Alexander Robson

Alexander specialises in commercial litigation and employment law.

After graduating from Cambridge, Alexander was Harmsworth Entrance Exhibitioner, Queen Mother Scholar and Student of Year at Middle Temple. He won the Rosalind Smith mooting competition, judged by then Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, and represented Middle Temple in competition in California. He was awarded the Fox Scholarship, enabling him to spend a year working in a leading litigation firm in Toronto and in St Kitts and Nevis.

He became a tenant in 2008 following successful completion of pupillage (under the supervision of Sam Neaman, Charles Samek and Gavin Mansfield). Since then his practice has flourished in line with Chambers’ areas of expertise. He has been involved in a number of high-profile cases. See the individual tabs below for details of Alexander’s expertise.

Alexander is a practical, persuasive and, where necessary, robust advocate with a clear understanding of the value of team-work in fighting litigation. He does not shy away from hard work. As well as being a talented advocate, he is able to offer sensible, practical and clear commercial advice. He has spent significant amounts of time working directly alongside clients (lay and professional) during his secondments to the commercial litigation department of a Magic Circle firm in London in 2011 and the legal team of an international recruitment company.

He has written on both commercial and employment law and is co-author of The Path to Pupillage, published by Sweet & Maxwell, now in its second edition. In 2011 Alexander was one of a small number of junior barristers from the UK selected to attend an advanced advocacy course in Florida.

commercial

Alexander has significant experience of commercial litigation in both High Court and County Court. His practice covers the range of commercial contract disputes, as well as shareholder disputes, commercial fraud and disputes between directors/senior employees. He has experience across a range of industries and particular expertise in the banking, sports, media and manufacturing/retail sectors.

Examples of his recent cases include:

Truk International Ltd v Zeleznicne Opravovne A Strojarne Zovolen A.S. Sole Counsel acting for a Slovakian company in a High Court dispute arising out of cross-border trade in the manufacturing sector.

Rossi v (1) Cheshire & Mersyside Health Authority (2) University of Liverpool. Led by David Reade QC in this multi-million pound claim for breach of contract, negligence and breach of statutory duty.

Commercial Marine & Piling Limited v Pierse Contracting Limited [2009] 2 Lloyd's Rep 659 (TCC). Sole Counsel in high-value construction dispute concerning jurisdiction over a contract of guarantee.

Reeves v Sprecher and Others [2006] 2 BCLC 614. Multi-jurisdictional commercial dispute in the hedge-fund sector. Worked on both Nevisian and English aspects of the litigation with solicitors in Charlestown, Toronto and London.

Additionally, Alexander advises and appears on behalf of high street banks in credit agencies in claims relating to allegations of negligence and unfair charges. He also regularly acts for individual and corporate creditors and debtors, and has recent experience of defending proceedings brought under the Companies Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

Alexander is co-author, with Charlotte Davies, of PLC's practice notes on Conspiracy in Commercial Fraud.

employment

Alexander has experience of employment litigation in the Privy Council, High Court, EAT and ET.

In 2011 Alexander successfully appeared as junior Counsel before the Privy Council in Adamas Limited v Mrs. Yong Ting Ping How Fok Cheung [2011] UKPC 32. He was led by Adam Solomon.

In the High Court his employment experience relates principally to actions relating to team moves, breach of confidence and breach of fiduciary duty. Recent cases in the High Court include:

Ede and Ravenscroft v Farnes. Complex case concerning misuse of confidential information and breaches of duty on Savile Row. Attracted significant media attention. Sole Counsel.

Junior counsel in Standard Life Health Ltd v Gorman. Later reported at [2010] IRLR 233 – important Court of Appeal decision on a principal’s obligations to its agents. Led by Gavin Mansfield.

His ET practice covers the range of industrial issues, with an emphasis in Tribunal on unfair dismissal (particularly redundancy – both individual and collective), TUPE, discrimination and whistleblowing. He has substantial experience of cases of all levels of complexity from less than a day to 3 weeks.

Alexander has appeared in the EAT on several occasions including an important case on the effect of s.111 ERA 1996 and Joao v Mesh Computers, in which guidance was given by Cox J on the proper approach to amendment applications.

His advisory practice also covers the range of industrial issues. He is currently advising a major international corporation on the TUPE implications of a cross-border £multi-billion merger.

AWARDS

Queen Mother Scholar, Middle Temple (2005)
Harmsworth Entrance Exhibitioner, Middle Temple (2005)
Student of the Year, Middle Temple (2006)
The CIArb President’s Prize for Excellence in the Study and Application of ADR (2006)
Rosamund Smith Mooting Cup, Middle Temple (2006)
Fox Scholar (2006-7)

Publications

Alexander is co-author, with Georgina Wolfe, of The Path to Pupillage (Sweet & Maxwell, 2^nd Edition 2010).

Alexander regularly writes articles for publications. Recently these have included The Times; Employment Law Journal (‘Back pay disaster for GMB’ with Charlotte Davies); and Mediator Magazine (‘Mediation in the Employment Act 2008’ with Michael Duggan and Philip Bartle QC).

Alexander gives seminars on a range of commercial and employment law issues.

Education

Educated at Newcastle Royal Grammar School, Pembroke College, Cambridge, and Nottingham Law School.

Call: 2006
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