Lesley Anderson QC

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Year of Call: 1989
Year of Silk: 2006

 

Practice:

Chancery and commercial litigation
Insolvency - corporate and individual
Commercial contracts including joint ventures, distribution and agency contracts and share and asset sale warranty claims
Company law - especially shareholder disputes and breach of trust/fiduciary duty claims
Directors' disqualification and directors' and employee duties (including breach of restrictive covenants)
Partnership (especially professionals such as solicitors and medical practitioners)
Banking (especially secured and unsecured recoveries and guarantees)
Commercial property
Commercial landlord and tenant
Professional negligence (especially solicitors and chartered surveyors)
Sale of goods and services
Mediation 

Profile:

Lesley is a silk specialising in chancery and commercial dispute resolution with particular emphasis on general commercial litigation, corporate and personal insolvency and commercial property.  She was among ten of the most junior practitioners to take silk in 2006.  Her practice is predominantly contentious and clients include banks, multinationals and major public companies as well as a number of smaller manufacturing and other companies and professional firms.  Much of her experience as trial counsel emanates from urgent, interim applications.

She acts regularly for the government including on directors' disqualification matters, public interest winding up and recently, in a number of cases for DEFRA arising from the foot and mouth crisis in 2001.  Prior to taking silk she was a member of the Attorney General's Provincial Panel of Counsel.  Since taking Silk Lesley's practice has also encompassed advising on company and partnership aspects of high value ancillary relief applications and in connection with corporate structuring issues in industrial disease litigation.

Lesley is a former academic and training manager for the national Norton Rose M5 Group of legal practices.  She contributes regularly to legal and professional conferences on legal and professional practice matters and regularly undertakes training for solicitors on an in-house basis.  She has a number of publications in academic and professional books and journals. 

She has accepted nominations to act as a Court appointed examiner for taking evidence abroad and in relation to Joint Tribunal of the Bar Council/Law Society on a dispute on fees.

She became a Recorder in 2006 and was authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge of the Chancery Division in 2008.

Mediation:

Lesley became a CEDR accredited mediator in 2000 and is an enthusiastic supporter of mediation and other methods of alternative dispute resolution in appropriate disputes.  She acts regularly as a mediator.

 Lesley has undertaken mediations in the following types of dispute:

• rent and service charges under commercial leases
• professional partnerships
• dealership agreement in telecommunications industry
• construction
• restrictive covenants and competition
• disputed title to property
• rights of way/adverse possession
• shareholder disputes
• unpaid commission in agency/distribution agreement
• commercial fraud

She describes her style as "fairly robust and at the evaluative end of the scale where necessary".  Most of the disputes mediated by her have settled at (or in one case shortly following) mediation.

Significant cases:

Peter Nolan v Graham Wright [2009] EWHC 305 - extortionate credit bargains and limitation

Stephen Carter (As Personal Representative of the Estate of Frank Carter, Deceased) v Freeman Group PLC [2008] EWHC 1572 - assignment of liabilities in context of industrial disease claim  

ICI Chemicals & Polymers Limited v TTE Training Limited [2007] EWCA Civ 725 - approach to summary judgment on questions of construction  

Secretary of State for Trade & Industry v Bloxham (20 September 2006) - first decision on section 453C Companies Act 1985 - committal for contempt in context of company investigations

Strahan v Wilcock [2006] EWCA Civ 13, CA - meaning of quasi-partnership in context of section 459 CA 1985

Holaw (470) Limited v Stockton Estates Limited (2001) 81 P & CR 29 - implied easements and standard conditions of sale

Medforth v Blake [2000] Ch 86, CA - duties of agricultural receivers

Liverpool City Council v Rosemary Chavasse (1999) CPLR 802 - one of the earliest decisions on costs under the CPR 1998

Chohan Clothing Company (Manchester) Limited v Fox Brooks Marshall (a firm), The Times, 9 December 1997, CA - service of writ on partnership

Nationwide Anglia Building Society v Ahmed and Balakrishnan (1996) 70 P & CR 381, Court of Appeal - vendors' lien and overriding interests

Recommendations:

Since being in practice Lesley has received consistent recommendations in Chambers Guide and the Legal 500: 

Chambers UK 2012:

"excellent, insightful and responsive advocate," "down-to-earth and approachable"

"an extremely powerful advocate with tremendous brainpower."

Has a "lovely manner with clients" with "suitable levels of aggression and a willingness to put her back into the matter at hand.

is "a heavyweight litigator" and "a go-to silk whose technical ability makes her stand out."

Legal 500 2011:

"extremely combative and tenacious"

"one of the best in the North West"

Legal 500 2010:

"our first choice for complex litigation when she is available".

Chambers UK 2010:

Leading silk Lesley Anderson QC attracts considerable praise from a range of solicitors "bright, sensible, commercial and incredibly tenacious." 

"a class act who commands respect from clients, opponents and the judiciary alike" 

She is fast pusing towards star status due to the unanimous backing of peers and solicitors and an enviable caseload and is also applauded for "showing complete dedication to clients - you get the impression that she's really on your side."

The "undoubtedly tough" Lesley Anderson QC impressed solicitors as "you feel the case is important to her and that she's the one to steer you through it" 

Chambers UK 2009:

"admired and respected as an opponent" by peers.
"incisive and extremely tenacious in court with a thoroughly good understanding of case law and legal principles"

"Quality Performer, Lesley Anderson QC, is 'excellent to deal with - she has deep expertise and excellent technical ability'

At the vanguard of Kings talented tenantry is Lesley Anderson QC who creates a particuarly favourable impression as an "absolutely excellent" advocate.  Appreciative of her "friendly yet no nonsense approach" on her feet, clients describe her as "great before the judge and completely unfazed when in court."

She is a "fantastic advocate and thoroughly deserves her outstanding reputation"

"One of the cleverest people you will ever come across"

Chambers UK 2008:

"The 'articulate' and 'broad-minded' Lesley Anderson QC is greatly respected for her 'calm and measured leadership'.  Sources speak highly of her 'firm yet conciliatory' approach to disputes and her 'ability to apprecite the financial concerns of all parties involved.'  She approaches her cases with a 'mediating tone'...." (Insolvency / Corporate Recovery)

"Very measured and extremely good on her feet... the subject of extended praise..'has a very broad practice and she's good at everything she does, meaning that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." (Chancery)

"A tenacious barrister who is thorough, dilligent and prepares fantastically well for conferences." (Commercial Dispute Resolution)

Chambers UK 2007:

"an excellent Chancery lawyer, with wonderful attention to detail" (Chancery).

"A star as a junior, sources anticipate great things from new silk Lesley Anderson QC.  She receives a healthy supply of high profile instructions from around the country. Instructing solicitors and clients alike praised her "tenacious advocacy and amiable demeanour" (Commercial litigation).

"recommended as "an absolutely superb advocate"" (insolvency/corporate recovery)

Legal 500 2009:

"a tenacious advocate"

Legal 500 2008:

"Kings Chambers' top rated silks include Lesley Anderson QC...."

Legal 500 2007: 

"absolutely outstanding, top ten nationwide" at commercial work" 

Memberships:

Chancery Bar Association
Northern Chancery Bar Association
Northern Circuit Commercial Bar Association
Northern and North Eastern Circuit  

Career and Education:
University:	University of Manchester
Degree:	LLB (Hons)
Year of Call:	1989 (Middle Temple)
Mediator:	Became a CEDR accredited Mediator in 2000
Deputy High Court Judge:	2008
Recorder:	2006
Year of Silk:	2006
Other Career Information:	1984 - 1989:  Lecturer in law at the University of Manchester teaching Remedies, Torts, Contract, Equity and Trusts and Commercial Law 1989 - 1991:  Training Manager for the Norton Rose M5 Group of solicitors' practices with responsibility for training and education within the Group.