Marie-Claire O’Kane

Marie-Claire is instructed in some of the most complex and large-scale claims before the Commercial Court. She is currently acting as junior counsel for the claimant in multi-million pound sanctions dispute LLC Eurochem North-West 2 v Société Générale and Ors; multi-million dollar civil proceedings arising out of the collapse of Greensill Capital in White Oak Commercial Finance (Non Levered) Limited v Marsh Limited; and as junior counsel for defendant auditors in a multi-million pound dishonest assistance claim based offshore. She recently acted for the successful claimants in a 19-week Commercial Court fraud trial in Suppipat & Ors v Narongdej & Ors [2023] EWHC 1988 (Comm) and for the successful applicant in Qatar Investment and Project Developments Holding Co v Phoenix Ancient Art SA [2023] EWHC 1916 KB. Marie-Claire has substantial experience of complex tax disputes, including acting as junior counsel for the claimant in a multi-million pound claim against a Big Four accountancy firm.

Marie-Claire has had extensive involvement in obtaining various key interim remedies including worldwide freezing injunctions, anti-suit injunctions, proprietary injunctions, asset disclosure orders and receivership orders, both domestically and internationally. She recently acted as junior counsel in in Sparta Global Limited v Hayes [2024] EWHC 100 (KB) concerning injunctive proceedings to restrain the misuse of confidential information.

Further instructions include:

• Acting as junior counsel in Norman Hay Plc v Marsh Limited [2024] EWHC 1039 (Comm) addressing causation in commercial disputes brought against insurance brokers.
• Acting as junior counsel for the claimant in a commercial dispute arising out of the largest ever divorce settlement in the UK in Soroka v Payne Hicks Beach (a firm). 
• Acting as junior counsel in a claim against the Government of the British Virgin Islands relating to an airline project, involving allegations of fraud, unlawful means, bribery and defamation.
• Acting as junior counsel in the SKAT litigation, featured in The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2021.
• Acting as junior counsel in a $2 billion claim brought by the Libyan Investment Authority against Société Générale, seeking rescission of various financial transactions.
• Acting as junior counsel in a deceit claim brought by a group of financial institutions based in the USA/Cayman Islands/Luxembourg/Jersey against a group of Turkish companies and related individuals.
• Assisting as junior counsel in proceedings for a freezing injunction in respect of misappropriation of company funds.
• Acting as junior counsel in defence of a claim for fraudulent breach of directors’ duties and knowing receipt.
• Acting as junior counsel in a multi-million dollar breach of trust claim against a professional trustee.
• Assisting as junior counsel in an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain the continuation of foreign proceedings in breach of an arbitration agreement.
• Acting as junior counsel in a claim involving allegedly negligent drafting of an all-monies clause in a company guarantee.
• Acting as sole counsel in a claim relating to an allegedly negligently drafted shareholders’ agreement.
• Acting as sole counsel in a claim relating to allegedly negligent advice given on the sale of a business as a going concern.