Areas of expertise

Cases of interest

• Re Meadowbrook Montessori: Instructed for petitioners in a case considering the interaction between the insolvency regime and allegations of unlawful forfeiture ([2024] EWHC 1759 (Ch), ICCJ Barber, Insolvency and Companies Court List)
• Re City Build (London) Ltd: Instructed for the successful second defendant in a claim alleging that he was a shadow or de facto director of the insolvent company and seeking the overturning of antecedent transactions ([2022] BCC 720, ICCJ Barber, Insolvency and Companies Court List)
• Hamilton v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Instructed for the judgment creditor in a major case interpreting the Taking Control of Goods provisions in Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 ([2022] 1 WLR 1707, Lane J, Queen’s Bench Division; (costs: [2021] EWHC 2727 (QB), Lane J, Queen’s Bench Division))
• Deacon v Yaseen: Instructed for the defendant in a case about the valuation of doctors’ surgery premises for the purposes of the buy-out of a retiring partner ([2020] EWHC 465 (Ch), HHJ Matthews sitting as a judge of the High Court)
• Re MJT Consultants Ltd: Instructed for the liquidator and the company in a claim against a director of the company concerning breaches of his director’s duties, which holds that a company should not and cannot be tainted by the conduct of the office-holder such as to be refused relief under the clean hands doctrine (Insolvency and Companies Court, Deputy ICC Judge Baister, 2019, unreported)
• Amin v London Borough of Redbridge: Instructed for the trustee in an appeal concerning who should pay the costs following the annulment of a bankruptcy order which itself followed a successful appeal of council tax liability orders ([2019] BPIR 1), Nugee J)
• Re HH: Instructed for the first respondent in a case concerning the retrospective approval of payments made by an attorney. ([2018] EWCOP 13, Court of Protection, HHJ Vincent)
• Re D’Eye: Instructed for a number of the respondents to at application under s 284 of the Insolvency Act 1986, which provides important guidance on the meaning and nature of that section and the court’s jurisdiction arising under it, in particular on the inter-relation between that section and the law of unjust enrichment. ([2016] BPIR 883, Bankruptcy, Chief Registrar Baister)

Memberships

• Ecclesiastical Law Society
• Chancery Bar Association
• Court of Protection Bar Association

Education

Prior to being called to the Bar, Simon was awarded a First in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History (MA) and a Distinction in Landscape Archaeology (MPhil) at St John’s College, Oxford.  He trained for the Bar at City University (Graduate Diploma in Law) and City Law School (Bar Vocational Course).

Publications

Simon is one of the editors of the current edition of Schaw-Miller and Bailey on Personal Insolvency (2022 edition, LexisNexis). He has also written regular case and legislation summaries for online and print publications including Lexis^®PSL Restructuring and Insolvency and Recovery and has also written and edited practice notes and forms for Lexis^®PSL

Simon has also contributed occasional guest articles to the Law and Religion UK blog, including most recently on the case of the Rustat Memorial at Jesus College, Cambridge

Past seminars & events

Simon is happy to speak on aspects of the law within his practice areas.  He has contributed to chambers’ seminars and given talks at individual firms and for industry bodies.

Personal interests

In his spare time, Simon enjoys singing, walking and reading.  He maintains a keen interest in archaeology and history, particularly of the Classical period.