Gretel Scott
Call: 2021; 2018 (Solicitor)
Practice Overview
Gretel is a dynamic barrister practising in all areas of commercial law. This includes civil fraud, banking, and commercial litigation and arbitration, but also art and cultural property law, insolvency, insurance and soft intellectual property. Ranked in the Legal 500 already as a 'Rising Star' for Civil Fraud and Art and Cultural Property, she has been described as: ‘...tenacious and really fights hard for her clients’ and ‘...a highly skilled junior and really focuses on the practicalities of achieving a successful outcome for her clients.’ (UK Bar Guide 2026)
Gretel is equally confident acting as sole counsel or as part of a team. She has recently appeared unled in several Case Management Conferences and application hearings in the High Court. She was previously a solicitor at Slaughter and May in the Disputes and Investigations team and has been seconded to a leading regional firm and a law firm in Germany, so she understands client pressures and the importance of building a good rapport.
Before transferring to the Bar, Gretel was the judicial assistant to Lord Briggs in the Supreme Court and Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 2020-2021. This sparked an interest in appellate work and she was delighted to return to the Supreme Court (led by Andrew Sutcliffe KC and William Day) in the Brake case ([2023] UKSC 29).
Gretel maintains a keen academic interest in the Law and enjoys writing articles or giving talks when she can. She studied law at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford and received scholarships at both.
Gretel also supports pro bono initiatives. She appeared on the Pro Bono Recognition List of England & Wales in 2025 and 2026.
Commercial Litigation and Arbitration
- Universal Cycles v Revenue and Customs Commissioners – acting for the appellant companies appealing Post Clearance Demand Notices issued by HMRC which imposed additional customs, VAT and anti-dumping duties on importations of bicycles, arising out of an investigation, and subsequent report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (led by Valentina Sloane KC, settled at trial in March 2026, application judgment [2026] UKFTT 00322 (TC))
- Advising a company regarding claims in restitution for unjust enrichment (ongoing)
- Acting for a broker dealer in a multi-party dispute defending allegations of a US$400m stock-backed lending fraud (ongoing, led by Rajesh Pillai KC). Salinas & Anor v Astor Asset Management 3 & Ors [2024] EWHC 2522 (Comm) – various defendants’ application to set aside worldwide freezing and proprietary injunctions)
- Ajayi v Ebury Partners Limited [2025] EWHC 3150 (Comm) – acted for Ebury successfully defending a claim to set aside a judgment for fraud following a 4-day trial, led by Jamie Riley KC. Also represented Ebury as sole counsel at several interim application and case management hearings.
- Actinon v CHAR Biocarbon [2026] EWHC 94 (Comm) (summary judgment hearing) – acting for Canadian clean tech group in a dispute under a licence agreement (London Circuit Commercial Court, ongoing led by William Day)
- Tribunal assistant in an ICC arbitration governed by Swiss law arising out of a shareholder dispute (2023-2025)
- Libyan Investment Authority v King [2023] EWHC 265 (Ch) – 5-week trial in the High Court (led by Andrew Onslow KC and Kate Holderness) concerning a joint venture and allegations of fraud in a property investment
- Acting for a specialist pipeline company in a claim for unpaid invoices and defending a counterclaim for various alleged breaches of the contract (Guernsey, settled successfully at mediation in January 2024)
- Advising on a contractual dispute arising out of a development management agreement for a construction project (settled successfully at mediation in March 2024)
- Various County Court applications for an energy company
- Andrew v Flywheel IT Services Ltd [2021] EWHC 3746 (Comm) – resisting a stay of execution of a judgment debt (as a pupil, with Andrew Onslow KC)
In addition to the cases above, Gretel is experienced in large multi-party litigation, having been involved in two s.90A FSMA claims and, as an associate at Slaughter and May, on the Trucks litigation (representing MAN)
Banking and Financial Markets
- Advising a broker on potential claims in contract and tort arising out of trades (ongoing)
- The Glencore plc Litigation – acting for one of the Claimant groups in a ss.90 and 90A FSMA claim based on alleged misstatements in and omissions from Glencore’s prospectuses and published information (led by David Mumford KC and Philip Hinks)
- Various County Court hearings related to payment protection insurance (PPI) claims
- Acting for the defendant in a dispute concerning matched principal brokerage services and claims in contract, deceit, misrepresentation and conspiracy (led by Farhaz Khan KC and Kate Holderness, settled at trial)
- Resisting a strike out for a limitation bar in a group litigation claim under section 90A FSMA (as a pupil, with Peter de Verneuil Smith KC)
Civil Fraud and Asset Tracing
- Universal Cycles v Revenue and Customs Commissioners – acting for the appellant companies appealing Post Clearance Demand Notices issued by HMRC which imposed additional customs, VAT and anti-dumping duties on importations of bicycles, arising out of an investigation, and subsequent report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (led by Valentina Sloane KC, settled at trial in March 2026, application judgment [2026] UKFTT 00322 (TC))
- Acting for a broker dealer in a multi-party dispute defending allegations of a US$400m stock-backed lending fraud (ongoing; Salinas & Anor v Astor Asset Management 3 & Ors [2024] EWHC 2522 (Comm))
- Ajayi v Ebury Partners Limited [2025] EWHC 3150 (Comm) – acting for Ebury successfully defending a claim to set aside a judgment for fraud following a 4-day trial, led by Jamie Riley KC. Also represented Ebury as sole counsel at several interim application and case management hearings.
- Worldwide freezing injunction, cross-examination on assets and various other enforcement action to enforce a judgment debt obtained in the High Court (ChD) (led by James Potts). Next Generation Holdings Ltd v Finch [2024] EWHC 927 (Ch) (key case on the interaction between third-party debt orders and solicitors’ liens and set-off, unled)
- Guy v Foster (Commercial Court, led by William Day) – acting for the purchaser of a rural estate and wedding business in Dorset in an £18m deceit claim against the seller
- Libyan Investment Authority v King [2023] EWHC 265 (Ch) – 5-week trial in the High Court, Chancery Division (led by Andrew Onslow KC and Kate Holderness) concerning a joint venture and allegations of fraud in a property investment
- Tinkler v Esken Ltd (formerly Stobart Group Ltd) [2022] EWHC 1375 (Ch) – 10-day trial in the High Court acting for Mr Tinkler in his claim to set aside for fraud the judgment obtained by Esken Limited (as a pupil, supervised by James McWilliams)
Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law
- Urgent insolvency application hearing in the Insolvency and Companies List (April 2026)
- 2-day bankruptcy order hearing in Central London County Court (December 2025)
- Brake v The Chedington Court Estate Ltd [2023] UKSC 29– acting for The Chedington Court Estate Ltd in its successful appeal to the Supreme Court (led by Andrew Sutcliffe KC and William Day) concerning standing under section 303(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986
- Winding up petition in the Companies Court
- Application to set aside a statutory demand
Art and Culture Law
Gretel is on the committee of PING, the next generation group of PAIAM (Professional Advisors to the International Art Market). Her recent cases include:
- Acting for an orchestra defending claims in contract from musicians (pro bono)
- Advising an individual on rights to recover property from a gallery
- Advising an auction house on a possible contractual claim
- Acting for an auction house in a contractual claim against a seller (settled)
- Feilding v Simon C Dickinson Ltd [2022] EWHC 3091 (Ch) – 7-day trial in the High Court (led by Andrew Onslow KC) acting for the trustees of the Wemyss Heirlooms Trust concerning a claim in professional negligence against an art dealer
Insurance and Reinsurance
Gretel presented to BILA Young Professionals with James Sharpe on ‘D&O trends: AI and securities litigation’ (September 2025) and recorded a podcast with Peter Ratcliffe and William Day on notification issues (July 2025; available here)
- Acting for two insurers defending claims under group income protection policies (ongoing)
- Financial Conduct Authority v Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd [2020] EWHC 2448 (Comm) – acting for one of the defendant insurers in a test case under the Financial Markets Test Case Scheme concerning business interruption insurance and Covid-19 (at Slaughter and May)
Conflict of Laws
- Joyvio Group & Ors v Moreno & Ors [2024] EWHC 2493 (Comm) (led by Tim Penny KC, Jack Watson and William Day) – acting for Chinese food conglomerate responding to a jurisdiction challenge in a $1bn fraud claim arising from acquisition of Chilean salmon farm business
Gretel has given talks to law firms recently on jurisdiction and service.
Intellectual Property
- easyGroup Limited v Easy Hotel Wi-Fi Ltd & Ors (High Court, ChD) – obtaining an order for default judgment including declaratory and injunctive relief against the Defendants in a claim for trade mark infringement and passing off
- Acting for a hospitality company in a claim for breach of a franchise agreement
