Melody Ihuoma

Melody benefits from substantial legal research experience and exceptionally strong analytical skills, both of which equip her for tackling particularly complex matters.

Throughout pupillage, Melody assisted her supervisors in a number of high-value commercial disputes. Earlier this year, she contributed to closing submissions for conjoined ICC and LCIA arbitrations for claims for breach of fiduciary duty and dishonest assistance. She also assisted with an appeal in a dispute over a shareholder agreement which concerns the interaction between principles of contractual interpretation, the law of agency and the parole evidence rule.

Melody particularly enjoys commercial work with an international dimension. She has produced notes and advices on jurisdiction and, in particular, on the location in which financial loss is suffered for the purposes of the tort gateway. Earlier this year, she assisted with an advice on a question of BVI law.

Professional negligence is another area of special interest for Melody, and she has gained experience with claims against a wide range of professionals. In February, she assisted with an advice on limitation for a claim against a pension scheme advisor for the loss of a chance to bring loss of a chance claims against that advisor and other advisors. Her other work includes an advice, for her supervisor, on evidence, liability and mitigation in a dispute about negligently drafted mirror wills.

Her experience extends to claims against construction professionals and includes:

• instructions in a claim by heritage planning consultants for unpaid fees (where it was alleged that the services had been negligently carried out);
• assisting her supervisor in the identification and formulation of potential claims against an architect for negligent advice on planning permission and for a failure to properly supervise building works; and
• assisting with closing submissions for a dispute over a waste facility which raises issues in relation to declaratory judgments, waiver by election and expert determination.

Melody is also eager to build an insurance law practice. During pupillage, she drafted pleadings for claims against insurers and insurance brokers as well as advices. Her most recent work includes an advice, for her supervisor, on the application of the terms “claim” and “single claim” in a directors and officers liability insurance policy.