Introduction

BA (Hons) Medieval and Modern History - University of Birmingham

2004 - Gray's Inn

 

Fields of Practice

Neil Henderson has a varied and wide-ranging commercial practice which includes all aspects of shipping and maritime work, international trade, and contracts for the sale and carriage of goods. He has particular expertise in insolvency law, both shipping and non-shipping related. Neil Henderson also undertakes work in the areas of equine law, real property and European law.

 

Particular Areas of Expertise

Shipping / Carriage of goods:

• Charterparty disputes - junior counsel in a three-party High Court demurrage and contamination of cargo claim.

• Carriage of goods - sole counsel acting on behalf of a tea producer claiming against a carrier for damages arising from the temporary loss of a shipment of tea.

• Ship sale and purchase - sole counsel on behalf of a shipbroker defending a €3.5 million claim for alleged unauthorised sale of a vessel.

• Wet shipping - junior counsel in a three-way arbitration on behalf of cargo for a claim arising from a grounding in the Suez Canal.

General Contractual law:

• Banking - sole counsel acting on behalf of a bank for a summary judgment application in respect to a €23 million loan for the conversion of a passenger ferry into a superyacht.

• Commercial/ real property - acting for a developer in multi-million dollar claim against Liverpool City Council for breach of an option agreement.

• Commercial/ tax - sole counsel acting for a German engineering company against a major US engineering multinational in relation to unpaid tax liabilities;

• Partnership - junior counsel advising in relation to a partnership dispute for a Jersey-based private equity fund.

Company/ Insolvency law:

• Acting on behalf of numerous English hauliers in relation to the insolvency of a major Northern Ireland based haulier.

• Advising generally in relation to retention of title clauses.

• Acted on behalf of multiple directors in directors disqualification proceedings.

 

Recent Cases of Importance

Marcan Shipping (London) Ltd v Kefalas and another [2007] 1 WLR 1864. Sole counsel for the appellant before the Court of Appeal concerning relief from sanctions for failure to comply with an unless order.

Ferryways NV v Associated British Ports (The Humber Way) [2008] 1 Lloyd's Rep. 639. Advised, drafted pleadings and attended CMC on behalf of the successful claimant prior to senior counsel appearing at the preliminary issue.

 

Education

Institute of Shipping Law, Southampton University (August - September 2006)

3-week intensive course on all aspects of shipping law and practice

College of Law, London        (9/03 - 6/04)          

Bar Vocational Course (Outstanding)

College of Law, Guildford      (9/02 - 6/03)          

Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Distinction)

University of Birmingham      (9/95 - 6/99)          

Medieval and Modern History (1st Class)

Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo        (9/97 - 6/98)

Japanese Language and History (AIEJ Japanese Government scholar)