Experience

Fiona’s experience includes:

• Acting for an Australian mining company in defending a claim for breach of a mezzanine lending commitment letter
• Acting for a company, whose business includes the export of oil products, in successfully challenging the jurisdiction of the English Court to determine a US$300m claim against it. [2021] EWHC 1758 (Comm)
• Acting for a State and its National Bank in claims relating to a Global Custody Agreement with an international bank. [2020] EWHC 916 (Comm)
• Co-managing the action issued in 2013 by over 300 financial institutions and other institutional investors in the group litigation against RBS in relation to its £12bn rights issue in April 2008. A confidential settlement was reached in December 2016, three months before the start of a six-month liability only trial.
• Acting in high court proceedings for a trade finance company which was the payee and holder of a promissory note governed by German law and issued and made by the defendant as collateral for the payment by a company (of which the defendant was a director) of an amount due by the company under a forfaiting agreement. A confidential settlement was reached on the eve of a 6 day commercial court trial

Expertise

Fiona advises on high-value domestic and international contracts, commercial fraud and tort disputes, with a particular expertise in financial services claims against banks.

She is experienced in coordinating proceedings in other jurisdictions, including working with foreign lawyers, investigators and forensic accountants.

Recognition

Fiona is described by The Legal 500 as “‘a very able lawyer, who has a great touch with clients’” and in Chambers as “very determined”.

Career

Fiona joined Stewarts as a partner in 2010 after spending four years at litigation boutique Masseys LLP and 6 years prior to that at Baker McKenzie, London (with one year in their Toronto office). In 2023 Fiona was appointed the firm’s Compliance Officer for Legal Practice.

Publications

• Keeping justice going: the UK Commercial Court’s swift move to virtual trials – The Law Society
• Group Litigation Orders: Lessons from the RBS Rights Issue Litigation – The Lawyer
• Competing dispute resolution clauses under UK law – Financier Worldwide
• Dispute at the coalface in London and Singapore – Global Arbitration Review
• Show me the money – Costs Lawyer

Accreditations and Memberships

• LSLA (London Solicitors Litigation Association)

Personal

Fiona’s interests include travelling, tennis (of late, watching more than playing), baking and a good G&T.