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I specialise in all forms of dispute resolution including complex High Court litigation, arbitrations, and mediations and complaints. I also lead the firm’s Insolvency and Corporate Recovery team. I have a particular interest in Higher Education and Financial Services and act for a number of HEIs, financial services business and regulators and other public sector bodies in resolving complex commercial, regulatory and public law disputes. I specialise in claims involving large groups of clients and advise on all aspects of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. My work often encompasses jurisdictional issues and cross-border elements in particular where elements of fraud and/or mis-selling and associated insolvencies are involved.
I am also Head of our London office.
A very strong and measured litigator, with good judgement.
Memberships
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- I represented all UK local authorities affected by the collapse of the Icelandic Banks in 2008 to secure the return of almost £1.4bn of much needed funds for local authorities. My work on these cases led to Bevan Brittan ranking as Highly Regarded in the FT Innovative Lawyers Awards 2009 and being shortlisted for the Legal Business Awards Litigation Team of the Year 2012 and the Lawyer Litigation Team of the Year 2012.
- Selected for the Lawyers Hot 100 in 2012
- Advising the Local Government Association and its 365 member authorities in a multi-party action brought by personal search companies against all local authorities in England and Wales as well as central Government and the Welsh Assembly.
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Southern Cross Crisis - Implications for local authorities and PCTs
08/06/2011
Southern Cross Crisis - Implications for local authorities and PCTs
Data Protection breaches in the headlines again
23/11/2011
A report published today has again highlighted the regularity with which the Data Protection Act 1998 ("DPA") is being...
Icelandic banks repay local authorities and other wholesale depositors
16/03/2012
Icelandic banks repay local authorities and other wholesale depositors
Copyright Licensing Agency warns that a third of local authorities...
29/04/2013
Copyright Licensing Agency warns that a third of local authorities could be at risk of compliance action
Government plans to reform judicial review procedure
07/05/2013
The Government haspublished its response to the consultation on reforming the judicial review process that was issued in December...
Update on Judicial Review reform
02/07/2013
In May 2013, we reported on Government plans to reform judicial review procedure. The Civil Procedure (Amendment No.4) Rules...
The Court of Appeal dismisses Westminster Council's appeal against a...
18/07/2013
Westminster Council recently lost an appeal against a decision of the High Court in relation to a claim by sex shop owners that...
Local authority parking charges come under scrutiny
02/08/2013
DCLG has highlighted English local authority forecasts of £635msurplus from parking charges and fines in 2013 and 2014. In a...
Bevan Brittan advise on sale of Icelandic Debt taking Council...
21/02/2014
Leading public services law firm Bevan Brittan has advised 83 clients (including many local authorities) and the Local Government...
Licensing fees – Supreme Court grants Westminster City Council...
03/03/2014
The Supreme Court has granted permission to appeal in the case of R (Hemming t/a Simply Pleasure Ltd) v Westminster City Council....
Revenue generated by local authorities from car parking charges
12/12/2014
Revenue generated by local authorities from car parking charges
Upper Tribunal decides that water companies are "public authorities"
25/02/2015
The Fish Legal case has finally been concluded, with the Upper Tribunal ruling that the four water companies involved are indeed...
Supreme Court decision on costs in a public law context
23/07/2015
The Supreme Court has ruled that wherea party who has been given leave to bring a judicial review claim succeeds in establishing...
Landmark ruling could leave councils owing tenants millions in...
11/03/2016
Virginia Cooper comments on the decision in Jones v London Borough of Southwark EWHC 457 (Ch)
Ombudsmen's powers under scrutiny in the Supreme Court - JR55
13/05/2016
The Supreme Court has handed down judgment in the matter of an application by JR55 for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland) [2016]...
Licensing fees - Advocate General delivers an ominous opinion for...
12/08/2016
Councils could face ‘substantial’ bills for unlawful licence fees
Mastercard liable for interchange fee overcharges
26/09/2016
The Competition Appeal Tribunal finds that MasterCard's UK multilateral interchange fee was anti-competitive leaving it open to...
Court of Appeal overturns Health Ombudsman's decision on GP medical...
27/02/2018
Miller v Health Service Commissioner for England [2018] EWCA Civ 144
Court rulings leave councils facing significant compensation bills for...
06/12/2019
Could your Council be facing compensation bills?
Court rulings leave social landlords facing significant compensation...
12/12/2019
Could your housing association be facing compensation bills?
Briefing: Department for Education announces support package for...
06/05/2020
And other recent developments
Higher Education Spotlight September
16/09/2020
Your spotlight on the legal issues for the HE Sector
Procurement: Department for Education updated guidance on PPNs 02/20...
23/09/2020
Department for Education updated guidance for HE and FE
An end to the water re-seller saga? Court of Appeal upholds ruling...
23/11/2020
Does your water arrangement expose you to compensation claims?
Higher Education Spotlight December
03/12/2020
Your spotlight on the legal issues for the HE Sector - December 2020
Supreme Court judgment on local authorities’ ability to recover unpaid...
25/05/2021
Hurstwood Properties (A) Ltd & Others (Respondents) V Rossendale Borough Council & Another (Appellants) [2021] Uksc 16 On Appeal...
Bevan Brittan appointed to major university legal framework
06/07/2021
London Universities Purchasing Consortium Legal Framework
Higher Education Spotlight September
29/09/2021
Your spotlight on the legal issues for the HE Sector
Higher Education Today - March 2022
10/03/2022
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Today - May 2022
19/05/2022
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Today - July 2022
26/07/2022
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Today - October 2022
13/10/2022
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
Higher Education Today - January 2023
18/01/2023
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
High Court looks at student related consumer law issues
25/01/2023
The High Court has looked at whether postgraduate research students are consumers for the purposes of relevant consumer law, in...
Higher Education Today - April 2023
05/04/2023
News and current affairs for those working within Higher Education Institutions
Virginia Cooper – highly responsive and in tune with client’s needs and keen to meet them in a helpful and pragmatic way.