Allan Reason is a partner in the dispute resolution team in our London office. He has extensive experience of disputes arising out of the banking, commercial, corporate, energy and property sectors, and in specific areas such as contractual disputes, corporate defence, internal company and shareholders’ disputes, insolvency, international fraud, partnership, professional negligence, regulatory and trusts. He has advised banks, financial institutions, domestic and international corporate entities, overseas law firms (and their clients) as well as high net worth individuals in connection with a range of contentious matters.

Allan has been involved in a number of high profile cases including Polly Peck; a long running trust case in Bermuda (Thyssen) where he was part of a small team of 4 lawyers from London representing the claimant; a trial in the Commercial Court between two listed oil companies and subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal, and an UNCITRAL arbitration against an African government.

Allan's experience of dealing with disputes encompasses all types of Court applications including interim relief up to and including trial; detailed assessment of costs; disciplinary tribunals and international arbitration (LCIA, UNCITRAL and ICC). He is a keen exponent of alternative dispute resolution especially formal and informal mediations.
 

Recent experience includes:

• Representing an oil and gas company in High Court proceedings in East Africa to challenge the imposition of tax assessments and the recovery of a substantial sum paid in respect of capital gains tax on the disposal of oil exploration licences.
• Acting on behalf of an international investment company in High Court proceedings seeking contractual and equitable remedies.
• The defence of proceedings commenced against an independent upstream exploration and production company listed on the London Stock Exchange (and its wholly owned subsidiary) in a dispute about a tax indemnity on the farm-down of interests in exploration licences located in Uganda: Tullow Uganda Ltd v Heritage Oil and Gas Ltd & Anor [2013] EWHC 1656 (Comm) and subsequent appeal to the Court of Appeal: Heritage Oil And Gas Ltd & Anor v Tullow Uganda Ltd [2014] EWCA Civ 1048.
• Representing an oil and gas company in an UNCITRAL arbitration against an African government (concerning a stabilization clause and other international investor rights and remedies).
• Acting on behalf of a Nigerian energy joint venture in defending a claim in respect of an alleged contaminated cargo of oil.
• Advising an international energy company in respect of a dispute involving a substantial gas supply contract (UNCITRAL and CIETAC arbitration clauses).
• The defence of proceedings commenced by an AIM listed company against a Canadian corporate and two Canadian individuals, for negligence, breach of contractual and common law duties of care and breach of fiduciary duty, an order seeking delivery up of documents and injunctive relief in respect of confidential information. Separate applications by the corporate claimant for summary judgment in respect of the delivery up of documents and for an asset freezing relief were successfully defended (the latter with an award of indemnity costs): Renewable Power & Light Plc v Renewable Power & Light Services Inc. and others: 2008 All ER(D) 170 (Apr) and 2008 All ER (D) 209 (May).
• Acting in the successful defence at trial of claims against corporate clients for specific performance of a share sale agreement and for damages as a result of alleged breaches of a shareholders’ agreement: Keisner v Terrus Group Limited/Evolution Trading Group v Baris UK Ltd. 2007 1 B.C.L.C.303.
• Acting for corporate clients in contested and complex detailed assessment proceedings following trial; obtaining interim payments on account of costs and a substantial final award of costs.
• Acting for a director and shareholder in a joint venture company (JVC) dispute including an application for injunctive relief to prevent purported ratification of an alleged claim by the JVC and the successful defence of a derivative claim.
• Applying for the successful strike-out of a claim against a corporate client based on the absence of legal authority to commence proceedings and the pursuit of a substantial wasted costs order against the Claimant’s solicitors.
• Acting as a special counsel in England in respect of Chapter 11 proceedings in the USA in respect of a worldwide legal partnership.
• Acting on behalf of a foreign bank and 3 subsidiaries in defending a host of claims arising from a series of proceedings and Court decisions in respect of a lease and lease-back financing transaction and in seeking a civil restraint order.
• Acting in relation to a joint venture dispute between an Italian company and an English company.
• Shareholders’ dispute between two international companies in respect of a Spanish joint venture company (arbitration).
• Services dispute between an English company and a subsidiary of an international group of companies (arbitration).
• Successful conclusion for a tripartite mediation on behalf of a corporate client (breach of contract/professional negligence).
• Successful conclusion (following mediation) of a joint venture dispute for a corporate client.
• Successful conclusion (following mediation) for corporate and individual clients of a series of claims based in negligence, contract and fiduciary duty.
• Acting on behalf of a Spanish company seeking recognition and enforcement in England and Wales of a judgment obtained in proceedings commenced and determined in Spain and in connection with the appeal against registration.
• Acting for a Spanish company in a successful challenge to contest the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear a claim against it by a UK company following the determination of proceedings between the same companies in Spain.