Fountain Court Chambers
Barristers
Joseph Farmer
- Phone020 7583 3335
- Email[email protected]
- Profilewww.fountaincourt.co.uk
Position
Joseph has a diverse and thriving practice. His commercial work includes cases involving banking and finance, civil fraud, and company law. He also undertakes regulatory and administrative law work. He has experience of a range of heavy and complex disputes, and frequently acts as sole counsel, including in matters requiring challenging court advocacy.
His recent cases (both led and unled) include a multi-jurisdictional conspiracy claim involving a Thai renewable energy company, banking disputes concerning alleged bribery and sanctions issues, a judicial review in relation to criminal proceedings, and an unfair prejudice petition under s.994 of the Companies Act 2006.
Prior to coming to the bar, Joseph was a research assistant at the Law Commission, a solicitor (practising in Scotland), and a judicial assistant at the UK Supreme Court.
Recent highlights
Suppipat & Ors v Narongdej & Ors [2023] EWHC 1988 (Comm)
One of The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases of 2022”. Instructed (with Derrick Dale KC) for seven out of seventeen defendants in a Commercial Court claim in connection with the ownership of a renewable energy company in Thailand. Trial between October 2022 and March 2023.
R (Forsey) v Northern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court [2021] EWHC 3013 (Admin)
Instructed (with Richard Lissack KC and Andrew Smith KC) for the claimant in a judicial review of a decision on jurisdiction in criminal proceedings relating to an alleged offence under the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Stichting Vestia v Société Générale (FL-2020-000034)
Representing (with Richard Handyside KC and Natasha Bennett) the defendant bank in a claim with an estimated maximum value of c.€130 million involving alleged bribery and the allegation that several interest rate swaps entered into by the parties were outside the capacity of the claimant, a Dutch social housing association.
Ashley v Jimenez (HC-2017-000156)
Acting (with Richard Lissack KC and James Cutress KC) for the claimants in a high-profile fraud claim in the Chancery Division, including the successful defence of a jurisdictional challenge: [2019] EWHC 17 (Ch), [2019] EWHC 580 (Ch); obtaining judgment on the merits without trial: [2019] EWHC 1806 (Ch); obtaining judgment with respect to enforcement (February 2021); and successfully resisting applications for permission to appeal (November 2021).
Entertainment Partners LLC v Sargent [2019] EWHC 3718 (Ch)
Instructed (with Ben Valentin KC) for the Petitioner, a minority shareholder, in an application for an interim injunction restraining the sale of shares which involved allegations of unfairly prejudicial conduct.
Other cases include: SRA v Robinson [2019] 4 WLR 162; Fundo Soberano de Angola v dos Santos [2018] EWHC 2199 (Comm); Instant Access Properties (in Liquidation) v Rosser [2018] EWHC 756 (Ch); SRA v Leigh Day; and Gemini v CBRE & King Sturge (CL-2013-000161) (one of The Lawyer’s “Top 20 cases of 2016”).