Alexander Halban

Alexander represents clients in a wide range of international and domestic commercial disputes in the High Court and international arbitration. Many of his cases have an international element and feature jurisdiction challenges, claims under foreign law and applications for anti-suit injunctions.

• Matchroom Boxing Ltd v Rakuten Group Inc (2026) acting for an international boxing promoter against a Japanese ticketing and events company for breach of contracts involving the promotion of boxing tournaments in Japan.
• DMA Resources Ltd v Brazilian Nickel Ltd [2026] EWHC 833 (Ch) acting in a claim for commission by an introducer for the successful introduction of an investment by a private equity in a Brazilian nickel mine.
• Marples v Secretary of State for Education [2025] EWHC 2794 (Ch) acting (led by Adam Solomon KC) in a £40m claim alleging misfeasance in public office and negligence against a government agency, for preventing the claimants from selling their shareholdings in their company which held a major publicly-funded education contract.
• Gorbachev v Guriev [2024] EWHC 2174 (Comm), acting (led by Paul Stanley KC and David Scorey KC, for the claimant Russian businessman in a $1bn claim to recover a shareholding in a Russian company listed on the London Stock Exchange, hearing over a six-week Commercial Court trial, including a week sitting in Dubai due to UK sanctions imposed on the defendant. The case was listed as one The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases.
• Atlas Holdings LLC v Aviator LLC, City Loft LLC and Ugulava (2024), led by Charles Samek KC, in a $330m ICC arbitration relating to the acquisition of an online gambling business in Georgia by a UK gambling group; also obtained a High Court anti-enforcement injunction against defendants seeking to enforce a Georgian judgment which interfered with the arbitration.
• Alimov v Mirakhmedov [2024] EWHC 3322 (Comm) acting (led by Charles Samek KC) for a Kazakh businessman claiming a share worth $800m in a major cryptocurrency mining company, involving a complex jurisdiction challenge and issues under Kazakh law
• Re HTL International Ltd (2020-23): advising (with Adam Solomon KC) the judicial managers (administrators) of a Singapore-based international group in relation to a challenge by the company shareholder to the judicial management and an anti-suit injunction to restrain proceedings brought in China which sought to undermine the Singapore court’s judgment.
• Al-Subaihi v Al-Sanea [2021] EWHC 2609 (Comm) (led by Rupert D’Cruz KC) acting successfully at trial for the Claimants, Saudi lawyers claiming unpaid legal fees of $16 million for representing the former Saudi billionaire, Maan Al-Sanea, his family and his collapsed Saad Group of companies.
• National Bank Trust v Yurov [2020] EWHC 100 (Comm): acting (led by Paul Stanley KC and Tom Poole KC) in a claim brought by a Russian bank alleging misappropriation of $900 million against its former directors and shareholders, raising complex issues of Russian law. The case was listed as one The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases.
• Sheianov v Sarner International Ltd [2020] EWHC 1214 (QB), [2020] 1 WLR 3963 successfully obtained summary judgment for delivery up of a collection of Second World War motorcycles held by an exhibition design company, resisting its claim of a lien for its unpaid fees. The judgment, reported in the Weekly Law Reports, features the first detailed modern discussion of the principles of the common law lien.
• Russian Airline v Seychelles Company (2019): acting for a Russian airline in an LCIA arbitration concerning an attempted corporate raid on the airline by a former joint venture partner, claiming debts of US$180 million.
• Re Bennet Invest; Hniazdzilau v Vajgel [2016] EWHC 15 (Ch): acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) in a dispute over the beneficial ownership of Belarusian assets held through an English corporate structure and the effects under Russian, Belarusian and English law of illegal transactions.
• Boots v Goldpine Estates Ltd, CA, 18 June 2014: acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) in a second appeal to the Court of Appeal on agreements for leases ‘subject to contract’.
• Barber v Rasco International Ltd [2012] EWHC 269 (QB): acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) for claimants in a dispute concerning a partnership to operate an oil and gas pipeline protection contract in Azerbaijan and Georgia, against a defendant seeking to divert the contract away from the partnership.

Alexander’s civil fraud practice features complex cross-border fraud and asset tracing cases, cases of fraudulent breach of director’s duty and breach of trust, misappropriation of assets and corporate wrongdoing. Alexander has extensive experience of applications for freezing injunctions, asset disclosure orders, debarring orders against non-compliant defendants and related applications for contempt of court.

• DBLP Sea Cow Ltd v Steffensen [2026] EWHC 281 (Ch) and [2026] BCC 119 acting (led by Nikki Singla KC and sole counsel at many hearings) for the founder of a NASDAQ-listed AI company to recover shares in the company sold by the defendant in breach of trust; secured a proprietary injunction and asset tracing orders against defendant; debarring orders for non-compliance; and obtain summary judgment for $7m. Now acting in the related application for the defendant’s committal for contempt of court.
• Up the Gills LLC v Paul Scally Management Consultancy FZE acting (led by Adam Solomon KC) in a claim for fraudulent breach of warranty and fraudulent misrepresentation relating to the acquisition of shares in a football club.
• Gorbachev v Guriev [2024] EWHC 2174 (Comm), acting (led by Paul Stanley KC and David Scorey KC, for the claimant Russian businessman in a $1bn claim to recover a shareholding in a Russian company listed on the London Stock Exchange, hearing over a six-week Commercial Court trial, including a week sitting in Dubai due to UK sanctions imposed on the defendant. The case was listed as one The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases.
• Atlas Holdings LLC v Aviator LLC, City Loft LLC and Ugulava (2024), led by Charles Samek KC, in a $330m ICC arbitration alleging fraud in the acquisition of an online gambling business in Georgia by a UK gambling group; also obtained a High Court anti-enforcement injunction against defendants seeking to enforce a Georgian judgment, allegedly obtained by fraud, which interfered with the arbitration.
• Alimov v Mirakhmedov [2024] EWHC 3322 (Comm) acting (led by Charles Samek KC) for a Kazakh businessman claiming a share worth $800m in a major cryptocurrency mining company, involving a complex jurisdiction challenge and issues under Kazakh law.
• National Bank Trust v Yurov [2020] EWHC 100 (Comm): acting (led by Paul Stanley KC and Tom Poole KC) in a claim brought by a Russian bank alleging misappropriation of $900 million against its former directors and shareholders, raising complex issues of Russian law. The case was listed as one The Lawyer’s Top 20 Cases.
• Russian Airline v Seychelles Company (2019): acting for a Russian airline in an LCIA arbitration concerning an attempted corporate raid on the airline by a former joint venture partner, claiming debts of US$180 million
• Lefebvre d’Ovidio v Lefebvre d’Ovidio (2019-21): acting (led by Charles Samek KC) in an application for a freezing order under s. 25 of the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 in support of Italian proceedings for €750 million concerning the ownership of a major Italian cruise line; and in subsequent proceedings to set aside transactions defrauding creditors in support of the enforcement of Italian judgments
• Re Friendly Investment Co Ltd & Re Friendly Pensions Ltd (2015-21): acting for the liquidators of a group of pension and investment companies to recover sums fraudulently misappropriated from the pension schemes
• Re Bennet Invest; Hniazdzilau v Vajgel [2016] EWHC 15 (Ch): acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) in a dispute over the beneficial ownership of Belarusian assets held through an English corporate structure and the effects under Russian, Belarusian and English law of illegal transactions
• Barber v Rasco International Ltd [2012] EWHC 269 (QB): acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) for claimants in a dispute concerning a partnership to operate an oil and gas pipeline protection contract in Azerbaijan and Georgia against a defendant seeking to divert the contract away from the. partnership

Alexander acts in company and shareholder’ disputes, including unfair prejudice petitions, claims for breach of director’s duties, share sale and M&A disputes, along with related insolvency disputes.

• Re Bynx Ltd (2026) defending an unfair prejudice petition in a corporate group based in the UK and Australia, with allegations of unjustified removal of the petitioner from management and cross-allegations against the petitioner of breach of director’s duty and backdating of documents.
• Up the Gills LLC v Paul Scally Management Consultancy FZE (2026) acting (led by Adam Solomon KC) in a claim for fraudulent breach of warranty and breach of director’s duties relating to the acquisition of shares in a football club.
• Cambden v Leonard [2026] EWHC 668 (Ch) secured an interim injunction restraining the removal of a founder and director of a company, by the majority shareholders who had been seeking to divert corporate opportunities away from the company.
• Shareholder A v Shareholders B & C (2023) LCIA arbitration of a shareholder dispute with mutual allegations of breach of a shareholders’ agreement, raising issues of drag-along clauses and share valuation.
• Re Contingent & Future Technologies Ltd [2023] EWHC 2451 (Ch), [2024] BCC 223, [2024] 2 BCLC 358 acting for a founding shareholder of a technology company for his wrongful removal and classification as a ‘bad leaver’; as sole counsel, resisted a strike out application, against a leading company silk, in a decision reported in both company law reports.
• Malik v Henley Homes plc [2023] EWCA Civ 726: acting (sole counsel and led by Adam Solomon KC in the Court of Appeal) for a shareholder of a property development company in s recover an outstanding directors’ loan from the company; obtained summary judgment against a defence of an oral agreement, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal.
• Re Corbin & King Ltd (2022) acting (led by Adam Solomon KC) for the founders of The Wolseley and Delauney restaurants in a dispute against the majority shareholders and investors, in an unfair prejudice petition and administration and moratorium dispute.
• Re HTL International Ltd (2020-23): advising (with Adam Solomon KC) the judicial managers (administrators) of a Singapore-based international group in relation to a challenge by the company shareholder to the judicial management and an anti-suit injunction to restrain proceedings brought in China which sought to undermine the Singapore court’s judgment.
• VTB Bank v Laptev [2020] EWHC 321 (Ch): acting (as sole counsel) in bankruptcy proceedings for £25 million brought by a Russian bank against a Russian-domiciled individual who is already in Russian bankruptcy proceedings; successfully secured the dismissal of the petition for lack of jurisdiction and based on expert Russian law.
• Re Friendly Investment Co Ltd & Re Friendly Pensions Ltd (2015-21): acting for the liquidators of a group of pension and investment companies to recover sums fraudulently misappropriated from the pension schemes.
• Re Bennet Invest; Hniazdzilau v Vajgel [2016] EWHC 15 (Ch) acting for the defendant (led by Thomas Roe KC) in a dispute over the beneficial ownership of Belarusian assets held through an English corporate structure and the effects under Russian, Belarusian and English law of illegal transactions.
• Re HLC Environmental Projects [2013] EWHC 2876 (Ch), [2013] BCC 337: acting (led by Thomas Roe KC) for a company director in a misfeasance claim brought by liquidators for unlawful preferences made by the company operating substantial PFI contracts.
• Sharma v Sharma [2013] EWCA Civ 1287, [2014] BCC 73: acting (led by Richard Snowden KC (now Snowden LJ) and Thomas Roe KC) in a shareholders’ dispute and appeal to the Court of Appeal over the beneficial ownership of a group of companies, with diversion of corporate opportunities and breach of directors’ duties.