Paul Lewis

Paul undertakes both contentious and advisory work in the areas of trusts, wills and probate, family provision cases, as well as matters involving real property disputes.

Trusts

Paul has wide experience in domestic, off shore and cross-border trust disputes.

Significant trusts cases which Paul has worked on include:

• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs [2017] JRC 146: Paul appeared as a trial advocate for the successful Claimants in a hard fought breach of trust claim worth in excess of $150 million. Following a three month trial, judgment was handed down in September 2017.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 026: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants in a contested application for further and better particulars in respect of the Defendants' amended answer and counterclaim.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 112: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants to secure sanctions for non-compliance and indemnity costs orders against the Defendants who had breached court orders in respect of their trial evidence.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 216A: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants to secure the release to the parties of a private letter written by the Fifth Defendant, Princess Camilla des Deux Siciles, to a Judge of the Royal Court in Jersey.
• In the Estate of X (Confidential) - [2015]: Paul was part of the team which acted for the testators in the context of an application to rectify a will concerning a multi-million pound estate.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs [2014] UKPC 40: Forum dispute which is now the leading authority on the effect of exclusive jurisdiction clauses in trust instruments. Paul was part of the team which successfully defended this appeal in the Jersey Court of Appeal and the Privy Council.

Inheritance, Wills & Estates

Paul advises and acts on all aspects of the law of succession, including the validity, interpretation and challenges to wills, the duties of executors and administrators, as well as family provision cases.

Real Property

Paul's practice encompasses all aspects of the law of real property, including title, boundaries, adverse possession, easements, covenants, rights of way, options and trusts of land (including co-ownership disputes and claims in proprietary estoppel.)

Paul acts for individuals and businesses in cases concerning all aspects of commercial and contractual disputes, including:

• Contractual disputes
• Sale and supply of goods and services
• Restraint of trade
• Misrepresentation
• Mistake
• Breach of confidence
• Corporate insolvency
• Agency

Significant commercial cases which Paul has worked on include:

• Dohr v AI Airports Ltd & PI Power International Ltd [2015] JRC 047: Paul was part of the team which acted for the successful claimant at trial in his claim to recover multi-million pound termination fees payable upon his removal from office as a director.
• Re the Liquidation of Anthony Investments (Esplanade) Ltd, Evreux Holdings Ltd & JCN Investments (Jersey) Ltd [2014] JRC 240B: Paul appeared for the Joint Liquidators in long running winding up proceedings involving three companies which included the successful sale of one of the most valuable pieces of Jersey commercial real estate ever to take place (£27 million).

Paul has significant international and offshore experience. His main areas of specialisation are commercial and company disputes, trust litigation as well as fraud and asset tracing. He has particular experience of cases concerning the Court’s powers to give directions, disclosure of trust information/documentation and the setting aside of dispositions for mistake. He was worked on cases involving jurisdictions as diverse as Jersey, the Bahamas, Monaco, France, New York, Hong Kong, South Africa and Mauritius.

Paul has appeared in court overseas on a number of occasions. He has worked on the following recent cases (appearing in many in his capacity as a Jersey Advocate):

• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs [2017] JRC 146: Paul appeared as a trial advocate for the successful Claimants in a hard-fought breach of trust claim worth in excess of $150 million before the Royal Court of Jersey. Following a three-month trial, judgment was handed down in September 2017. 
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 026: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants before the Royal Court of Jersey in a contested application for further and better particulars in respect of the Defendants' amended answer and counterclaim.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 112: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants before the Royal Court of Jersey to secure sanctions for non-compliance and indemnity costs orders against the Defendants who had breached court orders in respect of their trial evidence.
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs - [2016] JRC 216A: Paul appeared for the successful Claimants before the Royal Court of Jersey to secure the release to the parties of a private letter written by the Fifth Defendant, Princess Camilla des Deux Siciles, to a Judge of the Royal Court in Jersey.
• Dohr v AI Airports Ltd & PI Power International Ltd [2015] JRC 047: Paul was part of the team which acted for the successful claimant at trial before the Royal Court of Jersey in a claim to recover multi-million pound termination fees payable upon a director's removal from office.
• Re the Liquidation of Anthony Investments (Esplanade) Ltd, Evreux Holdings Ltd & JCN Investments (Jersey) Ltd [2014] JRC 240B: Paul appeared for the Joint Liquidators before the Royal Court of Jersey in long running winding up proceedings involving three companies which included the successful sale of one of the most valuable pieces of Jersey commercial real estate ever to take place (£27 million).
• Crociani, A & B v Crociani & O'rs [2014] UKPC 40: Forum dispute which is now the leading authority on the effect of exclusive jurisdiction clauses in trust instruments. Paul was part of the team which successfully resisted an application for a stay on the ground of forum non conveniens before the Royal Court of Jersey. Paul was also part of the team which successfully defended this decision before both the Jersey Court of Appeal and the Privy Council.

Paul specialises in the property and affairs side of Court of Protection work, as part of his wider chancery practice. 

Recent work and interests include:

• Statutory will and best interest applications.
• A dispute resolution appointment in a matter involving complex a family dispute with international elements.
• Applications for the approval of gifts.
• Contentious applications for the appointment / removal of attorneys and deputies.
• Claim for declaratory relief in relation to capacity.
• Advice in relation to errant attorneys and deputies.

Paul collects, uses and is responsible for your personal information collected during the course of providing legal services as a barrister. He is the data controller in respect of this information for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation.

The members of Guildhall Chambers have a general policy on the protection of personal data which sets out what information they obtain about you, why and how they use it. This policy also sets out your rights. A copy of the privacy policy is available on the Guildhall Chambers website, see: http://www.guildhallchambers.co.uk/privacy-policy.html.

Where Paul processes personal data as part of his role as a member of the Chancery Bar Association, the Chancery Bar Association privacy notice will apply instead of this privacy notice, see: www.chba.org.uk/about-us/membership/data-protection-notice.