OVERVIEW

Ned Beale specialises in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration. Many of his cases are in the public eye and involve novel questions of law.  Most have an international dimension – including Ukraine and Russia. Ned was named UK's Litigator of the Year by Legal Week at their 2019 Litigation & Arbitration Awards, when his "innovation and creativity” were praised by the panel chaired by LCIA Director-General Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof.

Expertise

Ned has extensive experience dealing with contractual claims, including claims arising out of Covid, Brexit and Russia related disruption, shareholder disputes, warranty, earn-out and other post-M&A claims and disputes in the media, manufacturing, and energy sectors. He has significant experience advising on both the claimant and defendant sides.

He also has specific expertise in aviation disputes, including both lease finance and manufacturing claims.  Recent instructions include advising Qatar Airways in its multi-billion dollar dispute with Airbus concerning its A350 and A321 Neo fleets, one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases’ of 2023. 

Ned’s long track-record of acting in banking matters includes structured finance and retail banking disputes.  These matters often have an insolvency context, including acting both for and against insolvency practitioners. 

Ned regularly appears in international arbitration as counsel, advocate, and arbitrator, including before ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and ad hoc tribunals. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the ICC UK national committee. 

Ned’s court work includes extensive experience in the Commercial Court and Chancery Division, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.  This encompasses both contractual claims and commercial fraud, the latter often involving interim injunctions.

Clients

Ned acts for multinational corporates, publicly funded bodies and entrepreneurs. His clients come from diverse sectors, with focuses on aviation (in which he acts both for airlines and lessors), media (especially broadcasting), automotive and energy. His banking work typically sees him acting for borrowers of all types, as well as for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fair Business Banking. 

Experience

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