Lucy Wilson-Barnes | Manchester, Leeds & Birmingham

Profile

Lucy Wilson-Barnes joined Kings Chambers from Cobden House in 2021.

Lucy practises in most areas of Chancery and commercial litigation, with a particular focus on company and insolvency. She has considerable experience of directors’ disqualification, shareholders’ petitions, office holders’ applications for directions and for substantive relief including preferences and transactions at undervalue, shareholder disputes and issues arising in CVAs and IVAs and from creditors’ meetings. Lucy regularly appears on interim applications and has considerable experience of lengthy trials and hearings.

Lucy also advises and acts in relation to other property, company and commercial cases. Her property practice includes all aspects of traditional Chancery work, including securities, restrictive covenants, overage, commercial developments, rectification, Land Registry adjudications, easements, commercial landlord and tenant and partnership disputes. Lucy also acts in cases involving franchising, restraint of trade and professional negligence. 

As well as regularly appearing in the Chancery division and Companies Court, Lucy has much experience of First-tier Tax Tribunal hearings and has also appeared in the Upper Tribunal. She is regularly instructed by HMRC and her tribunal work includes Missing Trader Intra Community appeals and other VAT appeals, concerning penalties, zero rating and invalid invoices.

In recent months Lucy has advised or represented clients in cases in the following areas:-

• Company board dispute and members’ requisition of a general meeting;
• Pre-emption rights for shares, involving issues of personal insolvency, compromise and the identification and construction of competing articles;
• Problems with a management company of flats, involving issues of board deadlock, enforceability of covenants and minority shareholder rights;
• Issues of the renewal of a franchise agreement involving issues of a guarantor’s obligations, the right to refuse renewal, implied continuation and the enforcement of covenants of restraint of trade;
• The construction of an agreement for licence/lease and occupation by a telecommunications company;Section 236 IA 1986 application;Bankruptcy Restrictions Order application;
• Director’s disqualification involving MTIC fraud;    
• Section 17 CDDA applications for permission to act as a director;
• Public interest winding up; 
• Zero rating of goods/issue of despatch;
• Overage and restrictive covenants in relation to a residential development plot;

Lucy was appointed to the Attorney General’s Regional Panel in 2000 and is regularly instructed to act and advise by government departments

Year of Call: 1989

Areas of Expertise

Memberships

Chancery Bar Association
Northern Chancery Bar Association
Professional Negligence Bar Association

Qualifications

Manchester High School for Girls; 

Junior Counsel to the Crown (Provincial Panel)

Recommendations

Chambers UK 2023

"Lucy has a keen eye for detail and stays on top of the facts. She is robust in cross-examination."

Chambers UK 2022

"Absolutely excellent technically and has a real eye for detail."

Chambers UK 2021

Frequently instructed in litigious matters related to directors' duties and bankruptcy, her practice comprises shareholder disputes and professional negligence, in addition to a keen focus on insolvency. She comfortably deals with both corporate and personal insolvency issues.
Strengths: "An outstanding advocate." "She is very detailed and is an effective advocate." "Very thorough and diligent."

Chambers UK 2020

Frequently instructed in litigious matters related to directors' duties and bankruptcy, her practice comprises shareholder disputes and professional negligence, in addition to a keen focus on insolvency. She comfortably deals with both corporate and personal insolvency issues.
Strengths: "She is the master of detail; when she takes on a case with complexity and a high level of detail you can be confident that she has everything well in hand." "Extremely experienced, well respected by her clients and very good on her feet."

Chambers UK 2018

"Frequently instructed in litigious matters related to director duties and bankruptcy, her practice comprises shareholder disputes and professional negligence, in addition to a keen focus on insolvency. She comfortably deals with both corporate and personal insolvency issues."