islands) (with John Machell KC).
- Advised trustees-in-bankruptcy in respect of a potential transaction defrauding creditors (with Tony Beswetherick KC).
- Provided advice and court representation in relation to various administration and winding up proceedings (sole counsel).
- Represented trustees in bankruptcy in an application under s.366 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (sole counsel).
- Represented a party resisting an injunction preventing the presentation of a winding-up petition (sole counsel).
- Authored a chapter on the impact of foreign insolvencies on English seated arbitration for a textbook on insolvency and arbitration.
Shipping
- Represented shipowners in insurance litigation arising out of the Ukraine war (with Oliver Caplin KC).
- Provided sanctions advice and obtained injunctions and summary judgment in relation to claims arising out of the impact of the Ukraine war: Havila Kystruten AS v STLC Europe Twenty Three Leasing Limited, STLC Europe Thirty Four Leasing Limited [2022] EWHC 3166 (Comm) (with Nicholas Vineall KC and Edward Jones).
- Represented the owners of an arrested vessel in arbitration proceedings involving bribery, unseaworthiness, and breach of unsafe port warranty allegations (with Tim Hill KC and Socrates Papadopoulos).
- Represented the owners of a vessel in arbitration proceedings arising out of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia (with Socrates Papadopoulos).
- Represented a major shipyard in a series of disputes arising out of the termination of shipbuilding contracts.
