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  • Overview

    Guy is a chancery and commercial specialist who acts in complex cases which often raise difficult and/or novel points of law.

    His commercial work includes banking, finance, commercial contract, company and partnership and professional negligence.

    Guy also has expertise in more traditional chancery matters, including landlord and tenant, property and trusts.

    In administrative law matters, Guy has particular experience of acting for commercial clients whose business interests have been adversely affected by administrative decisions.

    He has extensive appellate experience at all levels up to the Supreme Court.

  • Commercial Litigation

    Guy regularly acts in company, partnership and commercial disputes.  He has particular interests in the legal and equitable remedies that ensure fair dealing, banking and financial services, and administrative law at the interface between public and private interests.

    Recent and significant cases include:

    • Quantum Advisory Ltd v Quantum Actuarial LLP [2024] EWCA Civ 247 – trade marks, s.10B Trade Marks Act 1994, fiduciary duties and agency
    • Quantum Advisory Ltd v Quantum Actuarial LLP [2023] EWCA Civ 12 – construction of long term relational contract and implicit obligations of good faith
    • Quantum Advisory Ltd v Quantum Actuarial LLP [2023] EWHC 47 (Ch) – trade marks, s.10B Trade Marks Act 1994, fiduciary duties and agency
    • Ceredigion Recycling and Furniture Team v Pope [2022] EWCA Civ 22 – permission to appeal, CPR 3.1(7) and 52.30, inherent jurisdiction of the court
    • Quantum Actuarial LLP v Quantum Advisory Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 227 – application of doctrine of restraint of trade to commercial contracts
    • Solaria Energy UK Ltd v Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2020] WLR(D) 674 CA – whether commercial contract A1P1 possession under ECHR; limitation under Human Rights Act 1998
    • Santander UK Plc v Fletcher [2019] 2 P&CR 4 – priorities and mortgage fraud
    • Woodeson and another v Credit Suisse (UK) Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 1103 – Interfoto  principle, set-off and limitation
    • Davy v Pickering [2017] 2 BCLC 260 CA – restoration of company to register and limitation directions under s. 1032 Companies Act 2006
    • Tidal Energy Ltd v Bank of Scotland Plc [2015] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 38 CA (permission to appeal to Supreme Court granted) – misdirected bank payments
    • Charles Terence Estates Ltd v Cornwall Council [2013] 1 WLR 466 CA – local authority powers to enter into commercial contracts, ostensible authority
    • Kaye v Nu Skin UK Ltd [2010] 2 All E.R. (Comm) 832;  [2011] 1 Lloyd’s Rep. 40 – application of Interfoto principle to arbitration agreement

    Guy is ranked in Chambers UK Bar 2021 in Commercial Dispute Resolution, and is noted as being “very easy to work with, creative in his ideas and never afraid to get his teeth into something.”

  • Property

    Property Law

    Guy is an experienced chancery practitioner with a strong focus on real estate work. His expertise covers commercial and residential landlord and tenant matters as well as development issues. He represents clients at all levels of the court system as well as in arbitrations.

    Agriculture

    Guy has extensive experience of issues affecting farmers in relation to property, partnerships, mortgages, landlord and tenant and family disputes.  He has encountered many problems that arise in an agricultural context and thoroughly understands the issues facing farmers and their families.

    Cases include:

    • Williams v Williams and others [2024] EWCA Civ 42, [2024] 4 WLR 10 – constructive trusts and joint property
    • Price v Nunn [2023] EWHC 3200 (Ch) – highways, ownership of roads and Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
    • Williams v Williams [2022] EWHC 1717 (Ch) – farming partnership, partnership accounts, ownership of farm, proprietary estoppel
    • Guest v Guest [2020] 1 WLR 3480 CA (permission granted for appeal to Supreme Court) – farming propriety estoppel
    • Santander UK Plc v Fletcher [2019] 2 P&CR 4 – priorities and mortgage fraud
    • Smyth-Tyrrell v Bowden [2018] L&TR 23 – agricultural holdings, proprietary estoppel
    • Clydesdale Bank plc v Gough [2017] GCCR 15047- agricultural mortgage
    • Smyth-Tyrrell v Sowden [2017] EWHC 2331 (Ch) – agricultural holdings
    • Saunders v Caerphilly CBC [2015] 2 P. & C.R. 20; [2016] R.V.R. 14 – compulsory purchase of farmland and limitation
    • Seward v Seward [2014] Lexis Citation 123 CA – farm proprietary estoppel
    • Cawsand Fort Management Co. Ltd v Stafford [2008] 1 WLR 371- appointment of manager under Landlord and Tenant Act 1987
    • Morris v Morris [2008] Fam. Law 521 CA – farm business, proprietary estoppel
  • Trusts, Wills & Estates

    Guy is an experienced chancery practitioner with a thorough understanding of trust principles, and acts and advises in connection with the administration of trusts and estates. He has a particular expertise in derivative actions.

    He is a member of STEP and has had a number of reported trusts, estates, estoppel and undue influence cases. He also appeared in the first trust/estate case to be heard by the Supreme Court: Roberts v Gill [2011] 1 AC 240, which is the leading case on derivative actions, and Lewis and others v Tamplin and others [2018] WTLR 215, a leading case on disclosure of trust documents. He has appeared in a number of farming proprietary estoppel cases.

    Chapter Editor of Williams, Mortimer and Sunnucks, 2023 Ed. – Administration and Other Actions.

  • Administrative Law

    Guy has a niche administrative law practice as part of a wider commercial and chancery practice.  He both acts for private individuals and commercial bodies, whose interests have been adversely affected by administrative decisions, and public authorities.  He has a particular interest in the grey area between public law and private law, including situations where authorities have to take decisions having regard to the public interest, but which may disproportionately affect legitimate private interests or expectations.

    Cases include:

    • Solaria Energy UK Ltd v Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [2020] WLR(D) 674, [2020] EWCA Civ 1625 –  A1P1 possessions under ECHR; limitation under Human Rights Act 1998
    • Charles Terence Estates Ltd v Cornwall Council [2013] 1 WLR 466 – local authority powers to enter into commercial contracts, ostensible authority
    • Forrest v Lord Chancellor [2011] Inquest L.R. 1; [2011] A.C.D. 42  – coroners, judicial discipline and funding
  • Qualifications/Education

    • Trinity College, Cambridge; MA, Natural Sciences and Law
  • Professional appointments

    • Junior Counsel to the Crown (2003-2007)
  • Memberships

    • Chancery Bar Association
    • Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association
    • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
    • South West Admininstrative Lawyers Association (Chair)
  • Awards

    • Guy won entrance scholarships to Stowe School and Trinity College, Cambridge.
  • What the directories say

    “He’s very easy to work with, creative in his ideas and never afraid to get his teeth into something.”

    Chambers UK Bar 2021

    “An experienced practitioner who has a good manner in court and enjoys running novel arguments.”

    Legal 500 UK Bar 2020

    “He never gives up and is an inventive player -he is a silk in waiting.”

    Chambers UK Bar 2019

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