Instructed as part of the legal team led by Tim Lord QC in Property Alliance Group v RBS, a banking dispute in the Chancery Division, involving issues as to mis-selling of swaps, LIBOR-rigging, and the Global restructuring Group within RBS.
Christopher Greenwood specialises in professional liability, insurance, mortgage and banking litigation, and construction and engineering disputes with a professional liability angle. He is also actively developing his practice in sports work.
“He stood out in a complex accountants’ tax mitigation scheme matter. He’s got a real understanding of the underlying tax matters, and produces very thorough written advice. He’s excellent in conference and is a real team player” – Chambers & Partners, 2021.
“A very tenacious opponent” – Chambers & Partners, 2021.
“Extremely detailed in his advice, both in writing and in conference. His particulars of claim are comprehensive and miss no point. He is extremely empathetic with clients and able to build rapport. His service to solicitors is excellent” – Legal 500, 2021.
“A talented, level-headed and hard-working barrister” who “gives plain, direct advice” – Chambers & Partners, 2020.
“A really skilled strategist and a valuable team player” – Legal 500, 2020.
“He is very hardworking and clever, with a great legal mind” – Legal 500, 2019.
Chris is ranked as a leading professional negligence junior by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, and is frequently instructed in significant High Court claims. Those instructions have most recently included, in 2020, acting as sole counsel on behalf of financial advisers in Ingenious Litigation [2020] EWHC 235 (Ch), concerning film schemes, and (led by Neil Hext QC) the ‘test case’ of Jago v Mortgage4YouLtd [2019] EWHC 533 (QB), concerning mortgage brokers’ duties in respect of interest-only mortgages.
Chris has also been involved in several high profile professional liability disputes in recent years, including (led by Justin Fenwick QC and Graham Chapman QC) Gemini (Eclipse 2006-3) Plc v CBRE Limited and Warwick Street (KS) LLP, a lender claim for damages in excess of £230m named in The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20 Cases of 2016’, and (led by Graham Chapman QC) the series of claims beginning with Halsall v Champion Consulting Ltd & Ors [2017] PNLR 32, now a leading case on accountants’ liability in respect of tax avoidance schemes.
Since, 2019, Chris has also been instructed in various unreported High Court claims. These include claims against tax advisers and financial advisers concerning remuneration trusts, film schemes and the CWMFX forex fund, numerous claims against insurance brokers, solicitors and construction professionals, and (led by Jamie Smith QC) a high value claim brought by the landlord of a large agricultural property against a leading national firm of surveyors and property managers. He also appeared as sole counsel in the successful defence of a £10m claim against an insolvency professional.
In mortgage and banking litigation, Chris frequently acts as sole counsel for lenders in commercial and higher value residential matters, including claims concerning alleged interest rate hedging products, and was formerly part of the team acting for RBS in Property Alliance Group v RBS. And in construction, Chris is currently instructed on two large claims concerning commercial property, including acting on behalf of the insurers of a British multinational construction company which recently entered into liquidation, concerning the windows of a large skyscraper in Manchester, and acting on behalf of main contractors in a multi-million pound dispute concerning defective design and engineering of a retractable seating system.
Immediately before joining 4 New Square, Chris spent 6 months at the Court of Appeal, working as a Judicial Assistant to Lord Justice Mummery and Lord Justice Rix.
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