One Essex Court

Jeffery Onions undertakes a wide range of complex commercial and company law disputes work both as an advocate and in an advisory context. He has particular expertise in banking and finance, company and insolvency, commercial litigation, civil fraud, energy/oil and gas, insurance and reinsurance, shareholder disputes and international arbitration. He also accepts appointments as an arbitrator and expert.

Recent cases include:

• Acting in a significant claim for fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of warranty arising from the sale a pharmaceutical business.
• Advising in relation to arbitration claims arising from a significant construction project in the Middle East.
• Acting as a party-appointed arbitrator in a Bermuda Form arbitration.
• Acting as sole arbitrator in a claim relating to litigation funding agreements.
• Acting in a number of cases involving secured finance loans raising allegations of sham, duress and undue influence.
• PCP/Staveley v. Barclays Bank plc. Appearing at trial for Barclays in a high profile dispute involving substantial claims arising from the alleged role of PCP and Ms Steveley in assisting Barclays to raise £7 billion a capital raising conducted by the bank during the 2008 financial crisis (one of The Lawyer's top cases of 2019 and 2020).
• Acting in confidential cases involving complex multi-tiered debt re-structuring, with particular reference to the effects of the covid pandemic
• Acting in an international arbitration (ICC) involving Chinese investments in foreign based funds involving issues of contractual construction, rectification, foreign law and fraud.
• Acting in a confidential dispute relating to the operation of luxury hotels and alleged breaches of management agreements relating thereto.
• Acting in a confidential dispute involving to the transfer and operation of substantial infrastructure assets in relation to North Sea oil and gas.
• Acting for the claimant in a substantial fraud claim in relation to Kazakhstan mining assets raising issues of Kazakh law, jurisdiction and proper law.
• Acting for excess insurers in a confidential dispute relating to costs coverage issues.
• Advising on issues related to the quantum of damage arising from an international arbitration relating to substantial shipbuilding contract and fraud/bribery related claims.
• Acting in and confidential dispute involving a major infrastructure provider in relation to issues arising with the entities using the infrastructure, dealing with contractual claims by those entities and arising out of complex scheme established for the use of the structure and advising on strategies to avoid and minimise claims.
• Acting in a substantial arbitration involving a dispute between private equity funds in relation to the purchase of telecom towers in Africa.
• Advising on contractual construction issues arising from a joint venture agreement in relation to a substantial public procurement exercise and the effect of challenges to the validity of the procurement exercise.
• Advising an electricity provider on claims arising from damage to the provider’s infrastructure.

Notable reported cases include:

• Apache Beryl v Marathon Acting for a non-party heavily involved in an expedited trial in the Commercial Court relating to the proposed purchase of significant infrastructure assets in the North Sea and raising issues as to reasonable consent to transfers, pre-emption, de-commissioning costs and the reliability of financial models of future earnings from the transportation of gas.
• Lebara Mobile Ltd v Lycamobile UK Ltd [2015] EWHC 3318 (Ch) Acting for Lyca in successfully defending injunction proceedings alleging numerous causes of action under English and certain EC laws. Under English Lebara alleged, in particular, conspiracy to injure, interference with its business by unlawful means, unlawful means conspiracy and a direct claim under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
• IBM v Fujitsu [2014] EWHC 752, Acting for IBM in a substantial computer contract dispute raising issues as to the construction and effect of exemption clauses.
• McKillen v Maybourne Finance Ltd [2012] EWCA Civ 864, appearing for Maybourne Finance Ltd in a case involving the interpretation of a loan agreement and issues of novation. Included a hearing before the Court of Appeal dealing with the construction of articles of association.
• Tullet Prebon v BGC Brokers.  Acting at first instance [2012 IRLR 648] for the Claimants in a claim alleging unlawful means conspiracy based on inducing or procuring employees to act in breach of their contracts of employment that also raised issues of sham constructive dismissal, the enforcement of garden leave injunctions and the grant of “no poach” injunctions.
• Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Conarken Group Ltd [2011] EWCA Civ 644; [2012] 1 All E.R. (Comm) 692. Acting for Network Rail in a test case in the Court of Appeal relating to the recoverability in tort of economic loss in the form of compensation payable pursuant to complex contractual provisions governing the relations between Network Rail and Train Operating Companies following damage and disruption to train services as a result of "bridge strikes".
• Centrica & BGTL v. Premier Power [2006] EWHC 3068 (Comm), [2006] All ER (D) 23 (Dec); [2007] EWHC 527 (Comm) Acting for PPL, in relation to the construction of a Gas Supply Agreement in light of Network Code changes and postalisation in Northern Ireland.
• Harley Street Capital Ltd v. Tchigirinsky & Ors [2005] EWHC 1897 (Ch). Successfully defending a derivative action, concerning the conduct of Russian subsidiaries. Specifically the alleged fraudulent acquisition of an oil field from Roman Abramovich's Sibir Energy plc, in the context of a minority shareholders action.

Called 1981; Middle Temple; Silk 1998.

London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association; Administrative Law Bar Association.

St Alban’s (Abbey) School; St John’s College, Cambridge (MA; LLM).