Crown Office Chambers

Barrister specialising in insurance, construction, engineering, professional liability, general commercial litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution both in the UK and internationally.

Extensive advocacy and advisory experience, including in relation to factually and legally complex and high value disputes.

Widespread experience of negotiations (including those with sensitive subject matter). As the elected Chair of the Young Bar in 2019, Athena was instrumental in negotiations with the Ministry of Justice and Crown Prosecution Service, securing the first pay rise for prosecuting counsel in eighteen years and thereby avoiding strike action by criminal practitioners.

Insurance work includes claims under the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012 and the 2015 Insurance Act, as well as in pre-Insurance Act claims involving material misrepresentation, non-disclosure, moral hazard, fraud, fraudulent device, breach of contract, dual coverage and COVID-19 business interruption claims.

Construction & Engineering practice includes work on behalf of employers, contractors, sub-contractors and insurers in disputes (including adjudications) concerning delay, non-performance of contractual obligations, defective works and pay less notices. Athena is familiar with the main contract forms, including JCT, NEC and FIDIC.

Professional liability practice includes claims against solicitors, accountants, brokers and construction and design professionals.

Commercial work includes claims involving the sale of goods and supply of goods and services, breaches of contract, misrepresentation, waiver and estoppel, contribution claims, unjust enrichment, invoice discounting, credit hire and corporate and personal insolvency.

International work includes domestic and international mediations and arbitrations (including multi-billion pound arbitrations arising from infrastructure projects in the middle East). Athena’s work in this field generally involves construction, infrastructure and energy projects as well as related insurance disputes.

Called 2011 (Lincoln’s Inn Lord Denning Scholar)

English

Greek (conversational)

French (basic)

COMBAR, TECBAR, LCLCBA, PNBA, European Circuit

MA (Hons), University of Cambridge (2009); Erasmus Exhange, Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands (2008); LLM, University of Cambridge (2010)