Andrew Blake
Call: 2012
Andrew specialises in company law, commercial litigation, restructuring and corporate insolvency. He was shortlisted for Company/Insolvency Junior of the year at the 2023 Chambers UK Bar Awards.
His time is divided between litigation and advisory work. Much of his work involves large and contentious corporate transactions, both domestically and overseas. He is called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and is instructed in corporate and insolvency matters in the key offshore jurisdictions globally.
Recent and current instructions include:
Re Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd – acting for Jardine Strategic in ongoing merger appraisal proceedings in Bermuda arising from an amalgamation within the Hong Kong based Jardine Matheson Group (instructed by Linklaters; led by Jonathan Crow KC and Martin Moore KC).
1Globe Capital LLC v Sinovac Biotech Ltd – acting for Sinovac, the Chinese biopharma company, in an appeal to the Privy Council concerning an attempt to take control of its board through an alleged AGM ambush (instructed by Latham & Watkins; led by James Potts KC).
Re Carillion PLC – representing the five non-executive directors of Carillion in defending directors’ disqualification proceedings arising out of the largest ever trading liquidation in the UK. The Secretary of State abandoned the claim the day before a 13-week trial in October 2023 (instructed by Herbert Smith Freehills; led by Andrew Thompson KC).
Re NorthStar Financial Services (Bermuda) Ltd, Re Omnia Ltd, Re PB Life and Annuity Co Ltd – acting for the joint provisional liquidators of several insurers/financial services providers. Proceedings arising to date have concerned amongst other things, Bermuda’s Segregated Accounts Companies Act 2000 and its Insurance Act 1978 (led by Michael Todd KC).
Zavarco plc v Sidhu [2022] EWCA Civ 1040 – acted (on appeal only) for the successful respondent to an appeal concerning a member’s liability to pay up EUR 84 million of subscriber shares in a PLC in cash (led by Patrick Lawrence KC)
Re William Hill Plc [2021] EWHC 967 – acted for the objectors in the contested scheme for the takeover of William Hill by Ceasars Entertainment Inc (led by David Chivers KC).
Re Rockrose Energy Plc [2020] EWHC 2496 – acted for the objectors in the contested scheme for the takeover of Rockrose Energy Plc (instructed by Allen & Overy; led by Martin Moore KC).
Re Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd – acted for the NASDAQ-listed company in resisting a challenge to amendments introduced to its articles in the context of a contested takeover bid (instructed by Latham & Watkins; led by Michael Todd KC).