Niamh Davis
Niamh Davis

Niamh Davis

Call: 2022

Niamh has experience across all of Chambers’ core practice areas, including commercial disputes, civil fraud, probate, company, insolvency, aviation, and trust litigation. Recently she has assisted with an appeal to the Court of Appeal concerning the interpretation of s.423 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (Invest Bank v El-Husseini [2023] EWCA Civ 555) and an aviation dispute involving claims for breaches of redelivery conditions (GASL Ireland Leasing A-1 Limited v SpiceJet Limited [2023] EWHC 1107 (Comm)).

Niamh graduated with triple first-class honours in Law from Downing College, Cambridge and subsequently completed the BCL at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. During her studies, Niamh received several University and College scholarships. Niamh was awarded a Lord Mansfield Scholarship and a Residential Scholarship from Lincoln’s Inn in respect of her Bar Practice Course, in which she obtained an Outstanding.

Prior to joining Chambers, Niamh worked as a research assistant to William Day and assisted him with his chapter on The Eleftheria (1969) in his book, Landmark Cases in Private International Law.

Niamh joined Chambers in October 2023 following the successful completion of her pupillage, supervised by Daniel Warents, Erin Hitchens, Hugh Miall, and Owen Curry. Niamh welcomes instructions in all of Chambers’ core practice areas.

Areas of experience

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  • Aviation

    Niamh ‘s aviation experience include:

    • GASL Ireland Leasing A-1 Limited v SpiceJet Limited [2023] EWHC 1107 (Comm); Niamh assisted in this dispute concerning an airline’s breach of return conditions under a lease.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens with drafting statements of case in a claim against an airline for its breaches of multiple sale purchase agreements.
    • Assisting with an urgent injunction application for the delivery up of an aircraft.
  • Banking and Financial Services

    Niamh has gained experience of the following:

    • Day v FXCM [2023] EWHC 1349 (Comm): assisting Daniel Warents in this matter involving allegations of breaches of contract and statutory duty against a spread-betting firm, arising from losses suffered by the claimant on trades in oil derivatives.
    • Assisting Daniel Warents with drafting statements of case in relation to contractual debt claims under spread betting contracts.
    • Assisting with an application for summary judgment in respect of claims arising from a commercial loan agreement.
  • Civil Fraud, Asset Tracing & Recovery
    • Assisting Adam Cloherty KC and Erin Hitchens in making freezing and proprietary injunction applications.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens with drafting statements of case in relation to claims for dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duties, deceit, and proprietary remedies in respect of commercial investments.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens with drafting statements of case in relation to claims brought against a fraudulent bank manager.
  • Commercial Litigation

    Niamh has assisted in a range of commercial matters, including some which involved questions of jurisdiction and private international law considerations. Examples of her experience include:

    • Assisting with drafting statements of case in relation to a claim for breach of contract and restitution of unjust enrichment.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens by advising on methods of alternative service and the merits of an application to serve out of the jurisdiction.
    • Assisting with the drafting statements of case in relation to claims for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty in respect of a pharmaceutical supply agreement.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens by advising on the merits of seeking a freezing injunction and other forms of interim relief in a commercial contractual dispute involving breaches of contract and a breach of fiduciary duty.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens by advising on whether a Norwich Pharmacal Order can be granted where information obtained may be used to support foreign proceedings.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with advising on the law of matrimonial domicile and the jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to a dispute over foreign shares.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with the drafting statements of case for the enforcement of Chinese judgments in England.
    • Assisting with advising on the merits of a claim for damages for misrepresentation in relation to a firm’s financial performance.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall by advising on the operation of contempt of court applications.
    • Assisting Andrew Holden and Alex Peplow with a Part 71 application for the questioning of a judgment debtor.
  • Company

    Niamh has experience of a range of company law matters, including:

    • Assisting Daniel Warents and Erin Hitchens with shareholder disputes under s 994 of the Companies Act 2006.
    • Assisting with advising on the merits of and drafting an unfair prejudice petition in relation to director’s removal from management in a quasi-partnership company.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with advising on the operation of a parent company’s step-in powers under its subsidiary’s Articles of Association.
  • Insolvency

    Niamh insolvency experience includes:

    • Assisting with a Cayman Islands case involving shareholders’ claims for misrepresentation against a company in liquidation.
    • Invest Bank v El-Husseini [2023] EWCA Civ 555: Niamh assisted Daniel Warents on this matter which concerned the scope of section 423 of the Insolvency Act 1986.
    • Assisting in defending a bankruptcy petition.
  • International & Offshore

    Niamh’s experience in international and offshore matters, include the jurisdictions of the Channels Islands and the Bahamas. Her recent experience includes:

    • Assisting with a Cayman Islands case involving shareholders’ claims for misrepresentation against a company in liquidation.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with drafting statements of case for the enforcement of Chinese judgments in England.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with a claim to remove the manager and advice on the merits of appointing a receiver over a Cayman Islands trust.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with advice relating to the law of matrimonial domicile and the jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to a dispute over foreign shares.
    • Assisting with seeking the strike out for want of prosecution and abuse of process of a claim in The Bahamas.
  • Real Estate Litigation
    • Acted for a mortgagor in possession proceedings
    • Assisting with a claim concerning the operation of an equitable charge and order for sale made in respect of a residential property.
  • Trusts, Probate & Estates

    Niamh has the following trusts, probate, and estates experience:

    • Assisting Andrew Holden by advising on the courts’ approach to interpretation of express indemnity clauses for protectors in trust deeds.
    • Assisting Daniel Warents with advice on a claim in relation to the administration of and succession to an estate, involving questions of governing law, domicile, and the application of the non-contentious probate rules.
    • Assisting Edward Cumming KC with advising on the effect of letters of wishes and ‘no contest clauses’ in a trust.
    • Assisting with drafting statements of case in respect of a grant of administration in relation to foreign property and a foreign domiciled deceased.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens with advising on the operation of charitable trusts.
    • Assisting on a dispute concerning the entitlement to a grant of letters of administration over an English estate.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens with drafting statements of case in relation to claims for the rescission of transactions on the basis of undue influence and declarations as to the beneficial ownership of various properties.
    • Assisting with a matter involving the administration of the insolvent estate of a deceased person.
    • Assisting Erin Hitchens in drafting statements of case in relation to claims arising from the distribution of an estate, on the bases of knowing receipt, unjust enrichment, and conspiracy, and seeking proprietary remedies.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with advice on the law of matrimonial domicile and the jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to a dispute over foreign shares.
    • Assisting Hugh Miall with advice on the operation of a common intention constructive trusts in respect of foreign shares.
    • Assisting Owen Curry with an application for orders and directions in respect of the administration of an estate pursuant to CPR Rule 64(2).

Other information

  • Academic (and professional) History
    • Research Assistant to William Day
    • BPC (Outstanding), University of Law, Bloomsbury (2021-2022)
    • BCL (with merit) (Commercial Remedies, Restitution of Unjust Enrichment, Corporate Insolvency, and Legal Concepts in Financial Law), St Catherine’s College, Oxford (2020-2021)
    • BA Law (Triple First Class), Downing College, Cambridge (2017-2020)
  • Scholarships and Prizes/ Awards
    • Lord Mansfield Scholarship (the ‘most prestigious’ merit-based award from Lincoln’s Inn for students undertaking the Bar Practice Course, 2021)
    • Residential Scholarship (providing students with accommodation within Lincoln’s Inn during their Bar Practice Course year, 2021)
    • Senior Harris Scholarship (for achieving a First in all three parts of the Law Tripos, Downing College, Cambridge, 2020)
    • Title of Foundation Scholar (for achieving a First in Law Tripos Part II after having been awarded a first in Tripos Parts IA and IB, Downing College, Cambridge, 2020)
    • John H. Morrison OBE Scholarship (for achieving a First in Law Tripos Part IB, Downing College, Cambridge, 2019)
    • Rebecca Flower Squire Scholarship (for achieving a First in Law Tripos Part IB and intending to become a barrister, Cambridge University Faculty of Law, 2019)
    • John H. Morrison OBE Scholarship (for achieving a First in Law Tripos Part IA, Downing College, Cambridge, 2018)