Source: https://www.quadrantchambers.com/barristers/profile/nigel-cooper-qc
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 02:08:28+00:00

Document:
Nigel has considerable experience of handling cases that are factually and technically complex with a corresponding level of documents or which have required him to become familiar with new areas of law (most recently cross-border insolvency). He is known for being approachable and believes in working as a team with those instructing him. Nigel has a global client base and is increasingly instructed for disputes with an overseas seat of arbitration.
Nigel is recommended as a leading silk for shipping and commodities (Chambers UK & Global), Shipping (Legal 500 UK and Asia Pacific) and for Energy (Legal 500 Asia Pacific).
"A class act: intelligent, sharp, quick on his feet and incisive in his thinking."
"A very authoritative advocate." "Calm and measured."
"Very user-friendly. He gets to grips with things well and provides a good service."... "Flexible, accommodating, patient and easy to work with."
"He is very clever and knows his area of practice"
"Charming and an able practitioner in both wet and dry shipping matters"
"Very careful and perceptive and gives prompt advice"
"An extremely approachable QC, who is incredibly easy to work with” He has the “ability to get right into the detail of a case yet still provide clear overall strategy, advice and assistance”.
Nigel has a broad commercial practice, covering most aspects of international trade (including commodities) and the carriage of goods, as well as construction (including off-shore), railways, professional negligence (particularly in relation to shipbrokers), fraud, international supply contracts and conflicts of law.
Successfully challenging the jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to claims based on the doctrine of undisclosed principals.
Kaefer Aislamientos SA v. AMS Drilling Mexico  EWHC 2598 (Comm) and  EWCA 10 – successful jurisdiction challenge on behalf of rig owners in a dispute over liability for the price of conversion works to the rig.
Nigel has considerable expertise in the Superyacht sector in particular dealing with disputes relating to construction, management, insurance and navigation.
Acting for a designer in relation to claims arising out of the capsize of a high-performance racing multi-hull.
Nigel is a contributor to the Law of Yachts and Yachting (now 2nd edn.), providing the chapters on yacht brokers and on the insurance of the yachts and superyachts.
Nigel’s dry-shipping and commodities practice is broad and varied. His work covers all types of charter party and bill of lading disputes as well as international trade and related finance disputes. Nigel has a particular expertise in disputes relating to shipbrokers, managers and surveyors including fraud and professional negligence claims.
A significant part of Nigel’s work in this sector is international in nature and often raises complex issues relating to jurisdiction, conflicts of law and enforcement.
BHP Billiton Marketing AG v. TMT Asia Ltd  EWHC 3919 – summary judgment in respect of claims in excess of US$110 million under the settlement agreement for a series of FFA contracts.
M.H. Progress Lines S.A. v. Orient Shipping Rotterdam B.V.  1 Lloyd’s Rep. 222 - Time-bar provisions in the Inter-Club Agreement 1996 held to take precedence over the express time-bar provision in an arbitration clause.
Lloyd’s TSB Equipment Leasing (no. 1) Ltd v Revenue & Customs Commissioners  UKFTT 47 (TC) - Dispute over the proper tax treatment for a lease finance scheme relating to the construction, sale and charter of two LNG carriers.
Ferryways v. ABP  1 Lloyd’s Rep. 639 - responsibility of a terminal operator to indemnify a shipowner for liabilities arising out of the death of a crew member notwithstanding exclusion clauses in operator’s standard terms and conditions.
Almatrans S.A. v. Tutova Shipping Co. Ltd  1 Lloyd’s Rep. 104 - Case concerning the proper interpretation of a P & I club’s letter of undertaking.
The DORIC PRIDE  2 Lloyd’s Rep. 175 - case concerning the allocation of risk as between the owner and the charterer for delays caused by security inspections at load port.
Seascope Capital Services Ltd. v. Anglo Atlantic  2 Lloyd’s Rep. 611 - claim by shipbroker to recover commission having been the effective cause of the financing transaction entered into by the shipowner.
Nigel appears regularly in international arbitrations including arbitrations under the major institutional rules and under the rules of organisations such as the LCIA, ICC, SIAC, LMAA, SCMA and GMAA as well as adhoc arbitrations. Nigel advises regularly on strategies to ensure that parties are held to their agreement to arbitrate and to ensure the effective enforcement of arbitration awards in different jurisdictions.
Nigel accepts appointments as an arbitrator in all his areas of practice. Many of the cases discussed in other sections of this CV are cases subject to international arbitration.
Midnight Marine Ltd. v. Thomas Miller Speciality Underwriting Agency Ltd  EWHC 3431 (Comm) – successfully defending challenges to an Award under ss. 68 and 69 of the 1996 Act and upholding the dismissal of the s.68 challenge on paper.
Nigel appears in a broad range of Insurance and Reinsurance disputes (both marine and non-marine), often raising issues of non-disclosure or misrepresentation, the proper construction of policy terms and the effect of condition survey warranties. Recent litigation include disputes in relation to coverage for piracy, the meaning of ‘one occurrence’ under a policy of ship operator cover and an on-going dispute over whether coverage under a marine hull policy extends to cover main engine damage. Nigel is counsel of choice for a major insurer advising on both particular high value coverage disputes and policy wordings.
Nigel has a specialist interest in (super)yacht insurance disputes and has previously advised the Treasury in connection with a retrocession dispute for sums in excess of £80 million.
Acting for insurers to obtain the dismissal of arbitration proceedings in circumstances where the proceedings were time-barred and stale.
Providing strategic advice to an insurer in relation to claims worth in excess of US$100 million being brought in another jurisdiction.
W.I.S.E. v. Grupo Nacional Provincial S.A.  1 All ER (Comm) 495,  2 Lloyd’s Rep. 483 - A review of the principles relevant to non-disclosure and waiver in the context of goods-in-transit insurance.
Nigel has a strong practice in shipbuilding (including superyacht construction). His work extends to the commercial, government and super yacht sectors. Recent cases include two major super yacht construction disputes, one for the builder and one for the owner and advising on the proper construction and enforcement of government shipbuilding contracts worth in excess of £300 million. During much of 2013, Nigel acted for owners in connection with a six-week arbitration for claims in excess of US$50 million arising under a shipbuilding contract for a bulk carrier.
Nigel has a well-developed practice in the field of energy and natural resources including both the oil and gas sectors as well as renewables. Illustrations of the type of cases on which Nigel had advised and acted include disputes relating to drilling and exploration, the laying of pipelines, sale and purchase of energy products, long-term offshore support contracts including support for the supply and installation of wind farms, construction of rigs and other offshore platforms as well as disputes relating to the safe design and operation of terminals.
Nigel was also counsel for the successful claimant in Ferryways v. ABP  EWHC 225 (Comm), one of the cases routinely cited in relation to the proper construction of exclusion and consequential loss clauses in both the shipping and energy sectors.
Instructed on behalf of FPSO owners in connection with claims for the late delivery of the FPSO by builders, including claims for emergency relief from the arbitration tribunal.
Instructed on behalf of contractors to advise on liabilities arising from a failure to drill a well in the correct location.
Instructed on behalf of employers in an arbitration arising out of the collapse of a well during drilling.
Seadrill Management Services v. OAO Gazprom  EWCA Civ 691 and  EWHC 1530 (Comm) – Represented Gazprom, in a US$ 80 million claim and counterclaim against one of the leading drilling rig operators, Seadrill. The dispute involved complex legal and factual issues relating to a mobile drilling rig unit hired by Gazprom. The decisions at first instance and on appeal are important for the interpretation of an internationally recognised form of drilling contract and for the correct approach to “knock-for-knock” clauses.
Nigel is an accredited mediator, and has appeared as parties’ representative in mediations.
Having been a member of the Treasury panels and instructed by the Department for Transport for all of the last three shipping Formal Investigations in England & Wales, Nigel is familiar with the Administrative law concepts pertinent to his areas of practice and has experience of judicial review proceedings.
R (On the application of INTERTANKO) v. Sec. of State for Transport  Env. L.R. 8 - challenge to the compatibility of the EU ship-source pollution directive with the Law of the Sea and the MARPOL convention.
Formal Investigations for The DERBYSHIRE (2000), The MARCHIONESS/BOWBELLE (2001) and The GAUL (2004).
"Very user-friendly. He gets to grips with things well and provides a good service." "Flexible, accommodating, patient and easy to work with."
LL.B Hons (Leeds), LL.M (London), Dip.E.I. (European Business Law) (Amsterdam).
Member of the Attorney General's panel of Counsel (A & B Panels) from 1997 until becoming Queen's Counsel in 2010.
Accepts appointments as an arbitrator.
Provides expert evidence on English law for proceedings in other jurisdictions.
Nigel is a registered foreign lawyer with the Singapore International Commercial Court (2019).
COMBAR, TECBAR, supporting member of the LMAA, BMAA, LCIA, Bar European Group, European Circuit, British German Jurists Association.
Until 2011 Chair/Vice-chair of various Bar Standards Board Committees.
Contributor to The Law of Yachts and Yachting (2012).
Contributor to Butterworths' Commercial Court and Arbitration Pleadings (2005).
Co-editor of The European Advocate (1997-2000).
Co-author of Taylor & Cooper, European Litigation Handbook (Sweet & Maxwell, 1995).
Former contributor to Vaughan`s Law of the European Communities (Butterworths.
Contributor to the Practitioner's Handbook of EC Law (Bar Council/Trenton Publishing).
Nigel is a regular speaker on legal issues pertinent to his practice.
Able to accept instructions in German, Dutch and French.

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