Paul Lewis

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

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.)

Trusts

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

Significant property, estates and 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.

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 accepts instructions in a range of Banking and Finance and Financial Services matters, including claims by banks and the mis-selling of financial products and welcomes instructions in the following areas:

• Product mis-selling, including rate swap mis-selling and LIBOR related claims
• Commercial contract disputes
• Insurance - coverage disputes
• Professional negligence & indemnity matters. 

Paul has a particular interest in company law matters and his experience encompasses a range of advisory and contentious work. Paul welcomes instructions in the following areas:

• Shareholder disputes
• Unfair prejudice petitions
• Directors disputes
• Derivative claims
• Share sale disputes
• Warranty claims
• Share rectification proceedings
• Partnership
• Charitable companies
• Foundations
• Joint venture disputes

Significant company 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 Mr Dohr 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 involved the successful sale of one of the most valuable pieces of Jersey commercial real estate ever to take place (£27 million).

Paul acts for applicants and respondents in all aspects of Court of Protection work acting in advising in both contentious and non-contentious matters. He has a particular emphasis on complex property and affairs matters such as statutory gift applications, statutory wills and the role of the Court of Protection in inheritance disputes. Paul is happy to give talks on Court of Protection practice and procedure.

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 has acted in a wide variety of professional negligence cases, for both claimants and defendants, mainly relating to his specialist areas of practice. His experience includes advising in relation to:

• Financial Advisors
• Solicitors and Barristers
• Accountants
• Surveyors and Valuers
• Insurance Brokers.

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.