Peter deals with commercial disputes with a Chancery bias.

He deals with disputes in the financial services and banking sector, acting in particular for a number of life assurance companies in both Scotland and England in connection with contractual and regulatory issues, including pensions advice.

In addition, he deals with partnership and LLP disputes, particularly for solicitors, drawing upon his 20 years of experience as a partner in a substantial commercial solicitors’ practice.

He has recently acted in a substantial breach of trust case against a US bank in the Cayman Islands, being called to the Cayman Bar for that purpose and appearing in interlocutory hearings in the Grand Court in Cayman.

Other areas of experience include the tertiary education sector, and defamation and reputation management.

Peter is an accredited mediator who has mediated a number of cases and also has extensive experience of representing clients at mediations. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has acted as an arbitrator.

Legal 500 2018/2019 "Very experienced in handling Chancery-related commercial disputes."

Chancery Bar Association

Northern Chancery Bar Association

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

Association of Northern Mediators

• Resisting claims against former Members of an LLP involving illegality arguments

• Dealing with interest rate swap mis-spelling cases

• Advising life offices on issues arising out of with profits policies and guaranteed annuity rates

• Acting for tertiary education charity regulated by Ofqual in dispute with members Reported-Cases As a solicitor:

• Fillite (Runcorn) Limited -v- Aqualift (1989) 45 BLR 27, CA Construction of an arbitration agreement to etermine arbitrator's jurisdiction.

• Symphony Group -v- Hodgson [1994] QB 179 CA Leading case on non-party costs orders

• Fillite (Runcorn) Limited -v- APV Pasilac [1995] CA Incorporation of exclusion clauses into machinery supply contract.

• MetroCammell Hong Kong Limited -v- FKI Engineering Limited (1996) 77 BLR 84 Appeal against arbitration award.

As a barrister:

• Ellse -v- Hill-Pickford [2006] All E R D 328 Undue influence and constructive trust.

• Pitts -v- Jones [2007] All E R D 93, CA Guarantee and Statute of Frauds 1677; adequacy of consideration.

• Walker -v- Inter Alliance [2007] All E R D 482 Claim over pension transfer; meaning of "advice"; breach of statutory duty.

• Helmsman -v- Bank of New York Trust Company (Cayman) Limited [2009] CILR 490 Successfully resisting challenge to jurisdiction on "forum non conveniens" and other bases.

B.A. Hons (Law)2:1 Durham 1975 Solicitor 1978 Cayman Islands Bar 2010